11 Best Hair Straighteners, Tested and Reviewed
Find your perfect flat iron, whether your hair is damaged and thin, or thick and frizzy.
We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.
A good straightening iron is essential for giving hair that silky smooth, glass-like shine — but you'll need to opt for one that fits your budget and hair type without totally frying your hair in the process.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab, we test and evaluate all types of hair tools, including straightening brushes, mini flat irons, straightening irons for natural hair and hair-smoothing hair dryer brushes, to find the ones that will give you the most gorgeous hair at the right price and performance. Over the years, we've tested more than 90 flat irons — and in our most recent Beauty Lab test, we tallied 2,013 heat data points and 960 survey responses. Based on our extensive testing, these are the top flat irons at all price points and for every hair type that make easy work of straightening your hair.
Our very highest performers? CHI's Lava Ceramic Hairstyling Iron and ghd's Platinum+ Professional Performance Styler earned tippity-top scores for performance, ease of use and styling — but we were also wowed by budget-friendly picks from Remington, tried-and-true irons by BaByLiss and new, innovative favorites from T3 and Dyson.
Below, you can read more about how we evaluate hair straighteners, tips for finding the best hair straightener for you, plus the best heat settings for your hair type, features to keep in mind (and claims to watch out for) and insight from top stylists on whether titanium or ceramic hair straighteners are better. Don't forget to douse hair with heat protectant before getting started and check out our list of the best hair products we recommend!
Jessica (she/her) is a deputy editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute and a longtime product tester, reviewer, writer and editor of beauty and lifestyle content. She has over a decade of industry experience, previously as beauty editor at USA Today's Reviewed where she launched the Beauty vertical and tested hundreds of products and has covered trends for publications like The Boston Globe and The New York Times. You can usually find her sorting through piles of beauty products — and testing the best ones on camera.
Chiara (she/her) is a reviews analyst in the Beauty, Health and Sustainability Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she conducts hands-on testing of health and beauty products. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Columbia University. Before joining GH in 2022, she worked as a cosmetic chemist, formulating skincare products for a variety of brands and learning to decode ingredient lists, evaluate ingredient efficacy and scrutinize product claims.
Watch Next
The 12 Best Hair Brushes of 2024
The 8 Best Microcurrent Devices
The 9 Best Soundbars of 2024
Best Silcone Baking Mats