Investing in a new straightener? Level-up with one of these industry-approved models (2025)

Although 'Advanced Plasma Technology' may sound like something from the space age, what you need to know is very simple; it uses a system that combines both positive and negative ions that work to hydrate the hair and control frizz as you straighten. Smooth results with luxurious shine at just £50!

BaByliss, the legend that you are.

Key specifications

The gold standard of hair straighteners, this techy device has flexing plates that help grip as much hair as poss – including pesky flyaways – for a fuss-free styling sesh. We couldn’t fault its efficiency, straightening strands in a single swipe.

Its swanky, premium feel is a massive bonus, as well as its jazzy features – especially the charging stand, heat-resistant mat and ‘flight mode’ function that temporarily pauses the battery to save juice.

Key Specifications

One of the more affordable options, these straighteners offer 10 heat settings, giving those with damaged or fragile hair a lot of heat control.

The plates are also infused with coconut oil – yep, that's a thing but no, it's not going to work as hard as your fave hair elixir. This will boost the overall shine and sleek appearance of your lengths giving that salon-like quality we're all after.

Key specifications

This clever tool automatically detects not only the thickness of your hair, but also the speed at which you're gliding through strands, before adjusting the power accordingly.

In short, it delivers silky-soft manes in just one swipe. It only has one heat setting, but it reached its max temp quickly, and its thick plates grips ends well – a perfect match for those with enviably thick locks.

Key Specifications

It's no surprise that ghd's OG pair of straighteners are still so popular. It might boast neither space-age tech nor a million different heat settings, but it's guaranteed to deliver fool-proof results if you’re new to hair straightening.

Quick to heat up, it left unruly strands poker-straight in only a few glides and kept hair frizz-free in humid weather. Oh and it shuts off automatically if left untouched for 30 mins, making it pretty hard for you to burn the house down, which is always a good thing.

Key Specifications

Heated hair tools give aesthetically pleasing results, but we’ll pass on the heat damage, ta. Happily, the Steampod works like a steamer to straighten strands without frying them, and you don’t need much water to get it going.

The removable comb helped to smooth tresses in an instant, leaving silkier, shinier heads of hair. Overall, leaving healthier-looking ends behind– what more could you ask for?

Key Specifications

The three-step process of washing, then drying, then straightening can be a little long, right. But ghd's clever wet-to-dry Duet takes your strands from damp to styled in just a few moments – oh, and did we say without singeing your hair.

How does it do it? It's all about the Air Fusion Technology. Come again? Essentially, it uses four low-temp ceramic plates with low-temp air flow to simultaneously dry and straighten without burning your ends like a BBQ. As a result, hair looks shinier, smoother and altogether healthier.

Key Specifications

This rather snazzy-looking option from Panasonic is as high tech as it looks.

The unique 3D floating plate moves left, right, up and down to straighten strands evenly, while air holes on the sides of the plates generate nanoe atomised water particles (containing about 1,000 times more water than regular ions) to hydrate your hair.

They claim to prevent moisture loss and heat damage, while also tightening the cuticle and moisturising hair, resulting in swishy, silky, hydrated hair. Sounds good to me.

Key Specifications

These straighteners are perfect for creating pro styles without any added heat damage*. The Hydraluxe Pro straighteners have in-built Hydracare Mist Technology that lets out a cool moisture mist to protect against heat, while the Moisture Lock Ceramic coating helps preserve your hairs’ perfect moisture balance.

*no added damage vs. un-styled hair when straightening at 170°C with the Hydracare Mist switched on

Key specifications

Does straightening your hair take ages, because of how long or thick it is? The ghd Max will basically cut your styling time in half thanks to their wider plates. Natch, like all ghd straighteners they heat up to 185 degrees and take just 30 seconds to do so.

And of course the tech for these is top tier, the dual-zone technology keeps the heat consistent from root to tip so there’s no frizzing at the ends.

Key Specifications

If you’re looking to splurge on a new travel buddy, this chic yet practical kit needs to be added to your basket ASAP. Once you get over its compact cuteness (and it is seriously cute), we found it worked pretty darn well too.

Not only is its cordless design ideal for whisking away on vacay, but it also allows for a 360° styling experience that won’t twist your neck. It delivers a smooth finish and its low temp option of 160°C means you needn’t compromise your hair’s health to look lush.

Key specifications

Rain showers leaving you looking more frazzled than flawless? Fear not – this flat iron will keep frizz in check and save you from looking like Monica Geller in that iconic Barbados Friends episode.

It provided a sleek, polished finish to tresses and kept styles looking enviable all day. Plus, it's really comfortable to hold and to manoeuvre.

Key Specifications

Perhaps not one for the indecisive (Libras, we’re looking at you), this straightener comes with a mega 16 heat settings ranging from 80ºC to 235ºC, giving you ultimate control.

It's a smooth glider, superbly avoiding any annoying tangling or tugging. Its wide plates made it easy to achieve quick results, even on fuller manes, to leave them frizz-free after use.

Key Specifications

While we don’t agree that we all have the same 24 hours in a day, we're delighted that Love Island alumni Molly-Mae has used some of hers to team up with Beauty Works for this hair tool collab.

Their resulting straightener stood out for its 29 heat options (great if you’ve got finer or more fragile hair) and how smoothly it glided through strands. The result? A frizz-free, shiny finish.

Key specifications

We’d love to be able to tell you that hair straighteners are good for your hair, but all that heat does come at a price.

However, there are a few methods to help keep damage to a minimum. We’ve already mentioned above that a heat protection spray is a must to prep fragile strands, but it’s also down to the tool you pick. With straighteners, ceramic plates are the way to go. They tend to be more affordable (yay!) but can be prone to chipping.

What makes them so good for damaged hair though is that they're slower to warm up and distribute heat more evenly than other plate options (e.g. titanium). You can also get ceramic-coated plates that have a metal base. These will reduce heat-up time while still making sure you’re evenly straightening your locks.

A variety of temperature settings is also a good idea for damaged hair. The lower the temp, the less frying you’ll do to your delicate ends, so you can start on the lowest setting and work your way up.