A straightener can be a flat iron, and a flat iron is a straightener, but not all straighteners are flat irons. They come in other forms too, including brushes and combs. No matter which you go with, what you call it, or what your budget is, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

• It should be easy to hold and maneuver. If a flat iron needs all your might to keep the plates closed, you're going to be in pain by the end of your straightening session.
• It should have a range of easy-to-read temperatures. Dials with no indication of what temperature you're using are frustrating, and you can end up burning your hair or skin.
• It shouldn't snag hair. This is a common problem among flat irons, as hair can get caught in cheap plates and pulled out. Look for beveled designs, which help prevent this.
• It should never be used on wet hair. No matter the type, if a product's packaging suggests this, run.

I vividly remember the first flat iron my curly-haired family ever owned. It was thick and left our hair looking fried, with clamp marks at the root. Basically, I looked like Witch Hazel from Looney Tunes. It wasn't until college that I discovered the Paul Mitchell flat iron, and I've been using different variations of it since. It proves that the right tool makes a difference, and I've seen it work its magic on several different hair textures and curl patterns. It's worth every penny.

The plates on this Ion Style+ model are 1 inch, which is a pretty good size for straightening, as well as creating a natural-looking curl. I currently use the similar 1.25-inch Ion Smooth+ model ($125), which is also a good choice if you are used to maneuvering bigger tools (it even comes in hot pink). Go with the smaller Style+ if you're inexperienced or have shorter hair. Both have been updated with a digital interface since I first tried them. 

The T3 Lucea ID hair straightener would be in our top spot if it wasn't so expensive. But it might be worthwhile if you're concerned about hair damage. Most hot hair tools claim to cause less damage than the competition, but the T3 actually delivers with a unique temperature-finding feature the company calls HeatID Technology. To set the right temperature, select your hair features via the touch controls on the iron's handle: texture (fine, medium, coarse), length (short, medium, long), and if your hair is color-treated. It will then suggest a heat level. I also love its Refresh Mode for touching up hair later at a lower temperature based on previous settings. 

It can create gorgeous curls too. Once you perfect that flick of the wrist, your hair will look like you just came from the salon. If you'd rather have two dedicated hair tools, the company also has a curling iron ($249) with the same HeatID tech.

Just need a straightener, any straightener? Get this one. I shouldn't have doubted this classic hair brand, but I had low expectations considering its $30 price tag. I was pleasantly surprised. The Conair Infiniti Pro got my hair straight quickly without looking fried or frizzy, and its long, thin plates create nice curls at the ends. You can probably find it at your local CVS or Walgreens, too. 

★ Another Alternative: I've also tested and fallen in love with Remington's Shine Therapy flat iron. It's another $30 device that outperforms hair straighteners that cost three times as much. It straightened my hair quickly, and I didn't have to go over a section more than once.

We love the Dyson Corrale (8/10, WIRED Recommends), but it's really only worth it if you have the money to spend. It makes you feel fancy, like all Dyson tools tend to do, and its flexing plates quickly get your hair straighter with less heat—they curve around the hair, avoiding the splaying out effect and uneven heat distribution that plague other flat irons. Still, it has flaws for a $500 hair straightener. It can be used without a cord, but the battery life is too short to straighten my whole head of hair. The onboard battery makes it quite heavy too.

Nearly all flat irons can be used for curling once you get used to the proper hand movement. However, some people prefer separate curling irons. This Bio Ionic tool combines a flat iron, a curling iron (which has a clasp), and a curling wand (which has no clasp) in one. Multi-use tools often don't do all the things well—what we at WIRED call “the spork problem.” But this one is quite impressive.

On the bottom of the handle is a lock for the flat iron's plates. Push the button down to “Straight" and the plates separate so you can straighten as usual. Push it up to “Curl” to lock the plates together so you can clasp your hair in the iron, which typically is better for creating ringlets or to wrap a section around the entire rounded barrel, like you would a curling wand, which is ideal for waves. There's also a rubber tip at the top of the wand, which I wish every hot tool had. Sometimes—no matter how you're styling your hair—you just need more stability, and with this, you can simply hold that rubber part without burning your fingerprints off.

The L'ange is the first flat iron I've seen with a clasp more similar to a curling iron—most flat iron plates stay apart, and need to be pushed together when you use them. This is the opposite. It took a moment to get used to, but it works just as well as any other iron. That clasp design and the rounded edges make it easier to curl too if you typically find that difficult. 

The real draw here are the air vents that blast out cool air to lock your style in, similarly to when you're blow-drying your hair and you give it a once over with the cold air to cool it down and set it. The fan turns on automatically, but there's a button to turn it off. (Just to clarify, it's not meant to dry your hair—you will not be happy if you try that.) The company recommends a smaller version for shoulder-length hair (or shorter) and the Grande is meant for longer hair.

If you have super short hair or need to tame your bangs like WIRED senior writer Adrienne So, you don't have to spend a lot (or deal with a bulky tool). She uses the BabylissPro Nano, which is just 6 inches long. It won't take up precious bathroom space, and it's easy to travel with. 

★ Also Great: We also like the full-size version of the Nano ($149) for straightening your full head. You can get plates from a half-inch wide to two inches, though the latter might be too big for most people.

Straightening brushes are not for everyone, but if you have looser waves, they can save a lot of time and energy by combining steps. Most work similarly, but this one from Amika is a standout. For me, it took the curl out of my hair but left it puffy, so I still had to smooth it out with a flat iron. My sister, who has the same coarse hair but with a different curl pattern, was able to get a smooth blow-out look with just this alone. 

It takes some trial and error, but you can also return Amika products bought directly from its website within 30 days, and Sephora also has a solid return policy. Just keep in mind that a straightening brush is not a blow-dry brush and should not be used on wet hair. We do have a recommendation for the latter below.

Hot combs have been around for decades and tend to work well on particularly coarse hair. Many women used to heat these up on a stove to smooth their curls—a friend of mine still uses this type—but these electrical ones don't get as hot, so they're a little safer. Still, it's easy to burn yourself with one, so be extra cautious. This Andis comb works great on coarse hair and is very affordable. My only gripe is the off button's placement; it's easy to accidentally turn it off while using the comb.

One advantage combs and brushes have is that they give you more of a naturally straight look, instead of the pin straight—and sometimes crispy ends—you get by clamping your hair between two plates.

I’d seen the Tymo Ring all over social media for years before trying it, and the wait was worth it. It's like a traditional hot comb and a straightening brush in one, but you can get closer to your roots without burning yourself than you can with a comb, because there's an outer shell covering the hot teeth. Straightening brushes aren't usually a one-stop-shop for my hair, and that was the case here. I did need to go over my hair with a flat iron to smooth out some of the poof left behind, but the Tymo Ring took the curl right out quickly—I didn't have to go over sections more than once or twice.

This bundle includes a hot tool glove, which worked well with the Tymo but burned when I used it with another curling iron that reached that same temperature. Be aware that it's not made for direct contact on a hot plate.

A blow-dry brush can dry and straighten your hair in one step. But like the straightening brush we recommend, it doesn't work for all curl types. We have a few options in our Best Hair Dryers guide, but the Revlon One-Step is our favorite. It's affordable, easy to use, and got WIRED senior associate editor Adrienne So's hair smooth and dry in 10 minutes. It didn't become a cult favorite by accident.

★ Another Alternative: T3's Airebrush Duo ($190) is a solid option that comes with two types of brush attachments. Some people may find that the round brush straightens their hair better than the paddle brush, and vice versa. It's also extremely light without feeling cheap.

If you can afford it, and find a cabinet it fits in, the RevAir (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is incredible. It dries and straightens hair in one go, way easier than a brush like the Revlon, so you can potentially cut down styling time by half or more. And though I was terrified that its vacuum-like hose would rip my hair right out, my follicles are still intact. It creates enough tension to remove the curl without actually pulling.

For me, I still wanted to smooth out my hair with an iron, but those with smoother curls won't need to do that extra step—I tested it on a friend and she ended up with perfectly straight hair after.

• Sleek'e ($149) and Kosa ($195): These irons are essentially the same tool. Sleek'e confirmed that they are in fact made by the same manufacturer, which is not uncommon. Both work well, and I personally like the pink color (though both are also available in black). The Kosa felt a little lighter, but neither seemed better or worse to use. They both emit ions and have a strip of infrared lights down the middle of one of the plates, which are supposed to help distribute heat evenly and in a way that won't damage hair. Both brands have larger irons available too, and Kosa has one with teeny half-inch plates ($95). I also love Kosa's light hair dryer ($159).
• Brilliance New York Smooth Pro Ceramic Flat Iron ($99): WIRED writer and fellow curly-girl Louryn Strampe swears by this hair straightener. She impulse-bought it via a Groupon deal in 2014 and still consistently reaches for it, despite having tried several more flat irons since—she even prefers it over the Dyson Corrale. It's lost some of its heat consistency over the years, and the plates occasionally snag her hair, but it still leaves her unruly curls sleek and shiny, and most importantly, straight.

A lot of hot hair tools, including most on our list, claim to release negative ions to protect your hair. I used to chalk this up as marketing-speak, but hairstylists I spoke to say ions are helpful.

London-based hairstylist Hollie Rose Clarke says ions in hair tools keep the cuticle layer of your hair smooth, so you'll get a shinier, frizz-free result. “Think of a strand of your hair as being the size of my arm, covered in fish scales (the cuticles)," she says. "When the hair is damaged, they open slightly, resulting in dry, frizzy, and weak hair. When the hair is healthy they are closed, resulting in your hair feeling smoother and stronger.”

Abra McField, founder of Abra Kadabra Hair and Healing, says hair is usually positively charged due to its water content, and the negative ions these flat irons generate can help dissipate that water. “You get controlled application of the heat you are applying, and you are able to use only as much heat as you need to smooth and straighten your hair, which can prevent damage.”

Ionic hair dryers are similar, with some caveats. “If you have finer hair and you are wanting as much body and volume as possible, the ionic dryer may not be the best,” McField says. "So generally it's best to get a dryer with an ionic option that can be turned on and off.”