Best Choice Of Hair Straighteners For Black Hair

Taking care of natural black hair is a lot of work. If you want to maintain its glory, you have to choose the right products to use like shampoos, conditioners, hair oils, curlers, and flat irons.

And when it comes to choosing flat irons, there are a lot of things you need to consider. Like the heating features, the materials it’s made of, the size of the iron plate, and more. Buying the wrong iron may potentially damage your hair, and that’s the last thing we want to happen. So to help you out, we listed some of the best flat iron for black hair, check them out!

Facts You Need to Know About Flat Irons

I’ve been using flat irons on my hair ever since I was a teenager; I thought I was already an expert and I would just use any type of hair straightener as long as it was pink. Little did I know, I was doing everything wrong. There are certain rules about hair straightening that you need to follow so can get optimal results, and it starts with the flat iron. So here are some helpful facts.

Know the Perfect Size for Your Hair Length

Different hair lengths require different sizes of hair straighter. Flat iron sizes are determined by their width.

If you have short hair you will need a narrow hair straightener, if you have longer hair, a wide straighter is best for you. This way it will be easier to style them.

For women who have short hair, it will be easier to pass or swing the flat iron if it’s not that wide, this helps you create curls and waves without exerting too much effort. This goes the same for girls with longer hair. Here is a guide to help you out.

Know the Right Temperature for your Hair Type

We all have different hair types, when it comes to black hair, it could either be natural, relaxed, or texturized.

There are two things you need to remember. First, do not use high heat if you don’t want to toast your hair.

Second, understand that different hairs perform differently at various temperature levels. For example, a girl will have straight hair in a single pass at 290° F, while some girls will have the same result at 400° F. If you don’t know what temperature to start, check this out:

Find the perfect temperature that would straighten your hair within a few passes. The lesser the passes the less chance of hair damage. I would suggest that you take a small part of your hair then start at a low temperature and then slowly work your way up.

Pick the Right Material

When shopping for a flat iron for black hair, you might notice that different brands use different materials on the plate like Ceramic, Tourmaline, and Titanium. I know that not everyone understands and knows what exactly these materials do. So I’m here to help you out.

Ceramic

It is the most basic and standard material used in flat iron plates. This material allows the even distribution of heat making the chances of overheating low. This means that you will most likely experience heat damage. Some brands only use Ceramic coated plates that chip off after several uses, this causes burns so you need to read the materials carefully. Ceramic can be very delicate, so you must be careful when using it.

Tourmaline

This type of material is usually infused within the plates. Tourmaline is a crushed brittle mineral that produces the largest amount of negative ions amongst any other mineral. When the plate is heated it produces negative ions that give the hair a shiny and silky finish with less heat.

Titanium

Out of all the flat iron materials listed, Titanium has the most excellent heat conduction. It heats up quickly and distributes evenly throughout the plates. This will help avoid burns on the hair. This type of material will give you straight and silky hair within just a few passes. Some experts and veteran stylist says that this material is the best for a flat iron.

Most Inclusive: VANESSA PRO Flat Iron Hair Straightener

When using a flat iron, heat damage, and dry hair will be your enemy. Although there are heat protection oils you can put on hair before straightening, they may not be enough if you have strong curls or kinky hair. What you need is a flat iron that will give you the results you want and at the same time prevent dry hair. The Vannessa Pro Flat Iron has Argan oil-infused plates that help moisturize the hair and prevent damage.

Speaking of the plates, this flat iron is made of 100% Titanium. This type of material helps in the fast distribution of heat so you can style your hair faster with just a few swipes. As I said, the fewer the swipe, the fewer chances of damage. Plus, Titanium iron works best with coiled, kinky, and 4ABC hair types.

And you know what’s even better? This flat iron is pretty lightweight and has a rotatable swivel cord. These features help you easily maneuver the iron in whatever position. The temperature starts at 265℉ to 450℉ which gives a lot of options to girls with different hair types.

Apart from that, one of the things that really caught my attention is the sizes. Most brands only carry one size leaving customers with no choice but to just compromise. Using the right size of flat iron is really important to easily style a certain hair length. Now, this flat iron for black hair offers four sizes. This allows consumers the freedom to choose the right size for their hair or the size that they prefer. As a part-time hair stylist, I find this feature helpful, as I can have different sizes for my clients that have different hair lengths and they are all in the same brand. That saves me time and most importantly impresses my clients. And that’s what I call convince and inclusivity.

The only thing that sets me off is the cord. Although the length and flexibility are great, it’s not heat resistant. This means that you need to be careful not to place the heated flat iron above the cord or else it will melt and get damaged.

Key features

Most Handy: HSI Professional Ceramic Tourmaline Ionic Hair Straightener

Whenever I go on vacation, I always bring a hair iron with me, but it’s always a problem when it comes to packing. Some hair straighteners are bulky and hard to keep. It’s such a hassle. Well, the HSI Professional Hair Straightener is travel-sized and easy to carry to flat iron. You can easily fit it in bags or in a suitcase. You can literally bring it anywhere.

Most hair irons this size don’t really perform well, but this one is an exemption. It has a temperature that starts at 140° F up to 450° F. This is perfect for girls who have straight hair or coarse curls. If you worry about damage, the brand has a feature called Heat Balance. This feature will supposedly protect your hair from damage. I checked the specs and tested the product to confirm it, and here’s what I found.

The plates are made of ceramic and infused with tourmaline crystal ions. Both materials help in the even distribution of heat and ensure a shinier and straighter finish. I tested it out on a client with medium curls and it worked out great. I set the temperature at 280° F and it straightened the hair with 3 swipes. Take note, I did use heat damage hair oil to prevent unforeseen damages. I also noticed that it heats up quickly, which is an advantage if you’re a stylist or someone who is busy and has a lot to do.

I also liked the 360-degree swivel cord, it gives flexibility and helps if you use the flat iron as a curler. It is easy to twist and flip. Pretty amazing right? It also comes with a glove to help protect your hand from the heat.

Although the size and other feature is great, I noticed that it’s a bit heavy. I was using it for 40 minutes and my hand and wrist are strained and it affected my speed. I do not recommend this for beginners as you may have a hard time using it.

Key features

Best for Natural Hair: Deogra Flat Iron

It’s not easy finding a flat iron for black hair. With some flat irons, you need to swipe or pass the iron a lot of time just to get it straight, and that causes the hair to look lifeless and dry, not to mention that the hair only stays straight for a few hours. Women of color don’t have a lot of good options when it comes to flat irons, and that’s a fact. Most of the products you see in the market just sound fancy but they don’t really do the job right. But I did find something that’s worth trying.

The Deogra Flat Iron is a heavy-duty flat iron that can straighten even the most stubborn curls. It has 6 temperature levels (330℉ to 430℉) that allow you to choose the best temperature that fits the thickness and texture of your hair. Plus, your hair will stay straight for up to 72 hours! With a temperature like this, heat damage naturally occurs, so I was a bit skeptical. But then I found out that it has a multi-protection layer with Keratin and Argan oil-infused plates. Aragan oil is known for bringing moisture to the hair and preventing dryness. Keratin on the other hand heals the damage to the hair and brings back its natural fullness. With these two, you can achieve silky and healthy-looking hair. The plates are made with Ceramic and Tourmaline and so far, I’ve seen a lot of good reviews about its performance.

I also need to mention the appearance of this flat iron, not only it is aesthetically pleasing, but it also helps the function. Did you notice the temperature control panel? You can see all the temperature settings and you can easily adjust them and know what exact temperature your currently using. Plus it has a safety lock and a tangle-free swivel cord, to protect the plates from getting damaged and to easily keep them too.

It also has an auto shut-off feature that turns off the heat after 40 minutes. I’ve been through busy times and a feature like this really helps. Sometimes, stylists forgot even the simplest things because of stress.

This flat iron heats up quickly and has a high temperature, so I advice that you use a heat protection oil on your before using it.

Key features

Most Affordable: CONAIR Tourmaline Ceramic Flat Iron

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on a flat iron for black hair, there are many affordable flat irons in the market that can help you achieve straight hair. Now, it doesn’t mean the price is cheap so does the quality, there are a lot of good ones just as the CONAIR Tourmaline Ceramic Flat Iron. It has a Ceramic plate infused with Tourmaline. This helps achieve silky straight hair.

This flat iron has extra long floating plates and advanced ceramic technology that helps with the distribution of heat to avoid damage. This also helps to easily straighten the hair in less time which lowers the chances of heat damage. It also has 30 heat settings that provide a lot of options for beginners. This will help you find the perfect temperature to start your hair straightening journey. For a dirt-cheap flat iron, it’s impressive. You can’t see these types of features in some straighteners with the same price range.

One of the many things I liked about this flat iron is that it heats up really fast! It only takes 15 seconds! Unlike other brands, you have to wait for minutes. With this one, you can save time and finish quickly. It also has a 5-year warranty which is really good in my opinion, and not a lot of brands offer that, even the expensive ones.

The swivel cord and the lightweight feel make it manageable to use. This can even serve as curler, you’ll get amazing results.

Key features

Best Features: NITION Pro Hair Straightener

A lot of us want to achieve salon-perfect straight hair every day. Well, you can achieve that on your own, the secret lies within the flat iron you use. The NITION Pro Hair Straightener has features that will surely help you get that salon-quality hair.

The ceramic coated plates are infused with Argan oil that helps prevent frizz and dryness of the hair. It’s also coated with tourmaline, titanium, and nanosilver to evenly distribute the heat in every swipe. I like the fact that it’s infused with Titanium, this material is the best to use when it comes to flat irons. It gives better results and makes the hair straight faster. But since it’s only ceramic coated, there’s a chance that the coating will crack and peel over time. You have to be careful when that happens because it may burn your hair.

Unlike other brands, this flat iron for black hair has no buttons, so it can’t accidentally adjust the temperatures. Just turn the handle to set the temperature you want. Pretty cool right? The 3D flexible floating heating plate helps to easily swipe and flip (if you use it as a curler) the flat iron on the hair. And let’s not forget to mention the futuristic design. Each box comes with one hair iron, two hair clips, one styling comb, and a pouch.

However, for $69, I’m not that impressed with their heat settings. It only has 6 and if you compare it with the brands above, they are much cheaper but offer the same or more. If something is priced twice more than its competitors, I would expect them to elevate one of the most important aspects. And in this case, it’s the heat settings. It’s not beginner friendly and definitely not budget-friendly.

Key features

Preffered by Hair Professionals: Terviiix Plancha De Cabello Hair Straightener

Last on the list is a hair stylist’s choice. If you’re a stylist and are looking for a great quality flat iron, better give this one a try. Impress your clients by giving them sleek and perfectly straight hair. Terviiix is a household name when it comes to flat irons. I know some stylists who use this brand for years, and I think that proves its durability.

Just like most of the flat iron on this list, it has argan oil, keratin & tourmaline embedded within its plates that make the hair look shiny and healthy. The curved plate also makes it easy for you to maneuver the iron with no hassle. You can flip and turn it without worries. I used to curl my hair and it worked great too.

In addition, this flat iron has 5 adjustable temperature settings that allow you to choose the best temperature that fits the thickness and texture of your hair. I tested it on a client with heavy curls and shoulder-length hair, and it straightened within 3 passes at 356℉. If you ask me, that’s pretty impressive, I usually use a  higher temperature when I used other brands on her, but this one works great.

Before using it on a client, I tried it on a small portion of my hair. I used it on a hair with heat protection oil and a portion without it. I noticed that the portion without heat protection is really straight, but after a few minutes, it becomes a bit dry. While the other portion with oil stayed silky throughout the end of the test. This result might be because of the high heat. If you’re not used to heating this high, I would suggest that you apply some heat protection just to avoid unwanted damage.

It’s easy to carry and it does not consume a lot of space, which is perfect for on-the-go stylists.

Key features

Conclusion

It’s good to know that there are flat irons that not straighten the hair but also protect it from damage. But keep in mind that straightening your hair regularly can cause permanent damage. Be sure to use hair oils or conditioners before straightening your hair.