Best hair straighteners for styling in Australia for 2024

The highly-anticipated Dyson Airstrait is finally here but we've found an almost identical buy that is $150 cheaper.

8 min read

September 16, 2024 - 8:51AM

Our pick of the best hair straighteners to buy now.

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The humble hair straightener is one of the hardest working hair tools in your beauty collection.

From pin-straight glass hair to bouncy voluminous curls, quick beach waves and fringe touch-ups, they’re an investment that pays off.

With loads of hair straighteners on the market, sitting at all different price points, it can be hard to find one that really knocks your socks off.

But the brains over at Dyson have done it (again) with the newly released Dyson Airstrait straightener.

Available to purchase now and retailing for $749, this hair tool has been a big global success after launching in the US last year. And after a long wait, the highly anticipated tool has finally landed in Australia.

But there's a tool that I think is just as good as the Airstrait and retails for $150 cheaper. Just like the Dyson, the ghd Duet Style uses air to straighten rather than hot plates and leaves an almost identical finish. If you've been debating whether to purchase the Airstrait for a while now, do your wallet a favour and consider the ghd Duet Style.

Keep reading for our pick of the best hair straighteners to buy now.

BEST PREMIUM HAIR STRAIGHTENER

ghd duet style, $595 at THE ICONIC

ghd duet style

Hannah's hair before and after. Picture: news.com.au/Hannah Paine.

Tried and Tested by Hannah Paine, news.com.au checkout Editor

After trialling it I’m blown away (no pun intended) by just how good it is.

When trialling the ghd duet style I found it dead easy to use — simply separate your hair into sections and flick the button upwards, giving the fan a few seconds to turn on before you start running it from root to ends through your hair.

Once your hair is dry, all you have to do is hold down on the shine shot mode button for four seconds until the drying fan switches off and the plates heat up. Then you can use it just as you would a classic ghd straightener.

Read Hannah’s full review of the ghd duet style.

Also, read news.com.au checkout Shopping Writer Philippa's comparison review between the ghd duet style and the Dyson Airstrait here.

Dyson Airstrait straightener, $749 at Dyson

Dyson Airstrait straightener

My hair before and after using the Dyson Airstrait. Picture: news.com.au/Philippa Tonkin.

Tried and Tested by Philippa Tonkin, news.com.au checkout Shopping Writer

The Dyson Airstrait uses air in places of excessive temperatures - keeping your hair feeling strong, shiny and healthy.

While not all users will experience that 'dead straight' look when using it, it's more of a 'relaxed straight' vibe. So your hair will look smooth and less frizzy, but still have some natural volume to it.

The best part? Because there's no heat and just air, you can use this genius hair tool on wet hair too, making it super convenient for those of us who are time poor.

The Airstrait gives you the freedom to dry, smooth and straighten - so think of it as three tools in one!

I have very thick, wavy, curly hair and it cut down my styling time by half. I also found it fairly easy to use and loved how my hair looked after use.

Check out my full review of the Dyson Airstrait here.

ghd chronos Hair Straightener in Black, $465 at THE ICONIC

ghd chronos Hair Straightener in Black

Picture: news.com.au/Marina Tatas.

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Tried and Tested by Marina Tatas, news.com.au checkout Shopping Writer

The ghd chronos hair styler (also known as a straightener) features new technology – HD motion-responsive technology. This works hard to give you faster styling, and in turn, ensures you’re using less heat on your locks – hello healthy, happy hair!

I’ve used the ghd chronos to straighten my hair, give myself a wave, curl my whole head and just my front pieces in a ponytail, and to even flick the ends up for that cute little hair do. Each and every style is so quick and easy, that I seriously cannot get enough.

If you’re someone who uses a hair styler regularly, you may want to consider upgrading to the ghd chronos. While it is pricey, this is a purchase you’re not going to regret and I think is the future for all other hair stylers.

Read Marina's full review here.

BEST GHD HAIR STRAIGHTENER

ghd Original Hair Straightener, $270 at Adore Beauty

ghd Original Hair Straightener

Picture: ghd.

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What You Need To Know

One of the most popular straighteners on the market, the classic GHD is loved by professionals and everyday women alike. The rounded plates sit just above the barrel meaning you can use the straightener to create a range of styles, including curls, subtle waves, or just delicately shaped pieces that frame your face.

BEST AFFORDABLE HAIR STRAIGHTENER

Mermade Hair Straightener, $87.50 (down from $109) at Sephora

on sale

Mermade Hair Straightener

Picture: Mermade.

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What You Need To Know

If you can’t fork out in the hundreds for a straightener, the Mermade Hair Straightener is a high-quality yet affordable option. It features a lightweight design and 28mm floating ceramic plates that heat to 230 degrees celsius without frying your hair. Ionic technology helps to seal hair cuticles resulting in smooth, silky straight hair and sleep mode turns on after one hour of use. Plus, who can resist that candy pink hue?

BEST CORDLESS HAIR STRAIGHTENER

Dyson Corrale Hair Straightener – Nickel/Fuchsia, $599 (down from $699) at Myer

on sale

Dyson Corrale

Picture: Dyson.

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What You Need To Know

While it’ll set you back a head spinning $699, the nifty device crams in seven years of research to create what Dyson considers to be the perfectly-engineered straightener.

The hi-tech design uses flexible manganese copper alloy plates that when heated create longer-lasting styles with less damage to your hair.

News.com.au’s Lifestyle Editor, Rebekah Scanlan put it to the test, and gave it a rave review.

“By the time I got home after 40 minutes in the breeze, about 80 per cent of the curls were intact while the straight side still looked super sleek after a brush. Winning,” she wrote in her review.

“My hair also looked lovely and shiny all around, with the Corrale giving a gorgeous glossy finish. It also left my hair feeling really soft and healthy.

It has three heat settings — 165C, 185C and 210C — and a charging dock.

ghd Unplugged Cordless Hair Straightener in Matte Black, $399 at Amazon Australia

ghd Unplugged Cordless Hair Straightener in Matte Black

Picture: Amazon Australia.

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What You Need To Know

ghd released its first cordless hair straightener in 2021 at a slightly cheaper price point compared to its Dyson rival.

At full charge, it offers 20 minutes of continuous styling using smooth, rounded plates (10 minutes less than the Corrale) and styles your hair at 185 degrees.

The compact size means it’s very travel-friendly and perfect for throwing in your handbag or car.

Five-star reviewers say the straightener is “super handy” for when you’re on the move.

BEST LONG-LASTING HAIR STRAIGHTENER

L’Oréal Professionnel Steampod 4.0, $600 at Adore Beauty

L’Oréal Professionnel Steampod 4.0

Picture: Adore Beauty.

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What You Need To Know

This is no ordinary hair straightener. It uses a combination of heat and steam to straighten hair meaning that your tresses can be shaped faster and with less damage.

Features include a removable comb, three heat settings from 180C to 210C and an integrated water tank.

Five-star reviews say it leaves their hair "looking straight and very shiny" and say it is "the best straightener (they) have ver owned".

BEST HAIR STRAIGHTENER FOR EASY CURLS

Cloud Nine The Original Iron, $349 at Adore Beauty

Cloud Nine The Original Iron

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What You Need To Know

If you’ve always looked at people effortlessly curling their hair with a straightener and stared on in disbelief, this is the tool for you. The ceramic plates are designed so you can easily nail those cascading waves with just a turn of the wrist and it’s better for your strands too. The plate’s innovative mineral-infused ceramic surface means you can style your hair at a lower and thus, less damaging temperature.

THE EASIEST HAIR STRAIGHTENER

Silver Bullet Keratin 230 Ceramic Wide Plate Straightener, $214.69 (down from $264.95) at Amazon Australia

on sale

Silver Bullet Keratin 230 Ceramic Wide Plate Straightener

Picture: Amazon Australia.

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What You Need To Know

You’ve probably got better things to do than wait for your straightener to heat up … luckily this model from beauty industry favourites, Silver Bullet, will go from zero to 230 in seconds.

The design is made with functionality in mind; the controls are on the inside of the handle so it can’t be accidentally changed and the ‘Wide Plate’ version allows for 50 per cent more hair to be straightened in one go. The set also comes with a heat mat, crocodile clips, a styling comb and a paddle brush for excellent value.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A HAIR STRAIGHTENER

When choosing hair straighteners (also known as a flat iron) to include in our list, we evaluated several factors:

Temperature settings: While we know that heat isn't always the best for our hair, sometimes it is necessary for those with thick, frizzy and curly hair to really get it straight.

Suitability for all hair types: Does this product work just as well on thick, coily hair as it does on straight, thin hair?

Price: At $749, the Dyson Airstrait is the most expensive product on the list but it's not a realistic buy for everyone. So we included a range of different price points.

Heat-up time: None of us have time these days to wait for our device to heat up so we made sure all products included have a very fast heat-up time.

Weight: If you have long, thick hair you'll understand the pain in your arms you get after styling your hair. Even for those with more thin, short hair, you don't want to be carrying anything super heavy around. This is why we looked at the weight of all products before inclusion.

HOW WE CHOOSE PRODUCTS

With hundreds of models available, it’s impossible to test every model out there. To help you find the best hair straightener we tested a number of well-known brands at different price points. In addition, our shopping team read hundreds of customer reviews and looked at test results and ratings from product review sites to find the best hair straightener from premium to budget to help you find the right one for your hair.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HOW OFTEN CAN I STRAIGHTEN MY HAIR?

Like all things related to beauty, this depends on you and your hair. Heat can damage your hair though so it's recommended that you only straighten your hair a maximum of two to three times a week.

WHAT IS THE BEST MATERIAL FOR A HAIR STRAIGHTENER?

Once again this does depend on your hair type. If you have fine hair or hair that can get damaged easily then ceramic plates are best. Whereas if you have thick hair then titanium plates are perfect for getting through those thick strands. Similarly, tourmaline plates work best for those with curly, frizzy or wavy hair.

WHAT TYPE OF HAIR STRAIGHTENER IS BEST?

For those with long, thick, coarse hair I would suggest a wide plate as it's simply able to straighten more hair at once. However, for those with short hair, they may find a wide plate hard to use and they might not be able to properly section their hair. A more narrow option would probably work better.

A cordless straightener is great for travel however the batteries don't last super long so I wouldn't recommend to anyone whose hair takes longer than 25 minutes to straighten.

Also, if you like to use your straightener also to curl your hair then look for something with rounded edges.

SHOULD YOU ALWAYS USE A HEAT PROTECTANT WHEN STRAIGHTENING?

Absolutely, 100 per cent, yes. If you don't use a protectant your hair will be exposed to higher levels of heat which can lead to increased chances of breakage thanks to the weakened hair strands.