Top 6 compared
The best curling irons
Tight ringlets, loose waves or something in between, curled at home in a few minutes.
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The top 6 at a glance
A curling iron is a heated barrel that hair is wound around for a few seconds to set a curl. A clamp iron holds the ends while you wind, which suits beginners and gives polished, defined curls; a wand has no clamp, so the hair wraps around by hand for softer, more natural waves; an automatic curler winds each curl for you.
A barrel stays hot for a while after use, so a heat glove in the box is a plus. Fine or colored hair needs less heat than thick, coarse hair, so a wide spread of settings suits more hair types, and several here are dual voltage for travel.
What matters
- A smaller barrel for tight curls and short hair, bigger for loose waves.
- Auto shut-off, in case it’s left on.
#1Remington Shine Therapy Tapered Curling Wand, ½–1 in (CI95AC10)
$20–$30
A tapered barrel that runs from an inch down to half an inch, so the wide end gives soft waves and the tip tighter curls, with an argan oil and keratin infused ceramic coating for shine. Ten digital settings from 250°F to 410°F lock in place, it’s ready in 30 seconds, and a heat glove comes in the box.
What owners say: Owners love the curls it makes, saying they hold for up to three days and that it suits fine hair well; it heats up almost at once, and the spread of settings covers every hair type.
A closer look: Wear the glove on the hand that guides the hair, and wrap from the wide end toward the tip with the wand pointing down for looser, natural-looking curls. Start low on fine or colored hair and only turn it up if the curls drop, then lock the setting so a stray thumb can’t change it.
- Wide end waves, tip curls
- Ready in 30 seconds
- Temperature lock
- Heat glove included
Best for: Wrapping waves and ringlets
- Type
- Wand (no clamp)
- Barrel
- ½–1 in tapered
- Heat settings
- 10 (digital)
- Max heat
- 410°F
- Auto shut-off
- Yes
- Barrel coating
- Ceramic, argan and keratin
#2Conair Double Ceramic Curling Iron, ½ in (CD699L)
$10–$20
A half-inch barrel wraps small sections close to the root for tight spirals and ringlets, which also makes it one of the few irons that really works on short hair. Thirty heat settings climb to 400°F, a Turbo Heat button helps with stubborn sections, and at 9.6 oz it’s light in the hand.
What owners say: Tight, bouncy curls even on shorter hair, owners report, from an iron that heats quickly and holds its temperature; one with arthritis in her fingers finds it easy to manage. A few had theirs give out after a few months.
A closer look: Take small sections, no wider than the barrel, and hold each for a few seconds before letting the curl drop into your hand to cool. It also tidies the ends of a bob or the shorter layers around the face, and the 5 ft swivel cord turns with you rather than twisting as you work around the head.
- Heat boost button
- 5 ft swivel cord
- Cool tip
- Dual voltage
- Weighs 9.6 oz
Best for: Tight curls and short hair
- Type
- Clamp iron
- Barrel
- ½ in
- Heat settings
- 30
- Max heat
- 400°F
- Auto shut-off
- Yes
- Barrel coating
- Double ceramic
#3Ufree 5-in-1 Curling Iron Set with Flat Iron (U-3166)
$30–$50
One handle and five heads that twist on: a 0.35 to 0.71 in tapered wand, a 1 in wand, half-inch and 1.25 in barrels with clips, and a straightening plate. There are two heat settings, 350°F and 410°F, it’s ready in 30 seconds, and the 8 ft swivel cord and dual voltage suit travel.
What owners say: The interchangeable heads win owners over, with curling and straightening covered by one set and thick, straight hair turned into coils; a few find it doesn’t get as hot as they’d like.
A closer look: Swap heads with the glove on, since a barrel stays hot for a while after use. The tapered wand suits tight spirals and the larger clip barrel loose waves, and the clips that come with it keep the rest of the hair out of the way while you work through each section.
- Straightening plate included
- Ready in 30 seconds
- 8 ft swivel cord
- Dual voltage
- Heat glove and clips included
Best for: Lots of looks from one set
- Type
- Interchangeable set
- Barrel
- 0.35–1.25 in, 4 barrels
- Heat settings
- 2
- Max heat
- 410°F
- Auto shut-off
- –
- Barrel coating
- Ceramic
#4TYMO CurlPro Plus Automatic Curling Iron (HC509G)
$75–$100
Put a section of hair against the barrel, press a button and it rotates to wind the curl for you, then signals when the curl is set. The Plus has a longer 1 in barrel for shoulder-length to waist-length hair, three settings from 320°F to 410°F and a 360° anti-scald design.
What owners say: A whole head takes about 20 minutes, owners say, and the curls last for days; several call it the easiest way they’ve found to add waves, and it costs less than the fancier stylers some had looked at.
Heads up: Use small sections, about an inch wide: bigger ones are what cause tangles.
A closer look: Work from the back of the head forward, waiting for the timer’s signal before letting each curl go, and leave the curls to cool before brushing through so the waves last. It switches itself off after 30 minutes, so it won’t sit hot on the dresser if you get distracted.
- Timer signals when curl’s set
- Anti-scald, anti-tangle design
- Heats up in 60 seconds
- Dual voltage
Best for: Easy curls, no wrapping
- Type
- Automatic rotating
- Barrel
- 1 in, long
- Heat settings
- 3
- Max heat
- 410°F
- Auto shut-off
- After 30 min
- Barrel coating
- Tourmaline ceramic
#5BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Spring Curling Iron, 1 in (BNT100S)
$50–$75
Built for stylists: a titanium-coated barrel that heats evenly without hot spots and goes up to 450°F, the hottest here, which helps with thick or coarse hair. The spring clamp handles tight curls or loose waves, a Turbo Heat button gives an instant boost, and the 8 ft swivel cord reaches easily.
What owners say: Loose beach curls that last for days and an iron that’s easy to use are what owners praise; opinions divide on whether it runs hot enough, whether it holds up over time and whether hair slips from the clamp.
A closer look: Titanium heats fast and runs hot, so start low on the dial for fine or colored hair and save the top end for thick, coarse sections. Lay the ends flat under the clamp and keep sections to about an inch wide, since bunched-up hair is the most likely to slip out before the curl sets.
- Heats evenly, no hot spots
- Heat boost button
- 8 ft swivel cord
Best for: Coarse, thick hair at high heat
- Type
- Spring clamp iron
- Barrel
- 1 in
- Heat settings
- 50 (dial)
- Max heat
- 450°F
- Auto shut-off
- –
- Barrel coating
- Nano titanium
#6Conair Double Ceramic Curling Iron, 1 in (CD701L)
$10–$20
The 1 in version of the half-inch Conair above, the same double ceramic iron with a barrel that suits most lengths: defined curls on shoulder-length hair, looser waves on long. Thirty heat settings run to 400°F with Turbo Heat for stubborn sections, and it has a cool tip and shuts itself off.
What owners say: Owners say it heats fast, is easy to pick up as a beginner and gives curls that stay in for days; the gripes are a heat dial and buttons that sit where the hand grips, hair slipping off now and then, and some units that didn’t last.
A closer look: Grip the handle below the controls so a thumb doesn’t nudge the heat mid-curl, and keep each section no wider than the barrel. Held upright and wound down the length of the hair it gives loose, bouncy waves; held flat and rolled up toward the scalp, rounder and more polished curls.
- Hold upright for looser waves
- Heat boost button
- Cool tip
- Dual voltage
- 5 ft cord, 12.8 oz
Best for: Classic curls for beginners
- Type
- Clamp iron
- Barrel
- 1 in
- Heat settings
- 30
- Max heat
- 400°F
- Auto shut-off
- Yes
- Barrel coating
- Double ceramic
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 6.
| Feature | #1Remington Shine Therapy | #2Conair ½ in | #3Ufree 5-in-1 | #4TYMO CurlPro Plus | #5BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium | #6Conair 1 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | Best set | Best automatic | Highest heat | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.6 |
| Price | $20–$30 | $10–$20 | $30–$50 | $75–$100 | $50–$75 | $10–$20 |
| Type | Wand (no clamp) | Clamp iron | Interchangeable set | Automatic rotating | Spring clamp iron | Clamp iron |
| Barrel | ½–1 in tapered | ½ in | 0.35–1.25 in, 4 barrels | 1 in, long | 1 in | 1 in |
| Heat settings | 10 (digital) | 30 | 2 | 3 | 50 (dial) | 30 |
| Max heat | 410°F | 400°F | 410°F | 410°F | 450°F | 400°F |
| Auto shut-off | Yes | Yes | – | After 30 min | – | Yes |
| Barrel coating | Ceramic, argan and keratin | Double ceramic | Ceramic | Tourmaline ceramic | Nano titanium | Double ceramic |
| Best for | Wrapping waves and ringlets | Tight curls and short hair | Lots of looks from one set | Easy curls, no wrapping | Coarse, thick hair at high heat | Classic curls for beginners |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
Photos are illustrative, some computer-generated. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How we pick · How this works.
