Picking the best flat irons or hair straighteners for your hair type can be intimidating. Which ones work the best, won't break (or break your piggy bank), won't damage your hair and heat up the fastest? There are many choices on the market, so we've researched and narrowed it down to some of the best. A flat iron is a must-have styling tool for most women. When choosing the best flat iron for your hair, you have to take several factors into consideration. The most important is your hair type. Is it thick, coarse, fine or damaged? What plate size should you use? What material and heat settings are best for you? Below are some considerations.

Choosing the Best Flat Iron

Material

Customer reviews have shown that flat irons made from ceramic and tourmaline are the best and most durable. With these, the air is divided evenly through the hair, making straightening more effective. Titanium-made flat irons are very well-built as well. This also means that the top flat irons are usually not particularly cheap.  However, you get what you pay for, and most find that a quality iron performs so much better and lasts so much longer than a cheap flat iron, that the extra price is well worth it.

Plate Size

Another key feature when choosing the best flat iron is its plate size and there are flat irons with various-shaped and sized plates. The thicker, coarser or longer your hair, the bigger and longer the plate you should be using. Shorter hair or fine-haired people should use thinner, smaller plates. Also, a flat iron with 1 inch plate size,is often made to create numerous hair styles like flipping or curling, giving more options for use of the iron.

Temperature Settings

The temperature settings on the flat iron are important, and these depend on your hair type as well. If you have thin or weak hair, using too high a temperature could result in hair damage. But if your hair is thick and coarse, it will need a high temperature to style it the way you desire. Some cheap flat irons lack proper temperature control, resulting in temperatures that are too high for some hair types and not high enough for others. The best hair irons will offer a good range of temperature control so that a single iron might be the best flat iron for thick hair, the best flat iron for thin hair, the best flat iron for black hair, and so on, all at the same time.

Extra Features

Some flat irons can include safety features, portability and warranty. When purchasing an expensive hair straightener, it's wise choose one with at least a 1 year warranty. Some of the best rated flat irons will also come with accessories, such as heat resistant mats, hair clips, or cases.

Top Five Flat Irons

Here are five of the top flat irons on the market. For flat iron reviews, you can also check out the customer flat iron reviews under each product on Folica, which is who we have linked to for each iron. Folica also runs a great list of its top flat irons here: Top Ten Flat Irons.

Sedu Pro Ionic Ceramic Tourmaline Flat Iron (1") with free heat proof pouch - This was rated the "Best Hair Straightener on the market" and favored by top hair stylists around the world. Sedu flat iron smoothes, straightens, and tames frizzy or disobedient hair for long-lasting effects. Sedu's patented ceramic/tourmaline plates assures smooth straightening motion without the breaking or pulling of hair. The 1 inch plate size allows for extra control and is perfect for short to medium hair. Sedu is also my personal flat iron of choice (I use the Sedu Revolution, you can read my previous review here: Sedu Revolution Review). Their products are always high quality.

CHI Ceramic Flat Iron (Original 1" CHI) - The Chi Flat Iron offers professional results with its original CHI 1 inch flat iron, which straightens, curls and flips your hair. This iron consistently gets top reviews and rankings.

Solia Tourmaline Ceramic Ion Flat Iron (1-1/4") plus free heat proof pouch - The Solia 1¼" flat iron uses the Dynamic Alignment System to secure perfect contact between the plates and your hair. It distributes even heat distribution for truly straight, silky hair. Its ceramic/tourmaline ion technology generates far-infrared heat gently and extra negative ions to generate the amazing frizz-free hair without any heat damage.

GHD Classic Styler Ceramic Hair Straightener - The GHD Classic Style creates flawless volume, movement and curls. It adjusts automatically for international voltage and uses styling technology that's state-of-the-art. The heat flat iron straightens and curls, offering the ultimate in multifaceted styling.

BaByliss PRO Nano Titanium 1 1/4" Straightening Iron - This straightener uses an ionic generator and titanium to manufacture infrared heat, which securely and safely suffuses your hair from within to prevent damage and make straightening more effective. The Nano Titanium is an amazing heat conductor and it keeps high temperatures while giving off negative ions in their most helpful form. This means quicker straightening and sealed hair shafts for locked-in natural moisture.

There are numerous quality flat irons on the market. Start with these five, or head over to the link below to see a top ten list and to do some more research and shopping.

Shop For Flat Irons At Folica

Need a curling iron? Check out our similar article on the Best Curling Irons.

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