One of the most common thick-hair problems includes taking an hour or two just to straighten it. I say this because I’m speaking from experience. As someone with super-thick and curly hair, it’s definitely an ordeal to actually straighten my hair (hence, why I don’t do it that often). It’s a process that requires time, patience, the right hair products, and most importantly, the right flat iron. Luckily, now that I’m a beauty editor, I can tap into my arsenal of hairstylists for advice on styling my super thick strands and what products will work best for my hair type. This time around, I tapped celebrity hairstylist David Lopez for some insight. He shared his all-time favorite flat iron for thick hair and the product he can’t live without when heat styling. Read on for everything he had to share.
First things first, you’ll always want to use a good heat protectant to avoid excess damage to your hair. Your heat protectant should be made for your specific hair type. Many stylists generally love cream products over sprays because sprays require using a lot more product to completely coat the hair.
Those with curls should take a few extra precautions since they’re drier in nature and are more prone to damage or breakage. You’ll want to use a smoothing balm or hydrating cream with extra nourishing ingredients and invest in a flat iron with ceramic-coated plates to help minimize heat damage. Lopez chimes in with a little extra advice. “I’ll always recommend a heat protectant, but specifically with a flat iron, I love to use an aerosol heat protectant with hold,” he says. “Kenra’s Heat Block Spray is great because not only does it protect the hair, but it also doubles as a hair spray!” Those with thick hair might want to go for a balm or cream to make sure you coat all your hair, but once you do you’re in business. Keep scrolling for the best flat irons for thick hair.
Reaching a temperature of 450°F and boasting 1.75-inch-wide plates, this flat iron can definitely get the job done for coarse wavy or curly hair types. The price is also fantastic for a quality flat iron.
This HSI Professional Glider straightens, flips, and curls. It even has micro sensors built into its ceramic plates that help regulate the temperature and prevent future hair damage. The temperature also goes up to 450°F and smooths out frizz as you straighten.
Since I have extremely coarse, curly hair, this T3 iron is an absolute dream. I love the wider plates—they truly help cut my straightening time down by at least 20 minutes. Lopez agrees. “The T3 Lucea 1.5″ is hands down my favorite iron out there for thick hair,” he says. “It has all the tech of the original size (single pass, smooth plates, and nine heat settings), but in a 50% larger plate size to get through hair faster. The Ceragloss plates get me shiny, frizz-free results.”
I was first introduced to this flat iron by a friend in college. I instantly fell in love because it managed to create such smooth, shiny, and ultra-straight results that I hadn’t been able to achieve with other flat irons at the time. It’s definitely a staple in my hot-tools kit now and that won’t be changing any time soon.
This iron is uniquely designed to avoid pulling or damaging the hair while styling with its 2.16 inch plates. the extra-wide design and five adjustable temperatures will help those with all kinds of thick hair—curly, wavy—you name it.
I always trust celebrity stylist Kristin Ess’s hair products and her flat iron is no different. It allows you to create sleek, straight styles, curly styles, and helps you create gorgeous S-waves. Although the plates are a bit less wide on this one, don’t worry. It’s still a great option for thick hair as the temperature settings allow you to customize your style to your hair type and texture (it goes up to 440°F).
Hair stylists never stop talking about how great this Ghd flat iron is—and for a good reason. It’s a “smart” straightener that predicts your hair’s needs and adapts to ensure that the temperature is perfect at all times for drier hair types. It helps deliver more shine and reduced breakage.
This is another great moderately-priced option that glides through the hair smoothly with a temperature that goes up to 455°F. The ceramic plates are also infused with real silk proteins that help prevent damage and speed up the straightening process.
Hot Tools’ Pro Signature Flat Iron contains pulse technology which helps it maintains a consistent temperature so you see fast results. It’s also a great option to travel with as it has a universal dual voltage swivel cord.
Revlon’s extremely budget-friendly option has ceramic-coated plates to help reduce heat damage and reaches a temperature of 400ºF. It’s not quite as impressive as some of these other options, but can’t complain for $11, right?
I’m a fan of Chi’s Straightening Iron for its 11-foot cord, titanium-infused ceramic plates, and dual voltage set up. It comes in both a one-inch size and 1.25-inch size so you can pick the one that best suits your hair type.
