13 Best Hair Straighteners, According to Testing

We updated this article in January 2023 to ensure all products researched by the

Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab were in stock and accurately priced.

Whether you have naturally curly hair, waves or even mostly-straight hair, there’s nothing quite like the shine and sleekness that comes from smoothing out hair with a straightening iron. The problem: It can be difficult to find the one that’s best for your hair type (and budget). That’s why each year in the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab, we evaluate thousands of hair tools, from the best hair dryers to top-tested curling irons and hair-smoothing hair dryer brushes, to find the only ones that are worth your money.

After over 4,914 heat data points measured and 108 swatch expansion measurements taken in our most recent Beauty Lab test, we found the top flat irons and straightening brushes at all price points for every hair type that make easy work of straightening your hair — we even found the best flat irons that can curl your hair, too (just remember to douse hair with heat protectant before using). Based on GH Beauty Lab tests, these are the best hair straighteners you can buy now.

Our top picks:

Below, you can read more about how we evaluate hair straighteners as well as tips for finding the best hair straightener for you, including the best heat settings for your hair type, features to keep in mind (and claims to watch out for) and insight from top stylists on whether titanium or ceramic hair straighteners are better.