This Hot Tools iron moves through hair with ease to create and sleek and shiny ‘do.
Its temperature settings range from 205°F to 455°F and increase by 10-degree increments. The instructions suggested turning the iron between 355°F and 405°F for wavy medium-thick hair, so I opted for the low end of that scale and got to work. It only took about 14 seconds for the iron to heat up and when I decided to bump up the temperature to 365°F halfway through, it signaled that it was ready within a few seconds.
Instead of using buttons to control the temperature, you rotate a swiveling wheel at the base of the straightener and watch the temperature adjust on the digital screen. I’ve never seen this mechanism before, but it adds to the iron’s sleek look and it’s super easy to use—and as the dial has a slight resistance, you won’t accidentally turn it up or down.
Aside from looking and feeling like a high quality styling tool, one of our favorite parts of this flat iron is how it alerts you with a loud beep when it arrives at your chosen temperature. It’s a simple feature, but plenty of styling tools make you guess when they’re ready for use. Our other favorite part? The plates are 4.25 inches long to tackle larger swaths of hair at once—our Best Value pick is the only straightener to upstage this at 4.5 inches long.
Another great feature is the nine-foot-long cord this iron has, which is one of the longest ones of all the irons we tested and helps guarantee that you’ll have an outlet close enough to use this at your vanity, or wherever you typically sit for styling. This flat iron also comes with a glove, which is a great addition to prevent burns on your nondominant hand as you guide the hair into the straightener.
As an added bonus, the Hot Tools flat iron has rounded edges that, when the iron is clamped, can be used like a curling iron barrel to create curved ends or even loose curls for those who have mastered using a straightener for that, too.