The Best Curling Irons of 2024, Tested and Reviewed
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I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with curling my hair, and it’s been a long journey finding the best curling irons to style with. My tumultuous tryst with curling irons probably began because not only is my very naturally flat, straight hair hard to curl to begin with, but also because I’ve had my fair share of curling iron burns on various areas of my face and neck throughout my teen years (don’t ask).
I hated the trial and error of learning how to curl my hair in those days, but loved how my curled hair transformed me every time, whether it was bouncy ringlets for my adolescent theater performances, rounded curls for my senior prom, or loose waves for college graduation. Never have I gone to an important milestone in my life without a curling iron—no matter how clumsy my hands were or how bulky the device was.
But curling irons have come a long way since the late 2010s, and have followed me into adulthood as I test out various hair styling tools for my job as a beauty editor. Ceramic barrels, multistyling blow-dry curlers, and ion technology have ushered in easier ways to control temperature and allow for more dexterity, and are much quicker to use than their medieval counterparts of the early aughts.
Here, I tested some of the best curling irons on the market to uncover which stylers rose to the top for someone like me with very hard-to-curl hair, plus which ones are best for wherever you may be in your curling iron journey, whether you have long hair, are a beginner, or just want a beachy wave. These were my favorites—and in case you were wondering, I’m happy to report that I did not burn myself with any of these!
For more hair tool guides, check out Best Hair Dryers and Best Hair Straighteners.
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What’s Better, Ceramic or Titanium Curling Irons?
Curling irons are typically either tourmaline ceramic or titanium, and while neither is necessarily better than the other, there are a few differences to keep in mind when shopping. Ceramic irons generally take longer to heat up, and they can also distribute heat more evenly, making them suitable for thinner and finer hair types. Titanium curling irons, on the other hand, heat up very quickly and are better if your hair is thicker or coarser. You’ll want to choose either a ceramic or titanium curling iron depending on your hair type and texture. Since I have longer and thinner strands, I found that the ceramic irons I tested were a bit more suitable for me.
What’s the Difference Between a Curling Iron and a Curling Wand?
A curling iron typically has a safety clamp that allows you to hold the hair in place without needing both hands. Curling wands don’t have a clamp—so you’ll have to hold the tip of your hair as you curl it. Both irons and wands have their pros and cons: The safety clamp can sometimes leave a funny crimp in your hair (which I experienced while testing a handful of these), while wands unfortunately make it a lot easier to burn your fingers (which thankfully, I was able to avoid).
How We Tested
I tested these curling irons over a span of a few months, right before a handful of events and occasions when I wanted to add more volume and style to my look. My hair is thin and pin straight, but there’s a lot of it, so I was most excited about the irons that not only successfully curled my hard-to-curl hair, but that allowed me to do so in a short amount of time.
I typically sectioned my hair in pieces from left to right. Although I did test upper and lower sectioning a few times, I found the former to be more successful for me personally because it was more comfortable for my arms and allowed me to focus on each strand of hair a bit better. And for those science buffs out there: I tested all of these on second-day hair, except for two (the Dyson Airwrap and Shark FlexStyle) that require damp hair. I usually curl about three-quarters of my hair (from midshaft to end), so I tested roughly that length for every iron I tried. I also used a heat protectant spray and set most of these (except one … more on that, later) with hairspray.
- Photograph: Alanna Kilkeary
Best Overall
Dyson AirwrapThis multistyler was by far the quickest and easiest to use out of all the curling irons I tested—even for someone like me, who hasn’t always been so confident using hot tools in my day. While there is a bit of a learning curve with this one (I learned the hard way that your hair really should be damp instead of wet), I somehow was able to curl (and fully dry) my hair within 25 minutes—an impressive feat for the length of my hair. I loved that this iron had a simple rotating switch at the top of the barrel to allow you to change airflow depending on what side of your hair you’re curling, and I also really liked how smooth my hair felt after curling: there were no flyaways in sight.
The only thing missing from this curling iron/styler was a temperature gauge. Instead, it has a few buttons that allow you to customize the drying fan, plus a cool shot button to use at the end of styling. Although I couldn’t see the exact temp, did love the fact that it only heats up to 302 degrees Fahrenheit though, which helps minimize heat damage and is about 100 degrees less than the other curling irons I tried.
I also loved that it has multiple barrel sizes, including a thicker 1.6-inch barrel and a 1.2-inch barrel to allow you to customize your curl. I opted for the thinner one, which I found gave me a little more room to wrap all of my hair. The curls were long-lasting and stayed smooth and frizz-free throughout my day. It’s certainly pricey at $600, but can easily become an integral part of your everyday haircare routine (whether you’re looking for a great blow dryer, flat-iron equivalent, or curler appropriate for normal-to-damaged hair), which makes it well worth the investment.
Specs Barrel material Aluminum Max temperature (Fahrenheit) 302 degrees Heat settings 3 Barrel size 1.6-inch or 1.2-inch Auto-shutoff? No - Photograph: Alanna Kilkeary
Runner-Up
T3 Singlepass Curl XBy far the second-to-best curling iron I tested was this lightweight pick with an extra-long barrel. It certainly lives up to its name: I didn’t have to apply more than one pass to achieve silky-smooth curls. I also loved the clamp on this one because it wasn’t too heavy or bulky, and didn’t leave me with a dreaded clamp crimp. It felt comfortable in my hands and the longer barrel made it easy to wrap my long hair around it.
The only thing I didn’t love about this iron was the temperature gauge, which sits at the base of the iron and has a row of circles that light up from bottom to top depending on how hot the iron gets. I didn’t love that I was unable to really gauge how hot the iron was getting, but I will say that it is very easy to control the heat distribution—whenever I moved it a notch or two down or up (by twisting the very bottom of the iron left or right), it pretty much immediately felt cooler or warmer—there was no wait time in between.
This one gave me looser, voluminous curls that looked great after brushing them out, and I can definitely see myself reaching for it again for special occasions or when I’m looking to add a little volume and personality to my usually-very-flat hair.
Specs Barrel material Ceramic Max temperature (Fahrenheit) 410 degrees Heat settings 9 Barrel size 1.5-inch, 1.25-inch, 1-inch Auto-shutoff? Yes
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- Photograph: Alanna Kilkeary
Best for Long Hair
Bio Ionic Long Barrel StylerThis long-barrel styler has excellent reviews; is suitable for all hair types, including naturally curly hair; and promises to give you silky, frizz-free curls thanks to its tourmaline ceramic-plated barrel. I tested this long barrel curling iron during a wedding weekend I attended earlier in the fall, and believe me when I say I was thoroughly impressed. Here’s the rub: I completely forgot hairspray during this weekend trip (oops), so I relied on this iron and dry shampoo to somehow carry me through a nearly eight-hour wedding day. I loved how quickly it heated up, and the elongated barrel made it simple to thoroughly wrap each section around it.
I didn’t find myself having to participate in any upper limb gymnastics—instead, I held it up with one hand and used the other to wrap entire strands and sections around the barrel: I had plenty of room. Something else I loved about this curling iron was how strong the clamp was. I didn’t lose any pieces when curling; instead, everything stayed in place which made the whole process a lot faster.
It didn’t take much to get a nice curl, and the curls themselves were smooth and flyaway-free. After setting them with an entire travel-sized dry shampoo later, the curls lasted throughout the entire wedding event, only decoiling and flattening by the very end of the night. This one also has dual-voltage, making it a great pick for international travel. Pretty impressive for no hairspray, I’d say!
Specs Barrel material Ceramic Temperature range (Fahrenheit) 250 to 430 degrees Heat settings 6 Barrel size 0.75-inch, 1-inch, 1.25-inch, 1.5-inch Auto-shutoff? Yes - Photograph: Alanna Kilkeary
Best on a Budget
Conair Double Ceramic 1-Inch Curling IronIf you’re balling on a budget, this hair tool gets the job done but might take a few times to get the hang of. It’s rather bulky compared to the other hot tools I tested, and I felt that it gave my very hard-to-curl hair more of a wave than a curl. I’d recommend giving this one two passes if you have a similar hair type to me, and although I found the outcome to be less than impressive, it was decent if you’re looking for a little volume and wave.
I did like that the heat was consistent and easy to control with this one by turning the knob at the base of the iron. I also like that it has a little lip on the underside of the iron to make sure it doesn’t slip or slide around when you put it down. I’d recommend this one if you’re not looking to invest a ton in a curling iron, or have short hair that curls easily and quickly.
Specs Barrel material Ceramic Max temperature (Fahrenheit) 400 degrees Heat settings 5 Barrel size 1-inch, 1.5-inch, 1.25-inch, 0.5-inch, 0.75-inch Auto-shutoff? Yes
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- Photograph: Alanna Kilkeary
Best for Long-Lasting Curls
GHD Curve Hair Curling IronThis high-quality curling iron gave me long-lasting, bouncy curls and heated up in a snap. The barrel itself is elongated and features a lightweight metal clamp that takes the guesswork out of holding your curl in place as the iron heats it. One of the things that stood out to me was the fact that there’s no temperature dial. I’m guessing that this choice was made to presumably make it easier to use, but I found it a little confusing.
As someone who prefers to keep an eye on the temperature of my heat tools, I didn’t love the vague color-coated temperature settings that appear on the main button: It turns blue when the device is in between 300 and 320 degrees Fahrenheit, white when it’s 340 to 360 degrees, and red when it’s 380 to more than 440 degrees. Instead, I would’ve at least preferred a small screen that displays the temp in real time—I’d just like a little more insight to determine if my hair is about to burn off from high heat. Either way, I was impressed by the longevity of the curls this one gave me, and I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a durable curling iron that gives you a long-lasting finish.
Specs Barrel material Ceramic Temperature range (Fahrenheit) 250 to 450 degrees Heat settings 8 Barrel size 1.25-inch Auto-shutoff? Yes - Photograph: Alanna Kilkeary
Best Multitasking Curler
Shark Beauty Shark FlexStyle™ Hair Blow Dryer & Multi-Styler for Straight & Wavy HairI love a good multitasking beauty product, so I was super excited to try this styler. Although it’s not a traditional curling iron, it comes with two different interchangeable barrels (one for the right side of your hair, one for the left), a blow dry head, and multiple brush heads to blow dry, straighten, or curl damp hair after washing and using conditioners. After giving this a whirl, I can definitely report that it blew dry my hair well, but the curls didn’t last super long. There’s definitely a learning curve with this one as well, and I think it had to do with my longer hair. I had to part my hair into really small sections to get the full section to stick to the iron. The left and right barrels also felt overly complicated, especially because they recommend clipping up the top half and curling the bottom section first and the top section second in the user guide.
The issue with this is you have to switch out the barrel multiple times (one for the lower left, then again for the lower right, then again for the upper left, then again for the upper right). To make the process a little quicker, I’d recommend just sectioning out pieces and working from the left side of your head to the right side, so you only have to swap the barrel once. My long hair gets stringy and separates easily when it’s damp, so the mechanism didn’t work as well as I suspect it might if you have shorter, thicker hair that clings together more easily. Otherwise, it was one of the best hair dryers I’ve ever used and is suitable for straight and wavy hair textures, so I’ll definitely be using it again!
Specs Barrel material Plastic, metal Max temperature (Fahrenheit) N/A Heat settings 3 Barrel size 1.25-inch Auto-shutoff? No
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- Photograph: Alanna Kilkeary
Best Mechanism
Beachwaver B1.25 Pink SunsetWhen I tested this rotating curling iron, the first thing I wrote down was an exclamatory “cool rotating barrel!” After having used it, I still stand by that first impression. This iron does have a cool rotating barrel that makes it easy to twist your hair onto the barrel as you use it, eliminating the tedious wrapping of the hair that can take excess time. The small clamp at the bottom makes it easy to tuck an end piece of hair as the rest twists up, and I think this made it perfect for my longer hair, but it can work well on any hair length.
This one is quite versatile as well, and you can achieve a few different types of curls from looser beach waves to tighter, more springy ringlets. Plus, it’s probably the prettiest iron of the bunch in a light pink and purple ombré. I will say that I definitely got more of a wave from this one than a curl, but I didn’t really mind it—the rotating iron cuts hair styling time in half, which to me is more valuable than the perfect curl.
Specs Barrel material Ceramic Temperature range (Fahrenheit) 290 to 410 degrees Heat settings 3 Barrel size 1.25-inch Auto-shutoff? Yes - Photograph: Alanna Kilkeary
Most Ergonomic
BondiBoost Clever Curler 1 ¼” Curling Iron With Ion TechnologyI found this hair tool the easiest to grip and handle out of the bunch, thanks to its nonslip matte material and included heat glove. It warmed rather quickly, and I found myself holding my hair onto the barrel for only around 45 seconds before it reached a nice, thick curl. I also found it to be very ergonomic generally— the iron is not too long or too short and was easy to navigate at different angles around my head when I was curling each section of hair.
The only thing I didn’t love about this iron was that the base of the clamp left my hair with more of a crimp than a curl toward the top of my head. I had to go over these areas two to three more times to smooth out the crimps, which added more time to my routine. This iron is 10/10 for handling and ease of use but could use a more lightweight clamp so it doesn’t impress on the hair so intensely. If you have thick hair, this may just be the iron for you.
Specs Barrel material Ceramic Temperature range (Fahrenheit) 300 to 410 degrees Heat settings 4 Barrel size 1.25-inch Auto-shutoff? Yes
- Photograph: Alanna Kilkeary
Best for Fine Hair
Hairitage Wand It Need It 1” Ceramic Curling IronThis no-frills curling iron was my favorite out of all the curling irons I tested. The wand itself is extremely lightweight, and I had to wrap my hair around the barrel for only about 30 seconds to achieve a nice, bouncy curl. My controversial opinion on this one is that I absolutely love that it has no clamp—it was really easy for me to wind my longer, finer strands around the barrel without having to fuss or worry about it getting stuck or crimped in a clamp. Because the ceramic wand is so light, holding the ends of my hair at the tip of the iron didn’t make my arms ache or tire.
Curling was quick with this one as well; I was able to do my full head in only 15 minutes, which is record-breaking for the amount of hair I have. While this one has multiple temperature settings, I liked that it didn’t get overly hot or smoking after using it with heat protectant, so I was able to avoid the dreaded singeing smell you get when you use hot tools on finer hair types.
Specs Barrel material Ceramic Max temperature (Fahrenheit) 450 degrees Heat settings 4 Barrel size 1-inch Auto-shutoff? Yes - Photograph: Alanna Kilkeary
Best for Beginners
Hot Tools 1 ½” Curling Iron for BeginnersSpeaking of hot tools, I first came across this curling iron for beginners when I was, in fact, a beauty beginner in my late high school days. Upon testing it again, I can’t say that it was my favorite out of the bunch, but it gets the job done if you’re looking for nice, long waves. The barrel I chose to test was the extra big one at 1.5 inches, so the curls I got reflected that: They were big, swooping, and similar to what I’d get if I went to a salon for a hair blowout.
The other thing I noticed about this iron was that it seemed to take longer to heat up than the other curlers I tested, which is probably due to the fact that the barrel is thicker and bigger, so it’s something to keep in mind if you’re in a pinch and need to curl your hair quickly. You can’t really beat the price and accessibility of this one, so it’s definitely a great beginner tool if you’re just starting to learn how to curl your hair but aren’t ready to invest in a more advanced curler.
Specs Barrel material Not available Temperature range (Fahrenheit) 280 to 430 degrees Heat settings 4 Barrel size 0.75-inch, 1-inch, 1.25-inch, 1.5-inch Auto-shutoff? Yes
- Photograph: Alanna Kilkeary
Best for Waves
Amika High Tide Deep Waver Beach Waver Curling IronIf you aren’t ready to fully commit to curling your hair on the reg, but want to give it a little body, hear me out: This is one of the best curling tools to help you get there. There’s no twisting or turning involved for this one—in fact, all you have to do is section out your hair and clamp down to get bold, beachy waves or loose curls. While it’s technically more of a crimper than a curler, it gave me a bouncy texture and body that was just as long-lasting as some of the other curlers I tried.
I liked this one a lot because it was super simple to use and didn’t leave me with any clamp crimps. It also comes with a neat little kickstand and has automatic shutoff, which came in handy as I had to run out to an event after using this one.
Specs Barrel material Ceramic Temperature range (Fahrenheit) 120 to 390 degrees Heat settings N/A Barrel size 0.7-inch Auto-shutoff? Yes
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