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In the end, the iron produced fine-enough curls, but they fell over a 30-minute period. The wand was easy to wield and wrap my hair around, and the result was spiral curls that I finger-combed for my desired tousled, curly waves. I enjoyed the glossiness of the barrels, which are undeniably beautiful in white with rose gold trim.
Kristin Ess 1 ¼-Inch Soft Wave Pivoting Wand
Overall, we unanimously agreed that the ghd Curve Creative Curl Wand’s uniquely shaped rod offered a most comfortable grip, tip, and weight—which can make all the difference when it comes to styling. Its fuss-free auto-temperature and speedy heat-up time protects your strands (and your time!) while offering a great hold that’s easy to achieve. This lightweight wand was a favorite during testing, and it's easy to understand why. The uniquely flattened taper shape of the rod offers some styling versatility, from a tighter hold to a looser, beach-like wave. It took about 10 to 15 seconds to achieve a full-bodied curl, and you can achieve loose waves if you leave this curling wand on for less time. At a preset temperature of 365 degrees, which we can confirm does not exceed 366 degrees at its core and gets down to 320 degrees near its end, this wand is designed to protect your hair from any heat damage.
CHI Lava Curl Shot
Also, its temperature setting has an easy-to-read (and control) digital display that will reach up to 450 degrees for thicker, more stubborn hair types. We noticed that there was no drop to our curls as time wore on, earning this wand a 5/5 rating for curl retention. Overall, we felt that this wand would be a match made in heaven for any hair chameleon and would cater to the needs of varying hair densities and textures.
T3 Whirl Trio Interchangeable Styling Wand
If you want an affordable and easy-to-use curling wand, this top-rated Conair one is for you. It heats up in 30 seconds, has five temperature settings that are suitable for all hair types, and curls hair without kinks. What’s particularly notable about this wand is that it has a conical tapered barrel from 1 inch to 1½ inches, which makes it great for short hair because it adds volume in all the right places (aka at the top of the head).
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It has a 1-inch barrel that works well with my fine hair, giving me the full, bouncy curls that I’ve always hoped for. Plus, I’ve noticed that my hair keeps the curl longer, which is something I’ve usually had problems with. Perfect to create loose beach waves, this Hot Tools model spans ¾-inch to 1 ¼-inches for an undone look and curls that stay put. The lightest of the winners (0.73 pound!), the tool was compact and simple to operate. When it comes to finding the best curling iron, size really does matter — and the same goes for shape.
Material
A hair tool that offers versatility is essential for anyone who likes to change up their look. Luckily, the Amika Chameleon 5 Barrel Interchangeable Curling Kit can do just that. Complete with five different wands that can easily clip into one base, this kit has everything you need to experiment with a variety of curl styles ranging from tight to loose. These interchangeable wands feature different barrel sizes as well as two tapered options. Not to mention, each of the titanium barrels heats up quickly and creates long-lasting, shiny curls.
To use, select a temperature (there are five options), a curl type (choose between defined, loose, or wavy), and a curl direction. Then, place your hair into the chamber slot before pushing the start button, which will gently wrap your hair around the barrel to achieve your desired look. You get results without the hassle of trying to figure out a clamp or worrying about burning yourself with an exposed rod. We spent hours researching curling wands, interviewing experts, and reading product reviews to land on the product selection for this story. Each curling wand was rated on a scale of one to five for ease of use, styling ability, clamp tension, and curl hold.
Paul Mitchell Neuro Guide 1.25" Styling Rod Curling Iron
Gueldner also notes that this product allows you to change your look without purchasing three different wands. So, on top of being great for thick hair, it’s also ideal for anyone who wants to cut down on the number of hair tools they have. If you have shorter hair, you may want to go with something else though as the barrels are long and difficult to maneuver on short strands. We spoke to expert hair stylists all over the country, and they gave us curling irons recs for thick hair, fine hair, long hair, and more. And I don’t have to worry about accidentally disturbing them before they cool down like with traditional irons."
Adjustable Temperatures
“Tourmaline is a crystal mineral that emits negative ions to counteract positive ions, which helps keep moisture and shine,” says DiGregorio. Think about the density, condition, and the texture of your hair as well, all of which will help you determine the optimal temperature setting, and narrow down your options. If you’re skeptical about spending so much money on a hot tool, believe us when we say that the Dyson Airwrap is worth the investment (and the hype). With just one purchase, you’ll get the tool itself, six attachments, and a sleek leather storage box to keep it all in, meaning you can cut down your collection of heat stylers to just this (amazing) one. During the testing process, we took note of each iron’s temperature in the top, middle, and bottom of the iron barrel.
She also tapped three stylists — ARKIVE Headcare founder Adam Reed, Vennela Chamarti at Blandi on 5th, and Alwyn DiGregorio — who shared their insights into curling irons and how to get the best curl out of your hot tool. While we’ve used a lot of curling irons that snagged our fine strands in the past, the smooth barrels and an unfussy clamp (with a comfortable grip) on this one allowed our curls to gently roll off when we were done. Our finished look actually lasted four days with this tool — a downright miracle for our hair. We attribute the longevity in part to the helpful temperature guide, which taught us that we’ve been curling our hair with too much heat. We had almost given up, accepting that our hair would always just slide out of the clamp looking like a wet noodle. Though it’s pretty budget friendly, it comes with pricier features, including three detachable barrels in different sizes, an LED temperature screen, and accessories, like a protective glove, hair clips, and storage bag.
Be sure to leave out at least half an inch at the ends to avoid getting burned! After holding hair for seconds, let go of the ends and catch the curl, letting it cool before you let go to set the style (or, you can pull the curl while it's still hot to elongate it for more of a wave). If you’ve had negative experiences with traditional curling irons and wands, or if you have fine hair that curls easily without being held tightly to a ceramic barrel, I’d suggest giving this one a try. Emily Orofino is a beauty writer, editor, and consultant with more than a decade of experience in the industry. She has stubbornly straight hair that refuses to hold a curl without aggressive amounts of product, but has found success in using tools from Dyson, Sarah Potempa, and Conair. For this piece, she carefully sifted through the research performed by the InStyle testing team who rigorously tested multiple curling irons to narrow it down to the best devices.
The only true difference between curling irons and curling wands is that an iron has a clamp to hold your hair in place while you style. You’ll also find that wands come in more shapes than curling irons do, such as conical and bubble, says DiGregorio. The one-two punch of a unique shape, plus a lack of clamp makes it simpler to achieve beachy waves or undone look — putting less tension on the hair with your fingers will make for a looser curl. This 2-in-1 Adjustable Wand from Revlon was a close runner-up, with its easy-to-use twist feature at the cool tip that takes you between a 1-inch barrel and a 1.25-inch barrel sans the additional attachment pieces. The reason it didn’t make the cut after our testing period was largely due to concern around heat damage. We noticed dry, crunchy ends on one hair type, while another hair type experienced some smoking from the wand while curling.
In terms of mechanics, the GHD has a single power button, which you have to hold down for a good two seconds, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally turning it off mid-style. The wand is lightweight and has a cool-tip end to keep you from burning your neck and forehead (we’ve all been there). It has a well-placed kickstand that prevents the hot iron from teetering or tipping onto your vanity.
Once this portion of the test was complete, we sent each curling iron to three editors, each with a different hair type and texture, to incorporate into their hair styling routine over a two-week period. During this portion, we evaluated each iron for ease of use, the shape and endurance of the curls, the heat damage it caused (if any), and the overall quality of the final look. At the end of the two-week test, we compiled and digested the data from each editor, and then ranked each iron accordingly. Our very favorite curling irons earned the highest marks, and are featured on this list. When creating beach waves, we find it’s easiest to achieve that look when using a long-barreled curling wand without a clamp, and this tool from InStyler fits the bill. Thanks to the clamp-free design, we were able to loosely wrap our hair along the barrel, creating elongated curls that even a mermaid would envy.
The extra-long 16-inch barrel on this one-inch wand makes it perfect for even super-long hair that has a tendency to wrap around itself on traditionally-sized curling wands and irons. Our Lab experts were wowed by the quick heat-up time and found the wand easy to maneuver and the controls intuitive to use (even without looking at them). The longer-than-average length of this wand takes some getting used to, so be particularly careful when using it at first.
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