Our Favorite Curling Iron
For curls without the burns, the tool we chose is the Dyson Airwrap — it shapes waves with air instead of a scorching barrel. Here's what we bought, plus a few others we seriously considered.
Dyson Airwrap i.d. Multi-Styler
This is the curling tool we actually use. It wraps hair into curls with air instead of a hot barrel — no burns, no scorch marks — and the same tool doubles as a dryer and smoother, so it replaces a drawer full of hot tools.
Check price on AmazonA great curling tool should give lasting curls, easy control, and as little heat damage as possible. Below the one we chose, we've rounded up a few others we considered for different curl types and budgets.
What else we considered
Also considered
TYMO Automatic Rotating Curling Iron
A rotating curling iron that pulls hair in and curls it for you. Worth a look if wrapping hair by hand around a barrel feels tricky.
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Also considered
Wavytalk Blowout Boost Thermal Brush
A heated round brush for smooth, bouncy blowouts rather than tight curls. Good for loose volume on hair that's already dry.
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Also considered
Hot Tools Pro Artist 24K Gold Marcel Curling Iron, 1 Inch
A classic salon curling iron with a 1-inch gold barrel for long-lasting curls and waves. For someone comfortable with a clipless marcel iron.
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Also considered
TYMO CurlPro Plus Automatic Rotating Curling Iron
An upgraded version of the TYMO rotating curler with more settings. A good choice if you curl often and want consistent results.
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Also considered
Conair Double Ceramic Curling Iron, 1 Inch
An inexpensive, reliable ceramic curling iron. A good first iron for a teen.
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Also considered
BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Spring Curling Iron
A titanium barrel that heats fast and stays hot, with an easy spring clip. A pro-level tool for thick hair.
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Also considered
Remington Shine Therapy Curling Wand, 1 Inch
A clipless wand for loose, beachy waves. Comes with a heat glove, which you should actually use.
Check priceWhy we chose it
Getting eight people out the door means the bathroom runs like a relay, and the sliver of time Mom gets for herself usually goes to her hair. The old curling iron left a little red mark on her wrist more than once, took forever to heat, and never quite gave her the curls she was after. Something had to give before someone earned a real burn on a school morning.
We landed on the Dyson Airwrap i.d. Multi-Styler after Mom borrowed a friend’s for a wedding and came home a convert. It wraps hair into curls with a stream of air instead of a scorching barrel, so there’s no metal hot enough to leave a mark, and the same tool dries and smooths too. In a house with one shared outlet by the mirror, a single gadget that replaces a drawer full of hot tools is its own kind of miracle.
It is not cheap, and we thought hard about the drugstore irons we could have grabbed for a fraction of the price. But those get dropped and burned out, and we were replacing them yearly. The Airwrap has held up to daily use and gives Mom bouncy waves without the heat damage her hair used to take, and the no-burn design means she can get ready in a crowded bathroom without worrying about a curling-iron burn. For how often she reaches for it, it earns its spot.
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