Why These Beauty Editor-Approved Hair Tools Are Total Game-Changers

Although most of us don't have the luxury of hiring a hairstylist for regular house calls (don't worry: outside of promotions, most celebs don't either), there are intuitive hair tools that put the expert power in your capable hands. But with over 2,000 hair tools on Amazon alone, where should you even start?

As Best Products' beauty editor, I put together this handy guide on how to shop for hair tools worth your hard-earned money. After checking out my expert tips, keep scrolling for my seven favorite hair tools, ranging from a flat iron infused with volcanic mineral complex to TikTok's favorite hair-dryer brush. So put your Amazon Prime membership to good use, take advantage of their signature 2-day shipping (students get 50% off ) and grab one of these hair tools to supercharge your hairstyle with minimal effort.

Best Hair Tools

Types of Hair Tools

Before we get into what key specs you should consider when shopping, here's a quick guide to the various types of hair tools.

• Hair dryers, such as the Dyson Supersonic, blow cold, warm, or hot air to dry and style your hair. There are also travel-sized hair dryers, but TBH, the Supersonic is extremely lightweight (1.4 pounds), and it doesn't take up much space in my suitcase or carry-on luggage.
• Hair-dryer brushes, like the ubiquitous Revlon One-Step, detangle, smooth, and dry your strands. They are ideal for achieving the perfect DIY blowout.
• Flat irons, sometimes called hair straighteners, like the Bio Ionic 10X flat iron, are equipped with smooth, flat plates that you clamp together and straighten your hair. They can also create curls and waves with a twisting motion with your wrist.
• Curling irons, such as The Beachwaver S1.25 Dual Voltage, help you achieve big bouncy curls, ringlets, or waves. The style you can achieve depends on the barrel size, which I'll discuss shortly.
• Curling wands, including the Infiniti by Conair Tapered Curling Wand, look like curling irons, but they don't have a clamp. Instead, you wrap your hair around the barrel and hold it for up to 15 seconds to achieve laidback waves and loose curls.
• Hair rollers, like the T3 Micro Volumizing Hot Roller Set, are a throwback method but plenty of hairstylists still use them to achieve mega volume.

What to Consider

Materials

• Ceramic hair tools heat up fairly quickly and evenly, glide through hair smoothly, and impart a beautiful sheen. In our guide to the best flat irons for natural hair, hairstylist Courtney Foster said ceramic tools are ideal for fine hair. They're also gentle enough for dry and damaged hair types.
• Titanium hair tools heat up faster and more evenly than ceramic products, so you need fewer passes with your hot tool of choice.
• Tourmaline hair tools have the best heat distribution and smooth your hair cuticle while adding moisture-locking ions that eliminate frizzy hair.
• Some hair tools, like the Bed Hed A Wave We Go Waver, combine multiple materials, such as tourmaline and ceramic, ensuring your hair reaps many styling benefits. Hairstylist Alicia Bailey previously told us that this particular combo of materials infuses moisture back into your hair. This is helpful to ensure your strands aren't dehydrated and won't break off.

Barrel and Plate Size

When shopping for a flat iron, curling wand, curling iron, or hot rollers, your hair length will help determine which size hair tool is best for your needs.

• For shorter hair or if you want a tighter curl, opt for a smaller hair tool that is 1 inch or less.
• For longer hair or when you prefer a loose curl or waves, think big and opt for a hair tool that's 1.25 inches or larger.
• And if you have medium hair, you're in luck because you can opt for pretty much any size barrel or plate.

Temperature

The final factor to consider in a potential hot tool is its temperature. As a general rule, longer, thicker, and coarser hair textures will benefit the most from using a hair tool with a higher temperature range (325 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit). While those with fine, straight, or wavy hair can get away with using a cooler temperature, typically between 165 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ready for catwalk-ready hair without a trip to the hair salon? Of course, you are! Keep scrolling for my all-time favorite hair tools you 100% need to add to your rotation ASAP.