Top 5 compared
The best flat irons
Sleek, shiny hair with the frizz smoothed away, done at home before you head out the door.
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The top 5 at a glance
A flat iron is a pair of heated plates that clamp a thin section of hair and smooth it as you draw the iron down from root to tip. Most plates are ceramic, which heats evenly; some are titanium, or a blend of the two. An iron with rounded edges can wave and curl as well, with a half or full turn as it slides down.
Every iron here switches itself off if it’s left on, most of them after an hour or two. Settings of 450°F or so are for thick, coarse hair, while fine or color-treated hair needs a low one.
What matters
- Floating plates, for an even grip that doesn’t snag.
- 1-inch plates for most hair, 2-inch for long, thick hair.
- A digital display, to find the same heat each day.
- Dual voltage, if it travels abroad.
#1Remington Shine Therapy 1-Inch Flat Iron (S9511)
$30–$50
Ceramic plates infused with argan oil, keratin and a micro-conditioner that Remington says leave hair up to 50% shinier, nine heat settings plus a Turbo mode to 450°F, and only 15 seconds to heat up. It shuts itself off after an hour, the cord is 9 feet long, and the warranty runs three years.
What owners say: Quick to heat and easy to set, owners say, with hair that stays straight all day, and several with curly hair rate it. It glides without damage, keeps the shine and tames frizz; one with fine hair finds it gentle, and another finds it easier than hot rollers.
A closer look: Work in small sections from root to tip, as Remington suggests, and turn the plates through a half twist at the end of a pass for a soft bend rather than a dead-straight finish. Start low and only climb toward Turbo for coarse hair. The 1-inch plates suit most lengths; Remington’s 2-inch version is the one for very thick, long hair.
- 9 ft cord
- 3-year limited warranty
Best for: Taming curly or frizzy hair
- Max temperature
- 450°F (Turbo)
- Heat settings
- 9 plus Turbo
- Heat-up
- 15 sec
- Plates
- 1 in ceramic, argan oil, keratin
- Auto shut-off
- After 1 hour
#2Hot Tools Black Gold Ionic 1¼-Inch Flat Iron
$50–$75
A stylist’s iron with titanium plates in Hot Tools’ Black Gold finish, 1¼ inches wide with rounded edges and floating plates, so it waves and curls as readily as it straightens. Twenty-seven digital heat levels run up to 455°F, with a temperature recall and a ring that lights up when it’s ready; it’s dual voltage and shuts off after two hours.
What owners say: Owners call it their favorite iron yet: it heats fast, holds its set temperature and glides, and they use it as much for beach waves and curls as for straight styles. Most report theirs lasting; a few had one fail within two months.
A closer look: Clamp a section near the root, turn the iron a half turn and draw it down slowly for a loose wave, or a full turn for a curl; the rounded edges keep creases out. It remembers the last temperature, so there’s no resetting each morning, and the lit ring on the handle shows when the plates are at heat, so there’s no testing them on a strand.
- Rounded edges for waves, curls
- Remembers the last temperature
- Ring lights up when ready
- Universal dual voltage
- 9 ft swivel cord
Best for: Waves, curls and salon-smooth straightening
- Max temperature
- 455°F
- Heat settings
- 27 digital
- Heat-up
- About 60 sec
- Plates
- 1¼ in titanium, floating
- Auto shut-off
- After 2 hours
#3Revlon Ceramic 2-Inch Flat Iron (RVST2182)
$10–$20
Two-inch ceramic plates take a wide section at a time, which is what makes long, thick hair quick to straighten, and the ceramic coating spreads the heat evenly up to 400°F. It has multiple heat settings, a fast heat-up, a swivel cord and an auto shut-off.
What owners say: Wavy hair straight in one pass is the recurring report, and owners like the quick heat-up, the choice of temperatures and controls that are easy to read. Most say it has held up well, while some have had theirs come apart.
Heads up: Two-inch plates are made for long, thick hair; on short hair or bangs a 1-inch iron is easier to steer.
A closer look: Take sections as wide as the plates and work from the back forward, keeping the iron moving so no one spot overheats. Begin on a low setting and only turn it up if the first pass doesn’t take, as Revlon advises. The on/off switch is a small thing that keeps it from heating up by accident in a drawer.
- 6 ft swivel cord
- On/off switch
- Ceramic coating spreads heat evenly
- Weighs about 10 oz
Best for: Hair past the shoulders
- Max temperature
- 400°F
- Heat settings
- Multiple (not numbered)
- Heat-up
- Fast (no figure given)
- Plates
- 2 in ceramic
- Auto shut-off
- Yes
#4CHI G2 Titanium-Infused Ceramic 1-Inch Flat Iron
$100–$150
CHI’s second-generation iron pairs titanium-infused ceramic plates with a ceramic heater that’s ready in about 40 seconds, and a color-coded digital display with preset temperatures for fine, medium and coarse hair up to 425°F. Far-infrared heat and negative ions are there for shine, it’s dual voltage, and the cord is 11 feet.
What owners say: Fast to heat and quick through a head of hair, owners say, with frizzy, wavy and thick hair coming out silky, and heat levels that suit fine hair as well as coarse. Whether it justifies the outlay divides them, and the auto shut-off gets mixed reports, with some saying theirs stopped working altogether.
A closer look: Divide the hair into one- to two-inch sections and run the iron down each in one fluid pass, as CHI suggests; the presets settle which temperature to use. A thermal mat comes in the box for setting it down hot, and the 11-foot cord reaches a mirror well away from the outlet.
- Hair-type presets, color-coded
- Thermal mat in the box
- 11 ft swivel cord
- Dual voltage
- 2-year warranty
Best for: Different hair types in one home
- Max temperature
- 425°F
- Heat settings
- Digital, 180–425°F
- Heat-up
- About 40 sec
- Plates
- 1 in titanium-infused ceramic
- Auto shut-off
- After 1 hour
#5L'ange Le Ceramique 1-Pass Flat Iron
$30–$50
L’ange built the Le Ceramique around one idea: a pass that leaves hair done. The ceramic coating holds moisture and shine, the rounded edges turn out curls as well as straight hair, and six settings run from 250°F to 450°F, so fine hair can stay well below the top. It’s dual voltage, weighs under a pound and has a soft-touch grip.
What owners say: Hot in no time and up to its 450°F claim, owners say, and they like that it both straightens and curls, leaving hair smooth and silky without damage. The grip divides them: firm for some, too loose on the hair for others.
A closer look: Let it heat for about 30 seconds, then take sections no wider than the plates and glide, rather than clamp and drag; for a curl, wrap the section once around the barrel and pull through. Pick a lower setting for fine or color-treated hair. L’ange backs it with a money-back guarantee and a one-year warranty.
- Soft-touch grip
- Weighs under a pound
- Dual voltage
- 9 ft swivel cord
- Money-back guarantee
Best for: Fine hair at gentler heat
- Max temperature
- 450°F
- Heat settings
- 6 (250–450°F)
- Heat-up
- Under 1 min
- Plates
- 1 in ceramic, rounded edges
- Auto shut-off
- After 60 min
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Remington Shine Therapy 1 in | #2Hot Tools Black Gold 1¼ in | #3Revlon 2 in ceramic | #4CHI G2 | #5L'ange Le Ceramique |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Runner-up | Best budget | |||
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.9 |
| Price | $30–$50 | $50–$75 | $10–$20 | $100–$150 | $30–$50 |
| Max temperature | 450°F (Turbo) | 455°F | 400°F | 425°F | 450°F |
| Heat settings | 9 plus Turbo | 27 digital | Multiple (not numbered) | Digital, 180–425°F | 6 (250–450°F) |
| Heat-up | 15 sec | About 60 sec | Fast (no figure given) | About 40 sec | Under 1 min |
| Plates | 1 in ceramic, argan oil, keratin | 1¼ in titanium, floating | 2 in ceramic | 1 in titanium-infused ceramic | 1 in ceramic, rounded edges |
| Auto shut-off | After 1 hour | After 2 hours | Yes | After 1 hour | After 60 min |
| Best for | Taming curly or frizzy hair | Waves, curls and salon-smooth straightening | Hair past the shoulders | Different hair types in one home | Fine hair at gentler heat |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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