These are the best curlers for salon-worthy glam (2025)

Only the very best hair curlers are capable of keeping your silky locks in perfect bouncy ringlets from dusk ’til dawn, so, we set out to find exactly which ones are up to the task. From the must-have gentle and undone “French new wave” to the TikTok favourite mermaid S-shape, there are countless curl styles to choose from, to suit every taste and hair type. Now, thanks to the latest generation of hair curlers, it’s even easier to get creative, too.

Generally, if you’re going for a more traditional wand or tong, the smaller the barrel, the tighter the curl. The ghd curve thin curling wand will give you the corkscrew curls of dreams, while the T3 curl ID creates red-carpet-ready curls that ooze glamour.

For those who can’t get to grips with wrapping their tresses around hair tools, innovative devices such as the Dyson airwrap and the BaByliss wave secret air will do it for you automatically, by sucking up your hair and getting it into shape.

Then there are the the oversized three-barrel hair wavers, such as the Beauty Works professional jumbo waver, as loved by Filter’s Molly-Mae Hague. These designs work differently, in that you clamp the hair, just as you would with an old-fashioned crimper, but, instead of zigzags, you’ll get mermaid-esque waves.

Once you’ve figured out what kind of curls you’re after, consider your hair type. Fine, fragile or over-processed strands will need variable temperature settings to dial down the heat, so as not to damage strands while styling. Meanwhile, thicker or straight styles will need a high temperature, so the curls stay in place. Read on, to find out which devices we rate as being the best hair curlers on the market.

How we tested

To find the best hair curlers, we put both the long-standing faves and latest hot tools on trial. All were tested individually on freshly washed strands and protected with the same all-important heat protection spray. To make this winning line-up, the hair curlers had to create long-lasting salon-worthy professional curls. However, they also had to be easy to master and speedy to use. They also had to heat up quickly, and have automatic shut-off, for peace of mind, and we paid attention to any that had multiple heat settings or any stand-out features, such as Dyson’s unique ‘cool shot’ function. Lastly, our tester took note of how long their curls – when using the same topical products (hairsprays, serums etc) – lasted throughout the day, after using each tool.

The best hair curlers for 2025 are:

• Best overall –Dyson special edition complete long airwrap: £349.99, Dyson.co.uk
• Best budget buy –Remington proluxe you adaptive styler: £49.99, Amazon.co.uk
• Best for ease of use –BaByliss wave secret air: £150, Next.co.uk
• Best for mermaid waves –Bellissima beach waves styler 2-in-1: £49.99, Amazon.co.uk
• Best for corkscrew curls –ghd curve thin curling wand: £120.48, Amazon.co.uk