Best hair styler 2024: Tried and tested tools for everyday hair styling
Make every day a great hair day with the best hair stylers available now, no matter your hair type
If you’re someone who struggles to tame their hair in the morning, then one of the best hair stylers could certainly come to your rescue. Whether it’s a bouncy blowdry, pin-straight lock, mermaid waves or long-lasting curls you’re looking to create, there’s a styling tool out there that can help you achieve it in super-quick time.
However, with so many styling tools to choose from, it can be difficult to know which is best for you. To make it easier, we’ve rounded up our favourite hair stylers for achieving long-lasting styles in a flash, no matter how you like to wear your hair.
Read on to discover the best tried and tested options for every hair type, including budget-friendly options that deliver great results, and high-end stylers for an unbeatable finish. For some extra information and guidance, read our buying guide so you can be certain you’re making the best choice for you and your hair.
Best hair stylers: At a glance
| Best hair curling tong | GHD Curve Soft Curl Tong (~£159) | Check price at Amazon |
| Best hair straightener | Cloud Nine Original Iron (~£189) | Check price at Amazon |
| Best multi-styler | Beauty works Aeris Multi-Styler (~£220) | Check price at LookFantastic |
| Best hot brush | Shark SmoothStyle (~£100) | Check price at Amazon |
| Best hair waver | Remington PROluxe 4-in-1 Adjustable Waver (~£63) | Check price at Amazon |
How we test hair stylers
We’ve thoroughly tested every hair styler we recommend on this list. The testing process varies depending on the type of styler; for example, when testing straighteners, we monitor how easy it is to smooth down frizz, while curling irons are judged based on how easy it is to create long-lasting curls. You can find a more detailed explanation of how we test in our styler-specific roundups.
However, regardless of the product we’re testing, we always apply heat protection spray to protect the hair; we don’t use any other styling products to ensure our tests remain fair. As well as timing how long each tool takes to style the hair, we also consider how long the style lasts, noting the length, type and thickness of hair. We evaluate any changes to the volume of hair and level of shine, where relevant.
Other features we assess include ease of use, comfort levels during use and air speeds where relevant, and we also time how quickly each of the heat stylers is able to reach a styling temperature of 180°C. This enables us to measure a product’s price against its usability and efficacy.
READ NEXT: Best hair straighteners
The best hair stylers you can buy in 2024
1. Beauty Works Aeris Multi-Styler: Best multi-styler for wet and dry styling
Price when reviewed: £220 | Check price at LookFantastic
- Great for… creating multiple styles from wet
- Not so great for… pin-straight hair
The Beauty Works Aeris Multi-Styler is a safe bet for those looking for a hair styler that will dry, smooth, curl and add volume to hair. Its versatile styling attachments include a hair dryer, two multi-directional airflow curling wands, a smoothing brush and two ceramic-coated blow-dry brushes. There are three heat options for effective and gentle styling of all hair types, and the motor produces superfast air speeds of up to 28.6m/s – which means you’ll be able to take your hair from wet to beautifully styled in no time at all.
While £220 is a lot to spend on a hair-styling tool, it offers fantastic value for money compared to rivals. With more blow-dry styling options and a faster wind speed than its luxury counterpart the Dyson Airwrap (listed below), you can’t go far wrong.
Read our full Beauty Works Aeris Multi-Styler review
Key specs – Type: Multi-styler; Styles: Loose curls, curls, straight, curly blow dry, voluminous blow dry, rough dry; Wet/dry styling: Suitable for both
- Great for… healthy, smooth styles
- Not so great for… long-lasting curls or those on a budget
There’s no escaping the rave reviews of the Dyson Airwrap multi-styler, and for good reason. It’s beautifully built, wonderfully versatile and suitable for everyday use – all while retaining the health of your hair. It’s an easy recommendation for those looking to invest in a high-quality, powerful hair styler that can automatically curl, dry, smooth and blow-out hair.
It arrives with six attachments, including two smoothing brushes for thick and thin hair, a round blow-dry brush, two airflow curling wands of different diameters and a Coandǎ-effect smoothing concentrator for taming flyaways. There are two heat and three speed settings, plus a cool shot option, delivering superb styling control.
Achieving beautifully smooth and healthy results, the Dyson Airwrap makes achieving a curly blow-dry a breeze. That being said, with a whopping £480 price, read our full review to ensure you’re making the right choice before you part with your cash.
Read our full Dyson Airwrap review
Key specs – Type: Multi-styler; Styles: Loose curls, curls, straight, curly blow dry, voluminous blow dry, rough dry; Wet/dry styling: Suitable for both
3. Revlon One-Step Blow-Dry Multi Styler: Best affordable multi-styler
Price when reviewed: £75 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… price and versatility
- Not so great for… automatic curling
Contrary to what some brands would have you believe, automatic airflow curling isn’t the be-all and end-all of hair styling. It is possible to achieve bouncy curly results with a multi-styler where you – shock, horror – wrap the hair yourself. That’s where the Revlon One-Step Multi Styler shines.
This multi-styler comes with three attachments: a root-drying concentrator and hair dryer, a large oval round brush for achieving a voluminous blow dry, and a vented ceramic styling barrel; the latter is essentially a curling tong that uses hot air instead of a heated barrel. And with four heat settings to choose from, you’ll be able to get smooth, lasting results no matter your hair type.
Better still, you can pick up the Revlon One-Step Multi Styler for around £70, which is far more affordable than the automatic airflow curlers above. In our full review, our reviewer awarded the styler a full five stars and a recommended award, stating that “hair was left looking and feeling soft and shiny, without dryness [or] frizz”. What’s not to love?
Read our full Revlon One Step Multi Styler review
Key specs – Type: Multi-styler; Styles: Curls, straight, voluminous blow dry, rough dry; Wet/dry styling: Suitable for both
4. Cloud Nine Original Iron: Best hair straighteners
Price when reviewed: £189 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… creating quick, shiny styles
- Not so great for… price
As you might expect from a luxury pair of hair straighteners, the Cloud Nine Original Iron effortlessly glides through hair, avoiding any pull or drag. Not only do these straighteners deliver a poker-straight style, but hair will be left feeling silky and shiny thanks to the mineral-infused ceramic plates. The Original Iron offers six heat settings, ranging from 100ºC to 200ºC – and since the plates excel at lower temperatures, you’ll be able to significantly reduce the risk of hair damage if you’re an every-day styler.
The Cloud Nine Original Iron weighs just 247g, which is extremely light. As well as straightening the hair, the slim, curved exterior of the straighteners facilitates easy waving and curling, too. With a quick 20-second heat-up time and an automatic 30-minute shut-off feature for safety, this product is a fantastic dry hair styler that will last for years to come.
Key specs – Type: Hair straightener; Styles: Straight, curls, waves; Wet/dry styling: Dry only
5. GHD Classic Curl Tong: Best hair curling tong
Price when reviewed: £159 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… creating long-lasting curls
- Not so great for… straight styles
Those who want to create glossy, Hollywood-inspired curls, should opt for a curling tong – and the GHD Classic Curl tongs feature a 26mm medium-sized barrel, which is perfect for creating this look. The clamp ensures a secure grip, holding the hair in place with precision. Utilising innovative ultra-zone technology, the barrel intelligently maintains a consistent temperature that never exceeds 185˚C, to ensure that those with a medium head of hair can create long-lasting curls within a speedy five to eight minutes.
If control is a priority, then the protective cool tip offers a secure grip, and the convenient safety stand eliminates the risk of damaging carpet or scalding furniture. Furthermore, the curling tong automatically switches off after 30 minutes of being left unattended. With a ceramic coating that promotes hair health and a generous 3m cord for ultimate styling flexibility, the GHD Classic Curl tong is a reliable and versatile tool for achieving glamorous curls on all hair types.
Key specs – Type: Hair curling tong; Styles: Curls, waves; Wet/dry styling: Dry only
- Great for… comfortable styling
- Not so great for… tight curls
If curling your hair with a standard curling wand leaves your arms feeling fatigued, the Hot Tools Curl Bar could be the solution you’ve been seeking. Its unique right-angled design enables effortless hair curling, without the need to raise your arms above your head.
This curling wand styler is impressively lightweight and exceptionally sturdy, boasting a wide temperature range and an innovative built-in timer to assist in achieving perfectly timed curls. Coupled with the consistently sized heated barrel, users can expect uniform curls and waves every time.
The Curl Bar sports a circular LCD screen on the rear of the barrel that displays the temperature, while the screen itself can be pressed inward to set the timer. Adjusting the temperature is a breeze with the neatly positioned dial surrounding the screen, offering settings ranging from 160°C to 230°C.
Read our full Hot Tools Curl Bar review
Key specs – Type: Hair curling wand; Styles: Loose curls, waves; Wet/dry styling: Dry only
7. Remington Proluxe 4-in-1 Adjustable Waver: Best hair waver
Price when reviewed: £63 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… creating multiple wave sizes
- Not so great for… anything other than hair waving
If you’re on the hunt for a great hair styler that can wave your hair in multiple ways, the Remington Proluxe 4-in-1 is our top choice. It features a comfortable clamp design and an adjustable centre barrel on which hair is pressed to achieve different depths of wave. With four height settings, it’s able to create a good range of hairstyles. In our tests, the wavy styles lasted for well over two days.
The “optiheat” sensor maintains consistent heat across the barrel to achieve longer-lasting styles, and with five heat settings, including a healthy 185°C Pro+ option, it’s suitable for all hair types. Versatile and gentle on hair, it even features a storage lock, so it can be safely stowed away when it isn’t in use.
Read our full Remington Proluxe 4-in-1 Adjustable Waver review
Key specs – Type: Hair waver; Styles: Waves; Wet/dry styling: Dry only
How to choose the best hair styler for you
What type of hair styler do I need?
The type of hair styler you buy will depend on the look you’re aiming to achieve and your hair type. Listed below are a wide range of looks and the tools you can use to achieve them.
While it’s possible to achieve curls using hair straighteners, the easiest and most common tools you’ll use for creating spirals of different sizes in your hair are curling wands and tongs. These are also referred to as curling irons.
It’s also possible to achieve a curly head of hair using heated rollers or overnight curlers. These take some time to perfect, but many prefer these methods since the styling part isn’t as hands-on; you put them in and can get on with other tasks while your hair is doing its thing.
Bouncy blow-dries are easiest to achieve at home using hot blow-drying brushes, some of which arrive with interchangeable heads. Or you can use a powerful hair dryer with a round brush. Blow dries are best for achieving lasting volume.
A natural textured blow dry can be achieved using a diffuser and a hair dryer. This is a really easy style to do on short hair.
Straight hair can be achieved using, you’ve guessed it, hair straighteners. Hot paddle brushes can also be used to style hair into a super-sleek finish. With practice and a good heat protector spray, you should be able to get straight, glossy-looking hair with a ceramic-coated hot brush, too.
Multi-stylers usually arrive at a higher price point but are able to both dry and style hair, and allow you to create multiple styles with one hair-styling tool. Look out for round brush attachments if you fancy an at-home blow-dry, automatic airflow curling wands for creating curls, and hot paddle brushes if you’re a fan of sleek straight styles.
Do hair stylers damage hair?
Any hair styler that uses heat will, inevitably, damage your hair. You may not notice this immediately, but over time heat can weaken the hair cuticle, leading to split ends, frizz and breakage.
Options such as overnight curlers are obviously a great option for preventing heat damage, but not everyone has the time to pre-style their hair before bed. This is the reason we advise the use of a heat protector spray before styling hair – even if you’re simply rough drying your hair with a blow dryer – to reduce the risk of heat damage.
How much should I spend?
How much you choose to spend on a styler will again come down to the hairstyle you want to achieve, plus your budget.
Using ballpark figures, you can pick up a decent hot brush for £30 to £60; multi-stylers start at around £70, with premium models such as the Dyson Airwrap costing up to £480. Prices for hair straighteners are from £30, but the best can cost anywhere up to £180, which is true of curling irons, too.
Most high-end options arrive with features such as timers and heat sensors – which, while useful, aren’t completely necessary to achieve a great style. That said, be wary of options costing less than £20 full price; they’re typically poorly built, lack basic safety features and are often more damaging to your hair.
