Guide to the best flat iron for thick hair

When you have thick, coarse, and unruly hair, a high quality flat iron is a definite must. Unless you resort to having your hair relaxed frequently, the best way to get naturally sleek and manageable hair is to use a flat iron using the safest, gentlest, yet also powerful straightener.

When you buy yourself an iron, it’s always important to consider your hair type and length. For naturally thick hair, the best irons for you must either be ceramic, tourmaline, titanium, or a combination of any of the three. These provide the best anti-damage results on your hair, and prevent friction, pulls, and snags, that add to heat damage that’s done with regular irons.

The plate sizes must also be taken into consideration – you must choose one with a plate width of at least 1.5” to cover more strands of hair to cut styling time. And lastly, the maximum temperature should be somewhere between 380 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, so that it’s powerful enough to get the job done of taming coarse and resistant locks.

Of all the quality flat irons out there, these are the best of the best…

1. Sedu Revolution Tourmaline Ionic Styling Iron

This iron is one of the bestselling styling tools used by professional stylists. It features revolutionary technologies that have garnered this product many awards in the world of beauty.

Regarded as one of the most innovative hairstyling tools, it features the unique FreeStyle Guiding System that prevents your hair from slipping out of the iron. This feature lets you achieve full control of the strands of hair that you straighten, as the anti-slip edges capture all the strands within the plates.

Check price and reviews on the Sedu Revolution

The nano tourmaline ceramic technology allows you to iron hair in one smooth glide preventing damage caused by snagging, stretching, and pulling of hair. In one smooth pass through your hair, you get instantly smooth and sleek results that will cut your styling time in half.

This iron works perfectly for thick and coarse hair (yes, it works on african american hair!) but it can also be used on thin and fragile hair. The temperature settings allow you to adjust the heat from 180 degrees Fahrenheit to the maximum heat of 450 degrees. It also features an easy to read light which lights red when heating up, blue when cooling down, and blinking red or blue when ready to use.

This iron is almost perfect except for one lacking feature and that’s the auto shut off. There will be times when you’re in a hurry and you forget to turn it off. The auto-shut off is the feature that will give you that peace of mind and sadly this iron doesn’t have it.

2. BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium 1.5″ Straightening Iron

With Nano Titanium technology, this iron offers exceptional heat that maintains consistent and high temperatures without giving your hair any damage whatsoever. It uses ionic technology that emits negative ions to your hair, giving you gentle heating for safe and healthy straightening.

While other irons will give you extreme damage when used everyday, this product from BaByliss will do the opposite. The Nano Titanium plates plus the ionic technology actually moisturizes your hair – so with each glide, the iron retains your hair’s natural oil to keep your hair smooth and shiny.

Babyliss Pro Nano Titanium 1.5 inch flat iron for thick hair

It has a digital technology that allows you to adjust the temperature to your desired heat. Its maximum heat is at 450 degrees Fahrenheit and that means this iron is perfect for those with thick and coarse hair. The more heat, the more effective it is to straighten the most resistant of hairs. But unlike regular dryers, despite exposing your hair to the maximum temperature, there’s virtually no breakage nor dryness – just hydrated and moisturized hair.

The only downside to this iron is that it gets really hot. If you use the maximum temperature for more than 15 minutes, you might need to adjust the temperature to a lower setting so you are able to use it continuously.

Ok, great.. but does it really work on thick curly hair?

Based on our research, we have several thick-haired ladies who have used this model with great results. If you have natural black hair and want to get that ‘relaxed’ straight look, then this is you go-to straightener. You just have to be careful as this iron gets really hot. The good news is that even if you have really thick coarse hair, you don’t have to use the highest setting for this iron.

3. HAI Convertable Ceramic Flat Iron

This iron is perfect for thick and coarse hair due to its 1.25″ specially-coated ceramic plates. It uses far infrared heat that’s gentle and safe on your hair, giving you virtually damage-free hair that’s just as shiny as silk.

This innovative and versatile iron lets you curl, straighten, flip, and make waves with your hair, eliminating your need to buy a curling iron. It has the smoothing ability of high quality flat irons and the curling,waving, and flipping ability of curling irons.

See the latest deals on the Hai Flat Iron

With 1.25″ wide and 3.5″ long plates, it has the ability to straighten more of your hair, cutting styling time to half, and saving you both time and energy when styling your hair.

Once you turn it on, it automatically heats up to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, and you can adjust the temperature to whatever heat you like, up to its maximum temperature of 390 degrees Fahrenheit – which is its best setting to manage thick and coarse hair.

The heating element used in this iron is far infrared heat and ionic technology that’s gentle on the hair while also hydrating your strands. The technology seals in moisture and shine and prevents static electricity for a frizz-free and manageable head of hair. Despite providing gentle heat, this iron provides rapid heating with hot and consistent heat distribution that’s powerful enough to flatten the kinkiest of hair strands.

The only disadvantage is the maximum temperature that’s a little lower than other powerful irons. At 390 degrees, other irons fair much better with their 450 degree maximum temperatures. But its innovative technology using moisturizing heat elements make up for its lower temperature.

4.) Paul Mitchell Express Ion Smooth

Whether you have thick long hair, curly or wavy, the Paul Mitchell Express Ion Smooth straightener can handle it. Featuring a unique Express Ion Complex (which is a blend of silicone and ceramic plates that emit supercharged negative ions that restore moisture and seal the cuticle), you’ll get extra smooth and shiny straight hair without the frizz and flyaways.

Check out the latest deals on the Paul Mitchell

When looking for a flat iron for thick coarse hair, you’d have to take into consideration a number of factors. The iron must reach a high temperature to be able to handle the frizz, the roughness, and the thickness of your locks, but also being gentle enough that it doesn’t cause further damage.

Its dial turn heat setting allows you to choose the temperature from 240 degrees, all the way up to 400 degrees in 20-degree increments. A newer version of this model, the Express Ion Smooth+ have digital temp control, comes with dual voltage, and auto shut-off feature. Both models work great on thick hair.

Its 1.25″ slim plates allow you to straighten the coarsest of hairs close to the scalp which is incredibly hard to smooth out if you use an iron with large plates. If you have poofy, wavy, or extremely thick hair, this is the iron that will give you super straight hair with a salon finish.

5.) The Hair Titan Titanium Hair Straightener

This brand new 2016-released iron is new to the game but already causing waves in the market. It features titanium plates that transfers heat fast, giving you immediate results in seconds.

This ultra thin and lightweight iron is perfect for smoothing out kinky and coarse hair above the ears, on your nape, and locks in areas that are difficult to access with larger plates. Negative ions are released when you press the plates between your locks, giving your hair a silky, straight boost.

See user reviews, price and discounts on The Hair Titan

It’s also quite versatile as the extra long floating plates allow you to flip your hair and make defined waves. If you already have thick and wavy hair, this iron can help give them their much-needed definition. But what really sets this model apart from other brands in the market is that you don’t have to press it hard to get smooth hair – it simply glides through your locks and your thick coarse hair will smooth out in seconds.

6.) Chi Original Pro Straightener

The flat iron that’s gentle on colored hair, the Chi Original Pro Straightener prevents your dyed locks’ color from fading. It features slim 1-inch plates that produce far infrared heat, which is a healthier alternative to regular flat irons. The plates are tourmaline and ceramic coated, providing even heat distribution and reducing static electricity to get rid of frizz and coarseness.

Check pricing and availability on the Chi Hairstyling Iron

Flat irons for thick hair usually have to reach the maximum temperature of 450 degrees Fahrenheit to do the job. This iron, however, can give you pin straight hair at just 392 degrees, which further reduces long-term damage.

Most users even say that using the flat iron eliminates the need to apply anti-frizz serum, which is a big plus when it comes to producing healthy, smooth, and silky straight hair. The Chi Original Pro Flat Iron is definitely the styling tool of choice for anyone who has colored thick hair.

7.) Jolie Amour Professional Ceramic Flat Iron

A highly versatile straightener, if you’re a stylist or want to have an iron that the whole family can use, this is the perfect tool for fine to thick frizzy hair. There are 4 temperature settings, which range from 100 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. It features 1.25-inch ceramic plates, which help to lock in moisture and distribute heat evenly for super smooth hair all throughout.

See ratings, reviews and price on the Jolie Amour

At only 1 pound, this iron is incredibly lightweight. This means no more strains on your wrist when you style your hair for more than 10 minutes or more, most especially when you’re doing your hair by yourself.

Being slim and lightweight, its dual voltage feature makes it a great travel straightener as it’s compatible with other countries’ outlets. If you have an event or conference outside the country, this is a great tool to bring with you.

Engineered for maximum results and utmost reliability, this Jolie Amour flat iron is your go-to easy-breezy styling tool for thick and frizzy hair.

8.) HD Professional Hybrid Hair Iron

Styling thick wavy hair can be a headache. You’ve got a ton of locks to cover, and quite frankly, thick coarse hair is just hard to smooth out. Luckily, this HD Professional Hybrid Hair Iron is equipped with the latest technologies on straightening hair, which starts off with its 1.25-inch floating ceramic tourmaline particle-coated plates. Quite a handle in terms but they definitely stand out in the market.

Check price and reviews on the HD Flat Iron

The tourmaline feature provides even heat distribution and smooths out hair with just one glide. The iron is also perfect for professionals as it can also be used for keratin treatments, sealing in proteins while also smoothing out the hair’s cuticles for all day straight hair. It is simply the best solution for anyone with thick hair who needs to maintain smooth locks for the whole duration of the day.

Its temperature setting ranges from 250 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, and that alone tells you it’s specifically meant to tame unruly and frizzy hair.

9.) 6th Sense Pro Flat Iron

Don’t you just hate it when you’re straightening your thick hair and strands snag or tug between the plates? Not only is it a hassle, it wastes your time, and quite frankly, painful. The 6th Sense Pro Flat Iron is made specifically to give you one smooth glide when smoothing out your locks. Its tourmaline and ceramic floating plates give you a smooth flowing experience that’s absolutely heaven-sent in the world of flat irons.

See the latest deals on the 6th Sense

What makes this iron stand out is its microchip controlled heating element that keeps the heat even on the entire surface of the plates, so you get uniform straight hair. And its use of tourmaline produces moisture-locking ions that give you naturally shiny and smooth hair without the damage.

10.) Xtava Infrared Flat Iron

The flat iron for thick hair with extra wide plates, it covers more locks and thereby cuts styling time by half compared to slimmer straighteners. It features the brand’s unique Xtava infrared technology, which consists of an advanced microprocessor controller that regulates heat. There are a whopping 10 settings for temperature, which range from 265 to 445, allowing you to straighten your hair with a precision not found in most flat irons in the market today.

Check out the Xtava Infrared hair straightener

With superior quality ceramic heaters, the maximum temperature is reached within seconds, making your thick frizzy hair pin straight in just minutes.

Though wide and heavier than most flat irons in the market, it comes with 360 degrees and an 8-feet swivel cord that makes it super easy to style your hair without the straining your wrists.

If you want fast smooth hair without the damage, then the Xtava is the styling tool for you.