The 6 best straighteners for curly hair according to beauty editors

If you have any type of curls, I’m sure you’ll agree that the best straightener for curly hair is the one that can achieve smooth results in a reasonable amount of time. Having to run the plates over the same section of hair more times than usual not only lengthens your styling session, but it can leave you feeling like you're using more heat on your hair than should be necessary. 

As a beauty editor with curly hair (a mix of 3A and 2C for those familiar with the typing system), I’ve tried some great pairs of straighteners in my time, as well as some tools that I thought weren’t quite up to scratch. As curly hair covers a huge range of patterns, I also checked in with fellow curly-haired beauty journalists to gauge their thoughts on the best tools and compile this need-to-know guide. Here are our picks of the best hair straighteners for curls.

The best hair straighteners for curly hair chosen by beauty editors

1. ghd Platinum+ Styler

The best ghd straighteners are firm favourites around the world, and the Platinum+ is the brand’s techiest straightener model. It features predictive technology to adapt to the hair’s thickness and your styling speed for the best results, as well as the signature features you expect to see in a ghd styler (such as the brand's optimum styling temperature of 185°C). “I've tried so many straighteners over the years, but for me, nothing compares to ghd—I'm as impressed with them now as I was with my first use at 15,” says Rhiannon Derbyshire, Senior Beauty Editor at woman&home. “I'm a huge fan of the original to be honest, but I have to flash up the Platinum+ for its technology, which really prioritises hair health—a key factor for curly girls. It gets to work quickly and I find the automatic shut-off very reassuring. I also like that ghd have stayed (relatively) affordable, especially when you compare them to TikTok hyped, mortgage-grade hair tools.”

2. Remington Ceramic Straight 230 Hair Straightener 230 

At the lower end of the price scale is this affordable tool from Remington, which features ceramic coated plates, an eight-temperature dial that allows for styling between 150°C–230°C and turns itself off after an hour. "This has been my go-to for years,” says Beauty and Lifestyle Writer Kelle Salle. "I use it whenever I need to straighten my hair extensions. The key to achieving super sleek hair in a matter of minutes with this budget buy is to turn it on 5-10 minutes before you begin [straightening] and apply a good quality heat protection spray or serum beforehand."

3. Dyson Corrale Straightener

Dyson’s hair tools are a considerable investment, no question, but beauty journalist and podcaster Vanese Maddix votes the Corrale and its floating plates as the best. “It works really well on Afro hair and as well as being great for straightening, it’s also great for curling my hair,” she says. If you’ve ever picked one up in a shop, you may have noticed that the Corrale is quite heavy (often the case with cordless tools), but the three different temperature settings for adaptable styling are definitely a plus, as well as up to 30 minutes of cord-free power. And the good news is that a number of retailers are currently offering £100 off for Black Friday. 

4. ghd Max Styler

I love the technology of the Platinum+ straighteners, but I’m sneaking another tool from the brand into this guide because they're so great. I find that the wider plate size of the ghd Max Styler really cuts down the overall styling time when I’m straightening my hair from scratch. For me, it achieves very smooth and sleek results with ease and it also works well if you want to style ultra-loose and undone waves. Like the Platinum+ it styles at ghd’s standard temperature of 185°C and comes with that all-important automatic shut-off for peace of mind. 

5. T3 Lucea ID Straightener

Complete with a touch-screen display, the Lucea ID really does offer personalised styling. There are nine different heat settings so, after the initial set-up, the straightener adapts to your hair’s thickness and lengths. With ceramic and ionic technology to improve smoothness, there’s also a “refresh mode” to style at lower temperatures. But crucially, once you’ve locked in the settings it’s easy to use and straightens with ease—I can attest to its results. 

6. BaByliss 9000 Cordless Straightener

Let’s get something out of the way first. As a general rule, the batteries in cordless straighteners do not last long enough to style most heads of curly hair from scratch. Currently, the cordless straighteners on the market tend to have fairly short battery lives of around 20 or 30 minutes. But if you are looking for a cordless tool that’ll refresh your style on the go, BaByliss’ option performs brilliantly, in my opinion. It’s a full-size pair of straighteners and features three different styling temperatures—160°C, 180°C, and 200°C—which offers more flexibility, and the plates glide easily over the hair and smooth it out well.