Summer might mean pool days and wet hair—but also vacations and nights out at beach bars. For those times, you want hair tools that work quickly for effortless styles that defy humidity. Some of our favorites, including Dyson’s pricey Airstrait and Airwrap, are currently on sale.
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Hair Straightener Deals
Read our Best Hair Straighteners and Best Hair Dryers guides for more recommendations.
Dyson Airstrait
Photograph: Dyson
Dyson’s Airstrait (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a favorite of some folks on the WIRED staff. Using high-velocity downward blades of air, it dries and straightens hair without you having to clamp hair between hot plates. Like most Dyson tools, it styles without singeing hair so you can have more good hair days and less breakage. Depending on your hair type, you may need to use the wet mode first until the hair is dry, and then switch to the dry mode to smooth out any puffiness. You may have to play around to figure out whether your hair should be damper or drier—it did straighten my coarse curls quite impressively, but it took longer than my preferred method.
It still has a hefty price, but if you’ve been coveting this blowout tool, it might be worth it. The Airwrap Complete (8/10, WIRED Recommends) comes with a curling barrel for long hair (and it switches directions so you won’t need two), a diffuser, a wide-tooth comb, and two brush attachments, plus the impressive smoothing dryer attachment that truly eliminates flyaways.
If the GHD is more in your budget, it has a similar concept as the Dyson Airstrait but uses traditional plates. Hot air vents down the center of the plates dry your hair first. Depending on the hair type and the style desired, that could be enough. If not, turn on the plates and straighten your hair as usual.
BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Prima 3100 Flat Iron
This is one of the best flat irons I’ve used on my coarse, stubborn hair. My curls didn’t stand a chance against this, and it didn’t pull or fry it to get it straight. The outer stainless steel house also heats up for easier curling if you struggle with that. However, I hate where the temperature buttons are placed. I was constantly changing settings while styling.
GHD has other hair tools we like, like the Chronos. This flat iron has a new technology to more evenly distribute heat and keep it at 365 degrees Fahrenheit—GHD tools only have one temperature setting, which is enough for a lot of hair to be styled without damage, but I have always needed higher heat. The Chronos has a rounded shape which helps make easier curls.
A vibrating iron! It seems overkill, but somehow it creates perfect tension, allowing you to get straight hair in fewer passes without ripping your hair out. Our tester straightened one side of her head with the vibration and one without. She said it was noticeably shinier and took only a single pass per section with vibrations, rather than two to three passes on the other side.
One WIRED writer says this is the best hair dryer she’s used, giving her smooth, shiny blowouts without overheating. It’s not super heavy either, which is nice when you have a lot of hair to get through. It comes with two air concentrator nozzles, but no diffuser; you have to purchase that separately. Be aware of the speed and heat control buttons, as they’re right where your hand goes.