Be sure to read my article called Best Hair Straightening Brush after reading this one! I analyzed and reviewed the top brands and documented my findings. I’m sure you will want read before making your purchase.
When trying to find the best hair straightener for you, look at straightener features. You should match your hair type to brush features making sure you are going to get maximum results. There are many features available, so how do you select the ones you really need? Well a great place to start is right here and this article. See the information below on hair straightener features you should consider.
What Makes A Hair Straightener Good?
| Features | Recommendations |
|---|---|
| 1. Safety | Safety is the number one and most important feature of any hair straightening hair styling tool. Most all straightening brushes come with an auto shut-off feature. One with a 30-minute auto-shutoff is ideal. |
| 2. Control | Control is next on the feature list. A straightening brush with a good grip and under a pound is ideal. The grip or handle should be less than three inches in diameter. The larger the diameter, the harder it will be to grip. The worst thing that could happen is you lose your grip and end up burning your ears or having hot air directed into your face. |
| 3. Heating | Too much heat and you burn your hair. Too little heat and your style does not last long. It’s a fine line to maintain just the right temperature for your hair type. It’s ideal for a straightener brush to maintain a precise temperature. The more temperature settings, the better. |
| 4. Bristles | Bristle type is going to be more of a concern for those who have sensitive scalps or thin hair. Look for a straightener brush with bristles that are nicely rounded or have protective tips. It can make straightening more comfortable. |
| 5. Plates | Straightening brushes either have ceramic or titanium plates. The most common is ceramic. For thin hair, ceramic is your best bet because they heat evenly. Titanium and tourmaline heat much faster and are better suited for thick hair. The end result you want is for the plates to seal the hair cuticle and thereby creating shine. |
| 6. Locking | Once you have the temperature set, you want to lock it down. Why? You do not want to accidentally press the temperature control button and go from hot to really hot and not be aware. This type of accident can quickly lead to split-ends, frizzy hair and maybe even burnt hair. Look for a straightening brush with a temperature lock. |
| 7. Display | Speaking of burnt hair, a temperature readout will be one of the best features to keep you from burning your hair. You need to know the temperature your hair responds to. Always start low and work to hotter temperatures as you gain more experience. You will know the exact temperature to use next time you style your hair, right? |
| 8. Head Design | A wide brush head is good to work through long hair faster. A paddle-style can style 25% faster than other smaller brush heads. |
| 9. Service | A good warranty tells you upfront the manufacture stands behind their product. They have confidence in their product and want the customer to be happy. Having a lifetime warranty is of course ideal, but most manufacturers provide either a 6 or 12-month warranty. Also, look for a phone number for the manufacturer. Many smaller companies nowadays don’t readily publish phone numbers on the web. For most major brands, you can find customer support numbers on the web easily. |
Basic Hair Brush Straighteners
- Stationary – These have a fixed position on the brush, so you have to roll your hair manually. Some people prefer stationary brushes instead of rotating because the hair is not tangled.
- Rotating – The brush head can rotate, increasing your hair volume and making your styling easier. It is also possible to use the brush without rotation.
- Dual-rotation – These styling tools have two directional buttons, so that they can spin forward or backward, making them equally convenient for people with a right or left hand.
Important Hair Brush Straightener Features
There are many important features but these are the most important features that really standout and I personally look for before making a purchase. When looking for a straightener brush these are the ones you want to really look out for.
1. Safety Feature
According to Stacey, Hair Research Analyst, “One of the most important feature of any styling tool is safety and having an auto shutoff.” Everything else is secondary. Safety is the primary concern. You do not want a product that is not well made and has your safety in mind. There are hundreds of times when you are going to be in a rush in the mornings and will set the hot brush down on the counter top and will leave the room only to ask yourself an hour or so later, “did I turn off the brush”? At that moment you are going to wish you had a brush with a 30 minute auto shutoff.
2. Control
According to Meesh, Hair Product Analyst, “You must be able to control the brush with one hand comfortably. You don’t want a too heavy brush. In addition you do not want a brush where the handle is too big and makes it hare to get a good grip.” You must be able to get your fingers around the grip comfortably without slipping. If you just applied a hair conditioner it’s a good idea to wash your hands first before using the straighter. Otherwise you run the risk of it slipping out of your hand or even worse yet having hot air directed into your face.
3. Heating Features
Heat settings are after that. You want the amount of heat applied to your hair to be controlled. Especially to keep your hair from being damaged or if you have already damaged your hair to prevent it from being damaged even more. Hair straighteners now have precise temperature controls that can be set to your type of hair. For example, a temperature of 365 degrees is generally considered optimal for medium thick hair. You would probably use a lower temperature of 300 degrees for thin hair. And a higher temperature is required for real thick and curly hair, usually 450 degrees.You want multiple heat settings in a wide range for different type of hair thus making sure your hair type is covered. The MiroPure 2-in-1 Ionic hair straightener brush has 16 different heat settings. Nice!
4. Bristle Types
The type of bristles you get depend on your hair type. Nylon is going to be best for hair that is not too thin or sensitive scalps. Some straighteners have silicone balls or other materials for tipping bristles that is easy on your scalp. They can make your scalp more comfortable.
5. Plate Features
Which types of plates are going to be better ceramic or titanium? Although some use titanium, the majority of straighteners have ceramic or tourmaline plates. For delicate, fine or even color-treated hair, ceramic will be the best choice. The ceramic heats very evenly and slowly without any hot spots than tourmaline or titanium. Tourmaline and titanium, by contrast, heat up very fast and can easily damage thin or sensitive hair. You can use tourmaline or titanium for thick hair. The additional advantage of tourmaline is that it produces 20 times more negative ions, makes your hair moist, silky and reduces frizz.
6. Locking Controls Feature
Some people don’t like hair straightener controls right on the gripping handle because they hit the buttons without knowing it and end up changing the settings while in use the iron. If the buttons don’t lock, it can be a big problem. If you can lock the buttons, you won’t change a temperature randomly without realizing it. Just imagine you are styling your hair and you have thin hair and are using the hot air brush on a low heat setting when you inadvertently hit the temperature button and the temp shoots up to 450 degrees. This is not the temp you want to be using with thin hair. There are many products on the market today that have an auto lock out feature. Power switch and heat up/down buttons will be locked in 5 seconds when it is power on. You then are required to double click the power switch will then unlock the keys. At the time of this writing the Apalus brush hair straightener has this feature. Nice!
7. Digital Temperature Readout
A hair straightening temp readout is probably one of the best features you can find. It helps you figure out exactly the temperature at which you set the straightener to prevent unnecessary heat damage. This feature is critical on being able to prevent overheating and the resulting hair damage from using too hot a temp setting. Furthermore, once you find a temperature that works really well for your hair, you’ll know exactly what the temperature should be next time.
8. Wide Head Design
Nice big head is great to work through hair fast. A wide head or a paddle brush design is going to give you the ability to cover more hair with each brush thus taking less time.
9. Warranty Period
12 month warranty is much better than a 6 month warranty. To me a longer warranty means the manufacture has confidence in their product. There is no real proof that a longer warranty results in a better higher quality brush. In fact some people think a longer warranty means the brush is the sure sign of a poor quality. this is because they can get it fixed at no charge so the manufacture is not concerned that much with quality and they can speed through the manufacturing process. But what is does mean, at least to me is that it’s a guarantee that if something does go wrong I can have if fixed or replaced for free.
Hair Straightener Brush Recommendations
The Drybar is my top pick, and yes, it costs more, but you don’t need a glove to protect your hand because the brush’s back doesn’t burn hot. To safeguard your hands, the brush is nicely insulated. Top straightener brushes need to give you sufficient heat settings for a wide range of hair types to be styled. Fine to normal hair only needs minimal heat where more heat is needed for thick natural hair. To protect your hair, having a digital temperature display and up to 16 heat settings goes a long way. Always read the instructional manual for your straightening brush and if it’s OK to do so then I recommend you always use a heat protectant.
| Hair Straightening Brushes | Hair Straightening Brush Recommendations |
|---|---|
| 1. Ricank Professional STRAIGHTENING BRUSH | Although this is a budget model, it does not handle black 4c hair very well, the price is really reasonable. |
| 2. MiroPure 2-in-1 Ionic Hair STRAIGHTENING BRUSH | Straightener brush that is excellent for all-around use. There are no negatives from my perspective on this one. Excellent for people with dark hair! Another hair straightener that comes close to being a superb budget model. There are numerous benefits for the price. |
| 3. Rifny Hair STRAIGHTENING COMB | For the price, this is an excellent brush; nevertheless, it is not suggested for short black hair. It has three heat settings and is not excessively expensive. |
| 4. Glamfields STRAIGHTENING BRUSH 2.0 | Straightening brush that is most likely the best value for money. The back of the brush head does become hot, as it does with the majority of cheap models. This is without a doubt a fantastic top pick. It includes all of the main functions, as well as a few extras, and it is offered at an affordable price. |
| 5. Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Styler Brush | Budgeting model that works well. The price is reasonable. I’m not a fan of the huge handle or the fact that there is no temperature display, but for the price, I can’t really complain. |
| 6. Infinitipro By Conair Wet/Dry Hot Air Brush Styler | The tourmaline ceramic (ceramic coating) technology is appealing to me, however it is not ideal for people with thick black hair. |
| 7. InStyler Straight Up Ceramic STRAIGHTENING BRUSH | Very well done. What I enjoy about it is how quickly it heats up (30 seconds). There are seven heat settings, which is satisfactory. The Straight Up brush is a new addition to the line-up for this year. InStyler is a well-known brand in the area of hair straightening, and this particular model has many of the features you would expect from a brush of this kind. Excellent bargain from a well-known and respected premier brush company. |
| 8. Tymo iONIC Hair STRAIGHTENING BRUSH | Extremely well-designed, with numerous controllable parameters and functions for a hot brush in this price range. Will leave you with silky, natural-looking lustrous locks. |
| 9. Drybar The Baby Brush Crush | Straightening black hair with this product is a breeze. It is equipped with ion and titanium technology. This is a good deal. When traveling, I prefer the small but powerful size. |
| 10. CHI Tourmaline Ceramic Heated Paddle Brush | When straightening hair, tourmaline ceramic bristles provide a firmer grip, which is critical for straightening hair. My favorite features are the LED digital temperature control and automatic locking temperature setting, which prevents you from mistakenly increasing the temperature while straightening black hair and burning yourself or your hair. This is a great deal! |
| 11. Lena Hair Dryer Brush And Volumizer | Because of the powerful negative ion care and far infrared technology, I really like it. Straightening, volumizing, smoothing, and flipping are all possible with this product. |
| 12. Sultra The Bombshell VoluStyle Heated Brush | I appreciate the use of infrared and ionic technology, as well as the high level of quality. It also features an auto-shutdown feature, which is really convenient. It has a temperature setting with an LED display that has three settings: 300 degrees Fahrenheit for fine hair, 360 degrees Fahrenheit for average hair, and 430 degrees Fahrenheit for thick hair. Things become really straightforward as a result of this configuration. |
| 13. Drybar The Brush Crush | This brush is one of my favorites since the rear of the head does not get too heated like the backs of other, less expensive brushes. Excellent quality with a plethora of useful functions. Because of the great quality and precision temperature control provided by the digital display, this is my top choice. Also my top pick for frizzy hair. |
| 14. ghd Glide Hot Brush, Professional Hot Brush | I like it since it is the most straightforward hot hush to use ever! This product is excellent for taming and smoothing dry hair for quick and uncomplicated styling. |
| 15. Remington Pro 2-in-1 Heated Straightening Brush | I love the very affordable price and it actually works very well to eliminate frizz. However, I hate the Purple color. Lucky it also comes in other colors like black. My biggest complaint is due to the brush head design it’s not going to work very well for folks who have short hair. Other than that it’s actually a great buy. |
| 16. Dyson Airwrap | Excellence. I love everything but the price. However, I highly recommend. Very high quality, with excellence fit and finish. Great performance. Like all excellent hot hair brushes it need no gloves. Read my article on how to use the Dyson Airwrap. |
Important Feature Conclusion
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| Click to enlarge hair straightener features |
What About A Flat Iron?
Did you know that ceramic irons are an economical alternative to hair straighteners when compared to other hair styling tools? A ceramic flat iron (like the Conair Infinitipro Tourmaline Ceramic Flat Iron) is great for straightening your hair, which is another plus. The only disadvantage I can see is that it may be more damaging to your hair than a straightening brush if you use it frequently. As a result, I would not recommend using it on a daily basis. But it will give you that pin straight hair style you might be looking for.
Flat Iron Features
Did you know that depending on the curvature of the plate on a flat iron, you might get a variety of results? While it is true that plates with sharp edges may only produce straight hair, flat plates with rounded edges can provide you with additional style options and flexibility. If you want to curl your hair, you may utilize these rounded borders, or you can add finishing waves at the end.
These flat irons are perfect for both straightening and curling hair, so look for rounded edges and a 1-inch plate that is universally handy for everyone. Because the plates are extremely smooth, there will be no snags or broken bits of hair, even when you are curling.
Summary
It’s not necessary you choose a hair straightener that has all the features mentioned above at the beginning of this articel. Just evaluate the ones that are most important to you and then make your purchase. If I had to pick just one feature out of all the features listed above I would most likely pick the auto shutoff feature for safety. As of this writing I believe most if not all of the major manufactures are adding this feature to their products. It is going to come down to which manufacture has the shortest auto shutoff. A 30 minute versus a 60 minute auto shutoff, obviously a 30 minute is better unless it takes you more than 30 minutes to do your hair.
References
What is The Best ghd Hair Straightener Brush
Hair straightener features – MiroPure 2-in-1 Ionic hair straightener brush in action
Straightening Brush| Does it Work!? 2in1 MiroPure Brush Demo, Results and Review
Image by Khusen Rustamov from Pixabay