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

Key specifications: 185ºC temperature, ceramic plates and 2.7m cable

Best for: Creating a range of different looks

Why they're the best: I feel like everyone had a pair of these GHD hair straighteners growing up, and for good reason. Not only will they last you forever, but they have floating plates so you can create a range of different looks, and they're set at the optimum styling temperature of 185ºC.

Editor review: "So many consider these their holy-grail straightening irons," says Who What Wear UK beauty editor Eleanor Vousden. "These were the first hair straighteners I ever tried and it's not hard to see why they're a crowd-pleaser. They leave hair super sleek and with an amazing shine. I've recently had more face-framing layers cut into my hair and they're ideal for quickly adding shape and hold. If you're deciding between these and the Max size [see below in this edit], I'd recommend going for the former if your hair is shoulder length or shorter and naturally straight, and the latter if you have longer or thicker hair."

Key specifications: Three heat settings, flexing plates and 360ºC charging cable

Best for: A unique styling experience

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 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," Eleanor 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 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."

Key specifications: 13 heat settings, titanium ceramic plates and 3m salon swivel cord

Best for: Fine hair types

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 come with titanium-ceramic coated pates, an impressive 13 heat settings and longer plates that make it easier to style larger sections of hair at a time. Plus, they look super cute.

Editor review: "I tend to equate my hair to Hermione Granger's—her early years, not the later films where she learnt what a blow dryer was—meaning that when I use a hair straightener during my weekly styling session, I need something powerful that can make my hair sleek," says Who What Wear UK SEO Writer, Ava Gilchrist. "As I typically prefer my hair to have that editorial, dead-straight finish from the '90s, this product can sometimes take me a little while. But if you have finer hair and are after something cute and more affordable than other models on the market, this straightener is your girl."

Key specifications: Wide plates, 2.7m cable, 185ºC temperature and dual-zone technology to help with heat distribution

Best for: Long, thick and curly hair

Why they're the best: Anyone with long, thick or curly hair will know just how long it can take to straighten your hair with a regular straightening tool. However, GHD have 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."

Key specifications: Contoured plates, 190ºC temperature and 2.7m cable

Best for: Thin and fine hair

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. If you have thin or fine hair, then I would definitely recommend these.

Editor review: "Although these hair straighteners look a bit like a crimping tool, don't be alarmed, these are just the clever plates," explains Grace. "They can take a little getting used to, but once you get the hang of them, your hair will thank you."

Key specifications: High-velocity air blades, LCD screen, three temperature settings and cool mode

Best for: Wet to dry styling

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 and Shine Shot™ mode

Best for: 2-in-1 styling

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. Similarly 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 and a new curl locking guide

Best for: All hair types

Why they're the best: If you didn't know, L'Oréal have 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've been focusing a lot on my hair health, and I've been on the market for more hair-friendly tools to use," says Grace. "A friend recommended the L'Oréal Steampod 4.0 straightener, as this clever tool is meant to be a lot gentler on the hair thanks to the steam technology. Although this tool can take a while to get used to, after figuring out how to use it properly, I was immediately impressed by how the plates glided through the hair. The removable comb helped to optimise the steam and left my ends looking so sleek. Although the sound the tool makes reminded me a bit of an iron, my hair felt super soft after using it and held its style all day long."

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

Best for: Curling and straightening hair quickly

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: "The plates on this hair straightener glided through my hair, leaving it straight, smooth and silky in just one pass," says Eleanor. "It does take me a little longer to style compared to the GHD Max, but it's a great option for mid-length and short hair as it's versatile and easy to curl with."

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

Best for: Straightening hair from wet to dry

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 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 Eleanor. "It left my hair silky-smooth, shiny and almost poker-straight. When I attended the FlexFusion launch event earlier this year, I saw first-hand 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."

Key specifications: Mineral-infused floating plates, 11 heat settings, 20-second heat up time, 30 minute hibernation mode and 3m cord length

Best for: A sleek finish

Why they're the best: Last but by no means, 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."