Smooth, silky straight hair. For those of us that aren’t blessed with this natural texture, obtaining it can become an obsession. Flat irons are the easiest and most effective way to straight hair, but be warned: not all flat irons are made alike. The wrong flat iron can cause unnecessary damage to your hair shaft and leave it dull and lifeless. The ideal flat iron will straighten quickly and effectively with minimal damage. Here are my top pics for flat irons for any budget:
- Sedu Pro Ionic Ceramic Tourmaline Flat Iron 1-1/2″, $240. I’ve used this iron for about three years, and it’s worth every penny! Its width makes straightening long hair faster than with a traditional 1 inch iron. Unfortunately, because of its rectangular shape and wide width, all this flat iron can do is straighten. If you’re one of those girls that also likes to use a flat iron to create curls, this one isn’t for you. It’s not even very good at curling hair under or flipping it out. Also, the hardware isn’t the best. The on/off button is a bit loose, and it occasionally squeaks as you clamp down on your hair. Still, the Sedu works for me because I have a lot of hair, and I flat iron it religiously. It goes up to 420 degrees, which is perfect for my coarse hair. And despite the amount of use it gets, my hair remains relatively undamaged and shiny.
- HAI Convertible Ceramic Flat Iron 1-1/4″, $140. The HAI’s greatest strength is its heating time: in just 25 seconds, this iron is ready to go. It’s quite a step above competitor irons, which can take up to ten minutes to fully heat. The outer design is very similar to the infamous CHI, and has all of the CHI’s styling capabilities. The only downfall of this iron is pretty minor– although it heats up very quickly, the highest temperature is 390 degrees. This may or may not be a factor for you. If you have fragile hair, this is a great thing! On the other hand, this iron may not be able to handle very thick or coarse hair. The HAI is a high quality, versatile iron.
- CHI Ceramic Flat Iron 1″, $100. The CHI is the most popular of high-end flat irons, and many stylists use it on their clients. This iron has curved sides, which makes it ideal for curling. This iron is also easy to get close to the root, so if you have bangs or very kinky hair, the CHI could work for you. The overall design is functional and well made– you won’t be accidentally turning it off while doing your hair. The only reason I prefer the Sedu over the CHI is because I just can’t get smooth, silky hair with the CHI. It straightens very well, but the texture isn’t there. If you don’t have problems with frizzy or unruly hair and your main concern is straightening, the CHI is a good option.
- Hot Tools Professional Flat Iron 2-1/4″, $60. Hot Tools is a reliable, affordable brand of hair styling tools and I find this iron to be no exception. Its design is more like the Sedu and less like the CHI, so don’t expect to be making curls. It’s very wide at 2.25 inches, which makes it ideal for long hair. While it shares many similarities with the Sedu, it is a lower quality iron. Hair won’t stay straightened as long, and its plates may cause more damage on your hair. Still, the Hot Tools has a very high temperature range, from 200 to 428 degrees. That’s quite impressive for a non-salon iron. It’d be great for thick, coarse, or ethnic hair.
- Remington Shine Therapy Flat Iron 1″, $45. If you don’t flat iron everyday, or if you just want to give your mostly straight hair some added polish, the Remington Shine Therapy iron should satisfy your needs. The plates are fused with avocado oil to impart shine on the hair. Its temperature range is pretty low at 150 to 230 degrees, so it won’t be very effective on hard-to-straighten hair. But it’s a perfectly good option if you don’t need a heavy duty device to get your hair the way you like. Added bonus: it has a universal A/C adapter, so you can have perfectly straight hair no matter where you are!
If a flat iron is one of those things you’d pack on a desert island (with outlets!), it may be worth it to invest in a high performance iron. But if straightening your hair is relatively easy or you only do it occasionally, a lower-priced iron should suit you just fine. Whatever you choose, remember that all irons will damage your hair to an extent. A heat protectant spray before you style will aid in keeping your hair in its best possible condition.
The prices listed are the suggested selling price of these irons, but all of them can be found deeply discounted at Folica.com, a reputable hair styling tool website.
–Marisa Amorasak
