Choosing the right kind of flat iron for your hair can make a world of a difference. Many people think that all hair straightening irons are the same and that the only thing that makes one more expensive than the other is the brand name but that’s not true at all. If you already have an array of hairstyling products at your disposal at home and you’re simply looking for something to help tame your locks on a bad hair day or something that’ll give it that extra gloss and movement, then a basic flat iron will do, If you’re looking for something that can do more and give you better value for money, however, you’ll need to do a bit of research to figure out which one is the best hair straightener for you. 

With so many brands and models available in the market today, choosing can be overwhelming. Lucky for you, we have a few tips on what to look for so you can buy the best flat iron for your hair. 

Size Matters

Flat irons come in different sizes. A travel sized one like the Farouk CHI Lava 1” Volcanic Lava Ceramic Hairstyling Flat Iron or the Avanti Ultra Bonus Mini, which would be perfect for girls on the go, has smaller plates ranging from 1” to 1.5” in size and are best suited for thin hair. There are also flat irons with a bigger 2” plate which would be ideal for women with long and/or thick hair. Getting the right size is important so you can style your hair efficiently. The shorter your hair is, the smaller the flat iron plate size you can get away with. 

Take Control 

Controlling how much heat is dispersed onto your hair is important, If you’re pressed for time, having your flat iron on the highest setting could help get things done with a single pass but that can’t be good for your hair if you do it on a regular basis. On regular days, the low heat setting should be enough to get your hair looking good. This is why it’s important to have control over the heat settings on your flat iron. Check out the Gamma Gammapiu Donna Smooth 1″ Flat Iron with Ceramic + Diamond Technology which has three temperature settings that give you full control. 

On Plates

What’s your hair iron plate made of? Most older high end flat iron models have ceramic plates (like the Farouk CHI Onyx Euro Shine Ceramic Hair Styler) while new flat iron models have either a titanium plate (like the Babyliss Nano Titanium Deep Curve Styler) or a tourmaline coated plate (like the Avanti Ultra Ionic Nano-Silver Tourmaline Flat Iron). What’s the difference between these three, you ask? Ceramic straightening iron plates are great if you need something that gets hot quickly and stays hot consistently as long as it’s plugged in. Titanium plates are especially great for frizzy hair. They heat up pretty quickly and distribute heat very evenly as well. Tourmaline coated plates are, simply put, ceramic plates with a tourmaline coating. This flat iron plate type is perfect  for everyday use on any type of hair and it leaves your locks with unmatched smoothness and shine. 

Choosing the best flat iron depends on many things so be sure to consider those before spending your hard-earned money on one.