The 10 Best Rotating Curling Irons to Create Easy Waves and Curls, Tested & Reviewed

Best Overall

Drybar The 3-Day Bender Curling Iron

$149 at Amazon $149 at Nordstrom $127 at QVC

Maybe you don't want to share your hot tools with your friends, but theoretically, you could pass the Drybar 3-Day Bender through each member in your group chat and they'd all be happy with the tool. Thanks to the wide range of heat settings, which start at 140 degrees and go up to 440 degrees, even heat distribution, and manual rotation it's a very customizable device. Our tester with pin-straight strands "achieved gorgeous curls" and the most variety of looks, quickly bouncing from mermaid waves to curly spirals depending on how tight she twisted the barrel. Meanwhile, our curlier-haired testers were most successful at creating loose waves or adding texture and volume with the iron.

It requires some coordination since you must simultaneously clamp your hair in the iron and twist from the bottom of the tool. However, our testers got the hang of it quickly. "I found the rotating barrel very convenient," says InStyle tester, Stephanie. "It was easier to use than my standard curling wand at home." Meanwhile, InStyle tester, Jackie, adds the placement of the rotating knob at the bottom of the curling iron handle makes it a good choice "If someone has arm, wrist, or hand pains that might limit their ability to twist the curler above their head," she says.

While the iron didn't leave any indentations in our testers' hair, they agreed keeping strands secure in the clamp was tricky. Often, it took two passes to ensure the ends were also curled.

Barrel Sizes: 1, 1.5 inch | Heat Range: Customizable temperature control up to 440 degrees | Barrel Material: Ceramic | Speed Settings: 1

Best Budget

MaikcQ Rotating Curling Iron

$60 at Amazon

Effortless curls are just minutes away when you have this affordable beauty tool. Complete with a ceramic tourmaline barrel that reduces heat damage, seals in moisture, and lessens frizz, this rotating curl iron is all you need to achieve a curly hairstyle. What we love most about this curling iron is that it’s extremely easy to use: It has two buttons on the handle (one with an arrow pointing to the right and another with an arrow pointing to the left) that turn the barrel in your desired direction.

It also has an LCD screen that allows you to see what temperature the tool is at (there are three different temperature settings; low, medium, and high). But, what really sets this device apart is its special brush attachment. This handy tool can be clipped right onto the barrel and used to comb through hair after curling it. The results? Defined, wave-like curls. However, it’s worth noting that the brand only recommends this tool for people with long- and medium-length hair because of its short clamp. Those with shoulder-length hair or above should swap for a curling iron for short hair.

Barrel Size: 1.25 inch | Heat Settings: Customizable temperature control up to 410 degrees | Barrel Material: Ceramic | Speed Settings: 1

Best for Beginners

T3 CurlWrap Automatic Rotating Curling Iron

$200 at Amazon $200 at Nordstrom $200 at Sephora

If throwing on the perfect white T-shirt signifies effortless style in the fashion world, consider the T3 CurlWrap the hot tool equivalent. With the press of a button, the tool automatically twists clockwise and counterclockwise for you. "I have a curling wand at home, and I always complain about how it's uncomfortable lifting my arms for such a long time and manually wrapping it around. Using this rotating barrel, my curls came out much cleaner and super bouncy without so much work," says InStyle tester, Arielle. She adds that her pin-straight hair held the stunning style all day and into the next.

A timer even alerts you when to release the clamp and move on to the next strand. And, the design itself is very user-friendly, according to our testers. "The level for the clamp is in perfect proximity to the button used to make the iron rotate which made it super easy for me to maneuver with very little thinking or work put into it," says InStyle tester, Joanna. Plus, the smooth ceramic barrels evenly distribute heat, curling hair in no time and minimizing damage.

The larger barrel creates big voluminous curls that are perfect for when you want to feel put together without looking like you tried too hard (a first date, perhaps?). For more polished-looking, tighter curls, we suggest placing smaller sections of hair into the clamp.

Barrel Size: 1.25 inch | Heat Settings: 9 temperature options | Barrel Material: CeraGloss ceramic | Speed Settings: 2

Best for Long Hair

Dyson Airwrap

$600 at Amazon $480 at Nordstrom $600 at Ulta

Whether it's fine, dense, curly, or straight, anyone with long hair knows it's challenging to squeeze every last inch of hair into their curling iron and keep styles bouncy all day. That's why Dyson set us up with several forward-thinking attachments and innovative technology to create beautiful curls quickly. Compared to other tools on our list, this one uses very little heat to curl hair, which means your strands are at less risk of being exposed to heat damage. (This ultimately means less breakage, frizz, and dryness.) Despite the lack of heat, curls maintain shape because Dyson uses what’s called the Coanda Effect. This so-called "effect" is essentially an aerodynamic phenomenon where the tool is able to create a spinning vortex of air that allows hair to easily wrap around it.

The device, which you can use as a hot air brush on damp hair, ultimately comes with six attachments, but two specifically to curl hair. “The larger barrel results in loose/wavy curls similar to a blowout, while the smaller barrel results in more bounce and wavy curls,” explains InStyle tester, Stacey. Once she got the hang of using the Airwrap, Stacey says styling was a breeze, but she did experience a bit of a learning curve. “It was hard to identify the settings once the tool was wrapped in my hair, but I think if you owned the tool and had more practice this would be easier to navigate.”

Barrel Sizes: 1.2, 1.6 inch | Heat Settings: 3 temperature options up to 302 degrees | Barrel Material: Plastic composite | Speed Settings: 3

Best for Thick Hair

Shark FlexStyle System

$250 at Amazon $250 at Nordstrom $250 at Ulta

Squeezing every thick hair strand around a barrel is tricky, time-consuming, and ultimately infuriating when it slips out. However, this cutting-edge hair tool is ultra-versatile and allows users to switch between different attachments based on their hair type and what kind of style they want to achieve. Choose between a slew of stylers including a handful of brushes (complete with round, oval, and paddle options), as well as a curl diffuser, style concentrator, and wide-tooth comb. Plus, you can also opt for two auto-wrap curlers, which are our personal favorites for quickly curling thick strands.

These feature the same Coanda airflow technology as the Dyson Airwrap, which instantly wraps hair around the barrel of the curler. Since it utilizes high-speed air instead of high temperatures (like traditional curling wands), hair is exposed to less heat damage, if any at all. And, even though it doesn’t use high heat, it’s still able to create bouncy, long-lasting curls thanks to its cool shot feature, which helps set and define hair.

The only thing we will point out is that this device comes with two different curling barrels that can only curl hair in one direction (one curls hair to the left and the other curls hair to the right). This means you will have to swap out the barrel if you want to switch the direction of your curls. However, it’s really easy to change between attachments, so this shouldn’t be too much of a hassle.

Barrel Size: 1.25 inch | Heat Settings: Customizable temperature control up to 203 degrees | Barrel Material: Ceramic | Speed Settings: 3

Best Automatic

Beachwaver Co. Rotating Curling Iron

$149 at Amazon $149 at Ulta View on Beachwaver.com

Curling hair isn’t always an intuitive process (even with a rotating curling iron). Luckily, this smart tool from Beachwaver simplifies the process. “All you have to do is place a one-inch piece of hair under the clamp and hit the button signifying the direction you'd like the curl to go,” says former InStyle writer Caitlyn Martyn. Then, it does the rest for you.

Made with a one-inch ceramic barrel that heats up in under one minute, and a small grip clamp that effortlessly holds hair in place while it curls, this iron reduces the time it takes to style waist-length strands. “Though the clamp is small, it manages to hold long hair securely in place while the iron does its job. There’s no tugging, and it releases hair pretty easily, too,” she adds. We appreciate that there are two curling speeds, too (fast and slow), so you can adjust it to your liking. 

Barrel Size: 1 inch | Heat Settings: Customizable temperature control up to 410 degrees | Barrel Material: Ceramic | Speed Settings: 2

Best for Beach Waves

The Farrah Rotating Curling Iron

$80 at Amazon View on Thefarrah.com

The Farrah Rotating Curling Iron allowed us to achieve the one hairstyle every beauty buff has strived to create at some point in their lives: Loose, naturally chic, and effortless curls. This sleek tool features a one-inch barrel that tames frizz and adds shine, thanks to the ceramic coating. It also has a rotating barrel that doesn’t feature a clamp, which can be easier for beginners to use. Smart technology wraps the hair itself, starting from the top of the head and working its way down towards the ends. (Essentially, to use this tool, hold it next to a one-inch section of hair, starting at the top. Press the button to curl hair, and slowly pull the device down to your ends. Voilà! Effortless curls.)

We will note that you can’t see the actual temperature of the tool, rather, a little LED light will illuminate when it’s at 250, 300, 350, 400, or 450 degrees.

Barrel Size: 1 inch | Heat Settings: Customizable temperature control up to 450 degrees | Barrel Material: Ceramic | Speed Settings: 1

Best for Short Hair

TYMO Hair Curling Wand

$80 at Amazon $100 at Target $100 at Tymobeauty.com

Made with a titanium barrel, this curling iron releases negative ions that penetrate the hair, nourishing it from the inside out. These negative ions also seal hair follicles and lock in moisture, ultimately taming and lessening frizz. Aside from the fact that it dramatically reduces static and frizz, we also love that it's easy to wrap short strands around the barrel thanks to the firm clamp that holds hair in place while it rotates.

Additionally, the rotation buttons are easy to recognize and smoothly wrap hair; and there are five different temperature settings (from 280 degrees to 430 degrees), which allow you to adjust the iron to your desired heat. We will note that you can’t actually see the temperature the tool is set to. Rather, it has five lights that indicate the heat level. To finish it all off, it heats up in under one minute and automatically shuts off after one hour.

Barrel Size: 1.25 inch | Heat Settings: 5 temperature options up to 430 degrees | Barrel Material: Titanium | Speed Settings: 1

Best for Fine Hair

Bio Ionic Rotating Styling Iron

$145 at Amazon $145 at QVC View on Bioionic.com

Attaining bouncy, well-defined curls with fine, flat hair is a struggle usually accompanied by dozens of clips, gallons of hairspray, and too much time. This rotating curler, however, has changed the game. It has a one-inch iron barrel that easily wraps around thin hair in seconds. The barrel is the ideal size for achieving voluminous curls that are not too loose or too tight—a.k.a. the perfect happy medium. Additionally, it’s made from iron, which helps reduce frizz while also adding moisture to strands.

Beyond that, the large clamp securely holds thin hair in place while it rotates, and it doesn’t leave crimps or bumps. Another underrated feature: It has a 9-foot swivel cord that makes maneuvering this curler around your head a breeze. While this isn’t a huge deal, it takes about three minutes for the iron to fully heat up, which is much longer than the other tools we tested.

Barrel Size: 1 inch | Heat Settings: Customizable temperature control up to 440 degrees | Barrel Material: Iron | Speed Settings: 1

Best 1-Inch

Conair Cordless Auto Curler

$60 at Amazon $80 at Ulta $100 at Walgreens

The Conair Unbound Cordless is small, lightweight, and portable, which means you can curl your hair from literally anywhere. Just charge the device before you use it (it comes with a charging cord), and then you have one hour to curl all the hair you want. To use, simply insert a section of hair into the chamber, press the "on" button, and watch as it magically styles your strands into “perfect ringlets,” according to InStyle tester, Samantha. (Once your hair is ready to be released, you’ll hear two beeps.)

Plus, you can customize the heat settings—there are four different settings that range from 300 to 400 degrees—as well as the amount of time you want your hair to curl. As a bonus, you can also select which direction you want your curl to go in. We will say that it curls pieces pretty tightly, and can sometimes tug at the hair, but Samantha says this sensation isn't painful. Overall, we find that this device is easy and fast, and it creates long-lasting curls. 

Barrel Size: 1 inch | Heat Settings: 3 temperature options up to 400 degrees | Barrel Material: Ceramic | Speed Settings: 1