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Best Flat Iron: Top 5 Best Hair Straighteners

best flat irons of 2020

My hair, just like everything else about my body and skin, is not easy to handle, I can’t be without my best flat iron.

When I discovered what a flat iron is really capable of, I was in heaven. That was a lifetime ago, about 15 years have passed since then.

But it’s an incredibly happy memory, not only because I could handle my gigantic mess of a hair but because my first best flat iron was actually a purchase that I made with my dad. I think it was the only beauty tool that I’ve searched for together with my dad. Obviously, he also had to pay for it, I was only a teenager.

I still have it and, unbelievably, it still works even though it’s outdated. I don’t use it anymore but it represents a dear memory.

I’ve had very short hair for a long time and I still needed to use a flat iron to style it. I needed it just as much as I needed one when I had longer hair although I hadn’t expected it at the time.

Top 5 Best Flat Irons

All these 5 models are amazing choices, it’s actually hard to find a favorite, I leave that to you.

The HSI is incredibly popular, the Remington one is very cheap, the KIPOZI is pretty perfect and the best for the pretty affordable price, if you have pixie hair go with the Bed Head Pixie Straightener, and if you have a lot of money to spend on a best flat iron, then you could consider the BaBylissPRO.

If you want some more interesting recommendations, check out my reviews for the best hair straighteners for men.

1. HSI Professional Glider – Everyone’s Favorite

The HSI Professional Glider seems to be preferred by so many women.

It’s indeed one of the most popular when it comes to choosing the best flat iron.

It’s not overly expensive but not cheap, either. It’s quite in the middle. It might seem a bit expensive to some.

So,

Is it worth it?

  • works amazingly well on all hair types, absolutely all
  • it straightens, flips, and curls – all you could ask for
  • high quality ceramic plates
  • they’re actually ceramic and tourmaline crystal ion plates that are designed for creating that silky shiny end-result that we all love and crave – we don’t want dull hair just like we don’t want dull skin
  • 1-inch plate width that works for bangs, too
  • very fast, fewer passes will be needed until you achieve the desired result
  • that very interesting feature 8 HeatBalance micro-sensors that regulate the temperature and evenly distribute the heat, which achieve that goal of fewer passes needed
  • the HSI Professional Glider is fantastic at preventing serious hair damage
  • adjustable temperature to complete the package 140°F up to 450°F
  • a heat-resistant glove is also included, as well as a small pack of argan oil hair treatment
  • great for traveling, as well
  • all in all, the perfect package

The HSI Professional Glider is so easy to use and it’s intended to create the least damage possible, it’s no wonder that everyone raves about it.

2. Bed Head Pixie 1/2″ Straightener – Most Affordable Best Flat Iron for Short Hair

Just by looking at it, you can tell that this best flat iron is intended for short hair only.

It’s pretty affordable, you pretty much won’t find anything better for this price.

It’s well worth the try, you’ll end up realizing that you don’t need another.

The Bed Head Pixie Straightener:

  • has 1/2″ plates that are really narrow and enable you to reach the roots
  • tourmaline ceramic technology (pretty similar to the above model) for offering the best shine and silky texture
  • temperature control – heats up to 430°F
  • it’s extremely important to not forget about the temperature control, each hair is different, it’s best to start on a lower temperature and work your way up, you will find the ideal temperature that way, don’t start right off on the max setting, it can seriously damage your hair
  • is very easy to use and fast
  • heats up quickly
  • it’s for short hair but in this category it will handle fine/thin hair as well as curly hair
  • great if you want curls, too
  • travel ready design

What more can be said? The Bed Head Pixie Straightener is quite affordable but a fantastic acquisition for people with short hair.

It’s not oriented towards minimal hair damage, for the price, I didn’t even expect it to be. Luckily, people with very short hair tend to cut it often.

I have mine cut once a month or once every 6 weeks if I’m lazy.

Furthermore,

There are other things that you can do to protect and nourish your strands. I speak about some of those at the end of my post, if you’re interested in at least getting a general idea.

Even if you have short hair, you can’t walk out the door without styling it, it takes a lot more effort for most women to make it look amazing, even if you have the shortest pixie cut.

3. KIPOZI Professional Titanium Flat Iron Hair Straightener – Nothing Better for the Price

The KIPOZI Professional Titanium Flat Iron Hair Straightener is simply amazing.

Those words are not easy to use but this best flat iron totally deserves them.

Almost everyone sings its praises and I’m not going to shy away from doing the same.

When I say that you couldn’t get anything better for the price, I mean it. And what a price, nothing outrageous.

Let’s see what there is to it:

  • pretty large plates, measuring 1.75 inches
  • the whole straightening process will be very fast
  • the plates are made from titanium
  • particular attention has been paid to making the plates heat up evenly, consistent heating will ensure that very few passes are needed, reducing the risk of damage considerably
  • there’s also an additional intelligent safety temperature reduction feature
  • straightens hair but it can also be used for adding volume, curling, and flips
  • no matter how coarse or coily or thin your hair is this flat iron will handle it, it’s perfect for everyone indeed
  • adjustable temperature from 170°F up to 450°F
  • the interesting thing is that you can see the temperature on a digital LCD
  • it also have 3 default temperatures, which appear by pressing the P button: 270F for fragile hair, 350F for damaged hair/colored hair, and 410F for healthy hair
  • special electronic circuit that automatically adjusts to the local current, perfect for travels
  • I don’t love the design but who cares when you have such quality for an affordable price?

The KIPOZI Professional Titanium Flat Iron Hair Straightener is pretty perfect, if I may say so. It’s so well thought and well made and with interesting features, it’s quite irresistible.

I like it a lot!

4. Remington S5500 – Anti-Static Expert

The Remington S5500, pretty much like all their other flat irons, has a really affordable price tag.

Their products are also a favorite for a lot of people.

They certainly seem to deliver good quality at an unbeatable price. There’s no wonder they’re so popular.

The Remington S5500:

  • 1 inch plates, there’s also a 1 ¾ inch model in the form of the Remington S5520
  • the plates are made of ceramic with titanium protection
  • anti-static technology
  • temperature control up to 410°F, the temperature is displayed on a small digital display
  • there also are 6 heat settings
  • it heats up quickly

If you really don’t want to spend too much money, you should consider this one.

5. BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium-Plated Straightening Iron – the Expensive One

Before moving on to talking about features, the BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium-Plated Straightening Iron is the most expensive model featured in this post.

The price is way over my budget, I wouldn’t feel comfortable spending so much money on a flat iron but that’s just me.

So,

Let’s see what you can get for the money:

  • it’s definitely perfect for all hair types, it will handle whatever hair type you have, it’s perfect for everyone
  • there are 3 size options to choose from: 1 inch, 1.5 inches, and 2 inches
  • the price is the same for all sizes, if you have shorter hair, the 1 inch is perfect but it works great on long hair, too
  • these are titanium plates
  • there are an unexpected 50 heat settings
  • the temperature goes up to 450°F
  • wavy styles are easily achievable, too

Why You Need a Best Flat Iron in Your Life

  • if your goal is to have silky hair that feels amazing to the touch and looks healthy and shiny then you need a best flat iron by your side
  • there are many different models that will fit anyone’s needs whether we’re talking about short/long hair or curly/thick/fine hair or coily hair or damaged hair
  • you can even curl your hair with it

The Cons of Using a Best Flat Iron

  • heat damages the hair and a flat iron is a hair product that’s all about the heat, it applies heat to hairs, very high heat, it’s how it straightens them out and makes them look silky and shiny
  • when picking out the best flat iron the goal is to get one that will cause minimal hair damage
  • some people have even burnt their hair, I hope it doesn’t happen to you, I’ve been fortunate enough to not have anything close to that happen to me so, I don’t really know how one can be so unfortunate to end up in such a situation

How to Pick the Best Flat Iron for your Hair

hair types

The most important thing that you have to establish is what type of hair you have.

The basic way to categorize is:

  • straight
  • wavy
  • curly
  • coily, search for some pictures, it looks amazing, it’s incredibly beautiful
  • thick hair
  • thin/fine

I have straight hair but, as I have discovered, there are different subcategories for these main categories and it turns out that I have the third type of straight hair, which is the coarsest and thickest, which makes it difficult to manage, it’s why I absolutely need a flat iron, to make it actually have a shape instead of looking like a forest.

Just as I’ve already mentioned above,

You need a flat iron that will cause minimal hair damage.

It’s an essential vital feature if you want to keep your hair healthy.

Just from reading the features for a certain model, you will immediately get the feel if it’s oriented towards minimal hair damage or not. Some have really interesting technologies.

I’m lucky in that respect because I switch the length of my hair often, most of the times it ends up being pretty short. So, it always looks healthy.

Getting one with with temperature control is always the way to go.

You need to start on a lower temperature when you buy a new model, get the feel of it and then increase the temperature gradually until you find the right temperature for you.

Every hair type is different and needs to be handled with proper care.

A fast flat iron is desirable because it will require fewer passes, which will damage the hair a lot less.

There are some fancy ones with micro-sensors that regulate the temperature and evenly distribute the heat.

For a lot of models, the price is pretty affordable. I would go as far as to say that some are really cheap and impressive.

The ones that include words like pro or expert are definitely expensive. It’s not easy to pay around $100 or more for a best flat iron.

It’s the reason why I decided to review models that cover all budgets.

You can pick one with a price that is within your range, that’s always a very important aspect for me, whether we’re talking about beauty products or anything else.

Damaged Hair Solutions

A periodic hair cut is the first step to keep both your hair shape and for keeping it healthy.

Short and shoulder-length hair can be cut once every 4-6 weeks, which is a pattern that I follow. If I’m really lazy and wait for 2 months, my hairstylist needs to do more work.

Medium to long hair is not as demanding so you can get a cut once every 6-10 weeks. The hair will grow healthier.

If there is minimal heath damage, you can even wait for 3 months until you schedule an appointment with your hairstylist.

Doing that, ensures that split ends will be handled in time, they won’t move up.

There are two sides when it comes to damaged hair solutions:

  • prevention
  • restoration

How can you prevent damaging your hair and at the same time still use a flat iron?

  • regular hair cuts – as I’ve mentioned above, they’re very important
  • use sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners
  • thermal protection sprays prevent everything that could go wrong with our hair from so much heat exposure – these really are essential and you shouldn’t skip them in your routine no matter how good your flat iron is
  • blow-dry damp not wet hair
  • and get a best flat iron that’s designed for minimal hair damage

How can you restore damaged hair back to its healthy marvelous state?

You should definitely follow the above steps to prevent reaching a point of no return.

Heat damaged hair can be addressed as long as it’s not too severe.

After that, only a pair of scissors will feature in the restoration plan.

  • rejuvenating masks – you can get an intense hydrating mask, some contain argan oil, and apply it once a week
  • there are also many DIY hair masks, you will find various recipes online

I know how important it is to find the best flat iron for your hair but don’t forget about taking care of your hair to ensure that you can use that flat iron for many years to come without incurring serious heat damage.