The Best Tourmaline Ceramic Flat Irons
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If you’ve been burnt (pun intended) by a flat iron that left your hair fried rather than silky, turn your attention to the best tourmaline ceramic flat irons featured here. They all offer even heat distribution, get hot enough so you don’t have to go over the same section repeatedly, and come from respected brands that are known for creating high-quality hair tools. To narrow down from there, consider your budget, hair length, and preferred plate thickness. A wider, 2-inch plate is typically best for long, thick hair, while a narrower, 1-inch plate is ideal for finer or shorter hair. There’s also a versatile curling iron and flat iron in one, if you want the option to switch up your style, and a heated paddle brush that’s so easy to use.
Before you start shopping, a few crucial reminders. Most importantly, don’t forget to run some heat protectant through your hair before styling it with any sort of hot tool. If you could use a new bottle, you can find a list of the best drugstore heat protectants here; and if you have especially dry hair, these moisturizing heat protectants are the ones for you. Another word of advice: Stick to around 365 degrees Fahrenheit unless you have coarse or curly hair, in which case 400 degrees may work better. Always try the lowest heat setting first and work your way up if needed, rather than starting off at a too-high heat for your hair.
With that in mind, scroll on to shop the best tourmaline ceramic straighteners for every budget.
1. Best Budget Flat Iron
For 60+ years, Conair has been the leader in affordable hair tools, and they continue to innovate today while keeping their prices low. Case in point is their InfinitiPRO 2-Inch Tourmaline Ceramic Flat Iron, which heats up in 15 seconds, features wide, 2-inch plates, has an automatic safety shutoff, and offers five heat settings, going up to 455 degrees Fahrenheit. This is also available in a 1-inch size if you have shorter or finer hair.
2. Best Mid-Range Flat Iron
The lightweight Rusk W8less Professional 1-Inch Ceramic & Tourmaline Str8 Iron is extremely easy to maneuver, thanks to its 9-foot swivel cord, and the 1-inch plates are excellent for short and medium-length hair styles or fine to medium hair. That said, several Amazon reviewers with thick hair reported that this worked well for them; one person wrote, “Great for really thick, frizzy hair!”, while another commented, “I usually have a hard time [straightening] my super thick hair, but with this amazing flat iron it's a cinch.” This flat iron heats up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and comes with a two-year warranty, but note that it does not offer automatic shut off, in case that’s important to you.
3. Best Splurge
The pro-favorite T3 Singlepass 1.5-inch iron has a 9-foot swivel cord and five heat settings, starting at 260 degrees Fahrenheit and going up to 410 degrees. Like the Rusk flat iron, it also offers a two-year warranty, and even comes with two hair clips so you can section your hair.
I can vouch for T3’s flat irons personally — I love mine! It’s lightweight, heats up extremely quickly, and straightens hair without leaving it dull or dry. Best of all, as someone who is prone to frizz, I can state with confidence that it does a fabulous job of reducing unwanted frizz and flyaways, even on the most humid days of the year. Plus, it’s still going strong after years of use. I’ve got wavy, medium-length, thinner hair, but it works just as well for people with long, thick hair (like my teen, who steals this from me all the time).
4. Best 2-in-1 Flat Iron & Curling Iron
Want to swap back and forth between straight and curly hair styles? The rounded edges of this flat iron give you that option. (If you don’t know how to use a straightener as a curling iron, The Zoe Report has a video tutorial here.) This has an 8-foot swivel cord, five temperature settings — from 250 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit — and worldwide dual voltage for travel. Along with the tool itself, this set comes with two clips and a comb to section your hair while you style it.
5. Best Straightening Brush
The easiest way to straighten your hair is with a straightening brush, like this tourmaline ceramic paddle brush from hair-tool experts CHI. This saves you time, fuss, and the need to use two tools (a flat iron and a brush) at once — and it’s truly foolproof. Some heated brushes only have two settings — on and off — but CHI’s paddle brush, which works for all hair types and textures, goes from 360 to 410 degrees Fahrenheit with LED digital temperature control. It also has a few other nice features, like a temperature control lock, a one-hour automatic shutoff, and a 6.5-foot swivel cord.
