Best of all, the smart functionality means you need never again worry about whether or not you’ve switched off your straighteners. Ionic technology: when there’s too much positive charge on each hair strand, they begin to repel each other, making hair static and flyaway. This technology helps to neutralise the charge, smoothing strands down instead. The Strait isn’t cheap but this is one of the best-priced hair straighteners in this round-up. It comes in blue or olive green (to match MDLondon’s Blow hair dryer), with gold detailing, and its colour options alone set it apart from the majority of rivals.

Pros: Affordable, come with a long cable making them easier to use and have lots of temperature settings to choose from The Glamoriser Blue has a wide temperature range: from 80°C to 235°C. You can, however, set the upper and lower limits through the Glamoriser app (free, for iOS and Android) so that the tool never gets hotter than you need it to.With over five years’ experience in beauty and health journalism, Florence has written for ELLE, Women’s Fitness, Sister Magazine, National Geographic Traveller and many more, with a strong sustainability angle thread through much of her work. Who What Wear UK beauty editor Eleanor Vousden loves the original GHD hair straighteners. They have floating plates so you can create a range of different looks, and they're set at the optimum styling temperature of 185ºC. Frizzy hair: Ionic technology is a must to stop water and humidity “fluffing up ” your hair and creating more frizz. Scratched plates: after a few years, you may start to notice scratches or even dents on the plates. This can lead to snagging (ouch) and means your hair is more likely to experience heat damage. Hair products can often sink into the dents too, which not only smells unpleasant, but won’t help your hair either. Fact: hair straighteners are one of the most useful hair tools around. If you're after poker-straight hair, beach waves or bouncy curls, any hair stylist would confirm that having a quality hair straightener can help even the most novice hair enthusiasts master the most versatile hairstyles with ease.

It has a sensor in each of its plates, part of its “dual-zone technology”, to ensure the temperature is always at a constant 185°C or 365°F – which is why you won’t see any dials or displays on this device. The preset temperature takes out the guesswork involved in identifying the ideal heat setting for your hair. Additional accessories: If you're planning on taking your hair straighteners away, consider accessories like heat-proof mats, silicone plate guards and travel pouches, that'll make styling on the go much easier. Ceramic plates: they are slower to warm up than other materials, but they distribute heat more evenly. They tend to be cheaper too, but are more prone to chipping. Temperature settings: consider hair straighteners with variable temperature settings so you get the optimum experience for your hair type and desired look. Such a feature is also great if you plan on sharing your straighteners with others.Ceramic-coated plates: they usually have a metal base topped with a ceramic layer, combining the best qualities of both materials. The outer layer can chip and wear away over time, but a good-quality model should last you at least three years if stored properly. There are five different temperature settings (160 to 230C), a super-fast 15-second heat-up time and an auto-safety shut-off feature. They also come with a heat resistant storage pouch. Your straightening technique is also key to achieving a gorgeous, glossy finish. Instead of ironing to flatten each strand, hairstylist Adam Reed has this advice: “It’s about pressing the hair as a finisher. Only use straighteners on hair above the ears, and lift it upwards as you would do when blow drying, so you’re still getting that oomph into the roots. And work lightly. If you had a silk blouse, you would go carefully and you wouldn’t have the heat at the max. It’s the same with hair.” Think of it as a finishing treatment, rather than a starting point. The price point for the GHD Gold is rather high, but it’s justifiable given that it produces sleek, shiny and lasting results while helping to minimise hair damage. The GHD Gold is an investment in comparison to budget straighteners that may damage your hair in the long run. Fine hair: Look for ceramic plates that distribute heat evenly and more gently. Use lower temperature settings to minimise heat damage.

If you've got frizzy hair: ionic technology is key for you, as it'll protect your hair against humidity throughout the day. After more hair content? Head this way for the best hair dryers, in this direction for travel hair dryers to take on your next weekend break and over here for curling wands. We've also got the best hot rollers, sleep in rollers, best hot brushes and air stylers, as well as the best ghd hair straighteners, best hair curlers and tongs and the best shampoos and conditioners. Why we love it: If you're looking for ground-breaking technology – Dyson is your go-to. Not only has the brand revolutionised the haircare market by applying its trailblazing vacuum know-how to curling wands and hair dryers (Dyson Airwrap, anyone?), but they've also made a sideways jump into heat styling.

Good news: singeing off the ends of your hair in pursuit of the perfect, poker straight style is a thing of the past thanks to smart innovations in hair styling. Indeed, brands like GHD, Dyson and L’Oréal now offer effective ways to protect the hair from the threat of heat damage. But when it comes to finding the best hair straighteners for you, there is much to consider from performance, portability and hair health. Why we love it: Taking a break from chemical formulas from time to time should be a no brainer – hair care included, and this L'Oréal straightener is as close as we'll ever get to naturally straightening your hair. This steam hair straightener, which promises soft, shiny and velvety hair, comes with a little pod, which you fill with water to steam your hair straight – and it totally works. Styling with less heat damage, it's unique and innovative, coming with a built-in brush which results in a style which lasts all day long. Hair feels shinier and softer after use, and the steam makes your hair feel more hydrated. So good that it'll save you money on heat protection sprays too. Iconic technology: hair straighteners with ionic technology reduce frizz, snags and fly-aways because they neutralise the positive charge that'd usually cause hair strands to repel each other. Straighteners are a big investment, so you need to make sure you’ve got all your hair needs covered in one tool before you make the commitment to buy. If you’re not sure what all those buzzwords mean on the side of the box, we’ve simplified them below, so you can figure out what to prioritise. To further protect the hair, you may want to consider a heat protectant. Most effective when applied in sections, some of the best formulas include ghd Bodyguard Heat Protect Spray, Kérastase Discipline Keratin Thermique Creme, and Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Heat/UV Protective Primer.

Read more: 20 Dreamy Long Hairstyles To Make You Rethink That Chop Are titanium or ceramic straighteners better? Your trusted pair of straighteners should last you between two to three years (depending on how well you look after them). The app also offers social media participation (it encourages users to upload their hair creations to photo-sharing platforms) which might be a nice touch for younger users, but I didn’t feel was aimed at me. Glamoriser Smart Bluetooth Hair Straightener: final verdict Afro hair (3C-4C curl types): Consider ceramic-coated plates, which offer a good balance of effectiveness and protection. Steam hair straighteners are a good alternative for powerful styling that do less damage. There’s a pair (the L'Oréal Professionnel New Generation Steampod 3.0) on our list below. How we test hair straighteners

In the Good Housekeeping Institute lab, our experts used a Bossa Nova Shuffle machine to assess how long their style lasted and how much frizz was created in a humid environment.