Hot hair tools (read: straighteners, curling irons, blow dryers and hot air brushes) are to our beauty cupboards what designer handbags and trench coats are to our wardrobes: investment items we’ll use time and time again. There was a period in history where creating a perfect salon blowdry at home or pin-straight strands that lasted all day was once a whimsical dream, but now, it’s a reality.
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Hair tools from hair dryers to straighteners, curling wants, and heated brushes have gone high-tech in recent years and this has coincided with a skyrocketing interest in high volume hair. On TikTok, “Utah hair” has gone viral thanks to the cascading waves seen on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (back for Season 2 this year and weirder and more watchable than ever). And Sabrina Carpenter’s perfect puffy fringe is one of the biggest hair trends of 2025 and has sent us scrambling for the perfect hot brush.
While their immediate impact on our bank accounts can feel spicey the right hair tools will save you time on the journey to the perfect sleek and shiny glass hair look or voluminous blowdry and given we use them daily, the cost per use will justify the price tag. Before we get into our ELLE-approved hot tools, here’s what to look for according to an expert.
What To Look For In A Hot Hair Tool
In 30 years of hairdressing, Anthony Nader of RAW Hair has road-tested most tools and finds those made of ceramic materials provide superior results. “Ceramic plates allow for even heat distribution, lowering the chance you’ll burn your hair,” Nader explains. When looking for a hot tool, check out the materials it’s made from and, while you can find the occasional deal, be ready to invest. “We all love a good deal as much as the next person, but your hot tools are not something you should cheap out on,” says Nader. Price is often indicative of the quality of the materials, the technology of the product and the years of research that have gone into perfecting the tool in your hand, so do your homework and invest wisely.
We’ve made it easier with our list of tried and tested favourites below.
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The Best Hot Hair Tools 2025
ghd, Chronos Wide Plate Straightener
$495 at ghd
A full head of hair is all fun and games until it comes time for morning heat styling. If you have long, thick or curly hair (or, lord forgive, extensions), you will know the unique pain of styling your hair in the morning, from setting your alarm an hour early to arriving at your desk not feeling you quite nailed it.
Straightening is a particular pain point, those skinny little wands designed for zipping through hair are uniquely unsuited to to those of us blessed with lusher manes. This is why we were thrilled when ghd caved to popular demand and brought out their much-loved Chronos in a wide-plate version. The Chronos is already at the top of our list for straighteners thanks to its ergonomically curved plates that reach right to the edges of the straightener, and wishbone hinge makes curling your hair, as well as straightening it, a breeze. The straightener’s big sister has 85 per cent larger plates for three times faster styling and features the Chronos high gloss plates that seal the cuticle from root to tip for high shine.
Key features:
- Maintains 185 degree temperature with HD motion-responsive technology
- Re-engineered wishbone hinge provides perfect tension for styling
- Floating plates and curved barrel makes straightening or curling effortless
Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer
$588 (was $749) at Dyson
Lightweight and stealthy (it’s almost completely silent), the Dyson Supersonic is famous for its five attachments, unique nozzle and “smart styling” abilities. The famous hair styler has now had a refresh with the Dyson Nural, an even cleverer addition to the Dyson family. The nural features smart technology that auto adapts to the surface of the hair and scalp (no fiddling with heat settings necessary) for minimal heat and skin damage.
One of the quirks of Dyson is they frequently offer colour ways of their hot hair tools at sale prices (rather than the complete range). If you’re in the market for a Dyson product but not phased about the shade, it pays to have a browse. Currently, this pretty strawberry pink is one sale.
Key Features:
- Infinity sensors monitor heat 250 times a second
- Rounded barrel to both straighten and curl
- Optimum styling temperature of 185ºC
- 5 attachments
- multiple colour ways
Shark Smooth Style Heated Comb Straightener + Smoother
$129.99 usually ($149.00) at Shark Beauty
The 90s blowout has made a major comeback, and this rounded heated comb makes achieving a smooth glossy finish and holding a curl easy. Unlike traditional hot brushes, the Shark Smooth style features both boar bristle hairs typical of a blowdry brush and metal comb prongs you’d find on your… comb.
When you activate the “wet-to-dry” mode, the boar bristles shine providing weightless volume. Then, you can switch to “dry styling” and let the comb detangle, smooth and straighten. Magic.
Key Features:
- Two settings for wet and dry styling
- Three preset temperature settings
- Comb allows for precision styling
- Cool touch tip
- 2 years warranty
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Ghd Chronos Hair Straightener
$395.20 (usually $465.00) at ghd
Ghd straighteners are famous for their longevity, with TikTok being full of brand acolytes that brandish the OG straighteners they picked up in the 2010s. If you’ve been hanging onto your first ghd for decades, or you’re simply looking for the best straightener money can buy, we suggest you pick up the brand’s latest addition to the range. The Chronos is ergonomically designed for faster “one-stroke” straightening that leaves maximum shine in very little time and inflicts minimum heat damage. And, if you’ve always struggled to curl your hair with a straightener, you’ll find the motion-responsive plates, rotating wishbone hinge and ergonomically rounded barrel make the process a breeze.
Key Features:
- The wishbone hinge makes rotating the rounded barrel easy
- Ceramic floating plates and gloss coating allow for 3 x faster styling and 85 per cent more shine
- 2x more responsive heat monitoring – maintains optimum styling temperature of 185 degrees Celsius
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Dyson Airwrap Original Multi-Styler and Dryer
$849.00 at Dyson
Just like its close relation to the Supersonic, the Dyson Airwrap is one of the most lusted-after hair tools beauty, and it’s also one of the priciest. Given it’s technically a six-in-one hair tool (we think of it as a hair tool Swiss Army Knife) the lofty price tag more than checks out.
Key Features:
- 30mm and 40mm curling barrels
- Round volumising brush
- Soft smoothing brush
- Firm smoothing brush
- Blowdry attachment
- Coconda airflow styles with minimum heat damage
- Presentation case
- Available in a wide range of colours
06
Cloud Nine, The Wide Iron
Currently $319.20 (usually $399.00) atAdore Beauty
Another win for thick, curly or very long hair Cloud Nine’s Wide Iron will not only give glossy, sleek locks but also get the job done in a fraction of the time a regular straightener would. With mineralised plates the iron glides through hair, locking in moisture and shine with minimal breakage. Plus, the swivel handle makes creating flicks and face-framing curls easy.
Key Features:
- Wide plates for thick and curly hair
- Sericite and tourmaline mineral-infused for locking in moisture
- 11 variable heat settings for minimal damage
- Swivel handle
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Dry Bar, The Brush Crush Heated Straightening Brush
$241 at Sephora
A stalwart in any hair styling arsenal, the heated straightening brush is the one we love to keep on the desk side for after-work hair refreshes or use in the morning to quickly revive a blowdry.
Post work, a wave of this wand has our hair de-frizzed, detangled and perfectly polished. Almost like we didn’t just spend 7 hours slumped at our desks with our headphones on. The Dry Bar Heated Straightening Brush features ceramic bristles that glide through hair, distributing heat evenly and quickly adding shine. It’s also narrow enough for spot-straightening smaller sections of hair around the face. It heats up quickly meaning it’s perfect for when you’re on a time crunch.
Key Features:
- Digital temperature control heats up to 230 degrees Celsius – use lower heat if your hair is fragile or damaged
- Professional length 7.24m cord
- Ionic technology for minimum frizz
08
Hot Tools 24k Gold Curl Bar 25mm
$159.20 (usually $199.00) at Adore Beauty
The Hot Tools Curl Bar is a favourite for curling beginners thanks to its unique shape that removes the need to become a contortionist to achieve your perfect curl. With a 25mm barrel it’s suitable for creating a variety of styles, from loose mermaid waves to tight tendrils. Even better? There’s a timer built in that will let you know when you’ve held each section for the perfect amount of time—a no-brainer.
Key Features:
- Unique ergonomic shape
- 25mm barrel
- Self timer
- 24k gold surface for even heat distribution
- Digital temperature control
- Temperature settings range from 160c to 230c
- Pulse technology heats quickly
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Bondi Boost, Infrared BOunce Brush
$116.25 (usually $155) at Oz Hair & Beauty
Looking for Utah curls on dry hair? We can hand on heart say this peculiar little brush has delivered as the best, longest-lasting swooping curls of any dry styler. The Bondi Boost Bounce brush uses infrared technology to heat hair safely, reducing frizz, enhancing shine and creating the soft, voluminous waves of your dreams. Use on dry hair working through in sections, holding each for about a minute and you’ll have the soft Sabrina Carpenter-esque curls of your dreams.
Available at:
- Infrared technology used to heat hair enhances shine
- Completely silent
- Dry styler
10
Shark SmoothStyle, Heated Comb & Blow Dryer Brush
$119.99 (usually $149) at Myer
The blowdry brush is a must-have for lazy girls, but finding a high-quality option that doesn’t break the bank but won’t fry your hair can be tricky. The Shark SmoothStyle Heated Comb & Blow Dryer brush ticks both boxes and a few extras. The multi-functional hot tool has a “wet hair” mode and a “dry hair” mode. The dry hair mode is a heated comb that uses ceramic-coated plates to smooth hair and give a sleek, glossy finish. The wet hair mode is more of a traditional blowdry brush that quickly dries your hair, giving an easy blowout with long-lasting waves. No notes.
Key Features:
- 3 preset air temperatures
- 1 preset heated smoothing comb finish
- Ceramic bristles
11
Mermade Waver Pro 32mm
$87.20 (usually $109) at Adore Beauty
This popular tool does the job of styling Mermade waves for you with its three-pronged section. Simply clamp down dry hair in sections, come out and your cascading pre-Raphelite waves will be ready in moments.
Key Features:
- Heat-resistant soft touch handle
- Crimp free design for “ripple” curl effect
- Ceramic barrels for minimal heat damage
- Swivel 2.5m cord
- Heats in 60 seconds
Available at:
- $109 at Myer
- $87.20 (usually $109) at Oz Hair & Beauty
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Ruby FeneleySenior Writer, Fashion + Beauty
After completing a Bachelor of Arts at The University of Sydney (English Literature/Gender and Culture Studies), Ruby started her Australian media career as a media and marketing reporter for Mumbrella after a brief stint working in fashion marketing in New York. An ex-makeup artist, she quickly transitioned to beauty journalism and has held multiple in-house positions as a Beauty Editor. Ruby’s writing can be found across print and digital titles, including Dazed, GRAZIA, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian Financial Review, Body+Soul, Refinery29, POPSUGAR, marie claire and ELLE. Now, she loves covering internet subcultures, TikTok trends, sex and relationships and fashion as much as she loves scouring shopping aisles for the best non-sticky lip gloss and tracking down the perfect pencil for a faux freckle.
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