The 8 Best Curling Wands, Tested & Reviewed

Best Overall

ghd Tapered Curling Wand

$209 $167 at Amazon $209 at Sephora $209 at Ulta

Auto Shut-Off: 30 minutes | Heat-Up Time: 22 seconds | Cord Length: 8 feet

This lightweight wand was a favorite during testing, and it's easy to understand why. The uniquely flattened taper shape of the rod offers some styling versatility, from a tighter hold to a looser, beach-like wave. It took about 10 to 15 seconds to achieve a full-bodied curl, and you can achieve loose waves if you leave this curling wand on for less time. At a preset temperature of 365 degrees, which we can confirm does not exceed 366 degrees at its core and gets down to 320 degrees near its end, this wand is designed to protect your hair from heat damage. Its 22-second heat-up time, easy-to-maneuver swivel cord, protective cool tip, and automatic shutoff are also some favorite features that are hard to beat. It does fall on the pricey end of the spectrum (at nearly $200), but we absolutely think it's worth the investment.

Michelle, tester: "I didn't have to hold it for very long at all to get a defined curl. To achieve a softer, more tousled wave, I could hold it for just a second or two and give it a different look. It made my hair look significantly healthier than it did before using it. My hair actually appeared shinier after styling it with the wand without having applied any hair oil or product. It reduced frizz and tamed flyaways with ease."

Best Budget

Bed Head Curlipops Ceramic Clamp-Free 1/2" Curling Wand

$35 at Amazon $30 at Walmart

Auto Shut-Off: None | Heat Up Time: 2:37 | Cord Length: 6 feet

For some of us, simpler is better when it comes to technology—including when it comes to our hair tools. The BedHead's Curlipops Ceramic Wand is no exception with its straightforward design and no-fuss, easy-to-use mechanics of a single on/off button—you’re getting the features you pay for, here. That’s not to say this wand won’t deliver. Our testers gave it a collective 4/5 rating for curl hold, saying that with just a little extra time spent holding hair around the wand, a defined, bouncy curl was the result—and though it loosened up a bit with time, the shape remained intact. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money and you aren’t looking for anything fancy, this $30 option has got you covered.

Best Drugstore

Conair Double Ceramic Curling Wand

$20 $16 at Amazon $18 at Target $24 at Ulta

Auto Shut-Off: 1 hour | Heat-Up Time: N/A | Cord Length: 6 feet

The Conair double ceramic curling wand is going to give you even heat distribution for long-lasting curls—and, at under $20, there’s no arguing with that. While the wand can reach up to 400 degrees, you may not need to take it so high, due to its efficiency on thicker hair types. It doesn’t have a ton of bells and whistles, but it does have 30 different heat settings to choose from. Sure, this feature was a little confusing to some of our testers, especially when compared to the straightforward digital displays on other wand options, but it didn’t disrupt the styling ability rating and ease of use. TL;DR: This drugstore option is a value that’s hard to beat.

Best for Versatility

Amika The Chameleon 5-Barrel Interchangeable Curling Kit

$300 at Amazon View on Loveamika.com View on Cultbeauty.com

Auto Shut-Off: 1 hour | Heat-Up Time: 1:58 | Cord Length: 8 feet

If you aren’t someone who likes to wear the same look every single day, the Amika Chameleon 5 Barrel Interchangeable Curling Kit is the wand for you. Don’t be scared off by the price tag on this one—you’re essentially getting five different irons with this kit. Plus, each titanium barrel will heat your tresses quickly and leave you with long-standing hold and a smooth finish. Also, its temperature setting has an easy-to-read (and control) digital display that will reach up to 450 degrees for thicker, more stubborn hair types. We noticed that there was no drop to our curls as time wore on. Overall, we felt that this wand would be a match made in heaven for any hair chameleon and would cater to the needs of varying hair densities and textures.

Best Splurge

Dyson Airwrap

$599 at Amazon $599 at Sephora $600 at Ulta

Auto Shut-Off: N/A | Heat Up Time: N/A | Cord Length: 8.75 feet

Dyson's cutting-edge technology has set a new standard for what we can come to expect in a hot tool, and the Airwrap is no exception. With six interchangeable magnetic attachments—for smoothing, volumizing, and of course, curling—this tool does so much more than your average curling wand. The Airwrap doesn’t even offer a temperature control because it automatically keeps its internal temperature below 302 degrees to avoid causing any heat damage to your strands. Yes, there is a small learning curve due to its uniqueness, but our testers still gave it a 4.5/5 for styling ability and a 4.25/5 for ease of use.

Another differentiating factor is the fact that this wand uses airflow as its main source of heat, so the results you’re going to get are more similar to the curls from a blowout that loosen up over time. It certainly falls on the pricey end of the spectrum, but this transformational tool will help you achieve a variety of different looks, keep the integrity of your strands, and help speed up your overall styling time. For these reasons, it's a worthy splurge in our books.

Sophia, tester: "All you do is hold the wand up to the hair and let the air suck it up. I think it's super easy to use and doesn't take a lot of skill."

Best for Fine Hair

Gisou Curling Tool

$129 at Sephora View on Gisou.com

Auto Shut-Off: 1 hour | Heat-Up Time: 1:36 | Cord Length: 8.2 feet

While testing the Gisou Curling Iron, we found that this wand left the best curls for fine hair types. Not only were we a fan of the rod shape and curl definition, but we loved that there was no need to hold the iron against the hair for long periods to get long-lasting, desired results. Plus, the ceramic barrel is a huge perk in terms of protecting finer strands from damage. Those of us with thicker hair also reported impressive results in their styling. The cute black and pink aesthetic and extremely lightweight grip also made it an easy favorite.

Best for Beginners

Hot Tools Flipperless Tapered Wand

$55 $45 at Amazon $65 at Ulta $81 $70 at Walmart

Auto Shut-Off: N/A | Heat Up Time: 2:34 | Cord Length: 8 feet

Hot Tools is a brand known for its classic, timeless hot tools. The brand's tools, including this wand, always offer a straightforward design that's easy to use for newbies. A heat-resistant glove is included with the Nano Ceramic Flipperless Wand, but it also offers a large cool-tip surface which serves as a great safety net for any beginner. Our hair had a healthy, shiny finish with minimal frizz after using this wand, thanks in large part to the ceramic barrel and snag-free surface that offers heat protection to your strands, as well as an effortless glide. Even if you aren’t new to the wand search, this Hot Tools wand option is sure to leave you with reliable results you’ll be raving about.

Best for Natural Hair

T3 Ceramic Styling Wand

$180 at Amazon $180 at Sephora $180 at Nordstrom

Auto Shut-Off: 1 hour | Heat-Up Time: 1:22 | Cord Length: 8 feet

Curling wands come in either a straight barrel shape or a tapered barrel shape, and this T3 Single Pass Wand comes with both straight and tapered interchangeable barrel sizes. Having this multitude of options, especially in terms of tapered rods, can really help enhance natural hair types with more of a believable finish, because let’s face it: natural curls aren’t always the most uniform. The hold that this iron offers is impeccable and the definition was unmatched.

The temperature does reach 410 degrees as promised, but even thicker hair types noted some concerns about higher heat levels from this wand. With a very small safety stand holding up this tapered shape, it does tend to fall forward and potentially burn surfaces beneath it, so be sure to use a heat-resistant mat if you have one—and of course, don’t forget your heat protectant spray!