Loose and dreamy beach waves might look effortless, but typically require a top notch hot tool — and a fair amount of elbow grease. You can use curling iron to achieve dream-girl waves (some even use a flat iron to curl their hair), but a curling wand is a clip-less hair tool that gives gorgeous, versatile curls and waves without looking overdone. But are wands better than curling irons? When it comes to curling your own hair, “most people doing their hair at home would prefer a clamp-less wand because it is more user-friendly; you simply wrap the hair around the wand,” says Eugene Toye, hairstylist at Rita Hazan Salon in New York City. Wands can be easier to use than traditional curling irons because “clamps tend to leave marks in the hair if they are not properly used,” he explains.
Top picks:
- Angled configuration makes for foolproof styling, even on short hair
- Top scores in Lab tests for ease of use and final look
A novel twist on a curling wand, CHI’s 1-inch tool is angled to easily reach the back of the head, with testers noting “the handle makes it easy to use it upside-down.” The highest powered of all the wands we tested, it scored top for creating the desired look, being lightweight and not pulling hair. It also got the highest scores for being ergonomic and feeling safe to use, with one tester saying there’s “no learning curve,” even on short hair, which is notoriously difficult to curl with a wand. This wand features a cool shot that blows cool hair onto hair to set the curl more quickly, which one tester said made curls “look much more complete … and I don’t have to worry about accidentally disturbing them before they cool down like with traditional irons.”
• Barrel size: 1-inch
• Cord length: 11 feet
• Heat settings: Adjustable heat 180ºF to 410ºF, plus cool shot
• Auto shut-off: 1 hour
- Tapered barrel for perfectly undone waves
- Budget-friendly
“This was the first curling wand I ever bought and I still use it when I travel,” said a former Good Housekeeping editor. “It’s inexpensive, so I don’t worry if it gets bumped around in my luggage or accidentally left at a hotel. It’s super no-frills, but it gets the job done!” It has over 6,800 reviews on Amazon and an average 4.5 star rating and a quick preheat time.
• Barrel size: 1-inch to ½-inch taper
• Cord length: 5 feet
• Auto shut-off: 1 hour
• Heat settings: 5 adjustable heat settings up to 400º
