The 19 Best Curling Irons for Every Hair Type
Beach waves—without leaving your home.
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Most of us have a long, spiraling history with curling irons. A one-inch barrel might have created your perfect prom curls as a teen, or maybe you plugged in a wand during your many attempts to master Victoria's Secret Angel hair. It's about time you got an upgrade. When curling, it's best to choose a tool that’s specifically made for your desired style and hair texture. Here’s a selection of some of the top tools on the market right now.
Why we love it: The key to easy, breezy beach waves is the Beachwaver. The self-rotating tool creates three different styles, including defined curls, loose beachy waves, and more glam waves, with nary a twist of the wrist.
Why we love it: Simply wrap your hair in a figure-eight around the styler for soft, natural bends and you can have coveted beach waves all year long. You'll wonder how you ever lived that single-barrel life, we swear.
Why We Love It: You'll never have to worry about curls becoming tight and overdone. This loose wave creates the perfect balance of natural body.
Why we love it: This curling wand that provides effortless waves and loose curls. Unlike other wands, this tool heats up to a high of 410 degrees. We don't advise heating to 410 degrees everyday, but it’s good to know this wand has the power if you need it. It also has a handy Instant Hot function, so it heats up right away.
Why we love it: This curling iron is literally the gold standard. Its barrel is plated in 24k gold to help speed up heat circulation, meaning it will stay consistently hot throughout.
Why we love it: Tight curls are a girl's worst nightmare (see: this meme) Solve the issue with this curling wand from Le Angelique that features a reverse tapered base to give you varied barrel waves without having to swap out tools.
Why we love it: This all-white curling iron is crafted to create perfect curls in just one pass thanks to a smart microchip that monitors heat fluctuations.
Why we love it: The popular blowout spot Drybar treats their tools like their salon looks–they want the style to last for days. That's exactly what they had in mind for their 3-Day Bender Curling Iron. It has a rotating clamp that makes styling your hair—especially difficult-to-curl thick hair—quick and easy.
Why We Love It: This curling iron and wand set comes with five, (yes, five barrels!) so choosing which one to use might be hard — but making this purchase is not. It comes with curling tools of different sizes, from a 0.35- to a 1.25-inch barrel including triple one for beachy waves.
Why we love it: This curling iron is a pro-favorite, and rightfully so. The heat created from the smooth, ceramic-coated barrel will lock in moisture and won't snag your hair. The curls will form fast and will stay all day. It's ideal for short to medium-length hair, but will work for even the straightest of hair.
Why we love it: T3's famous SinglePass curling iron also comes in interchangeable barrels, using the same ionic technology to seal the cuticle for high-shine curls. It includes a 1" wand barrel (for loose, beachy waves), a 1.25" clip barrel (for defined, uniform curls), and a 1.5" clip barrel for high-glam, voluminous curls. It's literally three wands for the price of one, and definitely worth the splurge.
Why We Love It: If you’re looking for mermaid curls with lots of volume, this Bed Head bubble-shaped wand does the trick — even if you have fine, straight hair. This wand makes tons of hairspray a thing of the past and gives you springy curls.
Why We Love It: Straight hair leans on the limp side so you need to create volume with a larger barrel curling iron. This one from Hot Tools comes with a two inch option to create bounce and wave.
Why We Love It: Whether you have chin-length hair or long, if you want a frizz-free, loose, beachy look, this three-barrel wand heats up quickly and creates gentle waves in your hair.
Why We Love It: This wand is hot, hot, hot (literally). It heats up very fast but provides tight spiral curls. This is also perfect for updos or curls you plan on brushing out for a nice '70s style voluminous wave.
Why we love it: Leave it to celeb hairstylist Kristen Ess to create the most user-friendly and budget-friendly curling iron. Give your arm a rest by twisting the rotating handle to create easy voluminous waves.
Why we love it: The tapered wand delivers either bouncy curls or loose waves, depending on how you decide to wrap your hair as you go.
Why we love it: Create effortless bends with this oval-shaped barrel. Instead of wrapping hair around the wand, try pulling strands in alternating directions.
Why we love it: Hot styling tools can cause further damage to brittle hair. Avoid the heat with Dyson’s Airwrap, which uses the coanda effect (a high-speed jet of air) to create bouncy curls for healthier-looking hair.
Chloe is the former Digital Beauty Director of ELLE.com. She’s written for GQ, Air Mail, Into the Gloss, and Fashionista. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Cam, and son, Otis.
Ariana Yaptangco oversees all #content across ELLE's social media platforms and covers beauty news. When she isn't staring at a screen, you can find her drinking tea, trying new skincare products, or yelling about the New York Mets.
Sanah is a New York City-based editor and writer focusing on news, trends, and commerce within the home, kitchen, and lifestyle space. She covers everything from stylish home essentials, buzzy decor crazes, fun seasonal activities, expert-approved tips, and even the steepest deals on the internet. Sanah’s work has been published in Us Weekly, Real Simple, Food & Wine, The Everygirl, Prevention, BestProducts, Delish, House Beautiful, and more.
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