Best Hairstyling Tools for Perfect Hair Days

We’ve compiled the best hair styling tools for perfect hair days–blowdry, curl, or straighten your locks with these exceptional styling tools for every hair type and budget. 

Although a wash-and-go look is ideal, it’s not that easy for most. This is where having the perfect hair tool comes in handy. In fact, the top hair styling tools on the market can help you achieve your desired style with less effort. And that translates to fewer bad hair days.

Some hair tools like brushes and combs are basic items that almost everyone can benefit from. But more complex tools out there can take your hairstyle to the next level depending on your personal preferences, styling goals, and hair type.

If you’ve ever found yourself standing in the hair care aisle of a beauty store feeling overwhelmed, we’re here to help. We’ve rounded up some top hair tool options that can help you nail the perfect ‘do every time.

In this article:

• Our Picks for the Best Hair Styling Tools
• What to Look for in the Best Hair Styling Tool for You?
• Hair Tools FAQ

Our Picks for the Best Hair Styling Tools

From curling wands to flat irons and more, find all the best hair tools for every hairstyle, budget, and preference below!

It’s no surprise that Dyson is a leader in the field of home appliances. The brand initially made a name for itself by creating top-notch vacuums but has since expanded into the health and beauty realm. Enter: The Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer.

The Supersonic Hair Dryer is an effective hair tool for many hair types, from delicate and brittle to thick and coarse. It’s our pick for the best styling tool overall because of its gentle power. Instead of relying on heat, this blow dryer has a powerful V9 motor that emits a forceful jet of air. This means faster drying times with minimal heat — and minimal heat damage.

It even has an intelligent heat control technology that further minimizes heat damage. Many other brands claim to have similar effects, but users prone to frizziness raved that Dyson surpasses almost all other blow dryers on this front, especially when used with the flyaway attachment.

The tool comes with five magnetic attachments designed for curly, straight, and wavy hair, allowing you to customize your look in various ways. It’s quite expensive, though — it can be hard to justify spending hundreds of dollars on a styling tool. For those with easy-to-style hair, the Dyson might be overkill, but if you struggle to tame and style your unmanageable hair using other blow dryers, the Dyson Supersonic might be worth the investment.

If you’re on a budget, the BaByliss PRO blow dryer offers solid value for the money. It’s very lightweight and even surpasses Dyson when it comes to wattage (2000 vs. 1600). 

Reviewers (including many professionals) said it’s durable and holds up for years, even with regular use in a salon environment. Although it’s not the cheapest hair dryer out there, it’s still a fiscally-prudent option — and it’ll take a long time before needing to replace it. 

We do wish this dryer came with more attachments, though. It comes with a concentrator nozzle, which is great for smooth styles, but it’s missing a diffuser for gentle styling or curly hair. 

For many people, a quality blowout is the ultimate hairstyle. But having to maneuver a blow dryer and round brush at the same time can be difficult. Thankfully, blow dryer brushes can make the process much smoother (pun intended). Drybar’s Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush is our favorite one in this category. It’s designed to dry, volumize, and smooth the hair in one go — the perfect way to style your hair in a single step.

This blowout brush has a vented design that ensures maximum airflow for faster blowouts, with multiple heat settings that you can adjust for your needs. Designed for most hair types, this blow dryer brush is one of the best hair tools for combating frizz. 

According to Drybar, this tool relies on ionic technology to seal the cuticle and add shine. It does this well, although not quite as well as using Dyson’s Supersonic hair dryer, which has a flyaway attachment to direct hair specifically for smoothing purposes. Note that those with thick tresses may find that the brush design takes longer to dry their hair when compared to a traditional blow dryer.

The Revlon Hot Air Brush is one of the best finds for budget-conscious shoppers. It’s a remarkably close dupe for the Drybar brush, but at a fraction of the cost. It relies on ionic technology to not only dry your hair but also to smooth and reduce frizz.  

The brush head’s oval design helps to boost lift while smoothing hair and curling your ends. This pick offers three heat settings (that also correspond with three different speed settings), which you can customize based on what your hair can tolerate. 

Compared to Drybar’s brush, this styling tool offers the same speed and ease of use. Keep in mind, though, that it’s quite loud compared to both Drybar and Dyson’s Supersonic hair dryer, and some Amazon reviewers noted that the level of air pressure it emits could be slightly inconsistent (especially as the tool ages). 

The GHD Max Styler is an excellent option for those looking to quickly straighten their hair or flip their ends. The larger plates mean that you can zip through a hair straightening session in less time — a must if you’re trying to recreate any sleek fall or winter hairstyle trends.

This is one of the best hair styling tools to quickly and effectively smooth and straighten thick, curly hair, thanks to its ceramic iron broad plates that heat up in 30 seconds. 

It combats frizz while maximizing shine, but be aware that if you leave the plates in contact with your hair for too long, you may experience some heat damage. This flat iron also only supports one temperature setting of 365 degrees Fahrenheit, which might be too hot if your hair is fragile.

Last but not least, our favorite part about this product is its sleep mode. It’ll automatically shut off after 30 minutes of use, so you won’t have to stress wondering if you unplugged it after rushing out the door. 

There’s nothing like a classic curling iron for creating the perfect curls every time. It’s pricey but effective. The 1-inch barrel is the ideal size for creating medium curls or feathery waves for every hair length. If you like extra-voluminous curls, however, you may want to explore curlers with larger barrels.  

This curling iron is perfect for all hair types and textures, thanks to the five heat settings (from 260 to 410 degrees Fahrenheit) that you can adjust based on your hair’s needs. Thanks to smart microchip technology, you’ll get consistent and even heat with every use. And better yet, the brand focuses on one-pass usability for fast styling and minimized heat exposure. 

While curling irons are a staple in the hot tools category, not everyone likes using them because of the built-in clamp, which can be hard to maneuver. Enter the curling wand, essentially identical to a curling iron minus the clamp. The Bed Head curling wand is a 1-inch wand that excels at creating beachy waves and looser curls, although it’s not ideal if you like the really tight curls you can achieve with a clip.  

Even though we’re highlighting the 1-inch barrel, this tool also comes in other widths, from as small as half an inch to as large as 1 ½ inches. The wand comes with a heat-resistant glove and features a cool tip for better handling. However, it only has one temperature setting, which can be an issue. It reaches 400 degrees Fahrenheit at full heat, which is great if your hair resists curling but does increase the potential to cause heat damage. 

The HSI Professional Glider flat iron has ceramic tourmaline designed to glide over the hair without pulling or snagging. It’s not as large as our pick from GHD, so using it takes a little longer, although the size makes it a more convenient choice for those with medium or short hair. 

The tourmaline ceramic plates work to reduce frizz for a silky finish. Better still, you can adjust the temperature between 140 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, making it perfect for a wide range of styles and hair types. That said, we find changing the temperature a little cumbersome once the tool is turned on since the dial is on the inside. 

We like that this pick comes with a heat-resistant glove to protect you as you work through your hair. You’ll also get a sample of argan oil for your hair and a travel-friendly pouch. Additionally, this flat iron supports both 110 and 220 volts, making it ideal for international travel. 

If you’ve committed to always rocking natural curls, this blow dryer is the only hairstyling tool you’ll need, and it’s reasonably priced to boot. Designed with curlies in mind, it features a diffuser that controls airflow to keep curls healthy. As it dries, it’ll also define your curls for a naturally voluminous, frizz-free style. 

That said, it’s not versatile. If you’d like a blow dryer that’ll also help you smooth out your curls into straighter hair or loose waves every once in a while, you’re better off choosing a regular blow dryer and purchasing a diffuser attachment separately. 

The nozzle itself is much wider than on a standard dryer, though, which helps dry more curls in one go. Just note that the motor can get pretty loud.  

Hot rollers have recently made a comeback on TikTok. If you like the idea of letting your hair set into curls while you go about your routine, then hot rollers might just be for you. All you have to do is charge them, roll your tresses around them, and attach a clip to secure them in place.

The T3 Volumizing Hot Rollers Luxe comes as a set of eight heated rollers in two different sizes for creating multi-dimensional curls. Using them takes some practice, but once you get the hang of it, they’ll save you a lot of time compared to traditional curlers. 

With these T3 rollers, you can choose from two heat settings: a lower one for fine or fragile hair and a higher one for curl-resistant hair. There’s also an auto-shutoff, so you don’t need to worry about damaging your hair by leaving them in for too long. The rollers feature velvet flocking to protect your hands as you use them while simultaneously enhancing shine and minimizing flyaways.

---

Get stylin’ 

Hair styling tools give you the power to get creative with your look. In our opinion, the overall best hairstyling tool we reviewed is the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer, thanks to its incredible performance and versatility. It’s a fast-drying blow dryer that doesn’t damage the hair, and it comes with a range of attachments to create very different styles. 

But styling tools are a personal thing, and ultimately, it’s about finding the one that’ll provide you with the hairstyle of your dreams — whatever that may be. 

How to pick the right hair styling tools for you

Whether you have ultra-short hair or an incredibly long mane, hair styling tools can up your game. Between different hair types, experience levels, and styling goals, picking the right tool is entirely subjective. But we’ve provided some suggestions and general tips to keep in mind when shopping for the best hair tools for you.

Desired look 

• Blowout. If you want your hair to simply look a little more “done,” meaning smoother and more volumized, chances are you’re aiming for a blowout. For that, you need a quality blow dryer like our pick from Dyson. Or, if you want something that’s easier to maneuver, a blowout brush like our picks from Drybar or Revlon can give you just that.
• Curls. Adding a curl to your hair is one easy way to feel more glamorous. A curling iron like the one from T3 is our favorite. But for a more feathery S-shaped curl, you can also opt for a curling wand like our pick from Bed Head. Hot rollers are also ideal for creating voluminous curls, and they don’t require as much active styling time. And last but not least, if you have naturally curly hair, a blow dryer with a diffuser like the Bed Head Diffuser Dryer can help you refine your curls. 
• Straight. Straightened hair isn’t as popular as it once was, but there’s still room for sleek styling. You can smooth your hair with a blow dryer like the Dyson (which even has a special comb-like smoothing attachment), or opt for a powerful flat iron like our pick from GHD. 
• Waves. Waves are best achieved with a curling iron or wand. You just need to curl your hair and run a hairbrush through the curls to break them up and turn them into more natural waves. For feathery waves, choose a curler with a smaller barrel. For flowy, more romantic waves, opt for a larger barrel.

Hair condition

• Balanced. If your hair is mainly healthy and not prone to getting oily or dry, you’ll probably be able to use any hairstyling tool. Simply choose the option that’ll give you the style you want. 
• Fine or damaged. If your hair is naturally very fine or it’s suffered some damage, you’ll want gentle hair styling tools. Stay away from high-heat tools, which can damage your hair even more. Instead, look for options with low default heat settings or a wide enough range of settings so you can adjust the temperature to suit your hair needs. Additionally, make sure to use heat protectant spray before styling your hair. 
• Coarse or thick. If you have coarse or thick hair, on the other hand, hair tools that get extra hot will be necessary, especially if you want to go from curly to straight or vice versa. If your tool doesn’t get hot enough, you may find yourself having to go over the same hair section multiple times to get your desired effect, which is just as damaging in the long term. 

Hair length 

• Long. The longer your hair, the larger the barrel or plate of your hairstyling tool should be. For example, the GHD Flat Iron has a 2-inch plate for faster styling.
• Short. With short hair, on the other hand, it’ll be difficult to maneuver a large styling tool. For example, you could end up accidentally burning yourself with too big of a barrel, so smaller tools like the 1-inch curler from T3 will work best.
• Medium. As you’ve likely already guessed, medium-lengthed hair benefits from medium-sized hair tools. We think you’ll do great with any of the options on our list.

FAQs

What brand is best for hair styling tools?

We’ve found that hairstyling tool brands offer various implements and perhaps a few duds, which is why our selection is so diverse. If you’re looking for just one brand to rely on for all of your tools, Drybar and T3 are both fairly consistent in quality. Bed Head is another great brand to consider, especially if you’re shopping on a budget. 

What’s the least damaging hair styling tool?

Any heat styling tool can cause some damage to the hair, but blow dryers are usually the safest option because your strands don’t come in direct contact with the source of the heat. Our overall top hairstyling tool pick, the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer, has a unique automatic temperature control setting that prevents overheating — a setting that’s especially impressive for preventing hair damage. 

What’s the best hair styling tool for short hair?

The majority of options on our list are perfectly suitable for short hair. The best of the bunch, though, is the Bed Head Curlipops Clamp-Free Curling Wand with the ¾-inch barrel. This curling wand is smaller in size, which makes it easy to twist short strands around, and there’s no clip to complicate matters further.