The Best Hair Straighteners, According To Experts

If we could swap tresses with one celebrity, we'd probably have to go with hair icon Jennifer Aniston. Her layered shag "The Rachel" was the hair movement of the 1990s, and everyone wanted it (via Real Simple). When she came back to TV in "The Morning Show," we were jealous of her pin-straight hair in her signature bronde color, evoking memories of our original quest to master her look after watching "Friends" for the first time.

Straight hair does have its perks, as it's generally stronger than curly locks. This is because natural oils have an easier time traveling down the hair shaft with straight strands (per Madison Reed). The texture also makes it look shinier as it reflects light better, and it's pretty easy to grow out, too. Of course, there are cons to having straight hair, like the constant need for more volume since the smooth texture can make it fall flat. The hair's natural oils make it look greasier faster, which presents its own set of issues. However, if you weren't born with straight hair, it's pretty easy to get it with a good straightener or flat iron.

The two most popular options for hair straighteners are titanium and ceramic. "Ceramic heat is very evenly dispersed and functions better at lower temperatures, which is important for those with fine or more delicate hair," says celebrity hairstylist Nate Rosenkranz (via Self). He added that titanium heats to higher temperatures more quickly, and is often considered better for thick or textured hair.

Whether you're completely changing the texture of your hair or taming a little frizz, these straighteners will make you look super polished. Just remember that when you use a flat iron every day it can strip your strands of moisture, so it's best to heat style sparingly. 

The CHI Lava Ceramic Hairstyling Iron is the best according to Good Housekeeping, because it combines the trademark CHI ceramic with volcanic lava to provide consistent yet gentle heat. The combination allows you to straighten your hair with less damage and produces super smooth results. It has a wide range of heat settings, so it can be used on all hair types. Self is a huge fan of the T3 Lucea 1” Professional Straightening & Styling Flat Iron. This straightener can give you beautiful, straight locks in just one pass, so it'll save you a ton of time. 

Cosmopolitan raves about BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Ionic Straightening Iron. This flat iron features a 1.25-inch titanium plate and ceramic heater, so it heats up super fast and recovers quickly to prevent damage. Its ionic technology gives you the smoothest, sleekest hair. For an affordable pick, Byrdie recommends Remington Keratin Therapy 1" Flat Iron because this straightener has keratin-infused plates to give you extra shiny tresses. This SmartPRO™ flat iron is a steal because it causes three times less breakage than a regular straightener. Plus, it has a built-in sensor that adjusts the temperature based on your hair.