Curling Iron Review : Best Curling Iron : Best Curling Wand

You must have an idea how time taking it is to style hair, especially when you want sassy curves and ringlets to burn the floor. You also know that to get the expected results, one must invest in the right product. Else, with regret, you may damage your beautiful hair too.

Curling irons and wands are essential tools for anyone who wants to create beautiful curls and waves. They come in different sizes, shapes, and materials, which can make it difficult to choose the right one for your hair type and styling needs.

Our team of hairstyling specialists tested the best curling iron for thick hair and other categories. You should consider taking a break from spending extravagantly. The market out there, well, you can't trust the vendors easily.

After running several tests on the top-notch curling irons, we will provide you with all the information you need to select the best curling iron or wand for your hair.

Types of Curling Irons and Wands

There are many types of curling irons and wands, including:

Traditional Curling Iron: A classic curling iron with a clip that holds the hair in place while it's being curled.

Clipless Curling Wand: A curling wand without a clip that requires you to manually wrap your hair around it.

Automatic Curling iron: A curling iron that automatically curls your hair with the press of a button.

Interchangeable Curling Iron Set: A set that includes multiple barrels of different sizes that can be interchanged for different curl styles.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Curling Iron or Wand

When choosing a curling iron or wand, there are several factors to consider:

Hair Type

Different hair types require different curling irons or wands. For fine hair, a smaller barrel size is recommended, while thicker hair requires a larger barrel size. Additionally, some materials, like ceramic or titanium, are better for preventing heat damage to the hair.

Barrel Size

The barrel size of a curling iron or wand determines the size of the curl or wave. Smaller barrel sizes create tighter curls, while larger barrel sizes create looser curls or waves. Choose a barrel size that suits your desired curl style.

Material

Curling irons and wands come in various materials, including ceramic, tourmaline, titanium, and gold. Each material has its benefits, such as heat distribution, frizz reduction, and protection from damage.

Heat Settings

The heat settings of a curling iron or wand can vary from low to high. It's important to select a heat setting that's suitable for your hair type to prevent heat damage.

Additional Features

Additional features, such as automatic shut-off, cool tips, and swivel cords, can make curling your hair easier and safer.

Top Curling Irons and Wands for Different Hair Types

It's you who will decide what to do with your hair—Beach waves, ringlets, short curves, anything other than straightening.

Here's are the famous curling irons and wands:

• GHD Curve Creative Curl Wand – Best Overall
• InfinitiPro | Conair Nano Tourmaline Ceramic Curling Iron 1-Inch – Best Value
• Dyson Airwrap Styler Complete – Best Splurge

Other Hair Curve Iron and Wands

• Remington Pro 1-1 ½" Hair Curling Wand (with Pearl Ceramic Technology)
• T3 Whirl Trio Interchangeable Styling Wand
• Bio Ionic Long Barrel Curling Iron – NanoIconic MX
• Bed Head Curlipops 1" – Tourmaline Ceramic Styling Iron
• Chi Spin N Curl Ceramic/Onyx Rotating Hair Curler
• Hot Tools Salon Gold Curling Wand/Curling Iron
• BaBylissPro Nano Titanium™ 1" Spring Curling Iron
• Tyme Iron Pro
• InStyler Airless Blowout Revolving Styler

Best Overall

GHD Curve Creative Curl Wand

GHD Curve Creative Curl Wand – Price: $199.00 at Amazon

The GHD curl wand is exactly what every woman wants to have. We have chosen this as the best because of multiple reasons. The quality performance of giving extraordinary curves to the hair is the primary reason. Also, when you unbox the package, you will be amazed at how uniquely the GHD Curve Creative Curl Wand is designed.

The shape of GHD is adorable. From the start, it has a circular shape that goes halfway to become oval. The oval formation of the GHD wand gives your hair a tapered style that looks so so so perfect! The gradual decrease in the thickness is what makes GHD's curling super creative!

While working on your hair, you'll notice that the grip of GHD is smooth yet strong. That's because of the gritty finish of the mold that keeps your hair in place.

The most impressive feature is that it heats up in approximately six seconds—faster than any other iron we tested—and notifies you when it reaches 365˚F with a loud beep. The sole drawback is that the iron does not have heat adjustment—it can only maintain a constant temperature of 365°F. That temperature is fantastic for giving pin-straight hair a wonderful curl, but the ability to adjust the heat for different hair types—you may want to take the heat down if you have ultra-fine hair or even turn it up if you have thick hair—is ideal. You can call GHD Curve Creative Curl Wand the best curling iron for fine, straight hair. Another (much lesser) drawback is that it only comes in one barrel size.

In terms of mechanics, the GHD includes a single power button that you must hold down for two seconds to avoid accidentally turning it off in the middle of a style.

Pros

• Temperature rises quickly
• Support stand is well placed

Cons

• None

InfinitiPro | Conair Nano Tourmaline Ceramic Curling Iron 1-Inch

InfinitiPro – Conair Nano Tourmaline Ceramic Curling Iron 1-Inch – Price: $24.97 at Amazon

Before we began experimenting, the curling iron by Conair was our first target. This iron wand is ergonomically balanced and affordable.

The barrel of this iron is longer than average and straight, with a clip that runs the length of the iron. Clamp the ends of your hair and move the iron upward toward your head, wrapping long hair around the barrel to create round ringlets that may be finger-brushed for a more disheveled look. You have the option to wrap your hair around the barrel if you like and clamp as if it were a wand because the clamp is practically flush with the barrel. We believe that a wand catalyzes the hairstyling process.

Pros

• Quickly heats up
• Design is perfect

Cons

• None

Dyson Airwrap Styler Complete

Dyson Airwrap Styler Complete – Price: $549.00 at Amazon

The Dyson Airwrap Styler comes in with a complete package. Alone the hairstyling wand is available, but since we tested the whole box, it would be unjust to skip other Dyson hair accessories.

The box includes:

• Two 1.2-inch Airwrap barrels (for increased curls)
• Two 1.6-inch Airwrap barrels (to create volume & loose curls)
• One smoothing brush (for a straight style)
• One smoothing brush (a blow-dry-like finish)
• One volumizing brush (for volumizing blow-dry)
• One pre-styling hair dryer to remove excess moisture

For the perfect results, we tried the 1.2" Airwrap barrel as it's almost similar to other curling irons for short and long hair.

There are two barrels of the same size in the bag. Each barrel makes curls that spiral in opposite directions. You switch attachments as you approach various sides of your head. Your movement will decide whether the curls twist toward or away from your face. Rather than using a heated curling wand, the Dyson blows hair around the barrel with a constant flow of air (similar to a targeted miniature hairdryer) to create "voluminous curls and waves without the intense heat." From a reviewer, the Dyson appears to be sucking your hair up like one of the brand's famous vacuums, but it's actually pushing air out to create a current that your hair follows. The air is heated (below 302°F, which is lower than a standard curling iron barrel) while in use. However, there is a cool shot button, similar to a hairdryer, that fixes your curl into place.

We won't recommend Dyson Airwrap styler because of its multiple enhancements. But you are free to test this product. If you desire to know how does it feel to try multiple hair accessories and styles, Dyson Airwrap Styler Complete can be your choice.

Pros

• Variety of attachments
• Damp hair friendly
• Quality is amazing

Cons

• Hair straightening is unsatisfying

The Testing of Curling Irons and Wands

Because there are so many curling irons and curling wands on the market, we narrowed it down to the top-rated picks at all price ranges to determine which wands offer the best features, usability, and, of course, which ones let us achieve the desired look. Curling wands and typical curling irons (which include a round heated barrel and a clamp that holds hair to it) were both tested.

A curling wand (sometimes referred to as a "tong") is a clipless curling iron. You don't clamp your hair with a hot iron. Instead, you wrap portions of hair around the instrument with your hand. The process generates a more natural-looking wave or curl than a standard curling iron.

We performed the test by a team of volunteers who chose their desired curling iron and curling wand. After getting styled with the respective irons, the hair was left untouched at least for a day to validate the performance. At the conclusion phase, some factors were highlighted to end the tests.

Setup: The performance of the wand; its temperature setting, powering on & off, and other controls to regulate the temperature.

Usability: The overall exterior and operations of the wand; was it easy to hold the curling wand? Is the supporting stand placed well? What about the safety features like automatic turnoff or temperature threshold beep?

Styling: Did you get the hairstyle you were looking for? How long did it take?

Tips for Using Curling Irons and Wands

To achieve the best results with your curling iron or wand, follow these tips:

• Start with clean, dry hair.
• Use a heat protectant spray to prevent heat damage.
• Section your hair and curl small sections at a time.
• Hold the curling iron or wand vertically and wrap the hair around the barrel, holding for a few seconds before releasing.
• Avoid touching the hot barrel with your fingers to prevent burns.
• Finish with a light hairspray to hold the curls.

Things to Consider Regarding Curling Irons and Curling Wands

A curling iron differs from a curling wand in that it has a clamp that holds your hair in place while you wrap it around the hot barrel. You can either clamp your piece of hair from the end and spin the iron upward toward the roots, or you can open the clamp, wrap your hair around the barrel, and then clamp the hair down. With a curling wand, you must wrap a portion of hair between your fingers, wrap it around the barrel, and hold it there until the curl is generated.

All of the wands and irons we tested had the same lasting power. Instead, the durability of a curled style is mostly determined by your hair type and the treatments you apply before and after styling.

With this in mind, you should select a tool based on objective factors such as the heat settings' adjustability, barrel size, and heat-up time. You should also consider safety features like kickstands, barrel sleeves, and gloves that come with the tool.

Best Curling Irons And Curling Wands

Remington Pro 1-1 ½" Hair Curling Wand

Remington Pro 1-1 ½" Curling Wand (Pearl Ceramic Technology) – Price: $24.99 at Amazon

The Remington Pro curling wand is a wonderful pick if you're searching for a simple, effective, and economic curling wand. The only concern is that we could have used a narrower barrel because of the medium-length hair and could only fully wrap it around it twice (it's also an answer to what is the best curling iron for short hair) and the tester felt like the wand was a bit large to handle. We were convinced, however, that if we'd used one with a smaller diameter, we'd be singing a different tune. Nonetheless, this wand created lovely loose curls, and we preferred the Remington and GHD outcomes the most of all the wands.

The Remington gives you nine heat settings ranging from 266°F to 410°F and purports to heat up in 30 seconds, but according to the light-up bars that turn solid when the iron reaches the proper temperature, it took more like two minutes. The buttons were simple: one to turn on the iron, one to raise or lower the temperature, and one to turn it off. The tester managed to avoid hitting the buttons while styling her hair, so the placement is adequate, though she didn't have any trouble with the curling irons or wands.

Pros

• Beautiful curls
• Temperature ranges are balanced
• Easy

Cons

• Slow heating
• Wand's size is big

T3 Whirl Trio Interchangeable Styling Wand

T3 Whirl Trio Interchangeable Styling Wand – Price: $274.99 at Amazon

The T3 Whirl Trio Interchangeable Wand comes in three different barrel sizes: a 1-inch, a 1.5-inch, and a one 14-inch that tapers to 34 inches. Because it is the most similar to the other models on this list, the tester used the "Undone 1" Barrel. The wand has five lights that each show a heat setting; however, I'm not sure how many degrees each one goes to, and the instructions don't state anything about it except that the maximum temperature is 410°F. Because the tester usually uses the second or third highest heat range, she chose the second setting closest to the top and watched the lights cascade upward until they reached the desired (but unknown) temperature.

The wand was simple to use and wrap around the hair, resulting in spiral curls that she finger-combed for the desired disheveled, curling waves. The glossiness of the barrels, which are certainly lovely in white with rose gold trim, appealed to her. We'd gladly use it again, but it didn't make the top of our list because there are simpler models that get similar outcomes.

Pros

• Smooth design
• 3 barrels give variety

Cons

• Heat regulation is vague

Bio Ionic Long Barrel Curling Iron

Bio Ionic NanoIonic MX – Long Barrel Curling Iron (1.25") – Price: $140.00 at Amazon

The Bio Ionic curling iron has six temperature settings, ranging from 250°F to 430°F, with 30°F increments. We went with 360 degrees Fahrenheit, which the company suggests for "regular hair." The 1.25-inch thick barrel allows you to curl more areas of hair at once without sacrificing the look you want. And, unlike some clamps, which can cause kinks in the hair and force you to retouch a section of hair, this one left no crimps.

Although the tester enjoyed using this iron, some people with short or medium-length hair may find it too large or unneeded to get their desired look. This extra-long curling iron, on the other hand, could be the answer if you have long hair that makes it difficult to produce an even, tight curl from root to tip.

Pros

• Long barrel suits long hair well
• Temperature range is good

Cons

• Bulky in size

Chi Spin N Curl Ceramic/Onyx Rotating Hair Curler

Chi Spin N Curl Ceramic/Onyx Rotating Hair Curler – Price: $67.67 at Amazon

We've never seen anything like the Chi Spin N Curl Ceramic Rotating Hair Curler. It's the kind of thing that makes you want to get out the instruction manual, dare we say. We don't mind perusing the instruction manual before jumping into a beauty or style gadget if it produces excellent results. Once you've practiced with one or two strands of hair, the Chi is quite simple to use, feels extremely robust, and the mechanism it employs prevents you from burning yourself.

We understand if you're scratching your brain as you look at the tool. The following is how it works: Take a tiny portion of hair and drape it over the open chamber, then push one of the arrow buttons (depending on whether you want to curl your hair toward or away from your head), and the tulip-shaped device pulls it in and twirls it around a barrel made of ceramic to make the curl. The device sounds when it's finished, indicating that you can take the iron away from your head, releasing your curl with it. You read that correctly: you're curling your hair without pulling, wrapping, or burning it.

Unless you leave the same portion of hair in the chamber for a second or third spin, or if you apply a lot of styling products, this equipment will only give you loose waves. Increase the temperature; this curler goes up to 450°F (the highest of any of our curling equipment), but we used it at 350°F, which was close to the setting we used on a majority of the other irons and wands. The Chi heats up in around 40 seconds and shuts off automatically after an hour.

I'd recommend giving this one a chance if you've had bad luck with standard curling irons and wands. Also, if you have fine hair that curls easily without being held tightly to a ceramic barrel.

Pros

• Usability is ease
• Resilient

Cons

• Only gives loose waves

Bed Head Curlipops 1"

Bed Head Curlipops (1") – Price: $29.99 at Amazon

Another head-scratcher is the Bed Head Curlipops wand. The wand appears to be conventional. However, it has only a single on/off switch and no heat settings or temperature controls. You'll need to read the directions to find out that the temperature rises to a maximum of 400°F. It lit up green when we flipped the switch, but there was no blinking or changing of colors to indicate it was ready to use.

Despite its perplexing setup, the tester enjoyed using this iron because it is so straightforward. It didn't give any options, and it's a conventional, easy-to-use wand. Even after combing through hair, the solid spiral curls created by the hot barrel looked gorgeous and lustrous.

Pros

• Easy to use
• Beautiful & shiny curls

Cons

• Just one temperature

Hot Tools Salon Gold Curling Wand

Hot Tools Pro Signature Salon Gold Curling Iron/Wand (1.25") – Price: $26.25 at Amazon

 The result of this curling iron was average. The Hot Tools Pro Signature Salon Gold Curling Iron/Wand gives four temperature settings:

• 280˚F
• 330˚F
• 380˚F
• 410˚F

The recommended setting by the brand is 380˚F, so we tested this curling wand on the very setting. While regulating the temperature, we didn't realize when the temperature was switching. Also, we also couldn't know when the wand's temperature became ready to use.

The curling results were better for shorter hair lengths. When the long hair was put in the iron, the effect was shorter than temporary. So if you are searching what the best curling iron for short hair is, the Hot Tools Pro Gold Curling Iron/Wand can be your choice.

Pros

• Curls were beautiful
• Good ranges of temperature

Cons

• Failed on a large section of hair

BaBylissPro Curling Iron

BaBylissPro Nano Titanium 1" Spring Curling Iron – Price: $59.00 at Amazon

This curling iron resembles our best value curling wand. The BaBylissPro curling iron has a temperature wheel that has the temperature distribution of 250°F, 285°F, 330°F, (380˚F is an option while regulating manually) 390°F, and 430°F. For normal hair, the brand's recommendation was somewhere between 330˚F – 390˚F, so we set the wheel at 380˚F. Doing so, the curls didn't show up, and we still didn't get an answer for that!

The same wheel is pressable, and when you do so, the iron will switch on the turbo heat. Again, turbo heat is never defined anywhere what it actually is. This vagueness kept us from relying on the BaBylissPro Nano Titanium 1" Spring Curling Iron.

We assume that this wand may work perfectly when used with a specific hair spray.

Pros

• Good design
• Temperature ranges are good

Cons

• Curls couldn't stay for long
• No temperature threshold beep

Tyme Iron Pro

Tyme Iron Pro – Price: $169.00 at Amazon

The Tyme Iron Pro is quite famous on social media ads, especially on Instagram. Before testing this product, the reviewers claimed that it's the best curling iron for fine straight hair, or if you want to have a voluminous curl, it's the perfect fit. But our test results were a bit disappointing.

During the curling process, our tester found it difficult to hold it and instantly change angles due to the funky design of the iron. The temperature setting gives five options, but there is a visible or audible sign of the current temperature.

The ad of Tyme Iron Pro also showed that this wand could give you ravishing curls and straighten your hair. The curling experience went awful because of the smell of burning iron. We can't recommend this curling wand because of the odor.

Pros

• Temperature rises quickly

Cons

• Bad design
• Smell of burning iron

InStyler Airless Blowout Revolving Styler

InStyler Airless Blowout Revolving Styler – Price: $99.99 at Amazon

This styler wand is a dual-purpose curling iron that provides curls or straightens your hair. The barrel part is used to wrap your hair around while the brush keeps you in place. InStyler offers a secure value of avoiding hair getting crushed between two hot plates.

The design of this wand is simple with a barrel and a brush. There are four temperature settings, but none displays any number. The addition of a brush is what makes the InStyler Airless Blowout Revolving Styler unique.

Pros

• Good for curly or straight hair
• Simple design

Cons

• Average performance