The Best Stylist-Recommended Flat Irons for Natural Hair
The Best Stylist-Recommended Flat Irons for Natural Hair
There is no shortage of flat irons on the market, and while there are many great options, it's important to find the right one for your hair that will smooth and straighten strands and most importantly, not cause excessive heat damage. When it comes to picking the best flat iron for natural hair, the rules are even more specific.
"You want to make sure there is a thermostat to adjust heat settings, large plates, and curved casing around the plates, which will allow you to make curls and waves, as well as straighten," says Leigh Hardges, a stylist at Maxine Salon in Chicago. For natural hair, a flat iron with adjustable heat is super important to prevent damage to strands: "If you have a 4c curl type, never go above 375 or 380o," as this texture is especially damage-prone.
How we test flat irons
To find the best flat irons, the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab runs a series of tests both on the Lab and with consumer testers. First, we conduct controlled testing on swatches of human hair in our Climatology Chamber to see each flat iron's ability to maintain straightness in humid environments. In our most recent test, we took over 100 measurements of width and thickness expansion after 24 hours of high humidity.
We also consider each iron's weight and size, safety, efficacy, and put each flat iron’s durability to the test with the Drop Tester, which replicates falls from three feet onto tile floor. Last but not least, we send flat irons home with real consumer testers to get feedback on ease of use, satisfaction, and smoothness and shininess of the finished style. In our most recent test, we parsed through 4,914 heat data points and 972 survey questions to find the best flat irons on the market.
Check out our picks below, a mix of GH Beauty Lab test winners, expert favorites, and top-rated options for the best flat irons for all of your natural hair needs.
1) Lava Ceramic Hairstyling Iron
CHI
ulta.com
$159.99
This red hot CHI iron received a rare perfect score in GH Beauty Lab testing for heating up super quickly and keeping hair smooth and frizz-free all day. Plus, it didn't pull or snag strands, was comfortable and easy to hold and use, and has a wide temperature range (which Hardges noted is key for natural hair).
2) Pro 1" Pearl Ceramic Flat Iron
Remington
walmart.com
$27.92
With lightweight, long plates and an easily adjustable temperature range, this GH Beauty Lab test-winning budget-friendly iron from Remington is a triple threat. It also has a lock button to make sure you keep the heat consistent. "The temperature lock was great so that you couldn't accidentally hit during use," an expert evaluator noted. "One pass effectively straightened hair with results that lasted."
3) Nano Titanium Ultra-Thin Straightening Iron
BaBylissPRO
amazon.com
$129.99
Titanium flat irons are best for a silk press, Hardges says. "The titanium plates create a great level of shine and straighten hair with a single pass," she notes. This one from BaBylissPRO heats up super quickly and has a wide, adjustable range of temperatures. "You have the option of controlling the heat which is great and the cord seems to be pretty long which is always a plus," Amazon reviewer shared. "It left my hair super straight in no time!"
4) The Antidote Silk-Wrap Styler
amika
amazon.com
$150.00
Hardges loves this Amika iron for 4C curls because "the infrared lights make for more gentle distribution of heat, which is ideal for highly sensitive 4C hair." It "also has a wide range of heat settings for use on all hair types, has an automatic shut-off, and locks closed," an Amazon reviewer raved.
5) Infiniti Pro Ionic Steam Flat Iron
Conair
amazon.com
$59.99
A straightener that hydrates hair instead of drying it out? Yes, really. Conair's steam flat iron locks moisture into strands every time you swipe and steam is released. "I was afraid of damage and agree with the other reviewers who've found this iron to impart a healthy gloss to hair rather than frying it," an Amazon reviewer shared.
6) Lucea 1'' Professional Straightening & Styling Flat Iron
T3
ulta.com
$149.99
Coarse hair tends to hold heat and can become scorched, but this T3 flat iron is optimal for preventing damage. Hardges is a big fan of the technology, as it "ensures even heating." Ulta reviewers agree and love how fast it works, even on thick hair. "After one swipe my hair was smooth, no burning smell and still pretty shiny," a user said. "I was able to straighten my hair rather quickly without having to go over it numerous times."
7) Salon Straightening Copper Flat Iron
Revlon
amazon.com
$37.99
The extra long plates on this Revlon straightener have greater surface area, so it can straighten larger sections of hair in one pass. Translation: it can help speed up the straightening process especially for longer hair. Win, win! While our technical test revealed that it kept hair straight, it didn't get a high score for minimizing frizz all day, so you may want to add an anti-frizz styling product into your routine before ironing.
8) Platform Tourmaline Ceramic Professional Hair Styling Iron
FHI Heat
amazon.com
$90.75
When straightening hair edges, Hardges recommends looking for a flat iron that's small and narrow. "FHI Heat's 0.5 inch flat iron is optimal for smoothing edges and short tapered haircuts," she says. "And the ceramic plates deliver a more gentle heating method for fine hair."
9) Porcelain Ceramic 1-1/2" Straightening Iron
BaBylissPRO
amazon.com
$49.99
Some people with thick, coarse hair struggle with straightening every strand, no matter how small the section. This BaByliss PRO iron with teeth "grabs every hair with the comb and straightens it all out," an Amazon reviewer reported. Despite its high heat capabilities, it isn't as damaging on hair. "Even though I straighten my hair so often, my hair is still super soft and healthy," another commented.
10) H3000 Tourmaline Ceramic Straightening Iron
Hairart
walmart.com
$67.95
Hardges is a big fan of Hairart's iron and its super smooth plates. "Thanks to ceramic and tourmaline blend technology, the heat stays even and is less damaging, " she says. "It leaves strands with incredible shine."
11) Platinum+ Professional Performance Hair Styler
12) Original 1'' Ceramic Hairstyling Iron
CHI
ulta.com
$79.99
Multiple Ulta reviewers agree that this compact-sized classic CHI iron lasts for years. One shared that "the same straightener will still work 15 years later," while another one said: "I've had this straightener for 14-15 years and it still works so amazing." It also straightens all hair types and its smaller silhouette makes it great for travel.
13) Ceramic Tourmaline Ionic Flat Iron Hair Straightener
HSI Prrofessional
amazon.com
$46.99
With over 54,000 reviews on Amazon, this HSI Professional iron is a best-seller for good reason: It's efficient, keeps hair healthy, and is a true multi-tasker for all hair types."I did not need to pass through the hair many times, only ran through twice and hair was left straight and shiny," one reviewer shared. "It also curls effortlessly." Another user commented that she "loves the extended cord and the rapid heat up; hair glides smoothly and doesn’t snag."
These tools deliver smooth, sleek strands with less breakage.