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For classic curls, reach for the one-inch curling iron, for looser waves, grab the wand attachment, and for mermaid hair, opt for the three-barreled waver. Caitlyn Martyn is an experienced beauty writer and product tester specializing in cosmetics. She has been a staff writer at Byrdie since 2022, where she covers makeup, skincare, hair care, and more. She has tried several rotating curling irons, including some on this list from brands like Beachwaver and T3, to name a few.
How To Curl Short Hair, According To A Pro - Southern Living
How To Curl Short Hair, According To A Pro.
Posted: Thu, 11 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Best Value Curling Iron: Conair Double Ceramic 1-Inch Curling Iron
These feature the same Coanda airflow technology as the Dyson Airwrap, which instantly wraps hair around the barrel of the curler. Since it utilizes high-speed air instead of high temperatures (like traditional curling wands), hair is exposed to less heat damage, if any at all. And, even though it doesn’t use high heat, it’s still able to create bouncy, long-lasting curls thanks to its cool shot feature, which helps set and define hair. If you have fine or damaged hair, or you’re concerned about damaging your hair, we recommend checking out this curling wand that claims to limit and prevent it.
Most Versatile Curling Iron: Drybar The Mixologist Interchangeable Styling Iron
This curling iron has every barrel size you could ever need, and each one distributes heat evenly. Plus, the curling iron comes with a stay cool tip to make styling easier, says Dueñas. This option from Amika also reduces the amount of heat damage since it causes heat to penetrate the cuticle, resulting in faster styling, according to the brand. Courtney is also a fan of the NuMe Octowand “because it comes with eight different wand heads to achieve so many different styles.
Best Gold-Plated: Hot Tools Pro Artist 24K Gold Curling Iron
And, no, it doesn’t pull or tug on your hair while it sucks it up, curls it, and lets it out. After curling her hair, our tester admitted she was impressed with how stress-free the process was. She said the clamp felt “just right” and shared that she especially loved that it didn’t tug or pull at her hair as it rotated. She also appreciated that it heated up relatively quickly and that the directions provided were really helpful in guiding her on how to use the iron and all its bells and whistles.

Jessica (she/her) is a deputy editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute and a longtime product tester, reviewer, writer and editor of beauty and lifestyle content. You can usually find her sorting through piles of beauty products — and testing the best ones on camera. That's why we put all types of curling irons to the test in the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab, to help you find the best curling irons that are actually worth your money. "The curling iron was lightweight and easy to use despite the box containing very little instructional material. It is well-priced as the iron contains two options." To create long-lasting curls with a curling iron,, consider some of Jagling’s pro tips below.
MaikcQ Rotating Curling Iron
For hair that falls into this category, aim for a temperature of 350 degrees or below. Look at the Hot Tools Pro Artist Black Gold Digital Curling Iron, which features a very low starting temperature of 265 degrees, or an air-powered model, like the Dyson Airwrap or the Shark Air Styling and Drying System. The only downside of this tool is the temperature gauge — there are almost too many options to choose from and we’re still not exactly sure what some of the settings do (we’re talking to you, Boost mode).
Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler
Not every hair tool works the same for every hair type, so it’s important to find one that’s fitting for you. To put it simply, we much prefer this one for fine hair than thick or coily hair—we didn’t find that it created lasting curls on the latter hair textures. The curls looked smooth and defined, and they lasted nicely for almost two full days. To ensure we thoroughly analyzed the performance of each device, we tested each curling iron across many metrics. We started in our NYC-based Lab and used each iron to curl hair types 1–4, and evaluated the curls’ longevity by checking in at the one-hour mark, six-hour mark, and then overnight to see how well each held the curl.
Best Budget Pick: Conair Double Ceramic Curling Iron
“It looks strange at first and takes some practice, but the Conair Infinito Pro produces the most uniform curl, like magic,” says Foster. This curling iron automatically draws the hair into its chamber, where it’s rolled into a curl and heated. When your curl is ready to be released, an automatic beep indicator will sound off to alert you. However, you can always adjust the timer to release the hair sooner, according to the brand. Those with long hair should eagerly consider this Bio Ionic iron, which features a barrel two inches longer than traditional models.
If it means you're able to swap out your hair dryer, flat iron and curling tools for one item, though, we think it's justifiable. You can also opt for sets that target different hair types and textures, including long or short barrel sets, and attachments for kinky hair. Sick of running out of space on your wand to curl your long hair, or having to wrap hair multiple times over itself? The beaded wand doesn’t have a clamp, so indents don’t form at the bottom of the hair — phew!
We suggest working with 1-inch sections of hair to get the perfect curl every time. For easy at-home use that’s suitable for all hair types, Foster recommends this option from Babyliss. The nano titanium exterior helps to speed up styling, lock in moisture and reduces frizz for smoother curls. You can achieve this with minimal hassle since the tool is lightweight and equipped with features, like a cool tip, to lower the risk of burning your fingers, according to the brand. While this isn’t a traditional curling iron, you’ve likely seen this trending hair styler all over TikTok. It makes sense—it’s great for smoothing, volumizing, and curling, with one Vogue contributor with thick hair saying she’s able to create bouncy curls in just 15 minutes.
We also love how lightweight this tool is, the fact that it heats up in a matter of seconds, and that the clamp is secure yet still easy to open and close. Plus, it creates beautiful curls that fall somewhere in between loose and defined—and they last all day. If you’re looking for an intuitive curling iron that’s high-quality and beginner-friendly, this is the one for you. Rotating curling irons (and all hot hair tools, for that matter) can be pricey. The tool, which has a 1.25-inch barrel, also doubles as a hot brush—thanks to an accompanying brush attachment. The rotation was “fluid” and worked as expected, producing loose, bouncy curls in under five minutes.
“Tourmaline is a crystal mineral that emits negative ions to counteract positive ions, which helps keep moisture and shine,” says DiGregorio. If we could change one thing about this nearly perfect curling iron, it would be the awkward button placement. Slide the cover sleeve to easily convert between flat iron and curling wand or curling iron. We’re all obsessed with the look of a bouncy blowout, but they can be so hard to achieve.
Pinning your curls up (with rollers or clips) for at least 20 minutes will help them set. The strong suction powers on this device created solid curls, but that also meant it often sucked in pieces we had already styled. We recommend pinning up finished sections — not only will this help keep them out of the way, it’ll also help the curl set and last longer. Sabina (she/her) is the director of the Beauty, Health & Sustainability Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she has overseen skincare, haircare and makeup testing since 2012.
Invented by celebrity hairstylist Sarah Potempa, the Beachwaver is a rotating curling wand that’s particularly simple to use—especially for a novice. The tourmaline-infused, extra-long barrel can rotate to the left or right for glam waves, defined curls, and everything in between. Interestingly, the iron only has one heat setting (365 degrees); it’s considered a safe temperature for most hair types, so it didn’t really bother us. However, when we tested the iron on very fine hair, the heat zapped too much moisture from our strands and left our hair steaming after just a few seconds. In fact, when used on type 2 and 4 textures, our curls maintained their shape for days.