10 Hair Styling Tools Worth Your Money

Great hair styling tools are key to a gorgeous style, whether you want a smooth blowout, loose waves, bouncy curls, or something in between. But with so many options on the market — hair dryers, flat irons, curling irons and wands, blow dryer brushes — it can be tricky to know which to choose for your specific hair type, needs, and budget. Enter the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab, which regularly tests new hair styling tools and products to find the best on the market.

How we test hair styling tools

GH Beauty Lab scientists test hair styling tools both using technical instruments in the Lab and with consumer or expert testers. Performance is often evaluated on human hair samples to gauge factors such as drying time and in the Lab's Climatology Chamber to measure the tool's ability to keep hair straight in humid conditions. Tools are also analyzed on factors such as their weight, size, ease of use, safety, how fast they warm up, how quickly they style hair, the heat, power, and noise they emit, and the look and feel of hair after use.

Here, the best hair styling tools and products of 2020 as tested by the GH Beauty Lab, including models for short, fine, and frizzy hair, waves, and professional tools that hairdressers use, plus affordable buys:

BaBylissPRO

amazon.com

$79.99

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The winner of the GH Beauty Lab’s hair dryer test, BaBylissPro’s model dried hair fastest of all those evaluated. In calculations of drying time of standardized prewashed hair samples, it earned a perfect score, outperforming every other hairdryer tested. It also received high marks for its strong airflow and simple to operate buttons and attachments.

Formawell Beauty x Kendall Jenner

kohls.com

$74.99

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Formawell Beauty’s blow dryer was the least expensive of the winners of the GH Beauty Lab’s test. Lab analysis found that it was also the lightest of the winners at 1.3 pounds, quiet, had easy to use attachments, and dried hair samples fast. Expert evaluators liked that the tool wasn’t bulky, calling it “compact” despite “strong heat and airflow.”

sallybeauty.com

$42.99

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For the easiest tool to curl hair, give the affordable 1 1/4-inch Ion curling iron whirl — it won the GH Beauty Lab’s curling iron test for forming lasting curls, even on thick, coarse hair. In Lab evaluations, the model scored highest for grip and maneuvering, easy controls, compact size and producing curls that stayed put.

CHI

ulta.com

$129.99

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The best curling wand in the GH Beauty Lab’s test, CHI’s 1-inch tool is angled to help reach the back of the head easily. The highest-powered model, Lab evaluations found it performed on top for producing the desired hairstyle, not tugging on hair, and being lightweight. “Super easy to use, and no learning curve,” an expert evaluator reported, even for those with short hair.

Hot Tools

amazon.com

$51.49

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Make waves and curls of different sizes with this Hot Tools model, a top performer in the GH Beauty Lab’s curling iron test: Its wand spans from 3/4 inch to 11/4 inches. The tool was the lightest-weight of the winners at 0.73 pounds and compact, and users found it easy to use. It created “natural looking” curls, an expert evaluator reported.

CHI

ulta.com

$159.99

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The winner of the GH Beauty Lab’s flat irons test, CHI scored perfect with our expert evaluators for heating up fast and powerful straightening. Lab measurements showed that it warmed up to 96% of its maximum temperature of 450°F in 60 seconds. It also rated highest at fully smoothing strands and keeping them free of frizz throughout the day. “I loved the super sleek and straight, long-lasting look obtained with this flat iron,” an evaluator noted.

Remington

amazon.com

$27.92

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A top performer in the GH Beauty Lab’s flat iron test, Remington’s affordable model effectively smoothed strands with long-lasting results. Lab measurements found it the most lightweight of the winning tools at 0.77 pounds and it shared the highest score for keeping hair sleek. “Comfortable and easy to use, and my hair felt soft and looked straight,” an expert evaluator noted.

Revlon

amazon.com

$28.50

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Revlon’s extended 1-inch-wide wand scored high in the GH Beauty Lab’s flat iron test, excelling at straightening even dense, thick hair and ranking highest for maintaining smoothness. Lab evaluations found it has the largest temperature range, from 180°F to 455°F, to effectively straighten all hair types. It’s also made with the longest plates to work over larger or thicker sections of hair, “making the process quicker,” a pro evaluator said.

Dyson

nordstrom.com

$399.00

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Looking for a styling tool hairdressers use for salon blowouts? The never-before-seen design of the Dyson blow dryer has taken the hair world by storm — and it blew away our experts in GH Beauty Lab testing. It dried an eight-inch hair sample in just 54 seconds, Lab measurements found. Users also rated the GH Beauty Award winner tops for speed and more: Several noted that it dried their hair faster than normal. “On the most humid of days, it got my hair smoother,” one marveled.

Drybar

sephora.com

$150.00

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A GH Beauty Award winner, this ingenious Drybar hair tool combines a blow dryer and a hairbrush in one wand that dries strands as you brush through. Lab evaluations found it effectively dried hair without overheating strands or the scalp, making it great for fragile fine hair, and is lightweight at a little less than one pound. “I loved it!” a tester raved. The dryer was “comfortable to hold” and glided smoothly through hair.