We’ve tested a selection of straighteners from some of the best brands available. Dyson is the latest company to enter the market, and its Corrale was designed to minimise heat damage to hair. But does it work in practice? You can find out in our review.
In any case, as long as you opt for a good product from a reputable brand, you don’t need to spend big: the best straighteners for you will depend on your hair type and which features are important to you.
Do you want variable heat settings? Cordless styling? Ceramic plates? Smoothing ionic technology? You can find all of these features in the products we’ve reviewed below.
If you’re considering investing in smart straighteners, read the small print. Companies mean different things when they use the term. GHD describes its Platinum+ straighteners as smart because they intelligently adapt the heating element to your technique. On the other hand, the Glamoriser Blue straighteners are smart in the sense that they come with a connected app to let you control them remotely, which GHDs don’t.
You can find out about each straightener in detail in our full reviews, which you’ll find linked to below, beneath a summary of each product.
You might also want to check out our guide to the best hair dryers if you’re upgrading your home salon at the moment.
Best straightener reviews
Effective Good for minimising damage
Pricey
The Platinum+ straightener’s ‘ultra-zone’ predictive tech intelligently adapts to your styling technique, adjusting the power to ensure an optimum temperature at all times for healthier hair and faster, better results. This is single-stroke styling at its best, suitable for all hair types.
You’ll find improved styling in a shorter space of time, and results that last much longer. The Platinum+ is expensive, but worth every penny.
Corded or cordless styling 3 heat settings Comes with charging stand
Heavy Chunky Short battery life
It can be used corded or cordless (where it has up to half an hour of charge), it has three temperature settings and its flexible plates also have ionic smoothing technology. It works quickly and effectively.
However, the brilliant engineering comes at a cost beyond the actual (and very high) price of this straightener. The Corrale is heavy and chunky and for some people, that will – very literally – outweigh the advantages of cordless straightening. This also makes it slightly less travel-friendly, in spite of the attractive travel pouch it comes with and the flight tag it’s equipped with.
Size makes it perfect for travelling Powerful Attractive design and travel case USB charging
Battery life will only give you one styling session Small plate surface area for styling Hairs can get snagged at the edge of the plate
In the box is a heatproof, zip-up travel case, USB-C lead and plug adaptor, so you can charge it via or USB or at a standard plug point. The tiny lead can fit into the travel case with the straightener, so if you’re travelling with a plug adaptor with USB slots to charge other tech, you won’t need to pack the dedicated plug adapter at all, making it a great option for travelling light.
It’ll give you 20 minutes of full-power styling time and it charges in under two hours. All in all, it’s the best travel straightener we’ve tested.
App-controlled Temperature options Auto shut-off
Pairing issues with app during our test
The Glamoriser Blue has a wide temperature range: from 80°C to 235°C. You can, however, set the upper and lower limits through the Glamoriser app (free, for iOS and Android) so that the tool never gets hotter than you need it to.
The app also lets you set up a profile for your hair type. You indicate your hair thickness and the types of treatments you’ve had (for example, if your hair is coloured, highlighted or relaxed) and it’ll suggest a straightening temperature.
Best of all, the smart functionality means you need never again worry about whether or not you’ve switched off your straighteners.
Powerful, one-pass styling Easy to read temperature display Choice of temperatures
No lock High heat No travel case
Although it has a US plug, it has dual voltage (110-240V), so it can be used internationally with an ordinary adaptor. Our only issues with it relate to the heat it produces: it’s easy to be tempted to put the temperature on max every time for quick results, which could damage your hair. There’s also no lock and it doesn’t come with any heatproof accessories.
Light & compact 3 heat settings Safety lock & shutoff 30 minutes of use
Not the most powerful Heat escapes when plates are open Small plates
It’s a cordless straightener and a great alternative to the Dyson Corrale, if budget and weight are a concern.
It charges in three hours and it’ll give you half an hour of use. It has three temperature settings and a lock to keep the plates closed when not in use.
Our only reservation is that it’s not the most powerful straightener around, better for smoothing and styling than creating perfectly straight hair.
Steam function Long lead Temperature options
Auto shutdown takes an hour
They have a host of features to protect damaged or delicate hair, including a range of temperature options from 150°C-230°C, floating plates, ionising technology and, of course, steam jets.
The straighteners produce only a small amount of steam but it makes a real difference to results, allowing for one-pass styling at a lower temperature.
Fast to heat up Simple to use
Only one temperature setting Slow on thicker hair
It has a sensor in each of its plates, part of its “dual-zone technology”, to ensure the temperature is always at a constant 185°C or 365°F – which is why you won’t see any dials or displays on this device. The preset temperature takes out the guesswork involved in identifying the ideal heat setting for your hair.
The GHD Gold only takes 25 seconds to heat up and styles hair quickly and efficiently, making it perfect for the morning routine pre-work or school, for nights out or while travelling (it offers universal voltage).
The price point for the GHD Gold is rather high, but it’s justifiable given that it produces sleek, shiny and lasting results while helping to minimise hair damage. The GHD Gold is an investment in comparison to budget straighteners that may damage your hair in the long run.
Gentle on hair Lightweight
Better for wavy than curly hair Hard to clean
Rather than clamping and flattening hair, a straightening brush will help you to smooth and style. Revamp’s brush has five heat settings, from 130-210°C, so you can find the lowest effective temperature.
It has ceramic bristles and an ionic jet to help to smooth your hair. It’s relatively light (not as light as an ordinary hairbrush but it won’t weigh down your arm like a hairdryer), easy to use and its design means you’re much less likely to get a surprise burn than when using tongs. It has a 3m long cable and swivel setting.
We found it very effective in our tests – although bear in mind that it won’t be the best option for every hair type.
Budget-friendly Travel-friendly
Not great at curling hair
The price saving does come with a few sacrifices. There aren’t as many heat settings as on more expensive straighteners, or a locking mechanism, and if you want to use the device to curl your hair, it isn’t the easiest thing to master.
However, for the price you’re still getting a good straightener that does what it claims. It should last reasonably well over time, and best of all it doesn’t look or feel cheap, despite heavily undercutting rivals.
Emma is Home Tech Editor at Tech Advisor. She covers everything from kitchen appliances to smart home devices, from floor care to personal care to air care technology. She’s particularly interested in environmentally conscious brands and products that save people time and money.
