How we tested

We tested our eight finalists by seeing how well they performed in gluing together different materials, such as poster board, cardboard, wood, Foamiran, polyester, muslin, plastic beads and glass. We used the same brand of glue stick for each test, but we also analyzed the coloration, strength and consistency of the glue sticks that were included with each gun.

When we began testing, we thought that a short heat time would be an important factor. As it turned out, faster was not always better. The guns that heated fastest actually performed worst because they had more glue bubbles at the start of usage. These glue bubbles disrupted the uniformity of the glue lines and smoothness of the glue flow coming out of the gun. However, when given a full five minutes to heat up, all of our glue guns produced a consistent glue flow.

Important features to consider

Wattage: Glue guns typically range from 25-100 watts. High-wattage glue guns are hotter and usually larger than lower-wattage guns. The more heat the glue gun uses the longer it will take the glue to set, but the stronger the bond will be. This means that high-wattage glue guns are better for household repairs, while low-wattage glue guns are better for crafting.

Cord Length: A long cord greatly increases a glue gun’s maneuverability. Our finalists’ cords ranged from 40-59 inches. We found that any length shorter than 54 inches was constraining.

Stand: When using an extremely hot tool, you want it to be stable when you set it down. Glue guns that had an elongated-handle base were sturdier than those that just relied on a small metal clip under the tip.

The post The Best Glue Guns appeared first on Your Best Digs.

Table of contents

• How we selected finalists to test
• Compare the best fireproof safes
• How fire protection ratings work
• Important features to consider
• How we tested
• Best overall: SentrySafe – SFW123C
• Best for hanging files: Honeywell – 1108
• The other finalists we tested
• The bottom line

How we selected finalists to test

We read through user reviews on Amazon, Walmart and Home Depot to understand what features consumers thought fireproof safes should have. Based on this research, we then looked for fireproof safes that would protect documents, electronics and small valuables from fire and/or water damage. Since this type of safe is not designed to hold firearms or be 100% burglar-proof, we did not include gun safes or anti-theft safes in our final selection.

We decided to include a variety of sizes from portable (under 15 pounds) to larger, more theft-deterrent safes (over 80 pounds). Although the heavier safes are not completely burglar-proof, they aren’t easy for an intruder to grab. A bank safety-deposit box is the most secure place for valuables, but jewelry, passports, hard drives and other items that you want frequent access to, you may want to consider buying a fireproof safe for your home.

We also narrowed down our search by selecting fireproof safes that had been rated by the UL, LLC, formerly known as Underwriters Laboratories. UL is a not-for-profit organization that sets safety standards and certifies tests of products that ensure they meet those standards.  We chose to review only those safes that had a certified UL rating.

Compare the best fireproof safes

How fire protection ratings work

The UL tests safes by placing them in a large furnace and exposing them to high temperatures for sustained periods of time. Most UL-rated home safes maintain a temperature below the desired internal temperature and humidity for 30 minutes when the safe’s exterior temperature is 1,550 °F. This common rating standard is based on data regarding house fire temperatures and firefighting response times. Other longer UL tests at higher temperatures — such as one hour at 1700 °F or two hours at 1850 °F — are less common for personal safes.

For the UL to consider a safe fireproof for paper documents, the internal temperature of the safe cannot exceed 350 °F during testing. Oftentimes, you will see manufacturers advertise a UL 350 rating, this means that the safe has been tested according to the UL standards for protecting paper. The internal temperature thresholds for digital media and film are lower: 125 °F and 150 °F, respectively — this kind of protection is much more expensive.

Unfortunately, the UL does not test safes for water resistance, which is important in the event of a house fire when a safe could be doused in water by firefighters. The private testing firm, Intertek, however, does test for water resistance, and most of our finalists received an Intertek ETL certification based on those tests.

Important features to consider

UL fire-protectant rating: We recommend purchasing a safe with the highest UL fire-protectant rating possible, within your price point.  The standard UL 350 rating (see above) is good for paper documents. The best UL rating we tested ensured the safe’s contents will remain under 350 °F in a hotter-than-usual 1700 °F fire, but still isn’t designed to protect film, computer disks, pearls or other valuables that would be damaged at baking temperatures.

Interior and exterior dimensions: Consider what items you will store in your safe and that they will fit inside. Ideally, a safe should be stored in a hidden location, such as a closet, so make sure its exterior dimensions will fit where you want it to be.

Weight: A small safe can be easily stored on the top shelf of a closet. There are advantages to weight, though, since a large safe — 50 pounds or more — would be difficult for a thief to carry away.

Waterproof:  Independently verified waterproof ETL ratings are a plus. Be sure to consult the safe manufacturer’s water-resistance information.

Lock options: The safes we tested had either a key lock, a combination lock or both. Key locks are simple — as long as you keep track of the keys. Combination locks provide similar security, but you only need to keep track of the code instead of a physical object.

Mounting options: None of the safes we tested are designed to be completely theft-proof, but one of the First Alert models did come with a mounting set to screw the safe to the floor. While a determined criminal could cut out a screwed-down safe, this feature would likely deter a casual criminal.

How we tested

Interior organization

We measured each safe’s interior dimensions and gathered items that some might store inside, such as passports, jewelry, jewelry boxes, hard drives, documents and hanging files. We compiled this information about what each safe could fit in the table below.

The SentrySafe – SFW123CS and First Alert – 2087F have large, movable shelves and could hold the most items. The shelves in both of these safes are made of cheap plastic, but they’re handy for organizing your valuables. If you need to store something that’s tall, these safes would be your best bet.

The SentrySafe – 0500 is the only safe we recommend storing on the top shelf of a closet, because it’s small and light enough to easily lift up and down. The Honeywell safes have handles like a briefcase, but when filled, the safes were impossible to carry.

UL Rating

We could not test fire resistance as rigorously as the UL, so we considered each safe’s UL rating for how much heat it could withstand. Remember that the UL 350 standard is good for paper, but pearls, computer disks and most plastics will be damaged at those temperatures.

User experience

To practically test each safe’s usability, our team stored multiple items over a two-week period. During this time, they needed to learn combinations and keep track of keys and then report their experience.

Overall, our team agreed that the quality of the keys for the safes was poor. All of the safe manufacturers offer ways for replacing lost or broken keys for a charge of approximately $30. It’s a good idea to keep the key’s identification number safely stored in a second location, since it’s necessary for replacing a lost or damaged key.

Our team was also surprised by the flimsy plastic handles for locking the safes, which pointed again to these safes’ primary function of protecting against fire and not burglars.

The combination locks reminded our team of their high school lockers and weren’t difficult to use. The First Alert – 2087F’s four-digit dial had users consulting the instruction manual and wasn’t as easy to use.

Humidity

Another quirk to consider is a safe’s dehumidifying needs. Most of the safes we tested recommended airing out the safe for about 30 minutes every two weeks. A safe’s humidity could also be controlled with desiccant bags, like the ones included with the SentrySafe – SFW123CS, which absorb moisture from enclosed spaces.

All of the safe manufacturers recommended sealing delicate items, such as intricate watches or jewelry, in an airtight container before storing them in the safe. None of the safes we tested were meant to contain pearls, computer disks, audiovisual cassettes or photo negatives.

Best overall: SentrySafe – SFW123CS

The largest and heaviest safe we tested, the SentrySafe – SFW123CS, took our top pick because of its easy-to-use combination lock, spacious interior, strong UL fire rating and ETL water-resistance rating. 

We had no difficulty unlocking the SentrySafe. Because of its dial’s strong haptic feedback after passing each tick mark, the SentrySafe was much easier to use than all of the safes. We also appreciated the SentrySafe’s capacity. It has the largest interior volume of our finalists, and a larger item, such as a jewelry box or document bag, could easily fit inside.

The SentrySafe is UL classified to withstand temperatures up to 1700 °F for up to one hour and to keep the interior below 350 °F. This safe also provided a UL Explosion Classification, which none of our other safes provided, which means it isn’t sealed in a way that will cause it to burst open in a super-hot flash fire. The SentrySafe also provides an ETL water-resistance guarantee to protect contents for up to 24 hours in 8 inches of water.

Best Overall: SentrySafe - SFW123CS

The SentrySafe has a spacious interior that can accommodate large items, strong UL fire and ETL water-resistance ratings and a user-friendly combination lock.

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While the SentrySafe’s solidity inspired confidence, we were concerned that its cheap plastic handle could be ripped off, which would effectively trap your items inside until it could be repaired. This problem was not unique, by any means, to the SentrySafe — all the safes in this price range have plastic components.

Despite this flaw, we loved the SentrySafe’s solid, nondescript appearance and ease of use. It’s reasonably priced and with its strong UL and ETL ratings, unique explosion guarantee and bonus desiccant bags for controlling humidity, the SentrySafe – SFW123CS wins our top pick.
Key takeaways:

• The largest and heaviest safe we tested, the SentrySafe’s interior can hold larger items.
• Strong haptic feedback made this rotary combination lock the easiest to use.
• The SentrySafe’s higher fire rating certifies that the safe can keep the interior below 350 °F in extra-hot fires up to 1700 °F for one hour.

Best for hanging files: Honeywell – 1108

Our top pick for hanging files is the Honeywell – 1108 Molded File Chest. Two of the fireproof safes we tested were specifically designed to accommodate hanging files, the Honeywell – 1108 and the First Alert – 2037F. The Honeywell immediately distinguished itself by being large enough to fit both letter and legal size files.

The Honeywell also has a stronger UL-tested fire rating, being able to withstand temperatures up to 1700 °F for up to one hour, while keeping the contents below 350 °F.  The First Alert is only rated for 1,550 °F fires for up to 30 minutes.

Honeywell also promises that this safe’s waterproof seal will keep contents dry when the safe is submerged for 25 hours in one meter of water, although this claim is not verified by the UL or ETL.

This safe’s opening mechanism is identical to the other Honeywell safe we tested, Honeywell – 1104: It has two plastic latches on either side of the key box that open when the key is turned. As with the other safes we tested, the latches and key were not durable.

We found the Honeywell – 1108 difficult to open: Its lid is heavy and has no handles or finger grooves to help lift it. Once the lid is open, however, its hydraulic hinges keep it open and then close the lid slowly.

Best for Hanging Files: Honeywell - 1108

This safe delivers on safety and storage, boasting a strong UL rating and plenty of room for holding both legal and letter size files.

See Price at Walmart

This safe weighs a massive 80.3 pounds, and even with a separately purchased wheel cart, it’s not really portable. Despite its weight, the Honeywell – 1108 delivers where it counts most: fireproofing and storage. We also liked its sleek black aesthetics compared to the dull gray exterior of the SentrySafe.

The Honeywell’s extra fireproofing and size means it costs about $150 more than the other hanging-file safe we tested. However we believe this extra cost was worth it, because it better ensures the safety of your most important documents.

Key takeaways:

• The Honeywell – 1108 has a roomy interior that can hold both legal and letter size files.
• Able to withstand 1700 °F for up to one hour, its UL rating is stronger than most hanging-file safes.
• At 80 pounds, the Honeywell – 1108 is one of the heaviest for this type of safe.

The other finalists we tested

First Alert – 2087F-BD

This First Alert – 2087F-BD was comparable to the SentrySafe – SFW123CS in size and functionality. The First Alert also has a spacious interior and weighs about 82 pounds. While this safe’s combination lock and override key were effective, it scored slightly lower because we had difficulty with the combination lock. We needed to consult the instruction manual to figure out the First Alert’s four digit system, and once we did, we found that the safe’s dial lacked audible or haptic feedback, so it wasn’t as easy to use.

While First Alert’’s override key is a handy way to bypass the tricky combination lock, the key also could be a potential security breach if it were found by an intruder. Rather than have two methods for opening the safe, we thought it would be better if the First Alert had an easier combination system.

The First Alert has the same UL classification as the SentrySafe, being able to withstand an hour of exposure to 1700 °F while keeping the interior below 350 °F. It is also ETL verified for data protection (protecting hard drives, USB drives, CDs and DVDs) and water protection.

Aesthetically, the First Alert has a dated look, but it has a mounting option that no other finalist we tested had. Included with the safe is a mounting kit for screwing the safe into the floor. Although the safe is too heavy to lift, the mounting option could be a deterrent to an intruder.

Honeywell – 1104

The Honeywell – 1104 offered top notch protection just like the larger Honeywell – 1108, but we found it less user-friendly than other similarly priced safes. Like the Honeywell – 1108, the Honeywell – 1104 has a heavy lid that’s difficult to lift. Even with the hydraulic hinges, without a groove or latch to assist lifting, we had trouble opening the safe all the way.

The Honeywell – 1104 has a briefcase handle, which is useless if you can’t lift 50-plus pounds with one hand. The key lock is easy to use, but its key and plastic latches are not high quality and could be damaged with force.

The Honeywell – 1104 has a strong UL rating and can withstand temperatures up to 1700 °F for up to an hour, while keeping the contents below 350 °F. Like the Honeywell – 1108, the company independently validates that this safe will keep its contents dry for 24 hours when submerged in up to one meter of water. In comparison to other safes of similar size these ratings are superb.

The Honeywell – 1104 is priced almost the same as the larger safes we tested. Unless you want to cut down on storage space, it makes more sense to purchase the larger safes that have more capacity.

First Alert – 2037F

Like the Honeywell – 1108,  the First Alert – 2037F was specifically designed for storing hanging files. It’s lighter, easier to open and less expensive that the Honeywell, but it can only hold letter-size files. The opening mechanism for the First Alert is a key lock, but it’s made of plastic and could be damaged simply by kicking it.

The First Alert is UL rated to withstand 1,550 °F for up to 30 minutes. It was independently verified by the ETL as being waterproof while fully submerged up to one hour. The First Alerts’ UL rating is on par with other small fireproof safes, and if you’re on a budget, it is an adequate option for keeping important documents safe. That said, we do recommend spending the extra money on the superior Honeywell – 1108.

SentrySafe – 0500

The SentrySafe – 0500’s size is handy if you want to store small items, such as passports, birth certificates or small jewelry. Weighing only 11 lbs, this small safe could be easily tucked away and hidden on the top shelf in a closet. It has a simple lock-and-key mechanism, but the key is made of flimsy metal.

Although the SentrySafe – 0500 is UL verified to withstand 1550 °F for 30 minutes, it has no ETL water-resistance rating. This safe is budget-priced, and it would be fine for small documents you want to keep safe. But if you’re concerned about waterproofing, you should consider one of our other finalists instead.

The bottom line

A strong UL fire rating and a water-resistant rating were our number-one priorities when testing and rating safes. These safes were not designed to be burglar-proof, as evidenced by their cheap plastic handles, latches and keys.

We recommend the SentrySafe – SFW123CS as the best fireproof safe because it has a user-friendly combination lock and can hold larger items, such as jewelry boxes or document bags.

If you want to store hanging files in a fireproof safe we recommend the Honeywell – 1108. This safe offers top-notch protection from fire and water and is large enough to accommodate legal-size files.

Best Overall: SentrySafe - SFW123CS

We recommend the SentrySafe because its combination lock was easy-to-use and secure. This spacious safe can hold large items such as document bags and has a strong UL fireproof rating.

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The post The Best Fireproof Safes appeared first on Your Best Digs.

Table of contents

• The 5 Keurig machines we tested
• 1. Best overall: K-Elite
• 2. Best latte machine: K-Latte
• Other products we tested
• How we selected
• How we tested
• The Keurig controversy
• Important features to consider
• The bottom line

The 5 Keurig machines we tested

1. Best overall: K-Elite

While testing, one major thing stood out about the K-Elite: you do not have to refill its water reservoir nearly as often as the other machines. This sounds obvious, but its 75-ounce water capacity really makes it handier than the other Keurigs we tested.

Our testers also liked that this Keurig has a water filter. If you prefer making coffee with filtered water, this is an obvious choice for you. However, even if you don’t mind the tap, the water filter is supposed to extend the life of the machine overall, as fewer impurities should build up within it. Installing the filter in the reservoir was not hard, but it did require reading the manual.

The K-Elite brews four, six, eight, 10, and 12 ounces of coffee, meaning you can fill anything from a tiny cup to a travel mug. It also offers “strong” and “iced” options, but we didn’t find these options helpful, as our testers preferred the normal brew strength.

On its default setting, this machine served coffee at about 161 °F. This was on the low side of our finalists — about the same temperature of coffee produced by the K155 and K-Mini Plus. However, our testers did not make any remarks about the coffee temperature being too cold. Also, the K-Elite was the only Keurig we tested that can be programmed to brew at higher temperatures, up to 192 °F. You can change the default temperature of the K-Elite in its settings menu, which is a big plus if you are picky about your coffee temperature.

Top Pick: Keurig - K-Elite

The K-Elite is truly the most convenient machine of our finalists because of its fast brewing time, large water reservoir and handy water filter.

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This Keurig was the fastest to heat up, taking only about thirty seconds. Its automatic turn-on feature also means that you can skip these thirty seconds in the morning by programming the machine to heat itself up at a certain time. This means that after you press the brew button, you only have to wait 45 seconds while it brews.

Our testers thought that this Keurig was the most complicated to use because of its many features. When setting up this Keurig, we were immediately asked to program the time, altitude mode, and automatic turn-on time. While all of these features are useful, we had to consult the manual to figure out how to program them.

This machine does take up a fair amount of counter space at 13.1″ H x 9.9″ W x 12.7″ D. It also has the shortest power cord, measuring only about 1 foot. However, it has a sleek look that’s aesthetically appealing on a counter.

Overall, the K-Elite takes our top spot because when you wake up in the morning you want coffee fast — this machine delivers on that. The last thing anyone wants to do is mess with a water reservoir first thing in the morning. The K-Elite delivers on convenience, which is why consumers are attracted to Keurigs in the first place.

This Keurig runs at about $160, which is a relatively mid-range price for a Keurig machine. If you are buying a Keurig to make your life more convenient, we believe the K-Elite is worth the extra coin.

Key takeaways:

• The K-Elite was our fastest-brewing Keurig machine.
• This machine’s 75-ounce water reservoir means you won’t be constantly refilling this machine.
• The included water filter is a plus for those who prefer filtered water; the machine may also have a longer life for this reason.
• This machine’s short power cord and large size limit its movability in the kitchen.

2. Best latte machine: K-Latte

The K-Latte was nearly our first pick because of its bargain price (about $100), milk frother, and simple design. If you have any interest in using your Keurig machine to make cappuccinos and lattes, this is the best machine for you. However, we found the K-Elite to be better overall because it beat out the K-Latte in crucial areas such as brew time and reservoir size, which make a difference in day-to-day use.

The K-Latte’s reservoir is 36 ounces, which is significantly smaller than the K-Elite’s reservoir. However, this machine is not much smaller than the K-Elite because of its attached milk frother. The milk frother’s base is attached to the bottom of the machine but can be folded up. This means if you are not using the milk frother you can fold in its base, and then store the frothing cup in a cabinet. This is much handier than the other latte-making Keurig — the K-Cafe.

This milk frother worked well, taking about two minutes to froth and warm milk to 150 °F. While this machine is frothing milk, you can use the coffee portion to brew a shot of coffee. However, you cannot brew a regular cup of coffee while the machine is frothing milk.

Best latte machine: Keurig - K-Latte

Our best latte maker, the K-Latte delivers on heat and simplicity while only costing about $100.

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While our testers did not think that these lattes tasted as great as their store-bought competitors, they were still pleased with the results, which took only about two minutes to make once the machine heated up.

This machine took one minute and fifty seconds to heat up and one minute to brew — a relatively slow time for our finalists. However, the resulting coffee was among the hottest of our competitors, measuring 175 °F. Therefore, if you like your coffee extra hot, this is your best pick.

Our testers also thought that this Keurig’s interface was very simple to use. Aesthetically, this machine looks a little funny because of the attached frother, but its black design won’t stand out on your counter. Its power cord is also much handier than the K-Elite’s, measuring about 40 inches.

The K-Latte is only available at Walmart or by phone order from Keurig because of Keurig’s exclusive agreement with Walmart. Its price is a bargain at about $100, especially when you consider Keurig’s other latte machine, the K-Cafe, rated poorly with our testers and costs an additional $50.

Key takeaways:

• The K-Latte was our best latte maker because of its bargain price and easy-to-use design.
• This machine’s milk frother can be detached and its base folded up, making this machine much handier than the K-Cafe.
• The K-Latte has a smaller water reservoir, holding only 36 ounces, meaning you will have to fill it up more often.
• The K-Latte served one of the hottest cups of coffee of our finalists.

Other products we tested

3. K155 OfficePRO

This Keurig performed well with our testers but was not our top pick because of its high price — upwards of $250. This machine shined when it came to ease-of-use and water-reservoir size and performed on par with our other finalists for speed and temperature.

The K155 had the best display of our finalists by far. Our testers loved its easy-to-navigate digital display. This machine does not offer many extra features, which makes using it really easy. All you are asked to do is select a four, six, eight, or 10 ounces and brew.

The huge water reservoir (90 ounces) is also a big plus for this machine, which is marketed to work for small offices. If you were using this machine in an office setting, this large water reservoir would be really useful, so employees would not have to continually fill its tank.

However, we still cannot justify its $250 price tag from its ease-of-use and water capacity alone. Where are the extra features? A water filter or automatic turn-on feature would also be very helpful for a small office. We believe that even with its smaller 75-ounce tank, you could use the K-Elite for a small office and get these bonus features for a cheaper price.

4. K-Cafe

The K-Cafe comes with a milk frother and a coffee shot option like the K-Latte. However, its poor design and similar speed performance to the K-Latte leave us wondering why it costs about $80 more than the K-Latte.

This machine design is less handy than the K-Latte’s because its milk frother cannot be folded in. This means you always need space for a Keurig machine with an attached milk frother, which measures 15.3 inches in total width. One of our testers thought it also made the machine look a bit “goofy.”

The K-Cafe’s performance testing was largely on par with the K-Latte’s. It also brewed one of our hottest cups of coffee at 175 °F. It took a similar two minutes to heat up and 45 seconds to brew. Also, its frother also took two minutes to froth milk to 155 °F (just five degrees hotter than the K-Latte).

The only justification for the increased price of the K-Cafe we could find was the larger water reservoir, which holds 60 ounces. This is a big factor in handiness as we have mentioned before, but we do not believe it to be handy enough to justify spending an extra $80, especially considering this machine’s cumbersome design.

5. K-Mini Plus

This was the smallest and most stylish of our finalists. However, those were the only areas this machine really delivered on.

The K-Mini Plus requires you to put in the amount of water that you would like for each individual cup of coffee. For example, if you want an eight-ounce cup of coffee, you put eight ounces of water into the machine before brewing. To heat and brew, this machine takes about two minutes total. This left us asking — why not just use a French press?

If you have to put in the exact amount of water for each cup, the only conveniences you are saving for yourself by using the K-Mini Plus are not having to measure your own coffee grounds or rinse out the French press after use. However, if you are using the My K-Cup and coffee grounds, you will have to measure your own grounds anyway.

Also, our testers thought this machine’s coffee tasted worse than the other finalists. Overall, we cannot justify spending about $100 for a machine that does not deliver on convenience or taste.

How we selected

To ensure we tested the newest and highest quality Keurigs on the market, we first checked out user reviews from Amazon and Walmart to get a feel for what consumers found important. Next, we consulted reviews from respected websites such as Wirecutter and Consumer Reports to get a feel for which Keurigs rated highly. Finally, we called Keurig to ensure that all of our finalists were the newest models and had no plans of discontinuation in the coming year.

We did not test a machine from Keurig’s Classic line because we already tested the K-Classic in our single cup coffee maker review. We also did not test any of Keurig’s 2.0 machines, as a brand representative told us they were no longer going to be produced.

Our research portion for this article also included a “cupping” coffee tasting at James Coffee Co. in San Diego. During this event, our testers learned about the many factors that affect the way a cup of coffee tastes. We used this knowledge to help our Keurig testers set proper controls while taste testing.

How we tested

Unit dimensions and cup volume

First things first, we wanted to see how much space these machines would take up. We measured the footprint of each machine and checked if they could fit a 7-inch travel mug under the brewer. The only machines we tested unable to do this were the K-Mini Plus and K-Latte.

We also compiled information about the different cup volumes each Keurig can pour. Our testers preferred a typical eight-ounce cup, but we gathered information on each machine’s capabilities to help you find the right one for you.

Brew temperature

It is generally recommended that coffee is best brewed between 195 °F – 205 °F and best served between 160 °F – 175 °F. However, how hot you like your coffee is largely based on personal preference.

To find out how hot each of our Keurigs served coffee, we used a digital kitchen thermometer to measure the coffee temperature right after the last drop had been poured from the machine. To ensure consistency in our testing, we brewed three cups of coffee prior to measurement. We also made sure water temperature, room temperature, and cup temperature were consistent throughout testing.

We found that all of our finalists served coffee within the recommended range of 160 °F – 175 °F. The K-Latte and K-Cafe served our hottest cups of coffee, both measuring at 175 °F. The lowest temperature coffee was served by the K-Elite and the K155, which both measured 161 °F.

It should be noted that we tested the K-Elite’s temperature on its default temperature setting. However, if you prefer a hotter cup of coffee, you can increase the machine’s temperature settings.

Our testers did not find any of the coffee brewed to be too cold for their taste, but one remarked that the K-Latte and K-Cafe felt hotter. If you know that you like your coffee extra hot, the K-Latte may be your best pick, as it also performed well in our other testing categories.

Brew speed

We used a timer to find out how long each machine took to heat up and brew an eight-ounce cup of coffee. All of the Keurigs we tested were able to heat up and brew a cup in about two minutes, so this was not a make-or-break testing category for our finalists. In general, our finalists took about a minute to heat up, and then just under a minute to brew.

The K-Elite was our only finalist to come with an automatic turn-on feature. This means it can be programmed to automatically turn on and heat the water at your desired time, which can help save you a minute during your morning routine.

Sound

Overall, we did not like the unattractive sounds produced by all of the Keurigs we tested. We wanted a Keurig to be as quiet as possible while brewing coffee.

To test this, we used a sound meter that recorded the sound level in A-weighted decibels. While each of our Keurigs brewed an eight-ounce cup of coffee, we held the sound meter about an arm’s length distance from the machine and recorded its loudest sound.

We found that all of the Keurigs were similarly noisy, topping off around 70 dBa. This is about the same amount of noise produced by a vacuum cleaner running in an adjacent room. All of our Keurigs measured about 60 dBa for the majority of their brew but then emitted a 70 dBa spurting sound as they pushed the last drips of coffee into the cup.

We did not record any significant differences in noise level between our finalists, so we can’t name any particular machine  as the quietest.

User experience and taste

For our practical testing, we had two testers brew multiple eight-ounce cups with each of our machines and record their experiences. Our testers prepared for this at a cupping event at James Coffee Co. in San Diego, CA. Here, our testers learned about factors that can affect the taste of coffee.

We learned that during the extraction of coffee from the coffee bean (which occurs when you add water to brew the coffee), the water ratio, contact time, grind size, water temperature and agitation of the beans all influence the taste of coffee. All of these factors were pretty standardized by using Keurig machines to brew coffee, meaning there wasn’t much difference in taste between machines. The water ratio was set to eight ounces for all of our taste testing; each machine had about a minute of contact time between water and grounds, and the beans were agitated in a very similar fashion. We also had our taste testers use the same batch and amount of ground coffee in the My K-Cup for taste testing.

Our testers did not find much variation in taste when using our finalists, which makes sense because of the standardization across Keurig’s machines. However, our testers thought that the K-Mini Plus brewed a more watery tasting cup than the other machines. This could be related to the fact that the K-Mini brews a cup according to how much water you put in the machine. For example, if you want an eight-ounce cup, you must fill the machine to eight ounces. However, because we used eight ounces for all of our machines and were sure to put exactly eight ounces into the K-Mini, we are a bit mystified by the watered down taste.

Our testers also rated how easy it was to set up and use each Keurig. We thought that a single-serve coffee machine should be simple enough to figure out without consulting a manual.

The Keurig controversy

In recent years, Keurig machines have gotten pushback from environmental advocates over their use of K-Cups. K-Cups are single-use, individually packaged portions of coffee for Keurig machines. They are not biodegradable and have a detrimental environmental impact that has been well-documented.

K-Cups can be recycled if the separate components are taken apart prior to recycling, according to recycleacup.com. The coffee inside the K-Cup must first be emptied and then the plastic, aluminum and paper of the K-Cup must be disassembled. This is a pain — which is why millions of K-Cups end up in the trash.

An easier solution is to use Keurig’s universal reusable filter called My K-Cup. To use, fill it up with the ground coffee of your choice (read our cheap coffee review here), brew in your Keurig machine and rinse out after use. While My K-Cup requires a bit more effort than simply popping in a plastic K-Cup, it greatly minimizes your environmental impact.

My K-Cup can also save you some cash, as K-Cups are more expensive than buying coffee by the pound. However, French presses and traditional drip coffee makers are still cheaper and create less waste than operating any Keurig machine.

Despite these considerations, many consumers still prefer the convenience of a Keurig to traditional coffee makers. Keurig provides a consistent cup of coffee with the touch of a button and is less expensive than visiting Starbucks everyday.

Conversely, as convenient and cost-saving as Keurig K-Cups can be, not all brands make a delicious cup of coffee. Many, unfortunately, taste like a coffee bean was run through a cup of hot water. If you like a strong cup of java in the morning or a pick-me-up in the afternoon, you might consider buying a Nespresso. We tested a broad range of Nespresso compatible capsules, and our top picks make an authentic-tasting espresso.

However, if you’re still wary after reading this, you might want to check out our drip coffee maker review instead.

Important features to consider

Size: Counter space is precious. Before buying, make sure your Keurig fits in your kitchen without dominating it. Keurig offers many size options, so finding the right one for you should not be a problem.

Cup volume: Most Keurigs brew four to 12 ounces of coffee per serving, but some have more limited options.

Water reservoir: When it comes to everyday handiness, the capacity of the Keurig’s water reservoir makes a big difference. While it does not take a large effort, it is still a bit annoying to constantly fill up a small water reservoir. The Keurigs we tested ranged from 12 to 90 ounces in water capacity.

User interface: Making a cup of coffee should not be complicated, so an easy, well-designed interface is a big plus.

Features: Automatic turn-on, filtration, attached frothers and different strength options are all features offered by different Keurigs. Deciding which of these features is the most important for you will help you decide which machine is right for you.

Aesthetics: Make sure your Keurig appeals to you visually because it will likely be on view in your kitchen.

The bottom line

In practical testing, our Keurig finalists had a lot of similarities. For example, testing data for noise level and brew temperature was very similar across all of the Keurigs we tested. However, the K-Elite stood out from the crowd because of its fast brew time, 75-ounce reservoir and included water filter. For about $150, the K-Elite provides the best Keurig experience for your buck.

If you are buying a Keurig machine to make your morning routine more convenient, your best bet is the K-Elite. We like the extra features this Keurig offers such as a water filter and automatic turn-on feature. We also think you could use this Keurig for a small office and skip paying the extra dough for a K155 Office PRO.

If you want to indulge in a latte or cappuccino, we recommend the K-Latte. This machine is a great price at around $100 and delivers the hottest cup of coffee of our finalists. It costs less and has a more convenient countertop design than its rival, the K-Cafe.

In the future, we hope Keurig finds solutions to help minimize noise levels. We also think that offering a complimentary K-Cup recycling service would be a great way to help reduce waste created by these machines.

Top Pick: Keurig - K-Elite

The K-Elite is the fastest Keurig we tested and came with bonus features you will actually use, such as a water filter and automatic turn-on feature.

See Price at Amazon.com

The post The Best Keurig Machines appeared first on Your Best Digs.

Table of contents

• The 6 magnetic eyelashes we tested
• Best overall: Arvesa
• Other products we tested
• How we selected
• How we tested
• Important features to consider
• How to apply magnetic eyelashes
• The bottom line

(Editor’s note: Since publishing this review, most of the original magnetic lashes we tested are no longer available on Amazon. Many of these brands have transitioned to using a magnetic liner system. The new dual magnetic system lashes we tested were the Arvesa – Magnetic Eyelash and the Lamiya – Magnetic Lashes, which are our best and worst picks respectively.)

The 6 magnetic eyelashes we tested

Best overall: Arvesa

The Arvesa – Magnetic Eyelashes was one of the new products we tested for our update, and it easily took the top spot with our testers. They loved Arvesa’s natural look and lightweight fit. These silk lashes are not excessively shiny, so they blend in with your natural lashes. The Arvesa were also the easiest to apply because of their unique strip and magnet system.

Upon first glance the Arvesa lashes appeared to use a similar strip system as the One Two Lash – Founder’s Lashes. Both of these lashes came with eight half strips. You can use two pairs of half strips per eye to create a full lash look or one pair of half strips per eye to create an accent look.

However, our testers found that the Arvesa half strips worked significantly better than the One Two lashes because each of their half strips had two magnets. These two magnets allowed our testers to curve the lash tighter around their lash lines, making the falsies appear more natural. Our testers agreed that the Arvesa lashes worked best when they used one half strip on the outer corner of their eyes, describing them as “pretty, but still natural looking.”

The Arvesa lashes were the easiest to apply. Our testers found that they could stick the outer corner magnets together first and then bend the lash around the lash line to connect the inner magnets. Because there was not an excess of lashes on the Arvesa, they were easier to maneuver around the lash line.

Best Overall: Arvesa

Our testers loved the natural look of these lashes and were impressed by their snug fit to the lash line. They also cost under $15, meaning you can try out magnetic lashes without making too much of a financial commitment.

See Price at Amazon.com

The Arvesa’s more natural density made them lighter than others we tested. Although the Arvesa had two magnets per half strip, the lashes were light enough to wear for 4-plus hours at one time.

Our testers rated the Arvesa lashes’ durability as average. They were fiddly and small, but they held up throughout our testing. Their plastic carry case had individual places for lashes and closes securely; it worked, but there was nothing special about it.

The Arvesa lashes were the only lashes our testers found that they could wear day to day; one tester even described the Arvesa’s fit as “miraculous.” The Arvesa lashes are a safe bet if you’ve never tried magnet lashes before because at less than $15 a pair, they’re relatively cheap.

Key takeaways:

• The Arvesa – Magnetic Eyelashes are lightweight and have a comfortable fit for a natural day look.
• These silk lashes are best for an accent look on the outer corner of the eye.
• The Arvesa’s dual magnets and flexible half strips are better for getting in close to your natural lash line.

Other products we tested

Unfortunately, we were disappointed in the quality and fit of the rest of our finalists. Magnetic lashes are a relatively new beauty trend. Therefore, we are still waiting for a solid competitor to Lash’d Up’s superior quality. We are not able to recommend any of our other finalists, as we discovered during testing that we cannot justify using them over traditional false lashes.

One Two Lash – Founder’s Lash

The most outrageous thing about the One Two Lash – Founder’s Lash is the $70 price tag attached to it. While our testers appreciated the natural look of the lash material and their sturdy carrying case (easily the best of our finalists), they were overall unimpressed with the fit of these lashes.

These lashes come with four lash strips per eye. One for your top outer corner, lower outer corner, top inner corner and lower inner corner. Each of these half-length strips comes with one magnet. Our testers liked that these magnets had a handy marking system to keep track of which magnets connected. However, they found that this system did not work well for keeping lashes close to your natural lash line.

Our top pick used dual top magnets as anchors to bend the false lash to match the curve of the natural lash line. However because the One Two Lash’s top magnets are separated, this bending cannot occur. This causes a weird separation to happen between natural and false lash, betraying your use of falsies.

Therefore, despite the obvious quality of the carry case and lash material, we don’t recommend shelling out $70 for these poor-fitting lashes.

3-Second Lash – Magnetic Eyelashes

The 3 Second Lash – Magnetic Eyelashes set came with three separate pairs of lashes, two natural looks and one dramatic look. All of these lashes used one magnet per strip system that was not able to hold the lash close enough to the natural lash line. Like the One Two Lashes, these lashes had obvious separation from the natural lash line that was a major problem with our testers.

Our testers also described the material of these lashes as extremely shiny and cheap looking. The dramatic pair included in this set was described by one of our testers as looking like a cheap Halloween costume.

The only upside to this lash set is that it comes with a sturdy carrying case that makes it easier not to lose lashes. However, with the terrible fit and quality of these lashes, you might not care if they get lost.

Ardell – Magnetic Lash Accent #001

The dramatic Ardell – Magnetic Lash Accent #001 had too many lashes to blend naturally as an accent lash. Even trimmed to a reasonable length, their sheer density and three-magnet system added too much visual weight to the outer corners of our testers’ eyes. In addition, their synthetic material was also a bit shiny for our testers’ liking.

The Ardells also lack a storage container. We found replacing them in their original cardboard and plastic packaging was messy and time-consuming and will do nothing for the Ardells’ durability.

Eylure – Opulent Corner

The Eylure – Opulent Accent are also too lush to blend with the rest of your lashes. Although they have a dual-magnet system, the lashes are too stiff to conform to your natural lash line. Our testers also found that the Eyelures sit in a completely straight chunk of dramatic eyelashes on the outer corner of their eyes, which is certainly not a look anyone wants.

On the positive side, our testers liked Eyelure’s synthetic hair material and their plastic carry case. However, their terrible fit make it impossible to achieve an attractive look.

Lamiya

In addition to being ill-fitting and extremely difficult to apply, the Lamiya – Magnetic Lashes lost a magnet after only three uses. The volume of these lashes creates a dramatic look, but paired with their poor fit, they stood out as obviously fake. The Lamiya were easier to apply when we trimmed them, but because of their low quality, we don’t recommend trying them.

How we selected

We’ve reviewed a number of beauty and grooming products for women, including the best safety razor, the best tweezers, the best deodorant and the best toiletry bag to tote them around in when you’re traveling. So we found the promise of magnetic enticing: full falsies without the nasty glue. However, because magnetic eyelashes are at the forefront of beauty trends, the quality of these products is inconsistent.

We began our research by consulting online reviews from respected retailers like Amazon, Ulta, Target, and Bed Bath & Beyond. From the get-go there was palpable frustration from consumers with the way these lashes were applied and how they looked. This was compounded when we began checking out beauty bloggers, such as Manny Mua, to get their thoughts on specific magnetic eyelash brands.

However, for every nay-sayer, we would find bloggers happy about finding a product that freed them from traditional falsies. We also read up on other magnetic eyelash reviews from respected sources such as Elle and Today and scoured subreddits such as r/MakeupAddiction.

We chose our top finalists based on which brands were leaders in the field and which had the most positive feedback from consumers. In addition, we interviewed Janelle Friedman, CEO and Founder of GoodJanes Beauty, to get an idea of what features were important in a good false lash.

Products Discontinued

Magnetic eyelashes are at the forefront of beauty trends, a very volatile space in the beauty industry. By 2019 many of the magnetic eyelashes we tested for this article were discontinued. Many of the brands we had previously tested had switched to using magnetic liner to attach magnetic lashes, as opposed to the dual magnet system we tested in this article.

The discontinued products were: Lash’d Up – Natural, Bunny Boo Beauty, AVIGOR, Absolute Lashes – Abella, Zoma Beauty, VASSOUL – 3D Magnetic Eyelashes, and AsaVea.

How we tested

We spent weeks testing nine of the best magnetic eyelashes on the market, so we can tell you with confidence which ones are worthy of your money. We had two testers, one of whom works professionally in the lash industry. She tried on each of our false lashes and answered questions about each lash’s application, material, look and fit. Our other tester wore each of our top-ranking lashes three separate times to find any possible durability issues.

Application

As stated earlier, applying magnetic lashes isn’t easy. It took all of our testers — even the professional — a while to get the hang of it. All of the lashes were equally difficult to apply, but the One Two Lash – Founder’s Lash and 3 Second Lash – Magnetic Eyelashes were somewhat easier because they only had one magnet per strip.

Material

Most of the lashes we tested were made of synthetic fibers. Our testers specifically had a problem with the unnatural, plastic shine of the 3 Second Lash – Magnetic Eyelashes. One of our testers noted that the 3 Second Lashes looked “like lashes for a Halloween costume.”

However, our testers approved how the Eylure – Opulent Accent, One Two Lash – Founder’s Lash and Lamiya – Magnetic Lashes looked, even though these were also made of synthetic fibers.

We were amazed to learn that the Ardell – Magnetic Lash Accent #001 were made of human hair, as our testers rated their material as just average looking. Our testers were more impressed with the silk lashes of Arvesa – Magnetic Eyelashes.

Natural vs. dramatic looks

We asked our testers whether they would use each of our finalists for a day look or a dramatic night look. Lash sets that had a large number of long lashes were categorized as dramatic looks, appropriate for a night out or special event. Sets that had fewer lashes were labeled as natural day looks.

However, it is important to note that lashes that work for a natural day look still require some mascara and curling to fully blend into your lashes. Day-look lashes also had to be comfortable enough to wear for eight hours straight.

Fit

We also rated how well the magnetic eyelashes hugged the natural lash line and how comfortable they felt. This was the “make it or break it” test for our finalists. We had many problems with magnetic eyelashes that didn’t follow the lash line’s natural curve.

Lashes that had two to three magnets per strip generally did a better job at curving along the lash line than those that had one magnet per strip, because they had multiple points of contact to bend around. We found that the Arvesa lashes had the best fit, which used a two-magnet system.

While our testers loved the material and lightweight design of the One Two Lashes, they were unimpressed by the one-magnet-per-strip design, which stuck out too far from the natural curved lash line. The 3 Second Lash also had only one magnet per strip and scored low with our testers.

We were surprised that none of our testers were afraid that their lashes would fall off when shaking their heads or jumping up and down. However, lashes with more magnets felt more secure in general.

Some lashes were a little too wide for our testers’ eyes, which was easily fixed by trimming off excess lash at the inner corner. Therefore, we did not dock any of our finalists for being too wide.

Reusability

All of the lashes we tested were advertised as being able to be used several times. However, the reality of reusing teeny-tiny lashes depended largely on having a handy, secure container for them. The best storage cases by far were the sturdy plastic boxes of the One Two Lash – Founder’s Lash, and the 3 Second Lash – Magnetic Eyelashes, which were truly handy and easy to keep track of because of their solid latch and hinge design.

The Lamiya – Magnetic Lashes was the only finalist that completely failed the durability test: During its third use, a magnet fell off one lash. Overall, our testers found the Lamiya lashes too flimsy.

Important features to consider

Length of lash: The majority of the lashes we tested were about ⅜-inch long. This is longer than what most people need, but they can always be trimmed to suit your personal preference. For example, one tester preferred her false eyelashes to be about ¼-inch long, while another tester preferred a full-length lash.

Material: Magnetic lashes can be made from synthetic fiber, silk, human hair or mink. Janelle Friedman, Founder of GoodJanes Beauty, prefers cruelty-free mink lashes because of their softness, fluttery look and durability. However, our top pick is made of silk, which we thought looked most natural. While we liked the look of some of the synthetic lashes we tested, others had an unnatural and plastic-like shine.

Full Strip or Accent: Before buying magnetic eyelashes, decide if you want a full strip or just an accent for your outer eye. For our update, our testers found that the determining feature for an accent lash was whether it had two magnets per strip. If the lash strip only had one magnet, the lash did not sit on the lash line well. If each lash strip had two magnets, it was much easier to bend around the eye.

Density of lashes: The more lashes, the more dramatic the look. In our testing, we looked for lashes that added drama to our eyes but didn’t compel people to ask if they were real.

Storage Case: All of the lashes we tested were advertised as being reusable. Therefore, we decided a good storage case was important to keep track of lashes, especially the smallest. We wanted a storage case that closed securely and had designated spots for lashes.

Reusability: The last thing anyone wants is for their lashes to pop a magnet the third time they wear them. We tested our lashes multiple times to make sure they were durable enough for multiple uses.

How to apply magnetic eyelashes

We won’t lie to you. Applying magnetic eyelashes is no cakewalk. However, if you give yourself about half an hour and follow these tips, you can get the technique down.

There are plenty of magnetic eyelash applicators on the market. We tested the Rapid Vitality – False Eyelash Applicator to apply our lashes. Also, many of our magnetic eyelashes came with a cheaper plastic version of this type of applicator. Neither of our testers found these applicators particularly helpful.

Instead, we recommend using tweezers or using the technique described by lash expert Janelle Friedman. “This tactic will help to prevent the lashes and magnets from moving too far from the lash line, ensuring they look more natural,” Janelle explains.

Step 1: Apply black eyeliner prior to lash application for a smoother blend.

Step 2: Line up the bottom lash under your lash line.

Step 3: Position the top lash to connect the magnets. Align the top and bottom lashes with your index finger and thumb takes some getting used to, but our testers were eventually able to get the hang of it.

Step 4: Apply mascara to blend lashes.

Step 5: To take off magnetic eyelashes, place your lashes between your index finger and thumb, then rub your fingers together to gently separate the magnets.

Janelle also recommends investing in a triangulated mirror. These mirrors allow you to see your lash line from multiple angles, which can help take some of the frustration out of applying magnetic eyelashes.

The bottom line

After testing the newest magnetic lashes currently available, we chose the Arvesa – Magnetic Eyelashes as the best magnetic eyelashes These lashes are great for creating a natural-looking outer eye accent, and for less than $15, they’re affordable if you’ve never tried out lashes with a dual-magnetic system.

We’re unable to recommend any other magnetic lashes we tested because they were either too expensive or simply did not work. The lack of quality in this sector of the beauty industry might be due to the emergence of magnetic eyeliner, which many magnetic-eyelash companies are now manufacturing.

Top Pick: Arvesa

See Price at Amazon

The post The Best Magnetic Eyelashes appeared first on Your Best Digs.

Table of contents

• Compare the best curling wands
• The seven best curling irons
• Important features to consider
• How we tested
• Best overall: Xtava – Twist
• Upgrade pick: Neuro – Unclipped Styling Rod
• Best for medium to long hair: Beachwaver – S1
• Best for medium to short hair: Anjou – 1-Inch Curling Iron
• The bottom line

How we selected finalists to test

To select our eight curling iron finalists, we first looked at online reviews from respected retailers like Amazon, Sephora, Target and Bed Bath and Beyond. We used these reviews to determine what consumers look for in a curling iron and which brands are leaders in the field.

Next, we consulted subreddits such as /r/fancyfollicles, /r/beauty and /r/femalehairadvice. We also checked out reviews from authoritative 3rd parties such as Reviews.com. This info helped us further our understanding of important curling iron features.

We continued researching curling iron technical components, such as barrel material, barrel size and temperature controls. We also consulted a professional hairstylist with twenty years experience, Priscilla Bagby.

Priscilla gave us practical information about proper curling iron/wand usage and what features she looks for in each. She also helped us in our decision to narrow down our finalists to only 1-inch barrels. We chose 1-inch barrels because this size can serve a variety of hair types and can be used to achieve the natural-wave look that is currently popular.

With Priscilla’s help, we also decided to represent all three of the most popular barrel materials in our list of finalists: ceramic, titanium and tourmaline. This let us compare the efficacy of the most popular materials on the market. We also included a range of price points, from bargain to luxury, so that we could find the best curling options for any budget.

Compare the best curling wands

The seven best curling irons

How curling irons work

Curling irons and wands use electrical resistors inside the barrel to heat up and remove water from hair strands. This process of removing water from hair is commonly called the water-set process. This process can be easily understood if you think of your hair like spaghetti. When curling irons remove the water from your hair, the hair dries in a manner similar to uncooked spaghetti. However, when the hair reabsorbs enough moisture, it loses this rigid structure, like when you add your spaghetti to a pot of water.

This process of direct heat and water evaporation inevitably leads to hair damage, because it breaks down the amino acids naturally present in your hair. Easy steps can be taken to prevent hair breakage and excess damage when curling, such as using a heat protectant and not using an unnecessarily high temperature while curling. During our hands-on testing, our testers used heat protectant to avoid hair damage.

Curling irons vs. curling wands

The primary difference between a curling iron and a curling wand is that a wand does not have a clamp to hold hair around its barrel. With a wand, you use your hands to secure your hair around the barrel. Some people prefer this because it can lead to a more natural looking curl. Curling wands also may have tapered barrels, meaning the barrel becomes narrower at its tip.

Our professional, Priscilla, prefers to use a wand while curling hair because it can be used to “give hair a more natural look.” However, she concedes that most amateurs are more comfortable using curling irons. Without the safety of a clip, users may accidentally burn their hands while securing hair around the wand’s barrel.

Priscilla explains, “One good [skin] burn deters most people [from wands] for good.” However, “mastery can be achieved with repetitive practice.” Also, most curling wands come with a heat-resistant glove to protect your hands from these types of accidents.

Now, if you’re the type of person who likes to mix up styles, be sure to also check out our hair straightening brush review, or other styling tools reviews like the Shark HyperAir and Dyson Airwrap Styler. If you’ve got thick and dense hair, check out the best curling irons for thick hair here. 

How to properly use a curling iron and wand

Proper technique is very important when curling hair, not only to get the best look, but also to ensure that you do not unintentionally damage your hair. Immediately before using a curling iron or wand, precondition your hair with a heat protectant.

It is also important to avoid unnecessarily high temperatures when curling hair.There is no “one-size-fits-all” temperature that works for everyone; the right temperature for you is based on your hair’s texture and thickness.

If you are unsure about which temperature to use, start at a low temperature (around 300 °F) and slowly increase it until you are able to set a curl with one 15-second hold around the barrel. Once you have your curling iron or wand set to the correct temperature for your hair, Priscilla recommends focusing on three main factors while curling: sectioning, angles and direction.

Sectioning

“Sectioning” refers to how you section off parts of your hair for curling. After using a heat protectant, make sure your hair is dry and detangled before sectioning hair with clips.

Priscilla explains that “natural looks will usually just require two sections.” She recommends creating one section above your ears and another below. More sections can be added for more glamorous looks, but don’t go overboard. “No one needs to do five horizontal sections,” Priscilla says. “It’s way too much curl and looks amateur.”

Angles

The angle at which you hold your curling iron or wand while your hair is wrapped around its barrel will affect your curl. Priscilla explains ,“Holding the barrel of your iron or wand on a diagonal will result in a more natural beachy wave pattern, horizontal will result in a more natural brushed curl, and vertical will result in a ringlet curl.”

Direction

The direction of a curl can either be toward or away from your face. The curl’s direction, coupled with the angle at which you curl it, can have a huge influence on the overall look of your hair.

For those wanting a natural, two-sectioned look, Priscilla recommends directing the top layer of curls away from your face and the bottom layer towards your face to “maximize volume.” However, if you want to create an even more “lived-in” natural look, alternate the direction of the curls throughout your hair to create “a more natural pattern.”

If you are looking for an old-school Hollywood glam look, Priscilla explains that you should begin on your bottom section by directing curls away from your face, holding your iron or wand at a vertical angle. Continue that all the way around until you end up on the other side of your face with curls that are now directed towards your face. “Pull a boars-head groom brush through and voila, you’re Rita Hayworth.”

“The biggest mistakes that I see with clients and stylists alike is the strong desire to run your fingers through the curl while it’s still hot,” says Priscilla. For curls that last, let your hair cool completely before brushing or applying product. “If you want to relax the curl, simply grab the end of the curl, stretch the curl and hold while it’s cooling.”

Important features to consider

Barrel size: Curling iron and wand barrels range from 0.5 to 1.5 inches in diameter. We chose to test all 1-inch barrels because they create a curl that is structured, but not too tight for most hair lengths. If you have very cropped hair, you may want to opt for a smaller barrel size; or if you have very long hair, a larger one.

Barrel length is also a consideration because it determines the amount of hair you can wrap around your iron. Standard barrels are usually around 5-7 inches long. Extra-long models can extend up to 9.5 inches, which can be helpful for people with very long hair. Shorter models, under 5.5 inches, are handy for those with shorter hair and/or those who want an easier to carry curling iron.

Temperature range: Most curling irons can reach incredibly high temperatures upwards of 400 °F. However, these temperatures are not necessary for most hair types. You should check a curling iron’s minimum and maximum temperatures to make sure it can sustain your ideal heat.

Ionic: Ionic curling irons produce negative ions to attract the positive water ions naturally present in hair. These ions promote frizz-free, shiny hair. All of the curling irons and wands we tested promote ionization, although they all have different barrel types.

Barrel material: Most curling iron barrels are metal with a coating of one of the materials listed below. However, higher-quality irons are available that are completely comprised of ceramic or titanium. Gold and tourmaline are used as coatings for either metal, ceramic or titanium irons. Coated irons that have a metal substrate may pose durability issues over the course of years, as the barrel’s coating may wear off and cause hot spots of exposed metal.

Some curling iron manufacturers make proprietary blends of the following materials (for example, “tourmaline infused ceramic”):

• Ceramic: Ceramic is a material that heats up quickly and evenly, making it a great pick for curling irons.
• Titanium: The preferred material of our professional hairstylist, Priscilla, titanium curling irons heat up faster than ceramic irons and are lightweight. However, titanium curling irons tend to be on the pricey side.
• Tourmaline: Tourmaline is a semiprecious gemstone, which is crushed to coat the curling iron’s barrel. This material boosts the negative ions produced by the curling iron, which helps make hair smooth and shiny.
• Gold: Curling irons with gold-plated barrels heat evenly and prevent overheating, making them a good choice for frequent use.

Safety features: Ever leave your house and think, “Did I forget to unplug my curling iron?” If so, you understand why an automatic shutoff feature helps your peace of mind. An important safety consideration, automatic shutoff ensures your iron is never left on for more than thirty minutes to an hour.

Other important standard safety features include heat-protectant gloves to protect hands and a stand to prevent the iron from burning your counter. All of our curling wand finalists came with heat-protectant gloves, and all of our finalists had some sort of stand.

Usability: A curling iron that is too heavy or unwieldy may lead to hair damage/breakage. Overall usability refers to the the iron’s weight, handle ergonomics, cord length and intuitiveness of the controls.

Aesthetics: A good quality, attractive curling iron means it won’t be an eyesore sitting on your counter.

How we tested

Hands-on curling

To see if our finalists really delivered perfect curls, we had regular consumers put them to the test. After using each curling iron, our testers answered questions about the appearance, usability, results and overall impression of our finalists. Our three testers each had a different hair type ranging from short and fine to long and thick. Each tester’s unique hair type meant that they had a different ideal temperature for curling hair.

All of our testers also had some experience with curling irons. Our tester with the least experience had used a curling iron a handful of times and had no experience with curling wands. Our tester with the most experience was familiar with both irons and wands and had used a wand on a biweekly basis.

Our testers largely preferred the curling irons with digital controls as they were clear, simple and accurate. In particular, the Neuro and Xtava were found to have the best controls, as their digital temperature controls are simple to use and have bright LED numbers that are easy to read.

Two of our finalists, Hot Tools and Mr Big, have dial temperature controls. Our testers appreciated the dial controls for their simplicity, but were disappointed with the smaller number of heat settings.

The Bed Head and NuMe both have only one heat setting. This limitation was universally disliked by our testers. The single temperature setting for both of these curlers was too hot for all of our testers’ hair. In fact, our tester with average thickness hair experienced smoke due to burnt hair follicles; to prevent further damage, we avoided testing on fine-hair.

The most intimidating curling iron for our testers was the Conair – InfinitiPro Curl Secret. This curler is unique in that it is an automated curling machine, meaning it sucks in a section of hair and curls it around an inner barrel. Although it required some learning, this curling iron turned out to be easy-to-use, but ultimately delivered lackluster results.

While not a fully automated machine, the Beachwaver also has a mechanism to twist hair along its barrel. Our testers with medium and long hair were able to get the hang of its barrel-twisting controls easily. However, the mechanism was useless for our tester with short hair.

Barrel length

We found that the advertised barrel lengths of our curling irons were often longer than their practical lengths. These advertized lengths often include the unheated tip (at the end of the barrel) as well as the small portion of the barrel located below the curling iron clamp. To determine the length of the curling iron barrel that can effectively be used to curl, we did our own measuring.

Take, for example the Anjou, which was advertised as a 6.3-inch barrel. While this measurement is technically correct, it is misleading. If you subtract the unheated end of the Anjou’s barrel and the bit below its clip, the part of the Anjou’s barrel that actually heats hair is 5.3 inches.

This size made the Anjou ideal for our short-haired tester, but was too small for our long-haired tester. On the other hand, the Mr Big Curling Iron is advertised at 9.5 inches but, practically, only 8 inches of its barrel can be used for curling. Our tester with long hair appreciated this extra length, but our tester with short hair found it too cumbersome.

From our tester’s experiences, we recommend looking for barrels that are 5.5 inches and longer if you have long hair. If your hair is shorter, you should look for 5.5 inches or less. While you shop, keep in mind that advertised barrel lengths probably include the iron’s unheated tip.

Temperature range

We used a thermometer attached to a thermocouple to test the highest and lowest temperature settings of our curling irons. Keep in mind that the accuracy of these thermometer readings may vary slightly, as they were not performed in a lab.

The Neuro proved to be the most accurate curling iron of our finalists. Its tested temperatures were within 1 °F of its advertised minimum and maximum specs.

Generally, the rest of our finalists tested a bit lower than their advertised temperatures but were within 10 – 15 °F. While 11 of our 12 finalists claimed to reach temperatures over 400 °F, we measured that only the Neuro, Hot Tools and Mr Big Curling Iron measured above 400 °F. So if you need very high temperatures to curl your hair, we recommend the Neuro as your best-choice curling wand and the Hot Tools as a solid runner-up.

This heat setting test was particularly useful for the Conair – InfinitiPro Curl Secret. This curling iron has four clearly labeled heat settings, and one ambiguous setting simply labeled “POWER.” We found the Conair’s “POWER” setting to be around 270 °F.

The NuMe measured significantly below 410 °F, its advertised temperature, reaching only 343 °F. This underperformance was noticed by our testers, who were displeased with the NuMe’s curling results.

Heating speed

To test how long each of our curling irons took to reach its maximum temperature, we again employed the thermometer and thermocouple, along with a stopwatch. We found that the Neuro was our fastest curling wand to heat up, taking only two minutes and 42 seconds to reach 449 °F. The titanium barrel of the Neuro helped it to easily beat the competition in heat time.

The curling irons that heated up fastest were the Conair – InfinitiPro Curl Secret and the Mr Big Curling Iron. The Conair took two minutes to reach 397 °F, and the Mr Big took two minutes and 41 seconds to reach 412 °F.

The majority of our finalists took somewhere between five to 10 minutes to reach their maximum temperature. The slowest to reach its maximum temperature was the NuMe which took over 10 minutes to reach 343 °F. This slow heat time is most likely due to the NuMe’s 100-percent ceramic barrel, a material that takes longer to heat up.

Usability

To score high on our overall usability, a curling iron should have simple controls, feel comfortable and lightweight, plus have a long cord. Our testers gushed over the grips of the Neuro and Anjou, which they found particularly easy to hold.

Our testers did not like the grips on the NuMe and Bed Head. They complained that these finalists lack grip texture and ergonomic shaping, and that they have a weight-balance issue which makes them unwieldy.

We measured each curling iron’s power cord and found that the Neuro had the longest cord at 9-feet long. The Xtava, Anjou, Mr Big Curling Iron and Beachwaver also had very long cords, all around 8 to 8.5 feet. The curling wand with the smallest cord was the Remington at 5 feet, 10 inches. However, cord length did no prove to be an issue for any of our testers, as they found even the Remington to be a comfortable length.

The lightest of our curling irons was the Vivid & Vogue, which only weighs about 0.8 pounds (12.2 ounces). This makes the Vivid & Vogue ideal to travel with, especially since it features dual voltage. Our testers thought this extra-light weight made the iron easy to use. The majority of our curling irons and wands range from 1 to 1.5 pounds, which our testers described as a comfortable weight.

The heaviest curling iron we tested was the Hot Tools at 2 pounds. This curling iron’s extra weight gives the impression of a quality tool, but two of our testers complained that this extra weight made it feel more unwieldy.

Best overall: Xtava – Twist Conical Curling Wand

The Xtava – Twist Conical Curling Wand impressed our testers with its styling results. All of our testers gushed about the curls created with this iron, especially our testers with long and medium length hair. The Xtava’s graduated barrel helped our testers get natural-looking, tousled, loose curls.

This curling wand is a great choice for those who want the “natural curl” look. If you are looking for a bit more of a structured curl, you might consider opting for a straight-barrel version of the Xtava or the Neuro discussed below.

Out of the box, our testers thought the Xtava looked sleek and smart with its all-black design. They were also highly impressed with its easy-to-use digital controls. The Xtava’s simple buttons and easy-to-read digital screen allow you to control the temperature from 200 °F to 410 °F in ten degree increments.

Our testers also liked that this wand displays its temperature while it heats up, so you know exactly when it’s ready to use. The Xtava took four minutes and 20 seconds to reach its maximum temperature, which we measured as 383 °F. This was an average heat time for our finalists.

Top Pick: Xtava - Twist Conical Curling Wand

Sleek, smart and effective, this curling wand provides the perfect tousled curl and comes at a good value. Accurate digital controls and comfortable handle make it easy — and enjoyable — to use.

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While this 383 °F temperature is lower than the Xtava’s advertised maximum (410 °F), we believe it is within the margin of error for our testing. However, if you have thicker hair that should be ironed at temperatures above 400 °F, we greatly recommend splurging for the hotter Neuro. That said, the Xtava is a great choice for the majority of hair types that should be curled below 400 °F, including fine, normal and wavy hair.

The Xtava’s smart controls, plus its comfortable handle, made the Xtava very easy to use for our testers. In addition to the standard heat-protectant glove that comes with most curling wands, the Xtava also came with a good quality case that proved convenient to use.

The Xtava’s tourmaline-infused ceramic barrel measured 5.5 inches in length and tapered from 1.5- to 1-inch wide. This makes it great for medium- to long-length hair. Those with very short hair might opt for the smaller-barreled Xtava, which tapers from 1 inch to 0.5 inch wide.

The weight of the Xtava curling wand is pretty standard among its peers at 1.4 pounds. While this may not be a super-lightweight model, none of our testers complained of arm fatigue.

The only feature our testers thought could be improved in the Xtava is its heat stand, which is pretty small and can easily tip over. However, the Xtava comes equipped with other safety features, such as an automatic shutoff plus a good quality heat-protectant glove and case.

The Xtava’s appearance is sleek, black and serious. However its controls are friendly, and its curling results are flirty and fun. Despite the high quality of the Xtava, it comes at a bargain at around $20. To put the cherry on top, the Xtava is dual voltage, which means you can use it outside of the United States.

Key takeaways:

• Our top pick, the Xtava – Twist Conical Curling Wand has easy-to-use digital controls and a comfortable handle.
• Our testers were highly impressed with the Xtava’s styling results, delivered by its graduated, tourmaline-infused ceramic barrel.
• At a 5.5-inch length, the Xtava’s graduated barrel performed well on a variety of hair types.
• The Xtava offers top-tier performance without a top-tier price.

Upgrade pick: Neuro – Unclipped Styling Rod

The Neuro – Unclipped Styling Rod is a straight-barreled curling wand. Our testers thought the Neuro’s expensive price tag is worth it for those with very thick hair, or for those who want a more structured curl. However, if you have thin, normal or moderately thick hair and are looking for a loose tousled curl, the Xtava is a better choice.

The Neuro’s high price tag is partly due its high-quality titanium barrel and smart digital controls. This titanium barrel heats up quickly and can reach an incredible 450 °F, the highest temperature of all our finalists. Therefore, if you have very thick or textured hair, this curling iron is probably worth the splurge.

All of our testers ranked the Neuro’s digital controls far above its competitors. This curling wand’s temperature range was 160 °F – 450 °F, which you can set in 10-degree increments. Its digital temperature was exceptionally easy to read, and its buttons were intuitive.

Luxe Pick: Neuro - Unclipped Styling Rod

If you have thick hair and a bigger budget, the Neuro is easy to use and highly effective. This professional-grade curling wand can create a variety of looks, and its titanium-plated barrel can reach a remarkable 450 °F.

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Our heat testing also revealed that this curling wand is exceptionally accurate, measuring within 1 °F of its advertised temperature. The Neuro was also the fastest curling wand to heat up, taking only two minutes and 42 seconds to reach 449 °F. Our heat testing data proved that the Neuro’s titanium barrel is worth the price.

The Neuro also comes equipped with other professional-grade features, such as a customizable automatic shutoff feature. This feature allows you to program the curling wand to shut off after whatever amount of time you choose.

The Neuro’s straight barrel is 5.5-inches long, which works well for a variety of hair lengths. Because its barrel is straight, our testers found that it can be used to get a slightly more defined curl than the Xtava. This curling iron works well for creating different types of curls based upon the angle of the iron and the direction of the curl.

The Neuro’s styling results and its professional features make it ideal for consumers looking to spend more to get serious curling power. Like the Xtava, the Neuro is dual voltage, making it a good choice for trips abroad.

Key takeaways:

• The Neuro – Unclipped Styling Rod’s titanium 5.5-inch long barrel heats up the fastest of our finalists, taking just under three minutes to reach 450 °F.
• The Neuro was the most accurate of our finalists, measuring within 1 °F of its advertised temperatures, and its simple digital controls allow you to select temperatures in 10-degree increments (200 °F to 450 °F).
• With a temperature range suited for a wide range of hair types, our testers found this curling wand extremely easy to use and were pleased with its styling results.
• The $100 price tag of the Neuro is worth it for those with very thick hair who are looking for a structured curl.

Best for medium to long hair: Beachwaver – S1

Our testers with medium-length and long hair loved the Beachwaver’s automatically rotating barrel, which was unique among our finalists. The Beachwaver’s rotation is controlled by two direction buttons on its barrel, but you don’t have to use this feature if you don’t want to. However, our testers with hair past their shoulders found this feature very handy in getting strands to wrap uniformly around the barrel.

Our short-haired tester found the Beachwaver to be too bulky overall to use successfully. However, our other testers appreciated the Beachwaver’s large handle, which they said felt more ergonomic than our other finalists. The Beachwaver’s large buttons are intuitive, which make using its fancy rotation feature easy.

The Beachwaver’s lowest temperature setting was 290 °F, meaning that it’s unsuitable for those with very fine, color-treated or damaged hair. Our testers liked this curling iron’s digital temperature controls, which allow you to easily select the temperatures in 10-degree increments up to 410 °F.

Best for Longer Hair: Beachwaver - S1

Our top-pick curling iron for long hair, the Beachwaver has a ceramic automatic-rotating barrel that our testers loved. With its large handle, this curling iron is comfortable to hold and features intuitive controls.

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Though the Beachwaver was advertised to reach 410 °F, we measured its highest temperature to be 398 °F. This measurement may be within the margin of error for our testing, but if you’re looking for a curling iron that easily exceeds 400°F, we recommend going with the Hot Tools instead. However, the Beachwaver is a great pick for the majority of average- to long-hair types that should be curled at settings below 400 °F.

This curling iron took six minutes and 30 seconds to reach its maximum temperature, an average time for our finalists.

The Beachweaver’s clamp is the smallest of our finalists, yet our testers found it very effective. This small clamp minimizes the crinkle sometimes left by a curling iron’s clamp. Its 5.5-inch long barrel creates attractive curls that our testers rated “above average.”

The main drawback of the Beachwaver is its high price point at over $100. However, its comfortable handle and smart, automatic-spin feature make it a great curling iron for longer hair. The Beachwaver also comes equipped with an automatic shutoff feature that turns off the iron if left unused for 30 minutes.

Key takeaways:

• The Beachwaver – S1 is a good choice for those with medium length or long hair.
• This curling iron has an automatic rotating barrel that is easy to control and helps to create nicely styled curls.
• Though hefty in size, the Beachwaver’s handle is comfortable to hold, and large buttons make using its fancy features easy.
• This curling iron is our luxury pick, with a price point upwards of $100.

Best for medium to short hair: Anjou – 1-Inch Iron

We found that the Anjou – 1-Inch Curling Iron is the best choice for shorter hair. Our testers thought the Anjou’s more manageable size (14.4 inches overall) and ceramic barrel made it a great overall curling iron. Our testers were pleased with the curls the Anjou made, and they proved the iron to be both effective and easy to use.

The Anjou’s ceramic barrel is advertised as 6.3 inches; however, our testers found that they were only able to practically use 5.3 inches of the barrel. This is because the 6.3-inch measurement includes the unheated end of the barrel, as well as the portion of the barrel below the iron’s clamp.

This posed a problem for our tester with the longest hair, which falls around her mid to lower back. This tester wanted a little more length from the Anjou’s barrel in order to fit more hair around it. However, our other two testers had no issue with the Anjou’s barrel length.

Best for Shorter Hair: Anjou - 1-Inch Curling Iron

Our top pick for short hair, the Anjou - 1-Inch Curling Iron has a manageable size yet provides great results. Our testers loved the Anjou’s 5.3-inch ceramic barrel and lightweight design.

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The Anjou also comes equipped with digital heat controls, which allow you to select the temperature in 10-degree increments from 200 °F – 410 °F. The Anjou’s buttons are very small, which our testers thought was a bit of a pain. However, the controls are very simple and allow for specific temperature setting. We found that the Anjou took about six minutes and 33 seconds to reach its maximum temperature, which was a pretty average heating time among our finalists.

This curling iron works well for most hair thicknesses, except for those with very thick or textured hair that needs to be curled above 400 °F. We measured its maximum and minimum temperatures to be 198 °F to 398 °F, just a bit lower than its technical specs. This slight temperature discrepancy was not noticed in our hands-on testing.

Weighing 1.2 pounds, this curling iron is relatively lightweight, which our testers thought made it easy to manipulate. This curling iron is also dual voltage, so you can travel with it overseas.

The Anjou is easy to use, features smart controls and offers great results, making it a great pick for those with short- to medium-length hair. To top things off, the Anjou is a bargain, costing only about $25.

Key takeaways:

• The Anjou – 1-Inch Curling Iron is a good choice for those with short to medium-length hair because of its more manageable size at 14.4-inch length and 1.2-pound weight.
• This curling iron’s digital controls allow you to select the temperature between 200 °F to 410 °F, and our testers were pleased with the curls created by the Anjou’s 5.3-inch ceramic barrel
• The Anjou works well for a variety of hair thicknesses, but it’s not the best pick for those with very thick or textured hair that needs to be curled above 400 °F.
• The Anjou comes at a very reasonable price point, costing only around $25.

Other finalists we recommend

Conair – InfinitiPro Curling Iron

The Conair – InfinitiPro Curling Iron came in just behind the Anjou in its overall testing score, ranking above average with most of our testers. Our tester with the shortest hair especially liked the Conair’s smaller size and lighter weight.

The Conair’s barrel is made of ceramic-infused tourmaline and measures 5 inches long. This length worked well for our short- and medium-length hair testers, but it was too small for our long-haired tester. Overall, our testers ranked the curls created by the Conair as average.

The Conair lost points in its low-quality appearance. Its light weight (1.08 pounds) and — as one tester described it, “Aquaman-blue” handle — contributed to this overall impression of cheaper quality. However, when you consider that the Conair – InfinitiPro was able to yield average styling results for an incredibly cheap price at just around $20, it’s easy to forgive the Conair’s appearance.

The Conair – InfinitiPro’s controls are simple but do not offer the specificity of a digital curling iron. The Conair allows you to select the temperature at five different presets. If you select only “POWER,” the curling iron reaches about 275 °F. Beyond that base setting, your other options are 310 °F, 330 °F, 360 °F and 400 °F.

The Conair took an average length of time to reach its maximum temperature, six-and-a-half minutes. Our measured temperatures for the Conair were a bit lower than the specified minimum and maximum temperatures. This curling iron works best for those with normal or thick hair. Because of its limited temperature range, it’s not a good pick for those with very thin or very thick hair.

Overall, this curling iron is a solid budget pick as it offers average styling results with easy-to-use controls and at a friendly $20 price. This curling iron is better suited for those with short to medium-length hair because of its shorter barrel.

Hot Tools: 1-Inch 24k Gold Curling Iron

Our testers thought that the Hot Tools – 1-Inch 24k Gold Curling Iron was an overall average curling iron. Like the Conair curling iron, the Hot Tools delivers average styling results. However, during our temperature testing, this curling iron reached one of the highest temperatures of our finalists, heating up to 405 °F. Therefore, if you have thick hair and are looking for a bargain, the Hot Tools is a solid-choice curling iron.

The Hot Tools relies on a dial temperature control system, which is simple, but lacks the accuracy of digitally controlled irons. This curling iron also heated up in a reasonable amount of time, taking about six minutes to reach its maximum temperature.

In addition, the Hot Tools price is very affordable, falling just under $30. It has an easy-to-grip handle and a gold barrel, which measures 4.25 inches. This was our heaviest curling iron, coming in around 2 pounds. When curling a lot of hair, this extra weight can turn hair curling into an arm workout. Overall, the Hot Tools is a solid curling iron, but it lacks the professional features and exceptional results to make it one of our top picks.

Remington – Pro Curling Wand

While our testers were happy with the loose curl that the Remington – Pro Curling Wand creates, they were less than impressed with this wand’s temperature display and plastic handle. Our testers wished the Remington’s digital temperature display was brighter and more readable and that its handle had a better stand for holding the wand while hot.

The Remington reached its maximum temperature quickly, taking only four-and-a-half minutes. However, we measured the maximum temperature a bit below the advertised 410 °F. If you have extremely thick or textured hair, this is not the wand for you. However, it does work well for all other hair thicknesses that can be curled at a setting under 400 °F.

This curling iron comes at a good price, around $25. However, the Xtava – Twist Conical Curling Wand comes at a similar price point and offers more professional features and better performance. Therefore, the Remington would only be a good choice if the Xtava was out of stock.

Mr Big Curling Iron – 1-Inch

Unsurprisingly, our tester with long hair appreciated the Mr Big Curling Iron the most, mainly because of its very long barrel that measures 8 inches. However, all of our testers thought that Mr. Big’s curling results were lacking and that its long clamp was unnecessary.

The Mr. Big Curling Iron was our fastest heating curling iron, reaching an incredible 412 °F in only two minutes and 41 seconds. However, because of this curling iron’s unwieldiness, we recommend opting for the Hot Tools if you have very thick hair and are looking for a curling iron that offers temperatures above 400 °F.

For its large size, Mr. Big is relatively lightweight, weighing 1.2 pounds. However, this iron is unnecessarily cumbersome to manipulate around your head, particularly for those with average-length hair. Even if you have long hair, there are curling irons which offer better results, such as the Beachwaver.

Vivid & Vogue – Travel Curling Iron

Do you have short hair and travel a lot? If the answer is yes, the Vivid & Vogue – Travel Curling Iron is a good option for you. If the answer is no, you should probably invest in a larger curling iron. This curling iron has a tiny 3.75-inch barrel and weighs less than a pound.

The Vivid & Vogue has a very simple temperature switch that offers only high or low temperature settings. Its high-temperature setting measured about 350 °F, and its low setting measured 223 °F. This small curling iron took a longer time to reach its maximum temperature, clocking in at around eight minutes.

This extremely lightweight flat iron is simple and cheap, costing around $15. It is a solid flat iron for those with thin, short hair who travel a lot. However, its small barrel and overall lower quality make it a poor choice for everyday use or for those with hair that falls below their shoulders.

Other finalists we do not recommend

Conair – InfinitiPro Curl Secret

The Conair – InfinitiPro Curl Secret was the only fully automatic curling machine we tested. Initially, it visually and conceptually intimidated our testers. This machine requires hair to be placed inside two plates that are pressed together and then automatically curl hair inside a curling chamber. However, in practice the Conair was very easy to use and would not curl any piece of hair that was tangled.

This curling machine was extremely quick to reach its maximum temperature. We found that it reached 397 °F in two minutes. Because the Conair – Curl Secret only has two temperature settings, which we measured to be 372 °F and 397 °F, this curler is only suited for those with normal to thick hair.

Despite its ease of use, our testers were all dissatisfied with the curls produced by the Conair – InfinitiPro Curl Secret. Our tester with the shortest hair was unable to use the machine because her hair was not long enough for the machine to properly funnel into its barrel. Our testers with longer hair thought that their curls came out too crinkled. Therefore, we recommend spending time practicing your technique with a manual curling iron, rather than settling for the subpar results of the Conair – InfinitiPro Curl Secret.

Bed Head – Curlipops Curling Wand

To put it simply, the Bed Head – Curlipops Curling Wand is too hot. When tested on hair of normal thickness, this curling iron burnt follicles to the point of producing smoke. With only one heat setting at 400 °F, our tester with fine hair was unable to try this curling iron due to risk of serious hair damage.

Our heat test showed that this curling iron’s advertised 400 °F temperature is accurate. At seven minutes and 20 seconds, it took a bit longer than average to reach its maximum temperature. This curling iron is suited for those with very thick hair that requires high heat.

The Bed Head iron also lacks an automatic shutoff function. Paired with its high heat, this deficiency poses serious safety concerns if you forget to unplug your curling iron. Even if you have hair that needs to be curled at this high temperature, our testers ranked this curling iron’s curls as slightly below average.

NuMe – Classic Curling Wand

Like the Bedhead, the NuMe – Classic Curling Wand only has one heat setting, which frustrated our testers who all wanted more accurate controls. While its temperature is advertised to be a super-hot 410 °F, we measured it to be around 350 °F. That means this curling iron is only suited for those with hair of normal thickness.

Because the NuMe has a 100-percent ceramic barrel, it takes over 10 minutes to heat up to high temperature. This measured to be the longest heating time of any of our finalists.

Our testers also found the NuMe’s handle to be uncomfortable and thought it was unwieldy to use. This curling iron lacks an automatic shutoff, but still commands a higher price tag at around $70. We recommend you skip this curling wand and instead opt for either the affordable Xtava or the luxury Neuro.

The bottom line

Overall, we were pleased to find that you can get a great curling iron or wand without breaking the bank. With proven performance, the Xtava – Twist Conical Curling Wand earns our pick for the best curling wand.

Our testers were impressed with the Xtava’s smart, easy-to-use, digital temperature system as well as its overall sleek appearance. This curling wand’s graduated barrel delivers a tousled curl that our testers universally appreciated. The Xtava comes with professional features, such as an automatic shutoff and dual voltage, yet only costs around $20.

On the more expensive side of curling wands was the Neuro – Unclipped Styling Rod. This curling wand was loved by our testers because of its smart digital controls, quick heating time and salon-quality results. This curling wand has the widest temperature range of our finalists, ranging from 160 °F to 450 °F. That makes it suitable for a wide variety of hair types, and its straight barrel can be used to create a variety of looks.

If you prefer the clamp of a traditional curling iron, we have two top picks based upon the length of your hair. The Beachwaver – S1 scored well with our testers with average to long hair, who appreciated its auto-rotation feature.

The Beachwaver’s large handle is very comfortable and has large buttons that are easy to use. It also has smart digital temperature controls that can be set at increments of 10 °F. However, the Beachwaver’s lowest temperature is 290 °F, which means it’s not suited for those with very fine or damaged hair.

For those with short hair looking for a small-sized curling iron, the Anjou – 1-Inch Curling Iron is your best bet. This curling iron offers great results and smart digital controls for a bargain at approximately $25. This curling iron’s overall light weight and long power cord make it easy to use around your head. Its shorter, 5.3-inch ceramic barrel is well suited for those with short- to medium-length hair.

For more heat styling and hair care, check out our review of the best hair dryer.

Top Pick: Xtava - Twist Conical Curling Wand

A great value choice, the Xtava earns our top pick for curling wands. This wand’s accurate digital controls make it easy to use, and our testers appreciated its comfortable handle.

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The post The Best Curling Irons appeared first on Your Best Digs.

Table of contents

• The 7 selfie sticks we tested
• Best overall: Yoozon
• Sturdiest Pick: Fugetek – FT-568
• Best for GoPros: Vicdozia – 19-Inch
• Other products we tested
• How we selected
• How we tested
• Important features to consider
• The bottom line

The 7 selfie sticks we tested

Product	Price	Weight (oz.)	Extended Length (in.)	Collapsed Length (in.)
1. Yoozon	$$	4	28.7	10
2. Fugetek	$$	9	49	18.5
3. Vicdozia	$	5.3	19	7.25
4. Selfie World	$	4.5	32	8
5. Mpow	$	5.6	31.5	7.1
6. Anker	$	4.8	28.3	7
7. UBeesize	$$	14.6	31.9	9

The best overall: Yoozon

The Yoozon was ranked highest by our testers because of its balance, portability, ease of use and quality. Our testers loved the Yoozon’s removable Bluetooth remote that was simple to use and snapped the phone’s shutter instantly. This remote was fully charged in under an hour, and maintained its charge for multiple days of use.

Our testers were also taken with the Yoozon’s sleek black appearance, which one tester compared to a lightsaber. The Yoozon’s remote fits seamlessly back into its handle contributing to the selfie stick’s overall sleek appearance.

The downside of the Yoozon is the flimsiness of the pole, which is not meant for vigorous shaking. This selfie stick works best when it’s not fully extended. It is sturdy enough to withstand the bumps in a crowd of tourists, but it’s not built for running or action sports.

The bottom of this selfie stick can be separated out into a tripod stand. Paired with its Bluetooth remote, this means that you can set the selfie stick down and take a picture from farther away. In practice, our testers found that this tripod stand tipped over too easily to be very effective.

Top Pick: Yoozon

This selfie stick has an easy-to-use Bluetooth remote and intuitive design that our testers loved. It weighs only four ounces and collapses down to 10 inches, making it easy to travel with.

See Price at Amazon.com

The Yoozon is easy to carry around, collapsing down to 10 inches and weighing only 4 ounces. If you are traveling, this would be an easy selfie stick to bring with you in a purse or back pocket. The Yoozon’s telescopic pole extends 28.7 inches, meaning you have enough space to work your selfie angles.

Overall our testers ranked the Yoozon as an above-average selfie stick that would be ideal for tourists or casual selfie takers. It is priced just around $20, which is fair for the product’s quality.

Key takeaways:

• Our best selfie stick, the Yoozon, has a handy, easy-to-use Bluetooth remote.
• This selfie stick has a simple, sleek black appearance that our testers appreciated.
• The Yoozon weighs only 4 ounces and collapses down to 10 inches, making it highly portable.
• Fully extended, this selfie stick is 28.7 inches. Our testers found this to be a good length for capturing selfies.
• This selfie stick’s pole is not sturdy enough for vigorous shaking.

Sturdiest pick: Fugetek – FT-568

Pole sturdiness was an issue for almost all of our selfie sticks except the Fugetek – FT-568. The Fugetek’s long 49-inch pole remained secure even when fully extended. Our testers appreciated the Fugetek’s tough handle and easy-to-use Bluetooth remote.

In addition to being a sturdy selfie stick for phones, this was also a good selfie stick for GoPros. The Fugetek allows you to screw in either a phone holder or GoPro mount to its end. Both the phone holder and GoPro mount passed our shake test with flying colors.

This selfie stick was the only one to hold the iPhone 6 Plus securely. Therefore, if you have a heavier phone such as an iPhone Plus, we recommend this tough selfie stick.

The Fugetek’s telescopic pole extends much farther than our other finalists. Fully extended, it is 49 inches. This allows the user to capture a larger group of people or more of the surrounding scenery.

This selfie stick’s main issue was portability. It collapses down to 18.5 inches. Our testers preferred selfie sticks that could collapse down to 10 inches or below. It also weighs about 5 ounces more than any of our other finalists. Our testers noticed this extra weight during use.

A carrying case was included with this selfie stick that allows the user to swing it over their shoulder. This helps make the Fugetek a bit more portable, but this selfie stick is overall harder to lug around than our other finalists.

Sturdiest Pick: Fugetek - FT-568

This selfie stick is highly recommended for those with heavier phones, such as the iPhone plus, because of its sturdy pole and phone holder. This large selfie stick can also be used easily with GoPros.

See Price at Amazon.com

The Fugetek is a good quality selfie stick that comes for under $20. Its versatility and security make it a great selfie stick. However, this selfie stick is for people who don’t mind carrying around an 18.5-inch pole on their back. This inconvenience is probably justified for those with heavier phones, which are too heavy for smaller selfie sticks.

Editors note: We did not test the Fugetek with a DSLR camera.

Key takeaways:

• Our most sturdy selfie stick, the Fugetek – FT-568 was the only selfie stick that could securely hold the iPhone 6 Plus.
• The Fugetek’s Bluetooth remote is easy to use and pair with your device.
• Fully extended, this selfie stick is a whopping 49 inches, meaning you will be able to capture more in your selfies.
• The Fugetek’s main issue is portability. Even fully collapsed, this selfie stick is 18.5 inches and weighs 9 ounces.

Best for GoPros: Vicdozia – 19-Inch

While the Vicdozia – 19-Inch selfie stick does not work with phones, it is a great selfie stick for GoPros. Our testers loved the Vicdozia’s waterproof rubber handle and secure pole. This selfie stick passed our shake test easily, proving that it is tough enough to use during action shots.

When using a GoPro with a selfie stick there is no Bluetooth or wired compatibility, meaning you must manually click the GoPro’s record button to begin recording. This was no issue for our testers.

Best for GoPros: Vicdozia - 19-Inch

This selfie stick has an easy-to-grip rubber handle and sturdy pole, which means you can record action videos without worrying about damaging your GoPro.

See Price at Amazon.com

The Vicdozia’s design is simple and effective. While it only extends to 19 inches, our testers found this to be a good length for recording videos. Also, because its pole is shorter, you get no bending or unnecessary weight.

The Vidozia collapses down to 7.25 inches and weighs only 5.3 ounces. It also comes with a carry string, making it very portable. You could tie this selfie stick on a backpack and set off biking, hiking and adventuring with no hassle.

We love the Vicdozia for GoPros because of its simplicity, sturdiness and portability. It proves that you can find a great GoPro selfie stick for under $15.

Key takeaways:

• The best selfie stick for GoPros, the Vicdozia – 19-Inch is secure and portable.
• While the Vicdozia only extends to 19 inches, our testers found this to be plenty long for their recording needs.
• This selfie stick is highly portable, weighing only 5.3 ounces and packing down to 7.25 inches.
• This selfie stick passed our shake test with flying colors, proving it is tough enough to use for action shots.

Other finalists we tested

Our testers found the Selfie World, Mpow and Anker were easy to set up, use and carry around. These three selfie stick are ideal for tourists and casual selfie stick users. However, these three selfie stick’s poles were of lesser quality than our winners.

The pole to handle connection on these three selfie sticks is not made for intense use and would likely break after a year or two. However, these selfie sticks will work fine if you are looking to use your selfie stick for vacations or a few times a month, as they offer outstanding portability and ease of use.

Selfie World – Premium Selfie Stick

Our testers enjoyed the Selfie World’s easy setup and lightweight design. However, they noted this selfie stick’s materials were of a lower quality than our winners.

All of our testers commented on the poor durability of the selfie stick’s pole to handle connection. While this is not an issue for casual selfie stick users who do not plan on using their selfie stick daily, devoted bloggers may have to replace this selfie stick after a year or two.

The Selfie World did not make it far in the shake test for any device because of the quality of the handle. This selfie stick is not meant to be shaken intensely, especially when fully extended. This selfie stick would be able to withstand a slight bump caused by walking in a crowd, but is definitely not designed for action sports.

This selfie stick’s phone holder was also not secure enough to handle much shaking. Although this selfie stick can fully extend to 32 inches, our testers did not want to use it at its full length because the pole felt bendy.

The Selfie World was very simple to set up as it is a wired selfie stick. This means that if you have an iPhone 7 or later model you will need a lightning-to-headphone jack adaptor for this selfie stick to work.

On the positive side, this selfie stick is extremely light and easy to carry. It weighs only 4.5 ounces and can pack down to 8 inches. The Selfie World is also cheap, costing under $15. However, we recommend spending about $5 more to get a more secure selfie stick that’s less likely to result in a cracked screen.

Mpow – iSnap X

The Mpow – iSnap X was very similar to the Selfie World. In fact our testers thought their telescopic poles looked identical. Like the Selfie World, our testers thought this selfie stick would work well for those who use selfie sticks for vacations or a few times a month. Those who plan to use their selfie sticks daily or for action sports should look for a higher quality selfie stick.

The Mpow was able to fully extend to 31.5 inches, but because of the bendiness of the pole our testers did not like to use it at its full length. This selfie stick also did not make it far during the shake test.

Unlike the Selfie World, the Mpow iSnap is Bluetooth compatible. The Mpow does not have a Bluetooth remote, but rather snaps pictures via a button on the handle. To charge the Mpow, you plug a charger into the base of the stick’s handle.

The Bluetooth was easy to pair, and we found that the selfie stick held its charge for over 24 hours of use. The Mpow was also very portable, collapsing to 7.1 inches and weighing only 5.6 ounces.

Because of its Bluetooth compatibility and lightweight design, the Mpow is a great selfie stick for tourists and casual selfie stick users. However like the Selfie World and Anker, we do not recommend this selfie stick if you plan to use this selfie stick daily as its pole to handle connection will likely have durability issues. A much better quality selfie stick can be purchased for just about $5 more.

Anker – Wired Monopod

Our testers appreciated the Anker – Wired Monopod’s ease of setup and secure phone holder. This is a simple, lightweight selfie stick that gets the job done. While the Anker’s phone holder was secure, it had a lower quality telescopic pole than our winners.

Like the Mpow and Selfie World, the Anker’s pole-to-handle connection was of lesser quality than our winners. Our testers thought that this connection could break over time with intense use. Because of the bendiness of the pole, our testers did not like using the Anker at its full length of 28.3 inches.

Because the Anker is a wired selfie stick, those with an iPhone 7 or later model will need to use a lightning-to-headphone jack adaptor with this selfie stick. This selfie stick is very easy to set up and use straight out of the box.

The Anker is also extremely portable. It collapses to a tiny 7 inches, and weighs only 4.8 ounces. This portability makes it ideal for tourists wanting to snap a few shots. This selfie stick comes for only about $10, but is hampered by the quality of its pole and handle connection.

UBeesize – Extendable Monopod (Not Recommended)

Our first tester loved the UBeesize – Extendable Monopod. Initially this selfie stick performed well in our shake test, had an easy to pair Bluetooth remote that required no charging and had a great sophisticated look. It was only after taking hundreds of selfies and undergoing a rigorous shake test that the second tester discovered this selfie stick’s durability problem.

Unfortunately, this selfie stick became much more flimsy after a few hours of use. Its telescopic pole began to collapse on itself when a device was in the phone holder. This could be remedied by individually rotating each section of its telescopic pole. However, this was a pain and did not inspire confidence in the stick’s ability to hold the device. It was clear that the stability of the pole gradually degraded over the course of testing.

Our testers also had problems adjusting their phones in the UBeesize’s phone holder to face their desired angles. They found that in this regard the UBeesize had a better GoPro mount than phone holder. However, we do not recommend this selfie stick for GoPros because of its durability issues.

The UBeesize also came with a quality tripod, which could be used to set up your camera and take pictures with the Bluetooth remote from far away. The tripod performed well, but the flimsy pole made the whole system insecure.

The UBeesize has an impressive 31.9-inch length, which is rendered useless by the insecurity of the telescopic pole. It packs down to a nice 9 inches. Our testers had no issues with the selfie stick’s portability. While the UBeesize held promise, we recommend looking for a more durable selfie stick.

How we selected

We began our quest for the best selfie stick by looking up Amazon reviews. These reviews were used to find out which features are important to consumers, and to determine the leading selfie stick brands.

We also consulted subreddits such as r/selfiestick and ones for specific devices such as r/GooglePixel and r/GalaxyS7. Here, consumers discussed which selfie sticks had worked well with their specific devices. This research, combined with user reviews and brand reputation, was used to determine our seven selfie stick finalists.

How we tested

How many selfies does it take to determine the best selfie stick? Hundreds. We had three testers, each with a different device (iPhone 7, Galaxy S8 and iPhone 6 Plus), snap selfies in outdoor, indoor and action settings. We also had our testers use the GoPro compatible selfie sticks with a GoPro Hero.

Our testers also subjected each selfie stick to a shake test with increasing intensity (over a soft mattress of course) to determine the sturdiness of its hold on the device.

After the shake test and snapping multiple selfies in different environments, our testers filled out a performance questionnaire that asked them to rate each selfie stick’s ease of set up, portability, sturdiness and overall performance.

Ease of setup

None of our testers reported major frustrations with setup for our seven selfie-stick finalists. They found wired selfie sticks were the easiest to set up, as they only required the user to put a plug in the headphone jack and then place the phone in the holder.

The selfie sticks that came with Bluetooth remotes had to be charged. These remotes held their charge for multiple days of use. No testers had issues connecting their phones to the selfie stick’s Bluetooth.

The Fugetek and UBeesize – Extendable Monopod came with the phone holder and selfie pole disassembled because both allow for GoPro compatibility (which requires a different mount to be screwed in). Screwing on the phone holder was simple for both and required no tools. Ditto for the GoPro mount.

Portability

When it came to portability only one selfie stick stood out as a pain: the Fugetek – FT-568. This selfie stick weighs a whopping 9 ounces, which is noticeable when handling. All of the other selfie sticks weigh around 4-5 ounces. The Fugetek’s sturdy pole can extend to 49 inches, 17 inches longer than the next competitor.

This selfie stick is still large when collapsed. Folded down, the Fugetek is 18.5 inches. This is significantly longer than our other finalists, which folded down to around 7 inches. The Fugetek’s large collapsed size means it will not fit into a purse or pocket.

The Fugetek comes with a storage bag that can be thrown over one shoulder like a backpack. This bag makes it a little easier to lug around this very large selfie stick.

Sturdiness

Sturdiest Pick: Fugetek - FT-568

The Fugetek’s pole extends to a whopping 49 inches and is still secure for devices. The Fugetek is strong enough even for heavier phones such as the iPhone Plus models.

See Price at Amazon.com

While the Fugetek was a big loser for portability, it far outshined the competitors in sturdiness. Our testers ranked the Fugetek highest for the shake test, and commented particularly about the sturdiness of its pole.

Almost all of our other selfie sticks had some issues with pole sturdiness. Specifically, all of our testers complained about the flimsiness of the Selfie World – Premium Selfie Stick, the Anker – Wired Monopod and the Mpow – iSnap X. All of these selfies sticks felt like the pole might eventually break from the handle.

During the shake test, these selfie sticks were too flexible and even dropped some phones. While these selfie sticks may be able to withstand a slight bump from a passerby, they are not meant to be whipped around willy-nilly. Our testers recommended not extending these selfie sticks to their full lengths for safer selfie taking.

Overall performance

After using the selfie sticks to take dozens of selfies in multiple settings, we asked our testers to rank their overall experience with each selfie stick. Testers ranked their experiences using a scale from one to five (one being very bad, five being very good). We averaged these scores to analyze how the overall performance of each selfie stick stood up.

The Yoozon, Fugetek and Vicdozia – 19-Inch ranked highest for overall performance with our testers. These three selfie sticks all received above-average ratings. In the middle of the pack were the Anker and Mpow selfie sticks, who both received average overall reviews. Finally, the UBeesize’s and Selfie World’s reviews ranked below average.

Important features to consider

Compatibility: When buying a selfie stick, it is very important to check if the selfie stick is compatible with your device. This is especially important for those with iPhone 7 and later models because these devices require a lightning-to-headphone jack adaptor to work with wired selfie sticks. Wired selfie sticks require a headphone jack (which these phones lack) to operate.

Also, those looking for selfie sticks that are compatible with GoPros should make sure the required mount adapter is included.

Wired and wireless: Wired selfie sticks work by plugging into the headphone jack of your phone. This makes them reliable and foolproof to set up. These selfie sticks also do not require charging.

Wireless selfie sticks use Bluetooth to connect to your phone. The Bluetooth remotes that come with these type of selfie sticks require charging. However, these remotes can hold their charge for multiple days of use. Selfie sticks that have removable Bluetooth remotes are handy because they effectively extend your range, meaning you could snap your phone’s shutter even when not holding the selfie stick.

Portability and length: We found a healthy selfie-stick length to be around 30 inches when fully extended. If you have average-sized arms, this length should easily allow you to fit a group of people or background landscape into your selfies.

No one wants to carry around a giant stick all day, so the collapsible size of a selfie stick is also an important consideration. Our testers found that selfie sticks that fold down to 10 inches and under were easy to carry around.

Waterproof: If you plan to use your selfie stick for water sports such as surfing, kayaking, paddleboarding or similar activities, double-check that your selfie stick is waterproof. Most selfie sticks are not and will rust.

Aesthetics: While the social stigma of whipping out a selfie stick is gradually disappearing, we still would prefer our selfie stick to look respectable. Our testers preferred sleek, simple selfie sticks that would be less obtrusive in a crowd.

Price: A good quality selfie stick can be purchased in the neighborhood of $10-$22.

The bottom line

When it comes to selfie sticks, we want to serve looks, not crack screens. Pole sturdiness and portability separated the winners from the losers of our seven selfie stick finalists. The Yoozon successfully balanced portability and sturdiness, making it our overall winner. The Yoozon is a sleek, simple selfie stick for phones, and it’s Bluetooth compatible. It is a great selfie stick to travel with and sturdy enough for the needs of tourists or casual selfie takers.

If you are looking for increased sturdiness, we recommend the Fugetek – FT-568. This selfie stick was the only one to securely hold the iPhone 6 Plus. Therefore, we recommend it for heavier devices. This selfie stick also works with GoPros and its telescopic handle is the longest and best quality of our finalists. However, the Fugetek lacks easy portability.

The Vicdozia – 19-Inch was our best selfie stick for GoPros because of its simple and tough design. This selfie stick will securely hold your GoPro. Its tough rubber handle and lightweight design mean that you will also have a great grip on this selfie stick — even when taking action shots.

Top Pick: Yoozon

The Yoozon successfully balanced easy portability with sturdiness. Its sleek, attractive design and Bluetooth remote were praised by our testers. This is a great pick for tourists.

See Price at Amazon.com

The post The Best Selfie Sticks appeared first on Your Best Digs.

Table of contents

• Compare the best bean bag chairs for adults
• 1. Best for adults: Lumaland – Luxury
• 2. Best for kids: Big Joe – Dorm
• Other products we recommend
• Products we don’t recommend
• How we selected finalists to test
• How we tested
• The four best bean bag chairs for kids
• Important features to consider
• The bottom line

Compare the best bean bag chairs for adults

The four best bean bag chairs for kids

1. Best for adults: Lumaland – Luxury

The Lumaland – Luxury Bean Bag Chair ranked highest for comfort with all but one of our testers, plus it has an easy-to-remove cover and no odor. Our testers loved Lumaland’s shredded foam filling and microsuede cover. This bean bag’s price tag is under $200, meaning you can get a quality bean bag without breaking the bank.

The Lumaland is four feet wide, a size our testers found to be comfortable for one adult. It is also available in three foot and five foot diameters. Our testers ranked the Lumaland as one of the easiest bean bags to get out of due to its taller height at around 28 inches.

Top Pick: Lumaland - Luxury Bean Bag Chair

This bean bag chair offers quality and comfort for under $200. Its comfortable foam filling and easy to clean microsuede cover push it a cut above the competition. Available in eight different colors, the Lumaland's large 4-foot diameter makes a perfect adult lounger.

See Price at Amazon.com

Straight out of the box, the Lumaland had no musty foam or packaging odor. Like other foam bean bag chairs, the Lumaland’s assembly requires foam contained in an inner polyester lining to be broken up and placed in its outer cover. While the foam had already puffed up slightly during shipping, breaking up the rest of the foam was quick and easy.

The Lumaland’s zipper quality made the cover easy to remove and replace, even when the inner foam was completely broken apart. This means cleaning the Lumaland is no problem for anyone with a washing machine.

The Lumaland’s foam filling makes it heavier than other EPS filled bean bags. This bean bag’s heaviness and quality means it is meant to be a more-or-less stationary furniture item.

Lumaland offers eight different color options for this bag’s microsuede covers. Half of these colors could be described as mature neutrals, meaning the Lumaland looks at home in an adult bedroom or living room.

This bean bag showed no signs of wearing or flattening after four weeks of intense use. This bean bag’s quality is apparent in its comfortable foam filling and outer microsuede cover. For under $200, the Lumaland is a great option for adults looking for a comfortable classic bean bag.

Key takeaways:

• The Lumaland – Luxury is filled with shredded foam that was rated most comfortable by our testers.
• The microsuede cover is easy to remove and replace, making cleaning simple.
• This bean bag had no musty foam odor and was easy to assemble.
• Its tall height (28”x48”) makes it easier to get out of than other lower-hieght bean bags.

2. Best for kids: Big Joe – Dorm

While the Big Joe – Dorm Bean Bag Chair may be marketed for college students, it is also a top choice for children. It can comfortably fit a wide age range of children, yet is under three feet wide. The Big Joe’s versatility comes from its structure, which includes arm- and backrests.

The Big Joe had the firmest structure of all of our bean bags. Our testers appreciated this firmness and rated this bean bag chair as the most comfortable for kids. While the Big Joe is less cuddly than other unstructured bean bags, it offers more support.

The Big Joe’s structure is ideal for children and teens who play video games because of the increased back support. Also, the Big Joe comes equipped with a drink holder and side pocket that could be useful for gamers.

Big Joe is filled with Megahh Beads, the company’s own proprietary polystyrene bead, which our testers found comfortable. Unlike with other kids’ bean bags, our testers did not want more or less beads inside. However, as noted earlier, polystyrene beads lose their structure over the course of years and need to be replaced. Additional Megahh Beads, which are fully recyclable, can be purchased for under $20.

Best Bean Bag Chair for Kids: Big Joe - Dorm

This bean bag chair offers quality and comfort for under $200. Don’t let the name fool you, this bean bag isn’t just meant for dorm rooms. Big Joe’s comfortable structure, durable fabric and lightweight filling make it a versatile, comfortable chair for kids.

See Price at Amazon.com

This bean bag chair was also the easiest to move because it is lightweight and has a built-in handle. This bean bag chair is only about four pounds, meaning that even a child could move it. The bean bag’s tough nylon-polyester blend fabric is waterproof, stain resistant and durable. This means the Big Joe could be easily taken and used outdoors.

The Big Joe has double zippers, which securely enclose inner beads. This is important as EPS beads can be choking hazards for small children. The Big Joe’s cover is not removable. The recommended cleaning method for the bean bag chair is to spot clean with a mix of water and detergent.

No assembly was required when we received the Big Joe, and it had a very low amount of off-gassing odor that dissipated in about a week. The Big Joe is a comfortable, extremely durable bean bag chair that comes for under $50.

Key takeaways:

• Our favorite bean bag chair for kids, the Big Joe – Dorm Bean Bag Chair is under three feet wide and fits a variety of ages from children to teens.
• The Big Joe’s structure includes a backrest, armrests and bottle holder. Our testers found that this structure was filled with a comfortable amount of EPS beads.
• This bean bag is extremely easy to move and can be used outdoors because of its tough waterproof fabric.
• No assembly is required for this bean bag chair, which is low on off-gassing odor.

Other products we recommend

Sofa Sack – 5-Foot Round

While the Sofa Sack’s quality microsuede cover ranked well with our testers, our testers cited disappointment in the chair’s foam filling. Our testers complained that the Sofa Sack’s foam was too hard to snuggle into. Multiple testers noted that the bean bag chair was comfortable for laying down flat, but did not offer any back support when sitting in an upright or slightly reclined position.

The Sofa Sack came with a slight off-gassing odor, which dissipated after the first week. Its cover was very easy to remove and replace, which made cleaning simple. Overall the Sofa Sack’s cover quality was good, with tough zippers and microsuede material.

Because of its five foot diameter and foam filling, this bean bag is very difficult to move. While its cover has the quality of a good piece of furniture, its inner foam is lacking in comfort. The price difference between the Sofa Sack and Lumaland – Luxury is under $50, so if possible we recommend springing for the more comfortable Lumaland.

ECR4Kids – Classic

Our testers complained that the ECR4Kids – Classic Bean Bag Chair needed more of its EPS bead filling material. This bean bag chair also had a tendency to fill up with air, and then decompress when sat on. At 35” wide, this bean bag is best suited for kids 12 years old and under.

This bean bag chair’s best aspect was its tough vinyl cover, which was very easy to spot clean. This vinyl cover did not rank high for aesthetics with our testers, but definitely did the job for durability and stain resistance. This small bean bag is also very lightweight, meaning this bean bag could easily be moved for indoor and outdoor use.

Overall, we recommend this bean bag as a solid choice for those with kids 12 and under because of the bags light weight, tough cover and easy cleaning. However, you may want to buy extra EPS bead filling to give your kids extra comfort.

Chill Sack – 2-Foot Round

Our testers appreciated the Chill Sack – 2-Foot Round’s quality foam filling material, but some were frustrated with the bags small size. The Chill Sack is only two feet wide, and is suitable only for children under five years old.

This bean bag is safe for small children because it does not use chokable EPS beads and has a secure inner bag of foam. The removable microsuede cover is easy to remove and replace to machine wash. Two of our testers noted a slight musty odor initially. However, this disappeared over a week. Overall, this bean bag chair is a good choice for those with very small children.

Products we don’t recommend

Fugu – 4XL

The Fugu – 4XL Bean Bag Chair was the largest bean bag chair we tested. We found that after 3-7 days of use this bean bag measured about 6” wider than the advertised four feet. This is because of a breakage of the inner polyester lining that held the foam.

This massive bean bag chair was rated as above average for comfort overall by our testers. However, this bean bag did not rate as comfortable as the Lumaland because of irregular chunks of unbroken foam inside. Though this was technically our fault, the foam inside this bean bag was very hard to break apart during assembly. Our testers detected foam chunks even after four weeks of intense use.

The Fugu also had the strongest odor of all of the finalists. The bean bag chair reeked of “cardboardy,” musty packaging material. To make matters worse, we were not able to wash the Fugu’s cover in the washing machine because of a leak of foam in the bag’s inner lining.

Because the Fugu’s foam had broken through its inner lining, we contacted the seller for a refund. We did not get a response, but a few days later we received a new bean bag. Fugu’s confusing return process and quality issues were a pain. Therefore, we recommend either opting for the similarly priced Sofa Sack – 5-Foot Round, or paying around $50 more for the superior Lumaland – Luxury Bean Bag Chair.

Flash Furniture – Oversized

Multiple testers cited wishing there were more beads inside the Flash Furniture – Oversized Bean Bag Chair. The lack of filling contributed to its just below average ranking for comfort overall. This bean bag chair was our only adult bean bag that was filled with EPS beads.

At 40 inches wide, this bean bag comfortably fits one adult. It arrived already at its full size, and no assembly was required. It also had no off-gassing odor straight out of the box.

This bean bag had a good quality cotton cover with tough zippers that locked to ensure EPS beads stayed inside. Because this cover is non-removable, Flash Furniture recommends spot cleaning the chair as needed. This is a pain because of cotton’s tendency to stain and absorb smells. We do not recommend this bean bag because it is a pain to clean and needed more filling.

American Furniture Alliance – Child’s Large

The American Furniture Alliance – Child’s Large Bean Bag ranked lowest for comfort with our testers because of the cheap polyester outer material and the course EPS beads inside. While there was a good amount of beads inside the bag, our testers did not find these beads as comfortable as in other kid’s bean bags.

This bean bag had a slight chemically smell that dissipated over time. The outer cover is not removable and is hard to spot clean because the polyester material absorbs liquids and odors. At 32” wide this bean bag is a good size for kids 12 years old and younger, but does not deliver on quality and comfort.

How we selected finalists to test

We began our research by consulting online reviews from respected retailers like Amazon, Target and Walmart. User reviews from these sites were used to find out which features are important to consumers, and to determine the leading bean bag chair brands. We also read subreddits such as /r/furniture/, where consumers discussed which bean bag chairs had proved to be good purchases.

After determining which bean bags received a high number of positive user reviews, we narrowed down our list by excluding luxury bean bags that were over $200. We excluded luxury bean bags because our research found similar enthusiasm from reviewers for luxury and midrange ($50-$150) versions, so we chose bean bags that would deliver the most value.

Next we researched technical components of bean bag filling materials. We found the two most popular filling materials were polystyrene beads or shredded foam. It was important that our list of finalists contain bean bags filled with both types of material, so that we could put the two most popular materials to the test.

How we tested

Our bean bag finalists were cuddled, squished, bounced and kicked during four weeks of rigorous comfort testing by six different testers. Our testers incorporated all eight bean bags into their daily life. A comfort questionnaire was completed after the first and fourth week of use, so that any changes in the bean bag’s comfort would be noticed. In addition to comfort testing, we also took careful notes on the ease of each bean bag’s assembly and how easy it was to wash the cover.

Assembly and sizing

All of the shredded foam bean bags required an inner bag full of foam material to be broken apart and then put inside a cover. This assembly was simple, taking only about five to ten minutes. Foam bean bags take three to seven days for the foam to completely expand. During this period we sat, fluffed and flipped over bean bags multiple times to ensure foam was completely expanded before comfort testing.

The bean bag chairs filled with EPS beads did not require assembly. However, the majority of our testers noted that the ECR4Kids – Classic felt like it needed more beads than it came with. If you find your bean bag chair a bit “deflated,” additional EPS beads can be purchased online and added to your bean bags at home.

At the end of week one and week four, each bean bag’s widest and tallest dimensions were taken. We gathered this information to see if the bean bags would lose their structure or flatten out after intense use. Encouragingly, none of our bean bag finalists’ dimensions changed significantly. However, EPS beads usually lose their structure over the course of the first five years, so if you buy this type of bean bag you may need to purchase bead refills at a later point.

Comfort

During week one and week four of comfort testing, testers answered questions regarding neck and back comfort, how easy getting in and out of the chair was, presence of any off-gassing odor and overall quality of the bean bag. The testing revealed no significant changes to any of the bean bags’ comfort over the course of four weeks. The most significant difference noted by our testers was the dissipation of initial chemical odors from packaging.

During the course of our testing, we found that our testers were split on whether they preferred EPS beads or foam filling. If you are not able to test which filling material you prefer, we recommend considering whether you want a lightweight or stationary bean bag chair. Bean bags filled with EPS beads are much easier to move, while foam bean bags stay put like other classic furniture pieces.

Both musty and chemical odors were noted by our testers for multiple bean bags in our week one comfort testing. However, these off-gassing odors disappeared for most of our finalists by week four. The noted exception to this was the Fugu – 4XL, which maintained a very musty, “cardboardy” smell over the course of the four weeks. This odor was most likely due to the fact that the bean bag’s foam exploded from its package while it was being shipped. Further, we were unable to wash this bean bag’s cover because of a foam leak. The Fugu, like the other foam bean bags, came with its foam filling in a polyester inner lining that is then placed within an outer cover. This inner lining is not meant to be broken, however the Fugu’s sprung a leak.

Cleaning

Easiest to Clean: ECR4Kids - Classic

The ECR4Kids - Classic makes cleaning simple. Its polyurethane soft leather cover is extremely easy to spot clean in case your little ones have a spill.

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Half of the bean bags we tested had removable covers that we washed in a washing machine. We found that the Lumaland – Luxury’s cover was exceptionally easy to remove and put back on because of the quality zipper design. Chill Sack – 2-Foot Round and Cozy Sack were not far behind; both bean bag covers were easy to remove and put back on. As previously noted, we were unable to remove the Fugu’s cover because of a breakage in its inner lining.

The EPS bean bags did not have removable covers. Instead these brands recommended that the bags be spot cleaned as needed. We found that the ECR4Kids – Classic and Big Joe – Dorm models were exceptionally easy to spot clean because of their resilient vinyl and polyester covers.

Important features to consider

Filling material: All of our bean bag finalists were filled with either a type of expandable polystyrene (EPS) bead or shredded foam. EPS is the same material used in disposable coffee cups and packaging peanuts. It is a good material for bean bag chairs because it is lightweight and can hold its form for several years.

EPS is not biodegradable, but EPS beads may be recycled. Bean bags that use recycled EPS beads have a shorter lifespan than those that use non-recycled EPS beads. Unfortunately, this means that consumers who want to “go green” and use recycled EPS beads may end up having to refill their bean bags sooner than those who opt for non-recycled EPS beads.

Only one of the bean bag chairs we tested specified whether its EPS beads were made from recycled or non-recycled material. The Big Joe – Dorm uses Megahh Beads, which is Big Joe’s proprietary formula. The company claims this material has no recycled components. Our other bean bag chairs did not specify whether their EPS beads were made with recycled or new material.

Shredded foam is also popular as bean bag chair filling because of its high density and comfort. This is a heavier material that often requires the consumer to break apart large foam pieces by massaging the foam within a cover. If the foam is not broken up enough, irregular-shaped foam chunks can be uncomfortable when sitting. However, when broken in correctly, this material provides a high degree of comfort.

Cover material: Durability, comfort and style are all important considerations when choosing a bean bag cover. We tested bean bags with microsuede, cotton, vinyl and polyester coverings — all durable materials that minimize tearing and bleaching.

Half of the bean bags we tested had removable covers which could be washed or switched with ease. This removability is especially important for microsuede or cotton covers, which are best cleaned in the washing machine. Spot cleaning is often adequate for bean bag chairs with vinyl or polyester covers.

Removable bean bag covers use zippers, therefore zipper quality is very important to the overall removability of the cover. More secure bean bags use double zipper systems that ensure the bean bag cover does not gradually slide open.

Size: How much floor space are you willing to devote to your bean bag chair? Bean bags are available in a wide variety of sizes. Typically, child-sized bean bag chairs are under three feet wide, while adult bean bags usually range from four to six feet.

Structure: The traditional bean bag is a structureless bag of beads, but there are now more options for those who want a more structured seat. Structured components such as armrests and cup holders may be especially desirable for those planning to use their bean bag chair for long periods of time, such as gamers.

Weight: Our testers lugged bean bags up and down stairs, so trust us, lightweight bean bags are a plus. While lightweight bean bags filled with EPS beads make life easier when rearranging furniture, heavier foam can provide more comfort to some users.

Aesthetics: The wide range of bean bag covers available means that a bean bag can be a stylish component to a room. Brainstorm which colors and textures would work in your space before beginning your bean bag chair quest.

The bottom line

The primary job of a bean bag is to be comfortable. Durability, style and low odor are big pluses as well. The Lumaland – Luxury Bean Bag Chair delivered on all of these components. Its shredded foam filling was easy to break apart and ranked as the most comfortable by our testers. Testers also loved the softness of the bean bag’s outer microsuede cover. This cover is a breeze to machine wash because removing and replacing it on the bean bag is simple.

The Lumaland comes with no odor straight out of the package, and is large enough to comfortably fit one adult. The bean bag chair proves that a quality adult bean bag can be purchased for under $200.

The Big Joe – Dorm Bean Bag Chair took our top spot for kids because it fits a wide variety of age ranges from small child to teen. This highly structured bean bag delivers on back support and is extremely lightweight. It is stain resistant and priced under $50, meaning parents can save more money for the college fund.

The Chill Sack – 2-Foot Round is a quality option only for those with children under five years old. Its foam filling and microsuede cover ranked high for comfort, but the bean bag’s small size is limiting.

Top Pick: Lumaland - Luxury Bean Bag Chair

The Lumaland is our most comfortable bean bag chair with quality foam filling and microsuede cover. Its cover is machine washable and easy to assemble. This bean bag provides high quality for under $200.

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Table of contents

• The 12 tweezers we tested
• Best for hair removal: Rubis Switzerland
• Best for ingrown hairs: Majestic Bombay
• Best for lash extensions: ReNext
• Best for rhinestones and crafts: Tweezier
• How we selected
• How we tested
• Important features to consider
• The bottom line

The 12 tweezers we tested

Best for hair removal: Rubis Switzerland

For both precision and bulk hair removal, one tweezer clearly outshone all the rest. The Rubis Switzerland is a simple, sturdy, stainless steel tweezing machine. Our testers all rated the Rubis Switzerland’s ability to pluck single hairs as above average to excellent.

The tweezer’s slant 3mm tips had a good grip on hairs and rarely cut them. Our testers also noted that the Rubis Switzerland’s simple design made it easy to grip and maneuver. The Rubis Switzerland is better suited for precision hair removal than removing multiple hairs at a time, making it a good tweezer for shaping brows. You will still be able to work quickly with the Rubis Switzerland, as it cleanly plucks hairs in a single tweeze.

The Rubis Switzerland’s main drawback is its price tag, which is among the highest for tweezers. The price is reflected in the tweezer’s quality, and performance, though. Our esthetician, Julia, referred to the Rubis Switzerland as “one of [her] all time favorites.”

Close behind the Rubis Switzerland – 3- 3/4” Slant Tip, is the Anastasia Beverly Hills tweezer, and the Tweezerman earned above-average scores for precise hair removal from all of our testers. Like the Rubis Switzerland, both of these tweezers have 3mm stainless steel slant tips. While these tweezers were reported to cut hair more than the Rubis Switzerland, both are still very good options. Particularly, the Tweezerman, since it comes in slightly cheaper than the Anastasia Beverly Hills.

Budget pick for hair removal: Revlon – Slant Tip

If you are looking for a good budget slant tip tweezer, the Revlon – Slant Tip is the way to go. The Revlon’s price is at the low end; however, it earned average to above-average ratings with our testers, who especially appreciated the tweezer’s textured grip. The Revlon’s stainless steel 4mm tip lacks the precision of our top picks but offers solid tweezing usability at a good price.

Coco’s Closet tweezer was unique in that it had an oval grip for finger placement. This grip did not go over well with our testers, who felt that it made changing your finger placement awkward and that it made the tweezer more unwieldy overall.

Zizzili Basics and TweezerGuru both received average scores from our testers for hair removal, the major complaint for both being they cut hairs too often. Both of these tweezers had wider tips, the Zizzili Basics coming in at 4.5 inches and the TweezerGuru at 4 inches. While both of these stainless steel tweezers get the job done, you are better off purchasing the Revlon – Slant Tip at a similar price.

Square and round tip tweezers often pluck multiple hairs at a time. This makes them ill suited for precision brow shaping but good for getting rid of patches of facial hair. The Revlon – Square Tip was our top square tip tweezer, because our testers ranked it above average for removing multiple hairs at a time. Our testers also liked the textured grip and bright coral color of the tweezer.

The Revlon offers 3mm stainless steel square tips for a low price, which makes it a good value tweezer. For those looking for a square tip tweezer, the Revlon is easy to use, has a good grip for plucking hair, and looks appealing.

Best for removing multiple hairs at once: Revlon – Square Tip

We also tested the Rubis Switzerland – Straight Tip, which has square 2mm stainless steel tips. The Rubis Switzerland performed well with our testers, however was not as quick at pulling out patches of hair as the Revlon – Square Tip because of its smaller tips. If you are looking for precision plucking, we recommend the Rubis Switzerland – 3- 3/4” Slant Tip, but the Rubis Switzerland – Straight Tip is a solid option for those who insist on a square tip.

The ApeX – Round Tip was the only safety tweezer we tested. The most notable feature of this tweezer was the wonderful leather travel case it came with, which works well for protecting tweezers. Our testers ranked ApeX’s hair removal performance as low because it did not grip hair well. For those looking for a safety tweezer to apply cotton swabs, this tweezer would work well as it is easy to handle and its rounded tips would not pierce soft material.

Best for ingrown hairs: Majestic Bombay

Our top tweezer for removing splinters and ingrown hairs is the Majestic Bombay – Surgical Pointed. The sharp, precise stainless steel tips of the Majestic Bombay tweezer removed ingrown hairs easily. These tweezer’s stainless steel tips are sharp enough to free ingrown hairs or splinters that are partially under skin.

One of our testers commented that the Majestic Bombay was exceptionally easy to grip and handle, which is an important consideration when you are bringing sharp-pointed tips close to your skin. It is important to handle these tweezers with care, as their exceptionally sharp tips will puncture skin.

The TweezerGuru – Pointed Tweezer was also able to free ingrown hairs from skin; however, our tester was not able to handle and squeeze the tweezer tips together as comfortably as with the Majestic Bombay. Both of these tweezers had a similar price point, so we recommend going with Majestic Bombay if you are looking for tweezers to remove splinters or ingrown hairs.

Our other pointed tip tweezers were not suited for removing ingrown hairs or splinters, because their tips were thicker. The Classic Necessity – Pointed Eyebrow tweezer’s stainless steel tips were able to grip single hairs and remove them — making it a very precise tweezer for hair removal. However, most of our testers preferred using a slant tip tweezer for precision grooming.

Silver Gripper – Pointed Keychain Tweezer Silver Gripper was the smallest tweezer we tested, only 2.5-inches long, and the only tweezer that came with an attached keychain holder. While Silver Gripper was very handy to travel with, the tweezer itself was hard to use. It performed very poorly at plucking hairs and was only mediocre at picking up small items.

Best for lash extensions: ReNext

After consulting our lash professional, who tested all of our curved tweezers, we found that the best tweezer for applying false lashes was the ReNext – Curved. While the ReNext is marketed for nail art, this tweezer was also good for picking up and separating lash extensions. Our lash professional Billie Jeanne states that a great lash tweezer should be, “light, easy to pinch, and have small precise tips.” The ReNext ticked all of these boxes.

Light and easy handling are important for lash tweezers because you don’t want your hands to get tired while doing the repetitive task of applying lashes. The ReNext’s lightweight and simple grip make it easy to use for application.

Best for Lash Extensions: ReNext - Curved

The ReNext has a fine tip which is well suited to applying and separating single lashes.

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Precise pointed tips can individually separate and handle tiny lash extensions. However, with precision comes extra caution. Because the ReNext’s points are very fine and sharp, it should be used with the utmost care around the eyes.

Best for blackheads: FIXBODY

Blackhead tweezers are a relatively recent trend that prevent users from using hands (which naturally are very oily) to do at-home extractions. Dermatologists recommend having blackhead extractions done professionally for the best hygienic conditions and to minimize skin irritation. However, if you are still going to do at-home extractions, we tested blackhead tweezers to see which work best.

We found that the FIXBODY – Blackhead & Splinter Remover was good at extracting blackheads because its stainless steel rounded tip was small and sturdy enough to precisely apply pressure around the blackhead. The FIXBODY is stainless steel, so it will not irritate sensitive skin. This tweezer was also light and easy to grip, which is important when trying to precisely handle these tweezers around small blackheads.

Best for Blackheads: FIXBODY

The FIXBODY - Blackhead Remover's stainless-steel tweezer’s tips extract blackheads with precision.

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The FIXBODY also came with other comedone extractor tools that we did not test. We did not test these tools because they were not tweezers, and were not necessary to the function of the FIXBODY tweezer. However, these included tools are a plus when considering the value of the tweezer set. The tweezer and two other comedone extraction tools were sold for under $10 for the whole set.

Best for rhinestones and crafts: Tweezier

When it comes to applying small rhinestones, a tweezer needs to have precise tips that have enough grip to securely hold the rhinestone. The Tweezier – Heavy Duty 6″ Curved was our top choice for the job because its stainless steel tip was able to hold the rhinestones securely.

The Tweezier is a large and sturdy six-inch tweezer. Its extra length gave testers more maneuverability while precisely placing rhinestones. Plus, its solid tips increased versatility for objects it could handle. However, the length and stainless steel material make it heavier than the EK Tools – Craft.

Best for Applying Rhinestones: Tweezier

This tweezer’s curved tip firmly grips rhinestones and other small objects.

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EK Tools also performed well for picking up and placing rhinestones; however, its grip had a learning curve that frustrated some testers. This tweezer has a reverse grip, meaning that when you squeeze the tweezer the tips move away from one another. If you are comfortable with a reverse grip, and are looking for a very lightweight tweezer, the EK Tools would be a good choice. However, we recommend the Tweezier as a better choice for most consumers who want a versatile tweezer that offers a great grip on small objects.

How we selected

We’ve reviewed many beauty and grooming products for women, such as the best deodorant, the best safety razor and the best toiletry bag to hold everything when you’re on the go. We turned our editorial eyes to search the best tweezers by checking out online reviews from Amazon.com, Sephora, and Ulta. We read through relevant subreddits such as r/BuyItForLife and r/MakeupAddiction. We also consulted a review by Wirecutter, which influenced our decision to include the Tweezerman.

We thought it was important to include a variety of tip types so that we could determine which tweezers were the best for a variety of tasks. Therefore while some types, such as square tip or round tip tweezers are less popular, we still included them in our testing to be thorough.

How we tested

Hair removal

We put our slant tip, square tip, round tip, and pointed tip tweezers to the test by having four testers use them to remove brow and facial hair. One of our testers was a certified esthetician and sugaring specialist, Julia Perez, owner of the Jae and Leona Beauty Collective in San Diego, California. Our other three testers were average consumer testers, each with a different hair type (fine, normal, and thick).

All of our testers preferred using the slant tip tweezers to remove hair, as they were easy to use for both precision work and removing multiple hairs at a time. The Rubis Switzerland had the highest average score from our testers. They were impressed with their sturdy design and ability to precisely grab hairs. Tied in second place were the Tweezerman and Anastasia Beverly Hills tweezer. Both of which scored above average in precision hair removal.

For our square tip and round tip tweezers, the Revlon – Square Tip came out ahead because of its ability to quickly remove large patches of thin hairs. The Revlon’s large 3mm tips outperformed the Rubis Switzerland and ApeX Tweezer in getting rid of multiple baby hairs quickly.

When it came to pointed tip tweezers, only the Classic Necessity and Silver Gripper tweezers were able to effectively remove hairs. The Majestic Bombay and TweezerGuru’s tips were so thin and sharp that they were only useful for removing splinters or ingrown hairs.

One of our testers was able to test both tweezers on ingrown facial hairs. The Classic Necessity clearly outshone Silver Gripper in precise hair removal, while the Majestic Bombay was best for ingrown hairs. All of our testers cited frustration in trying to handle Silver Gripper, as the tweezer was only 2.5-inches long.

Lash application

To help us determine which of our curved tweezers were best for applying lash extensions, we consulted Billie Jeanne Vergara, certified esthetician, lash specialist, and owner of B Lash Studio in La Jolla, California. Billie used each of our curved tweezers to apply lash extensions and gave us her feedback.

The ReNext – Curved tweezer was by far the best at applying false eyelashes. Its fine tips were good for picking up and separating lashes. Billie did not recommend using the other curved tweezers by EK Tools and Tweezier –  Curved for applying lashes; the EK Tool’s reverse grip was not suited for applying lashes, and the Tweezier was much too big and heavy to use around eyes.

Rhinestone application

Our curved tweezers were all marketed to be useful for crafting activities, such as applying rhinestones to bedazzle nails or glue-gunning objects. To test these claims, we had our three average consumer testers use these to pick up and glue rhinestones.

Our testers found that the Tweezier – Heavy Duty 6″ Curved was very good at picking up and handling rhinestones because of the grip of the thicker tips. The EK Tools tweezer was also very good at precisely handling rhinestones. Its reverse grip had a bit of a learning curve, but some of our testers grew to appreciate it once they got the feel for it.

Blackhead extraction

We had three testers use our blackhead tweezers to remove multiple blackheads. All of our testers agreed that the FIXBODY was easy to use, and applied enough pressure to remove blackheads. Our testers also noted minimal skin irritation when using the pure stainless steel FIXBODY.

Alignment

We tested the alignment of all of our tweezers by squeezing their tips together and visually noting any discrepancies in their position relative to one another. All of the tweezers we tested were aligned correctly.

Which tweezer is right for you?

Different angles and styles of tweezer tips are better suited for different tasks. Whether you are plucking brows, applying lashes or looking for a versatile tweezer, our breakdown below will point you in the right direction.

Slant tip: These tweezers can precisely grab single hairs or multiple hairs at a time because of the slanted angle of their tip. Slant tip tweezers are a go-to tool for shaping eyebrows and great for hair removal overall.

Square tip: Sometimes referred to as straight tip or flat tip, the tips of these tweezers have a simple, flat edge. While these tweezers are not as popular as slant tip tweezers for hair removal, they are faster at removing more facial hair when you don’t need precision (i.e., chin hairs).

Round tip: Also known as safety tweezers, the rounded tip of these tweezers prevents accidental poking. These tweezers will pluck multiple hairs at a time and are not meant for precision. While these tweezers have waned in popularity, they are suited for any task in which sharp edges would be a concern. For example, these tweezers would not poke through the soft material of a cotton swab or fabric.

Pointed tip: This refers to needle-nose style tweezers. Pointed tip tweezers shine when it comes to precision work. Some pointed tweezers have thick enough tips to do precision hair removal, while others are so fine that they are better suited for ingrown hair and splinter removal.

Curved: Curved tweezers are primarily used for application purposes — applying eyelash extensions, nail decals, rhinestones and so on. These tweezers’ tips are pointed and curved (usually about 45° from the handle). They are also referred to as bent-head tweezers.

Blackhead tweezers: You will often find these tweezers labeled as comedone blackhead extractors or curved blackhead tweezers. Blackhead tweezers are similar to curved tweezers in that their tips are pointed and curved. However, blackhead-tweezer tips are curved more dramatically in a half-circle shape, so that the tweezer tip is almost 90° from its handle.

Dermatologist Dr. Neal Shcultz explains that these tweezers apply pressure at the base of the blackhead, so the “contents of the blackhead can easily be squeezed out.” While dermatologists recommend having blackhead extractions done professionally, some say these tweezers are preferable to pinching skin with your hands.

Important features to consider

Material: Stainless steel is widely accepted as the best material for tweezers because it is durable and does not irritate skin (unlike other metals such as nickel). All except three we tested are stainless steel.

Tip type: The way tweezer tips are angled or curved makes them better suited for certain tasks. If you are unsure about what type of tip you need, check out which tweezer is right for you?.

Width of tip: Narrower tweezer tips allow for greater precision. However, as you decrease the width of the tips you also decrease grip on what is being tweezed. A good tweezer for the task balances both attributes.

Tweezer length: The closer your fingers are to the tip of the tweezer, the more likely they are to block your view of what you would like to tweeze. Generally, tweezers over 3.5” are the easiest to handle.

Convenience: A good set of tweezers should be small enough to store easily and including a carrying case is a big plus. Storing tweezers in a carrying case prevents dulling of tips and misalignment.

Aesthetics: Make-up Artist Julia Dalton-Brush recommends storing tweezers on your bathroom countertop, so we want tweezers that look nice enough to leave out.

The bottom line

For grooming brows, the Rubis Switzerland was our top choice. Its simple stainless-steel design and solid slant tip removes hair without cutting. The Rubis’ performance could not be matched. Its only downside is the expensive price tag of around $40. If you are looking for a cheaper tweezer, we would recommend the Revlon. This tweezer received average reviews for performance and above-average reviews for its textured grip from our testers. It does the job for under $10.

Our best square tip tweezer was the Revlon – Square Tip, which can remove patches of hair quickly. This tweezer is not recommended for precision brow shaping. However, for those who prefer a square tip tweezer, the Revlon performs the best – and for under $10.

If you need to remove ingrown hairs we recommend the Majestic Bombay tweezer, whose sharp tip is precise enough to free small objects from the skin. Its stainless-steel tips will not irritate skin.

For applying false lashes we recommend the ReNext – Curved and for removing blackheads, the FIXBODY. The ReNext’s tips were fine enough to separate lashes and apply lash extensions. It was also lightweight enough to handle easily. The FIXBODY’s pure stainless-steel curved tip extracted blackheads easily. Remember, dermatologists recommend going to a professional for blackhead extractions; however, some say that blackhead tweezers are better than using your hands if you insist on doing at-home extractions.

Finally, if you are looking for a tweezer for arts and crafts we recommend the the Tweezier heavy-duty six-inch tweezer. This is a large tweezer that has a great grip on tweezed objects. Its size also makes it very versatile in what it can pick up.

If you’re looking to style your hair rather than remove it, check out our reviews of the best flat iron and best hair dryer.

Top Pick: Rubis Switzerland - 3- 3/4” Slant Tip

The Rubis is the best tweezer for shaping brows and removing hair. Its stainless-steel tips precisely tweezed hairs without cutting them. The Rubis’ approximately $40 price tag is reflected in the top-notch quality of its design.

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The post The Best Tweezers appeared first on Your Best Digs.

Table of contents

• The 6 flat irons we tested
• Top pick: GVP – Ceramic Titanium
• Luxury pick: BaBylissPRO
• Budget pick: Conair – InfitiPRO
• Other products we tested
• How we selected
• How we tested
• How to use a flat iron
• Important features to consider
• The bottom line

The 6 flat irons we tested

Product	Price	Materials	Advertised temp. range	Plate size (in.)
1. GVP - Ceramic Titanium	$$	Ceramic, titanium	160-450 °F	1.00 x 3.50
2. BaBylissPRO - Nano Titanium	$$$	Ceramic, titanium	300-450 °F	1.25 x 4.25
3. Conair InfinitiPRO - 1-Inch Tourmaline Ceramic	$	Ceramic, tourmaline	250-460 °F	1.00 x 4.75
4. Remington Pro - 1"	$	Ceramic	310-410 °F	1.00 x 4.25
5. HSI Professional - Glider Ceramic	$	Ceramic	140-450 °F	1.00 x 3.50
6. KIPOZI - 1 Inch Pro	$	Titanium	170-445 °F	1.00 x 4.00

Top pick: GVP – Ceramic Titanium

Universally chosen as the favorite by our testers, the GVP – Ceramic Titanium isn’t fussy and delivers top quality results without a top-tier price tag. The GVP’s plates are titanium-infused ceramic, which heat up quickly, evenly and accurately. While the initial aesthetic impression of this flat iron is simple, its controls are smart.

The user-friendly buttons and digital screen can accurately control the plate temperature from 160°F to 450°F in 10-degree increments. The GVP clearly indicated when heating was done by pausing ‘loading bars’ on the digital display. The ease of temperature control for this flat iron made it very easy for all of our testers to find their ideal straightening temperature.

Top Pick: GVP - Ceramic Titanium

Simple, stylish, and effective, this user-friendly flat iron performs well on all hair types, with a price point lower than many luxury flat irons. Even if you have a lot of hair to straighten, its comfortable ergonomics ensure you'll never be in pain.

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The GVP’s small plates (1”x 3.5”), and well-designed handle were easy to fluidly glide through hair, minimizing potential hair damage. Its 9-foot cord also ensured that testers were able to easily handle the flat iron, without worrying about outlet proximity.

While the GVP doesn’t have an overly exciting aesthetic, all of our testers cited above-average hair texture results after using it. It is our best flat iron for most consumers because of its simple design, user-friendly controls, and titanium-infused ceramic plates.

Also, the GVP is dual voltage, meaning you can use it easily while traveling. This flat iron manages to wow in performance, yet it remains below the price point of many luxury flat irons.

Key takeaways:

• Our best flat iron, the GVP – Ceramic Titanium, is suitable for a wide range of hair types thanks to its large and accurate temperature range.
• The titanium-infused ceramic plates of the GVP produce solid results, heat up quickly, and easily glide through hair.
• The user-friendly controls set it apart from most flat irons, and make finding your personal ideal straightening temperature a breeze.
• Offers a top-tier performance without top-tier prices.

Luxury pick: BaBylissPRO

While the BaBylissPRO – Nano Titanium’s $130+ price makes it inaccessible to a portion of consumers, its performance rated higher than the GVP with our tester’s with normal to thick hair. We also tested another version of the BaBylissPro which performed well on thick hair. The 300°F minimum temperature makes this flat iron unsuitable for thin, fragile or damaged hair. In particular, our testers all rated the BaBylissPRO’s grip on hair as exceptional.

The bigger plate size (1.25″ x 4.25″), weight and the rectangular shape of the BaBylissPRO limit its overall versatility. However because of the great hair grip, the BaBylissPRO was effective even on highly-textured hair. The BaBylissPRO’s controls are very simple to use, but offer a limited temperature selection with only five temperature settings (300°F, 340°F, 375°F, 410°F, 450°F).

Luxury Pick: BaBylissPRO

The BaBylissPRO’s titanium-coated plates make thick, textured hair smooth and shiny.

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The results the iron offers, and its titanium-coated plates make it worth recommending to a consumer with a big budget looking for serious straightening power.

However, for your average consumer, the GVP – Ceramic Titanium is a better overall flat iron.

Key takeaways:

• The BaBylissPRO – Nano Titanium offers serious straightening power and leaves hair frizz-free.
• The BaBylissPRO is suited for thicker hair types. It is not a flat iron for those with thin, fragile, or damaged hair because of its limited high-temperature selection.
• The $130+ price tag seems excessive, but the BaBylissPRO offers good results for those looking for a powerful flat iron.

Budget pick: Conair – InfitiPRO

The Conair InfinitiPRO – 1-Inch  offers quality straightening results and good usability for under $30.00. While all of our testers ranked the Conair as an above-average straightener overall, most cited frustration with the Conair’s temperature dial.

The Conair’s dial uses an increment system that is simple to operate. However, the flat iron only lists the maximum temperature in the manual, meaning that, unless you have access to an infrared thermometer, finding your perfect temperature requires a rough approximation. Luckily, we measured the plate temperatures at each setting for you.

Despite the ambiguity of the controls, the Conair provides solid results in hair texture. Four out of five of our testers listed the Conair’s hair results as above average, while our thick and curly hair tester listed its hair texture results as average.

Budget Pick: Conair - InfinitiPRO

Our budget pick, the Conair InfinitiPRO, has tourmaline-coated plates with good styling results for under $30.

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This flat iron’s plates are made of ceramic-coated tourmaline, which results in hair with more shine and less frizz. In particular, our testers commented on hair looking shiny after using the Conair.

The Conair is also lightweight and sleek, making it easy to glide through hair. Its long plate length, 4.75”, was unnecessary for most of our testers.

However, it could be useful for those who like to work with bigger hair sections at a time.

Key takeaways:

• The Conair InfinitiPRO – 1-Inch is a great budget flat iron that offers solid hairstyling results.
• The Conair’s lightweight and easy-to-hold handle makes it easy to glide through hair.
• While the Conair’s temperature control dial is a bit ambiguous, you can use our infrared thermometer test results to get close to your ideal flat-iron temperature.

Other products we tested

Remington Pro – 1” Flat Iron

Our least expensive straightener, the Remington Pro – 1″ Flat Iron, lost points with our testers because of the ‘burning plastic’ smell it emits while heating up. The flat iron’s lightweight was a plus, but the iron was seen as lacking in overall quality by our testers. The Remington Pro’s controls were simple to use, but its plates often measured higher than the set temperature.

The Remington’s floating ceramic plates are supposed to be easier to glide through hair. However, the consensus from our testers was that the Remington’s plates did not sufficiently grip hair. Overall, the Remington is lightweight and simple to use but does not deliver on quality or performance. For only ten more dollars, it is worth opting for the Conair.

HSI Professional – Glider Ceramic Flat Iron

Aesthetically, the HSI Professional – Glider Ceramic Flat Iron was ranked highest by our testers. Its sleek black look and textured grip are very appealing. However, this sleek look is partly achieved by placing the temperature and power controls on the inner side, next to the hot ceramic plates. While a glove was included with the flat iron for hand protection, our testers were bothered by the control’s perilous location.

Four out of five of our testers ranked the styling results of the HSI as below average or average. Ultimately, the stylish aesthetic of this flat iron was not enough to make up for its lackluster styling results and poorly designed controls.

KIPOZI – 1 Inch Pro

At first glance, the KIPOZI – 1 Inch Pro Nano-Titanium Flat Iron appears to be the height of flat iron technology. It has a touchscreen temperature interface and floating titanium plates. However, all of our testers cited great frustration with the KIPOZI’s touch screen. Many had trouble with the screen’s automatic lock feature, which often locks during temperature adjustment. Most struggled just to turn the KIPOZI on and off.

Some of our testers complained about the styling results of the KIPOZI, and had to adjust the heat higher than normal to get desired results. This was corroborated by our infrared thermometer, which revealed at times a 20°F discrepancy between its displayed and actual temperature. Once the correct temperature was found, good results could be achieved. However, the KIPOZI seems to unnecessarily complicate your straightening routine.

How we selected

We began our research by consulting online reviews from respected retailers like Amazon, Sephora, and Ulta. These user reviews were used to understand what features consumers find important in a flat iron, and to determine which brands were leaders in their field. We read subreddits like r/TheGirlSurvivalGuide, and reviews from Wirecutter.com, and Reviews.com.

Before deciding which flat irons to test, we researched important technical components to consider in each flat iron, such as plate material, plate size and temperature controls. We also consulted a professional hairstylist with nearly six years of experience, Amy Nedderman. Amy gave us practical information about proper flat iron usage, and what she looks for in a flat iron.

You may be wondering — where’s the Chi? Despite the recognizability of the Chi brand, we did not include a Chi flat iron in our six finalists because of lackluster reviews from consumers and professionals alike.

How we tested

Hands-on testing

All of our finalists promised the smoothest sleekest hair, but we had to test them with regular consumers to see if they really delivered. We had five different testers, each with a different hair type (silky and thin, wavy and fine, curly and fine, wavy and thick and curly and thick), try out each of our straighteners.

All of our testers had some experience with flat irons. Our testers with thinner, finer hair typically used straighteners less frequently, while our testers with thicker, curlier hair typically used flat irons more often. Each of our testers had a different ideal temperature range for straightening hair.

The ease of turning on and setting the temperature of our final six flat irons varied. All of our tester’s cited great frustration with the KIPOZI – 1 Inch Pro’s touch screen controls, which made even turning on and unlocking the flat iron a struggle. The HSI Professional controls also ranked very poorly with our testers, as they were located very close to the flat iron’s plates. This flat iron came with a glove for protecting your hands from heat, but our tester’s preferred a less perilous location for the controls. The GVP – Ceramic Titanium’s controls ranked highest among our testers because of their simplicity and the large temperature range they covered.

The Remington Pro lost marks with all of our tester’s while warming up, as it emits an odor of burning plastic. Our experience was backed up by multiple Amazon reviews that mention the unpleasant smell. Though this flat iron was our most budget-friendly option, the Conair was only ten dollars more, and greatly outperformed the Remington.

Drawing from their past experience using flat irons, all of the testers naturally looked for plates that had a solid grip on hair without pulling, or having to squeeze your straightening hand too hard. Three of our testers gave the BaBylissPRO  top scores for its ability to grip hair while straightening. However, the BaBylissPRO’s weight and boxy design outweighed the benefit of the plate’s grip for others.

The BaBylissPRO delivered quality hair results for our testers, but it does not seem worth the expensive price tag — particularly since our testers disliked the flat iron’s clunkiness, lack of ready light indicator, and aesthetics.

To test the versatility of each iron, our testers also used each to create a wave or curl in their hair. The results of these tests were mixed, but generally, our testers had the most success with the smaller, more rounded flat irons, such as the GVP, HSI, and Remington Pro.

Overall, our tester’s were happy with the results from all of our flat iron finalists but noted major differences in ease of use and design.

Temperature ranges

To determine the highest and lowest temperatures of our flat irons, we employed an infrared thermometer to measure the plate temperature at different settings. Our infrared thermometer had a 12:1 distance-to-spot ratio, so to test a half-inch spot on the flat iron’s plate we held the thermometer 6 inches away and pointed it directly at the center of the plates. A caveat for all of our infrared thermometer readings — in order to point the thermometer at the center of the flat iron plates we had to angle the thermometer, which may have affected the accuracy our readings. The infrared thermometer is also not accurate on very shiny, reflective surfaces, so we were unable to rely on the readings for the BaBylissPRO that had very reflective plates.

Most of our finalists reached over 420°F, the highest temperature needed by our tester with the thickest hair. Temperatures above this are unnecessary for most and using the top temperature, 460°F achieved by the Conair InfinitiPRO is inadvisable for most, as it can do real damage to hair. Our tester with silky thin hair was unable to use the BaBylissPRO, or Remington Pro – 1″ Flat Iron as their lowest heat temperatures were 300°F and 310°F respectively.

The KIPOZI measured a bit lower than the displayed maximum and minimum temperatures (450°F, and 170°F respectively), with its maximum temperature coming in at 445°F and it’s minimum at 150°F. This discrepancy was also noticed by our testers, who often had to set this flat iron’s temperature higher than they normally would.

Heating speed

To test the heat time of our flat irons, we again employed the infrared heat thermometer along with a stopwatch.

Fastest Heating Time: KIPOZI - 1 Inch Pro

Don't have time to wait? The KIPOZI’s titanium plates will reach 445°F in only 35 seconds.

See Price at Amazon.com

We found that the KIPOZI had the fastest heating time, taking only 35 seconds to reach its maximum temperature. The GVP  was second fastest, taking 53 seconds to reach its max.

The slowest to reach its maximum temperature was the HSI, taking 1 minute and 48 seconds. However, with all of our finalists reaching temperatures over 400°F in less than two minutes, heat time was not a deal-breaker for any of our finalists.

Usability

Our lightest flat irons were the InfinitiPRO and Remington Pro. However, the Conair’s longer plates, 4.75”, were a bit more unwieldy in practice. Our tester’s seemed to prefer the handling of the 1” x 3.5” plates offered by HSI Professional.

The BaBylissPRO and GVP had the longest cord length, both 9 feet in length. The Conair and Remington had the shortest cords, which still measured a healthy 6 feet. You certainly won’t be tied to your outlet while straightening your hair with any of our finalists.

How do flat irons work?

Flat irons straighten hair by removing water from hair strands. This leads to “additional internal structuring” which allows the hair to stabilize in a desired style. (When the hair absorbs enough moisture, it will return to its normal state.) This process of direct heat and water evaporation leads to hair damage, as it breaks down the amino acids naturally present in hair. The damage caused by flat ironing hair can also lead to the darkening of bleached or naturally light hair.

If you are able to straighten your hair using a hairdryer (check out our hair dryer review here)you should, as it is a much less damaging process for hair. However, the short-term styling benefits of a flat iron are often desirable enough to consumers to outweigh the damages associated with long-term flat iron use.

How to use a flat iron

Simple measures can be taken to promote hair manageability and prevent hair breakage when flat ironing hair, such as preconditioning hair with a heat protectant. We used Moroccanoil – Perfect Defense on all of our testers, per the advice of professional hairstylist, Amy Nedderman. However, while these products are described as “heat protectant” they cannot completely prevent the damage caused by using direct heat to style hair.

After using a heat protectant, Amy recommends detangling your hair, sectioning it off into clean sections then using a comb “in front of your flat iron to keep things clean as you work your flat iron toward your ends.” A flat iron that is set to the correct temperature for your hair should straighten hair in one fluid pass. Flat ironing hair too slowly or using multiple passes to straighten one section of hair can lead to unnecessary damage.

It is also important to avoid unnecessarily high temperatures when flat ironing hair, since it greatly damages it as we mentioned earlier. If you are unsure about which temperature to use, start at a low temperature and slowly increase it until you achieve the desired straightening results in one fluid pass. There is no ‘one-temperature-fits-all’ solution to flat ironing hair, as the right temperature will vary based on a person’s hair texture and thickness.

Important features to consider

Plate size: Flat iron plate widths typically range from 1 to 2 inches. We opted to test all 1-inch plates (with the exception of the BaBylissPRO that is 1.25”) because smaller plate widths are recommended for a wider variety of hair types. Very curly/textured hair should be straightened in smaller sections, meaning a smaller plate width is recommended. These smaller plates also can create more versatile styles. However, 2” plates are preferred by some because they straighten more hair at once, which speeds up your straightening routine. Plate length should also be taken into consideration, as it determines how much hair can be straightened at a time, and affects your ability to comfortably wield the flat iron. Average plate lengths from 3.5” to 4.25” are comfortable for most people.

Temperature range: Flat irons are often advertised by highlighting the incredibly high temperatures they reach — often up to 450°F. However, temperatures above 400°F are not necessary for most people. It is important to check a flat iron’s minimum temperature, to ensure that the flat iron can be set to your ideal straightening temperature. You can find your perfect temperature by setting your flat iron on low, and gradually increasing the temperature until you are able to straighten hair in one fluid pass.

Ionic technology: Ionic irons produce negative ions to attract the positive water ions found in hair. The result is frizz-free, smooth hair. All of the flat irons we tested promoted ionization, although they were different plate types.

Ceramic plates: Ceramic plates heat up quickly and evenly. They’re also smooth, which means hair won’t snag or get caught. Check if a particular flat iron uses pure ceramic plates or ceramic-coated metal plates since coated plates may chip over time and catch hair, or damage hair with contact to the exposed hot metal.

Titanium plates: Titanium plates become extremely hot quickly. They also emit more negative ions than ceramic plates, which helps to combat frizz. Titanium plates are also very lightweight. Flat irons with pure titanium plates are among the most expensive flat irons on the market.

Tourmaline-coated plates: Tourmaline is a semi-precious gemstone, which is crushed and used to coat flat iron plates. This material is sought after because it also increases the negative ions produced by the plates — more negative ions means hair has less frizz and more shine.

Automatic shutoff: Many flat irons include an automatic shutoff feature, so your flat iron is not left on for more than thirty minutes to an hour. This feature is an important safety consideration and prevents amateurs and professionals alike from burning counters.

Usability: Remember the importance of “one fluid pass” when straightening hair? If a flat iron is too heavy or unwieldy, it may prevent this fluid motion, and cause heat damage/breakage. This overall usability also takes into account the length of cord and logic of controls.

Aesthetics: If you flat iron your hair daily, it makes sense to have something attractive on your countertop.

The bottom line

A great flat iron should provide smooth, shiny, frizz-free hair, while minimizing hair damage. We found that the GVP – Ceramic Titanium clearly outshone its competitors because of the smart simple controls, comfortable design and titanium infused ceramic plates. This flat iron is the best choice for most people because it offers above-average hair results, is extremely easy to use and has a mid-range price (around $70).

For those with normal to thick hair, the BaBylissPRO – Nano Titanium is a good splurge choice. Its $130+ price is reflected in the titanium plate’s ability to grip and fluidly glide through hair. Our testers with normal to thick hair ranked the BaBylissPRO’s hair results highest. However, this iron’s minimum temperature is 300°F, making it unsuitable for thin or bleached hair. For more options for thick hair, check out our review of straighteners specifically tested on thick hair.

Those on a budget should consider the Conair – InfinitiPRO, which rated well with our tester’s because of its easy-to-use, thin, lightweight design. While it is easy to operate the Conair’s temperature dial, its increment system is ambiguous about the actual plate temperature it refers to. While this is a drawback, this flat iron was able to offer solid styling results for under $30.

For more smooth and sleek hair, check out best hair straightening brush review.

Top Pick: GVP - Ceramic Titanium

The GVP is not only our best ceramic flat iron, but our best flat iron overall. Its temperature controls are accurate, and easy-to-use. The GVP is easy to glide through hair, and is suitable for all hair types.

See Price at Amazon.com

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