The key to have a sleek and beautiful hair as a woman is to have a great hair straightener.

This is probably something you now know as a woman that hair straighteners, interchangeably called flat irons, are indispensable hair beauty accessories.

But choosing the right one can be quite overwhelming, more especially if you are not well-versed with the features of these hair flat irons.

It was this reason that I have endeavored to provide you with not only the best, but also the most affordable iron straighteners under $189.

I have hand-picked the top 5 iron straighteners for you to choose the best.

Product	Plates Material	Price	Buy Now
BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium-Plated Ultra-Thin Straightening Iron	Nano Titanium	$$
CHI Original Pro 1” Ceramic Ionic Tourmaline Flat Iron Hair Straightener	Ceramic Tourmaline	$$
HSI Professional Digital Ceramic Tourmaline Ionic Flat Iron Hair Straightener with Glove, Pouch and Argan Oil Treatment	Ceramic Tourmaline	$$
TYME Iron US	Gold Plated Titanium	$$$
RUSK Engineering CTC Technology Professional Straight Iron	Titanium-infused Ceramic-iron	$$

These hair tools are characterized by their unique features from the size, weight, temperature settings, and the material of the plates.

I have discussed the tips on how to choose the best hair straighteners after the reviews, as well as breaking down the key differences between the materials of the plates, which are, inter alia, ceramic and titanium plates.

Reviews for the Best Iron Straighteners

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BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium-Plated Ultra-Thin Straightening Iron

The BaBylissPro Nano Titanium straightening iron is one of the best hair beauty accessories made of the most exceptional element in heat conducting.

Titanium is, among other materials, the most exceptional and the most unparalleled in conducting heat fast to get you ready within a few minutes.

With this flat iron, the negative ions are being emitted quickly, and that’s why this material gets you ready more than any other.

It can reach higher temperatures up to 450 degree Fahrenheit with its 50 settings.

The 5-inch plates of this flat iron straighten the wider sections of your hair strands.

>> Click here to see pricing, ratings, and reviews on Amazon.com. <<

The other exciting feature about titanium is its light weight.

Who would tolerate muscle fatigue after every hair treatment?

Obviously no one!

Meanwhile, any high heat is resisted by the Ryton to help prevent damage to your strands.

>> Click Here for the Current Price on Amazon <<

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CHI Original Pro 1” Ceramic Ionic Tourmaline Flat Iron Hair Straightener

This CHI Original iron straightener combines the modern tourmaline and ceramic as the best heat conductors in hair styling.

It embraces the recent technological innovation of these elements in even heat distribution so that no heat spots to damage your hair.

High amount of negative irons are emitted to allow high heat in your hair treatment.

Hair treated with this iron straightener will appear silky, shiny, and smooth.

No matter the condition of your hair, it can be maneuvered to any desirable hair style using this classical heat conductor flat iron.

It will certainly prevent your arm fatigue with its lightweight of 1.3 pounds.

>> Click here to see pricing, ratings, and reviews on Amazon.com. <<

In case it gets damaged due to factory defects, the manufacturer offers a 2 year limited warranty.

>> Click Here for the Current Price on Amazon <<

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HSI Professional Digital Ceramic Tourmaline Ionic Flat Iron Hair Straightener with Glove, Pouch and Argan Oil Treatment

This is yet another amazing ceramic tourmaline hair straightening iron that comes with digital settings where you can adjust the temperature from 240F to 450F on an LCD.

It is designed to provide you with all your hair styling needs to smoothen and straighten a coarse hair.

>> Click here to see pricing, ratings, and reviews on Amazon.com. <<

The unit is a reflection of an exceptional infrared heat technology that will straighten your hair follicles with ease.

When switching this flat iron on, the trick is to hold the power button down for about 3 seconds.

HSI Professional Digital Ceramic Tourmaline Ionic Flat Iron has made a mark in the hair treatment industry with its superb functionality of transforming a coarse, curly hair into a silk and smooth hair.

You will surely be appreciated when you walk down an aisle with the home-treated hair using this iron straightener.

Its 360 swivel cord and high temperature of 450F make every hair style plausible.

>> Click Here for the Current Price on Amazon <<

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TYME Iron US

TYME Iron US offers the best results of hair straightening with its gold-plated titanium plates.

With a maximum heat of 400F, you are guaranteed to smoothen and straighten any texture of hair for optimal results.

But for fine hair strands you have to reduce the temperature.

If you want your straightened within a few minutes, TYME Iron US is a perfect friend for your styling needs from waves to curls.

The hair treated with these golden titanium plates can last up to 2 to 3 days.

>> Click here to see pricing, ratings, and reviews on Amazon.com. <<

Busy professionals who do not wish to waste so much time on heat treatment can resort to TYME Iron US for its quick results.

Within 10 minutes, you can complete your hair straightening process.

The TYME Traveler Heat Sleeve enables you to travel with this hair tool.

If any damage arises, the manufacturer offers a 1 year limited warranty.

To add on, titanium plates make this flat iron one of the lightest hair straighteners on the market with a weight of 1.7 pounds.

>> Click Here for the Current Price on Amazon <<

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RUSK Engineering CTC Technology Professional Straight Iron

Now this RUSK Engineering CTC Technology Professional Straight Iron brings the exceptional formula of titanium and ceramic as the most preferable and popular hair straightening materials infused in plates.

Since these are the best heat conductors, although titanium supersedes, I conclude that this flat iron is a great tool to satisfy your hair styling needs.

The manufacturer, RUSK, is one of the renowned producers of professional beauty accessories.

>> Click here to see pricing, ratings, and reviews on Amazon.com. <<

It’s unsurprising that the company has gone further miles in infusing titanium with ceramic to make this exceptional hair straightener.

The CTC technology featured provides sufficient heat transfer from the roots of the hair follicles to the end, thus ensuring that ample heat does a great straightening job.

>> Click Here for the Current Price on Amazon <<

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How to Choose the Best Iron Straightener

Check your hair texture

It is important to take into account the texture of your hair whenever selecting the best hair straightener.

Failure to assess that could lead to catastrophic results whereby the wrong choice of the flat iron burns your hair.

For instance, choosing the titanium hair straighteners for a short and thin hair can have a detrimental effect because they are powerful than the ceramic straighteners.

And choosing the ceramic for a thick and coarse hair may yield damaging results because you might have to treat your hair twice and any repeated treatment add damage to the hair.

However, the common factor of these materials is the heat transfer.

All of the above being said, I recommend ceramic hair straighteners for short and fine hair.

Ceramic can treat that hair well at adjustable temperature settings with an even heat distribution.

But beware of the choice of ceramics because sometimes you might find the ceramic coatings instead of pure ceramic on the plates.

Those coatings can also deliver fantastic results in the beginning, but they will fade quickly in time.

On the other hand, for thick and coarse hair I recommend the titanium plates for their high strength of conducting heat.

They command a relatively high heat compared to ceramic and that’s why I recommend them for thick hair.

The high strength of titanium negates the need to go all over your hair again.

The first treatment is of top notch quality because of an exceptionally high heat.

Size

The wrong choice of the size can also have a negative impact on your hair.

For instance, treating your fine and small hair with a larger hair straightener may subject it to unbearable high heat content and consequently the damage.

The same applies with the thick and long hair.

Treating it with short flat irons may require a second application, and for every application there is a damage incurred by your hair strands, especially at high temperatures.

It should now be obvious that which flat iron size you should consider in this regard.

In terms of numeric features, I recommend sizes that range from 1” to 1.5” wide for short hair straighteners.

These straighteners can also be effective in case you have already treated with the long flat irons, or naturally you have a straight hair.

As for long hair, I recommend 2” to 3” of the hair straightener plates.

Type of the plate

This is arguably the most important factor to consider.

As you have seen from my reviews above, only ceramic and titanium have been emphasized because of their unmatched benefits of heat conductor.

It has proven that any flat iron with metallic plates can be tedious because of a slow heat conducting property.

You will have to wait long before you can treat your hair.

With the titanium, ceramic, and, recently, tourmaline, you are assured a faster heat conductivity to get you ready within a few minutes.

Moreover, these typical plates are the lightest weight.

They also have adjustable temperatures to err on the side of caution because not all hair textures are the same.

As I have highlighted above regarding ceramic plates, sometimes you find out the ceramic coatings instead of the pure element.

I have warned you about a premature fading of such plates.

The coatings will wear off and your flat iron will start to malfunction.

Other plates, as seen in the last product reviewed above, can have the combination of ceramic and titanium.

Temperature settings

Temperature is also a paramount feature to look for when buying these flat irons.

Hair treated with colorants or a thin hair cannot withstand very high temperatures.

So, if the hair straightener has no temperature adjustment settings, you have to stay away from it if your hair falls under thinness category.

The recommended temperature for fine hair is 180 degrees Celsius.

You can adjust the temperature accordingly based on the results yielded.

For thick hair obviously you must adjust to higher temperatures that range from 190 to 210 degrees Celsius.

All these necessitate the need to have a hair straightener with adjustable temperature settings.

They come as a range and you will have to start with lower settings.

With that being said, I recommend digital LCD for temperature settings on your favorite hair straightening tool.

Weight

Weight is also an important consideration when coming to these hair tools.

The fact is that you spend more time lifting your arms to straighten your curly hair which then requires more energy.

Fatigue can develop quickly if the flat iron used is heavy.

By comparing the plate materials, titanium is the lightest among tourmaline and ceramic, as well as other materials.

Nonetheless, check the weight of each product before purchasing.

Other Features

Other features can include comb teeth found in other hair straighteners.

There’s a wide variety of flat irons.

Some can even come with steam functions to treat your curly hair in addition to straightening it.

These are the critical factors that you should take into account prior to making any purchase.

There are plenty of iron straighteners on the market and it can be overwhelming to a novice purchaser.

An attempt to find the best flat iron shows your eager to prevent any heat damage to your hair.

I have done material showdown below between ceramic and titanium to help you understand your hair straighteners.

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How to Curl Short/Medium Length Hair with Straighteners

It’s funny we use something with the word “straight” in it to curl our hair.

I LOVE this video from Jamie Johnston on how to curl with a flat iron.

It’s very easy to follow and she does it perfectly.

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So… What Type of Flat Iron Do You Need?
Material Showdown

As evident from my reviews above, ceramic and the titanium are the dominating plate materials that have been used due to their unique characteristics.

Although highlighted above, let me try to extend you knowledge with the comparison of these plate materials below.

I have taken into account the convenience of use, effectiveness, heat transfer, durability, even distribution of heat, price, and the type of hair recommended for each.

Convenience of use

Because of the even distribution of hair and less heat damage, ceramic plates are convenient to use in that fashion.

So when operating with the ceramic plates, there’s less risk of burning your hair compared to titanium plates.

That’s why I recommended using ceramic plates on short and fine hair.

And for thick and coarse or curly hair, I recommend using the titanium.

My recommendations are in line with scientific studies of these two materials.

On the other hand, titanium is convenient to straighten your hair with for a long time due to its lightweight.

Moreover, it is a hard and durable element.

Ever wondered why engineers predominantly use it in some constructions including the air crafts?

It’s because of its properties.

So even if it can fall several times, the risk of it breaking is minimal.

The same cannot be said with ceramic plates.

Effectiveness

When coming to effectiveness, although they both emit irons, titanium emerges as the victorious element with its rapid transfer of heat.

It also commands high heat than ceramic.

So one can say titanium is the most effective element among the two.

But even the ceramic plates that can heat to high temperatures can also be effective.

But, be cautioned, titanium will not be effective on a fine hair.

It can damage your hair due to its high heat commands.

And it is not as even as ceramic in heat distribution.

So the possibility of hot spots can be damaging to your beautiful hair.

Months of preparation may be in vain.

Conversely, ceramic plates may not be effective in thick and coarse hair.

It may time more time to get it done due to the high heat needed to straighten such hair.

Durability

Ceramic plates are not as durable as titanium.

I have already indicated above that even if titanium plates can fall several times, the risk of them breaking is minimal.

Using these hair straighteners in commercial salons leads to frequent dropping after every customer.

That too can be detrimental to ceramic in particular.

Over-time, it can develop some cracks and then wear off prematurely.

Titanium can withstand that abuse.

Heat transfer

Both materials are exceptionally good in heat transfer within 30 seconds.

Nonetheless, titanium comes on top.

It can transfer heat very fast and gets you ready in a few seconds than with ceramic plates.

However, you have to be vigilant about the purity of these elements.

Some may be coated with titanium or ceramic, and their heat transfer may not be on par.

And in some instances you may find ceramic being infused with tourmaline, which is also a high heat transfer material, but still cannot outshine titanium.

In other plates you may find ceramic and titanium infused together.

Because of high heat transfer, titanium use is discouraged for fine hair as it cannot withstand high temperatures.

But some hair straighteners come with a range of temperature for digital adjustment.

Given only the option of a titanium flat iron, I’d recommend you stick to lower temperatures.

Otherwise, resort to ceramic flat irons with their even heat distribution.

Pricing

In terms of pricing, titanium appears to be the most expensive one among the two.

Ceramic plates are also relatively expensive.

That being noted, you have to assess your budget range before buying these materials.

Your hair needs and expected results should in fact guide you that which to buy, rather than purely the price.

When purchasing either material, be on alert with composites.

They may be relatively inexpensive compared to pure materials.

But the benefits of durability and effective heat transfer may not be the same.

Check the purity of the flat iron before making any purchase.

In other words, I say beware of counterfeit products wherein you may lose your hard-earned dollars.

My Verdict

In actual sense, I cannot say there’s the best material among the two.

It actually depends on the type of your hair.

For short and fine hair, focus more on ceramic plates and for long and thick hair go with the titanium.

Both materials are exceptionally.

They are just applicable in accordance with your hair texture.

For commercial uses, I recommend purchasing both ceramic and titanium flat irons to accommodate all customers.

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How to Straighten Your Hair with a Hair Straightener / Flat Iron

In this video, Michelle from Karmin Pro is giving as step-by-step tutorial on how to use a hair straightener.

Most girls don’t use their iron flat properly.

This is a 10 min video that I defiantly recommend to watch!

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long should I wait before I straighten my hair?

With either of the plate materials between ceramic and titanium, you do not have to wait until the plate gets enough heat.

They can catch high temperatures within a few seconds.

So you can straighten your hair instantly after switching on.

What are the advantages of straightening myself compared to the salon?

It is advantageous when straightening the hair by yourself than letting someone do on your behalf, well unless you are an amateur.

When you do it yourself, you understand the texture of your hair and can therefore set temperature settings accordingly, and moreover, you can use the right flat iron.

Some emerging salons, due to cost-saving habits, may be having one flat iron that is used randomly on any customer.

And the results of that may not be good for your hair.

Rather buy the right flat iron that is good for your hair texture.

If I have colored my hair, which hair straightener should I use?

This can be tricky because now we have to consider the color treatment as well as the texture.

If thick hair and colored, I cannot simply say go for titanium, unless if you no longer want that color because the high heat of titanium can discolor your hair.

In the case of a thin hair and a colored hair, you’re still safe to use ceramic because of less heat damage.

For the thick and colored hair, it would be better if you resort to lower temperatures of titanium, or can even attempt using ceramic in that case.

My ceramic hair straightener is no longer effective after a few months of buying it, should I return it to the seller?

Such premature deterioration may be attributed to the ceramic-coated flat irons.

They do function the same with pure ceramic elements but wear off prematurely.

In such instances, you can request an assessment of the material from experienced metallic dealers.

In case you find that the seller has deceived you by selling a composite without any disclosure, request reimbursement.

If the material is purely ceramic, then take it back to the manufacturer if it is still covered under product warranty.

Which flat iron can I use to straighten my daughter?

The same principle applies with hair texture.

Assess it and then buy accordingly as recommended that for fine hair use ceramic and for coarse and thick hair use titanium.

In the case of kids, it’s rare that you will find a coarse and thick hair.

So ceramic may be an ideal solution with its minimal risk of burns at higher temperatures.

My hair is natural flat. I just want a silky and shiny hair, and I have a thick texture. Will I be safe to use titanium?

I don’t think that doing final touches requires so much heat.

A ceramic flat iron can be used in this regard to make it silky and shiny.

Just adjust the temperature settings accordingly for the optimal results.

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Final thoughts

Given all the tips above, I believe you are well versed with the features to look for in a specific flat iron.

Good luck in your selection for the best hair straightener for your hair.

The best advice I can reiterate to you is that please assess your hair texture then buy accordingly.

A wrong choice of the hair straightener will do more than good.

And, moreover, because of the popularity of ceramic and titanium plates, you must watch meticulously the purity of the plates.

We cannot ignore the prevalence of counterfeit products on the market.

If you have questions please contact me through the contact page and I’ll be happy to help you out.

Good Luck!

Product	Plates Material	Price	Buy Now
BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium-Plated Ultra-Thin Straightening Iron	Nano Titanium	$$
CHI Original Pro 1” Ceramic Ionic Tourmaline Flat Iron Hair Straightener	Ceramic Tourmaline	$$
HSI Professional Digital Ceramic Tourmaline Ionic Flat Iron Hair Straightener with Glove, Pouch and Argan Oil Treatment	Ceramic Tourmaline	$$
TYME Iron US	Gold Plated Titanium	$$$
RUSK Engineering CTC Technology Professional Straight Iron	Titanium-infused Ceramic-iron	$$