Trust Us: We've Tried Them All—These Are the 11 Best Hair Straighteners Money Can Buy

Number of heat settings: 1 (185ºC)

Key specifications: 2.7m cable, wishbone hinge, rounded barrel, sleep mode

Why they're the best: If there's one pair of GHD hair straighteners you should invest in, make it the Platinum+. Not only will this styler last you forever, but the rounded barrel allows you to create a range of different looks, and they're set at the optimum styling temperature of 185ºC.

Editor review: "I was really impressed with the Platinum+ Professional Hair Straightener," says Who What Wear UK beauty editor Eleanor Vousden. "It feels luxurious to hold and use, and it glides through your lengths. The floating plates flex to accommodate every movement, making them a dream to use whether you're straightening or curling your hair. What's most impressive is that they automatically adapt to your hair's thickness and your styling speed to offer optimum results for your hair. They're one of the more expensive models amongst GHD's hair straighteners, coming in at £239, but if you want something that looks and feels a little more sleek while delivering professional-looking salon results, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them."

Number of heat settings: 3

Plates: Manganese copper alloy

Key specifications: Flexing plates, 360ºC charging cable

Why they're the best: It wouldn't be a roundup of the best hair straighteners without the Dyson Corrale. These are some of the most impressive hair straighteners I've tried, and I wouldn't expect anything less from the brand. Not only are they beautiful to look at, but they come with flexing plates that actually shape around your hair, making the whole process so much easier. They also come with three heat settings and have been designed with all hair types in mind. The curved ends mean that you can create a range of curly and wavy looks, so you're never short of options. Oh, and you can also get up to 30 minutes of cordless styling time, which is a definite bonus.

Editor review: "I was surprised by how much I liked the cordless feature—I don't think I can go back to using corded models now," Vousden tells me. "The fact that they're travel-friendly is another bonus if you plan to take them on holiday (although they are heavier than other models I've tried). Truly, they really are a dream to use. They heat up fast, and because the heat damage is less severe, it's a great investment in your hair health if you regularly use heat on it. I couldn't stop stroking my hair and marvelling at how shiny it left my lengths in under 10 minutes."

Number of heat settings: 5

Plates: Ceramic-coated

Key specifications: 3m salon swivel cord, sleep mode, auto shut off, curved design

Why they're the best: BaByliss is one of my go-to brands when it comes to effective hair tools that don't break the bank. These particular hair straighteners are a great size for finer hair types, and the plates help to provide even coverage to minimise excessive heat exposure.

Editor review: "The BaByliss Super Styler is one of the best straightening irons I’ve used, and that’s coming from a former dedicated GHD girl," says Who What Wear UK copy editor, Georgia Seago. "In my opinion, there’s just no need to spend a fortune on hair tools these days, as so many affordable options give just as good results. This iron is lightweight and slim, so it is comfortable to hold. It has several heat settings, allows me to get right up to the roots of my hair and leaves it smooth, shiny, and perfectly straight."

Number of heat settings: 1 (185ºC)

Plates: Ceramic

Key specifications: Wide plates, 2.7m cable, dual-zone technology to help with heat distribution

Why they're the best: Anyone with long, thick, or curly hair will know just how long it can take to straighten their hair with a regular straightening tool. However, GHD has created the perfect tool for thicker hair types. Yep, the GHD Max features bigger plates that are 70% wider than the original styler, so you can style bigger sections of hair in one go.

Editor review: "I don't know what I did before discovering the GHD Max," says Who What Wear UK junior beauty editor, Grace Lindsay. "I have incredibly thick, long, naturally wavy hair, and this tool has made styling my hair so much easier. The big plates mean that I can do larger sections of hair at a time, and I love creating a soft bend at the end of my hair for that salon-worthy finish."

Number of heat settings: 1 (190ºC)

Key specifications: Contoured plates, 2.7m cable

Why they're the best: If you want a sleek, smooth finish, but don't want to cause too much damage, then I recommend these hair straighteners by Keeo. They have these clever plates that reduce tension on the hair, and in turn, reduce any pulling and let some movement shine through. The gaps between the plates also mean that less heat is applied directly to the strands (the straighteners are set at 190ºC), so overall they are a lot gentler and kinder.

Editor review: "I hadn’t come across the KEEO brand until now, and now I’m a convert," says Who What Wear UK graphic designer Emily Post. "The straighteners are quick to heat up and efficiently straighten hair and reduce flyaways. They stand out as they are not excessively hot and don't put too much tension on the hair, yet still manage to leave your hair smooth and glossy."

Number of heat settings: 3

Key specifications: High-velocity air blades, LCD screen, cool mode

Why they're the best: The Dyson Airstrait is really quite clever. Not only can it be used as a straightener on dry hair, but it also uses powerful airflow to dry and straighten hair when it's wet with minimal heat damage. Yep, simply select whether you want to use it in wet or dry mode, and this tool will do all of the hard work for you. Plus, if you clamp the plates together, you can use it as a hairdryer to rough-dry your roots.

Editor review: "I was interested to see how the Airstrait would fare on a few fronts," says contributing beauty writer, Ata-Owaji Victor. "My hair—Type 4B and fine—tends to dry quite quickly, so I often use heat tools for styling and stretching out my roots rather than just as an out-and-out answer to post-shower hair. I used the Airstrait first as directed—air channel facing down—before switching to a combination of up and downwind with the channel to dry my roots thoroughly and stretch out my coils. Although I did experiment with a few techniques to attempt to re-create the type of finish I’m used to achieving with a more conventional straightening tool, I found that the Airstrait worked best as a wet-to-dry tool. The flexible temperature controls make it a brilliant option for sensitive scalps and anyone with afro hair who wants to reintroduce heat styling to their routine gently. It's also a great low-heat option for stretching hair before styling in braids."

Key specifications: Professional length 2.7m swivel cord, bespoke air filter, advanced floating plates, Shine Shot™ mode

Why they're the best: If you didn't know, the GHD Duet was the first 2-in-1 hot air styler that combined airflow and heated plates to dry and straighten hair at the same time. Similar to the Dyson Airstrait, this tool will transform your wet hair and have it looking smooth in no time. It essentially uses a combination of concentrated airflow and low-temperature styling plates in order to get the best results.

Editor review: "As soon as I tried this tool, I messaged our beauty editor telling her I knew it was going to change my life," says Who What Wear UK social media editor, Megan Storey. "I have very thick, curly hair, but prefer wearing it straight. From the get-go, the Duet was so easy to use. My hair went from wet (and already going curly) to super smooth and straight in 20 minutes, and it didn’t feel like I was frying my ends."

Key specifications: Comes with three steam-optimizing combs for different hair types, a new curl locking guide

Why they're the best: If you didn't know, L'Oréal has created a super clever hair straightener that causes less damage to the hair by using patented steam technology to style your ends. The SteamPod 4.0 comes with three different combs to help diffuse the steam onto all different hair types. It also features wider plates compared to the other models and a curl locking guide, depending on your desired style.

Editor review: "I’d say the Steampod 4.0 is probably worth the investment if you are particularly worried about heat damage, but they can be a little heavy and awkward to use," says Seago. "However, the comb attachments are genius, and now that I think about it, I can’t believe other brands haven’t adopted this feature. You’re left with smooth, sleek, and knot-free hair."

Number of heat settings: 1 (185ºC)

Key specifications: Ceramic floating plates, rounded design, 20-second heat-up time, 10 minute sleep mode, 2.7m cable, new HD motion-responsive feature

Why they're the best: The GHD Chronos is one of the newest straighteners from the brand, and it does not disappoint. It aims to deliver results three times quicker than the original styler, as well as promising three times more breakage protection and a sleek finish. If you're wondering how, this tool comes with a new HD motion-responsive feature, which continuously adapts to your movements whilst styling your hair. Pretty cool, right? It also features a re-engineered wishbone hinge (the bit at the bottom of a straightener that connects the two sides), which makes curling and waving your hair easier, meaning you can create lots of different styles with just one tool.

Editor review: "While these straighteners do take me a little longer to style my hair compared to the GHD Max model, I always reach for them when I want to create a curly or wavy finish," says Lindsay. "They are so easy to use and leave my hair feeling so sleek."

Key specifications: Uses a combination of heated ceramic plates and powerful airflow, comes with five different attachments, Scalp Shield Mode to ensure scalp comfort

Why they're the best: Ok, so this is technically a little bit more than your average hair straightener, but this tool is so great that I felt it deserved a place in this roundup. New from Shark, the Flexfusion uses heat and air to straighten your hair from wet to dry, cutting your styling time in half.

Editor review: "After rough-drying my hair to about 80% dry with the hairdryer nozzle, this straightened and dried my hair in just one or two passes in wet-to-dry mode," says Vousden. "It left my hair silky-smooth, shiny and almost poker-straight. When I attended the FlexFusion launch event earlier this year, I saw firsthand how well it works on curly hair, where it smoothed and straightened in just two strokes through the lengths on wet-to-dry mode. However, if you have a very curly or coily hair texture and want an ultra-sleek result, you may wish to switch to the 'dry' mode afterwards and pass over your lengths once more for a really smooth finish."

Number of heat settings: 11

Key specifications: Mineral-infused floating plates, 20-second heat-up time, 30-minute hibernation mode, 3m cord length

Why they're the best: Last but by no means least, let me introduce you to The Original Iron from Cloud Nine. This hair tool has been developed with the brand's Revive Mode™ technology. What this means is that the plates vibrate at maximum frequency while gliding through the hair to reduce friction and heat. The plates also come infused with a mineral duo that works to boost shine.

Editor review: "I have bleached and pretty damaged hair, so I don’t like putting too much heat on it if I can help it," says Who What Wear UK assistant social media editor, Annie Wheatland-Clinch. "This is one of the reasons I loved using the Cloud Nine straightener. One stroke of the plates does all the heavy lifting when it comes to de-frizzing and smoothing out my hair. I only need to use the straightener once on each strand to achieve a smooth and straight look. It takes me ten minutes to complete my whole head, which is such a plus as I'm always in a rush."