10 Best Hair Straighteners and Flat Irons 2025, Tested & Reviewed

This straightener came closer than any others to matching the quality of my beloved Amika. While there is a bit of a learning curve to figure out the smart heat settings, once I figured it out, things came to temperature exceptionally quickly. I appreciated that the rounded edges allow you to both straighten and curl, but was disappointed with the feel of the plates. The iron didn't swipe effortlessly, but rather stuttered over my hair. It did, however, do a pretty solid job in a single pass.

8. Best for Coarse Hair: Hot Tools Pro Artist Flat Iron

• What we love: LED temperature display; travel lock; tone lets you know when device reaches desired temperature; high heat
• What could improve: Doesn't glide through hair as effortlessly as we hoped
• Plate material: Ceramic and titanium
• Size: 1 inch
• Temperature: Adjustable up to 455°F
• Auto-shutoff: 60 minutes
• Cord: 9 feet

We like this Hot Tools iron for how quickly it heats up, its easy-to-read LED display with adjustable temps up to a whopping 455°F, and the fact that it gives an audible beep when it reaches whatever temperature you set it to. As one of the hotter irons on our list, it's a great pick for anyone who has hair that’s trickier to style, whether it’s super coarse or curly.

As someone who relies on their flat iron to straighten and curl, I really liked the rounded design of this pick. It made it very easy to get rounded edges that mimic a blow-dried style when straightening, but also helped create really beautiful long, loose curls when curling. It did stutter a bit on my wavy, medium-textured hair, but not quite as much as some others I tried.

9. Best Titanium: Kristin Ess 3-in-One Professional Titanium Hair Straightener

• What we love: Grips hair for great tension without snagging; multiple heat settings up to 440°F; long power cord
• What could improve: Doesn’t stand up on its own very well
• Plate material: Titanium
• Plate size: 1 inch
• Temperature: Adjusts up to 440°F
• Auto-shutoff: 30 minutes
• Cord: 9 feet

Since its launch in 2017, Kristin Ess has developed a name for itself as a budget-friendly brand with exceptional quality, and their 3-in-1 straightener is an excellent example of this. Not only does the flat iron look and feel like a higher-end model, but it also performs at a similar level.

I found it easy to use—simply long-press the power button to turn it on, then continuously press it to toggle through the various heat settings up to 440°F. It heats up, even to its max temperature, relatively quickly—certainly under a minute. But what I was most impressed with was the tension of the titanium plates. They really grip hair without snagging or stuttering, so you can get enough of a hold on hair to smooth hair in a single pass. There were only a few stubborn sections that required a second pass—something that’s hard to come by in most straighteners, let alone one at this price point. On the downside, it did keep tipping when I set it down on my counter. Although it does come with a thermal sleeve for traveling or storing the hot tool after you’re done using it.

10. Best Value: Conair Double Ceramic Flat Iron

• What we love: Budget-friendly; impressive amount of heat settings for a budget-friendly option; lightweight
• What could improve: Short cord; no automatic shut-off
• Plate material: Ceramic
• Size: 1 inch
• Temperature: Five settings up to 410°F
• Auto-shutoff: No
• Cord: 5 feet