Revlon Smoothstay Coconut-infused hair straighteners: The best budget straighteners for a glossy finish

The advanced ceramic coated plates are infused with micro conditioners to help control any frizz or flyaway hairs, leaving you with sleek, smooth, healthy looking hair. Launched by one of the founders of GHD, Cloud Nine’s Original hair straighteners glide easily through the hair without any pull or drag. They leave hair feeling silky, looking shiny, and – most importantly – poker straight. Hair health is a key drive of this product’s design: the ceramic plates are mineral-infused to reduce snagging, leaving hair with extra shine, and there are six heat settings, from 100ºC to 200ºC. The plates perform well at lower temperatures, which means less risk of damage to hair. A multi-tasking must-have, the Wet2Straight Wide Plate Straightener can cut precious time out of your styling routine. The styling head itself is longer than most at 100mm, with rounded edges that allow easy curling and waving as well as straightening if you like to switch up your style. The Smoothstay is light in the hand and in your handbag at 410g, making it perfect to carry with you for styling touch-ups between work and play. For the price, Revlon’s Smoothstay delivers very good results and leaves hair shiny and frizz-free.Banish frizz and boost shine with the Keratin Shine wide hair straighteners from Babyliss. The titanium and ceramic coating on the plates is infused with the protein keratin, which helps give straightened hair a soft and shiny finish. The tool heats up in just 30 seconds with a light indicating when it’s ready, and the 20 temperature settings are controlled using a dial on the side of the tool and range from 140ºC to 235ºC. Key specs – Plate width: 1.8in; Type of plates: Titanium/ceramic; Ionic technology: No; Number of heat settings: 20; Maximum temperature: 235ºC ; Auto shut-off: Yes (72 mins); Heat-up time: 30 secs; Cord length: 3m; Weight: 320g; Accessories included: Heat-proof mat All hair straighteners work by heating the hair using metal plates. This causes the hydrogen bonds in the hair to break (a process that also takes place when the hair is wet). The straightening tool then passes over the hair, holding it in a new, flat position. The hair retains this new shape as it cools and the hydrogen bonds reform. If the hair is wrapped around the tool rather than held straight while cooling, then the hair will take on a loose curl shape instead. Size-wise, it’s just 22cm long and weighs 300g, which is substantially lighter than the Dyson Corrale at 561g. This makes it much easier to toss into a tote bag and carry around with you out and about. As a result of its compact size, the heated plates here are slightly narrower than average, but the “floating” spring mounts adjust to the contours of your hair, allowing the straighteners to effortlessly glide over sections of hair without any tugging or snagging. This will reduce the time it takes to style your hair, and means that the Unplugged’s 20-minute battery life will go further than you think. The Contouring Iron also comes equipped with an impressive temperature range, with 11 temperature settings between 100°C and 200°C. There’s also a “Revive” mode, which fixes the temperature at 150°C, but uses micro-vibrations in the plates during styling to help create longer-lasting styles, despite the low heat. This is a step up from the Cloud Nine Original Iron, featured above, and worked remarkably well in our testing. There’s no getting around the fact that this is an expensive curling iron, but it’s the perfect all-in-one styler for those willing to splash out.

These straighteners will leave you with shiny, healthy looking hair but for extra protection and to boost glow, incorporate a heat protectant spray or cream.

Is titanium or ceramic better for thick hair?

The straightener is light in weight – just 520g – but feels strong and well built in the hand, while the plates exert a consistent pressure on the hair, meaning even tightly coiled hair straightens well on the first pass of the tool. The results are glossy and long-lasting, with hair still straight at the end of a typical day. While the plates are wide and able to work through larger amounts of hair with ease, the slightly bevelled design means it’s also easy to get close to the roots for a smooth finish. A great alternative to the GHD Max, especially for curly girls. In fact, the BaByliss 3Q Hair Straighteners boast many of the features of their high-end contemporaries, using sensors to work out the correct temperature for your hair, maintaining heat and leaving a salon-shine finish. If you have more delicate or damaged hair, then the lower temperatures will certainly help keep your hair healthy. The 3Q straighteners aren’t the quietest in operation and sometimes make a rather disconcerting buzzing noise; but they represent good value for money in the middle of the market.

Also known as flat irons, hair straighteners use heated plates to iron out the kinks in your hairs. Used in the same way as a straightener, the heated plates vaporize excess water through specifically designed vents, cleverly drying and straightening at the same time. They come with adjustable heat control, so you can select the right temperature for your hair texture, from 165ºC to 210ºC. The intelligent heat-control system takes 100 measurements per second to ensure the temperature remains even throughout the process, so there’s no risk of damage from scorching. The best hair straighteners you can buy 2023 1. GHD Platinum Plus Styler: The best hair straighteners for straightening curly hair Key specs – Plates: Floating; Maximum temperature: 200ºC; Voltage: 100-240V; Cord length: 3m; Automatic shut-off time: 30 minutes; Warranty: 3 yearsWith a heat up time of just 15 seconds and 10 temperature settings you can personalise your styling by choosing the ideal setting for your hair type. A turbo boost function even gives you a little extra help when you need it- so why not cut down time styling, but ensure you still get the healthy, glossy look you want? The Advanced Ceramic coated plates on these super smart straighteners are infused with Moroccan Argan Oil, a natural ingredient renowned for its shine enhancing properties, as well as Vitamin E, conditioners and moisturisers. When heated, these wonder Micro Conditioners evenly emit through the plates and on to your hair. Your tresses will be left looking intensely glossy and in 88%* better condition, softer and straighter. Ten different temperature settings, ranging from 150°C to 235°C allow you to tailor the heat to suit your individual hair type – and heating up in just 15 seconds, you won’t be waiting around. The floating plates (set on springs) ensure an even pressure and grip on the hair, helping it to pass through the tool smoothly. There are nine heat settings that make it easy to select the correct heat for your hair type and texture. It’s also easy to switch between temperatures, so you can use a recommended 180°C for the bulk of the hair and a cooler setting for the thinner, more fragile front sections. The straighteners heat up in just 15 seconds and feature automatic switch-off after one hour.

Straightening tools that use tourmaline plates can achieve optimum results at lower temperatures, so if you straighten your hair often you may want to consider spending a little more on a tool that can be used effectively on cooler settings. This will result in less heat damage. Key specs – Plates: Ceramic-coated, “floating spring” plates; Heat settings: 185ºC; Maximum temperature: 185ºC; Voltage: Universal; Cord length: N/A; Automatic shut-off time: 3 minutes; Warranty: 2 years

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These straighteners offer three heat settings – 160°C, 180°C and 200°C – and heat up in just seconds. The battery charges fully in three hours and lasts for 30 minutes, which will be sufficient to style most types and lengths of hair. The floating ceramic plates heat up evenly, and it’s easy to operate the tool using a single button that controls both power and heat selection. The cordless straighteners are perfect for styling on the go and come with a handy travel bag. The advanced ceramic coated plates are infused with micro conditioners containing Moroccan Argan oil with Vitamin E, ensuring your hair not only looks sleek and shiny, but it feels amazing too. When the plates are heated, the micro conditioners are transferred to your hair through every stroke, leaving it perfectly straight as well as glossy and healthy looking. Beauty heavyweight Revlon offers a simple but good-value option in these straightening irons. The ceramic coating on the floating heating plates is infused with moisturising coconut oil, paired with ionic technology to maintain hydration in the hair shaft and discourage frizz and flyaways. The Platinum Plus is GHD’s premium offering, with floating ceramic plates designed to deliver optimum heat for your hair type and maintain that temperature using intelligent heat technology that measures and adjusts it constantly while styling. The result is even heat across the plates that won’t scorch the hair, leaving hair looking glossy and feeling healthy. The smooth gliding plates and even heat distribution mean you won’t have to run the Platinum Plus through the same strands more than once to see results, and the wishbone-shaped hinge reduces the risk of catching or snagging hair as you style.