Best Flat Iron For African American Hair: Top 10 Choices For The Black Women

Ones with African American hair find themselves in a pickle when they look forward to committing to straight hair designs. Because their hair carries unique traits of tight coils and frizzy, breakage prone texture which demand very delicate handling.

Picking a random flat iron from the market to straighten your hair can end in a catastrophe by permanently damaging your hair. Thus, you need the best flat iron for black hair to ensure utmost safety and hair’s health.

Some of the big names in the styling industry have paid heed to your specific needs and developed flat irons with an aim of treating your hair in a sophisticated manner.

I urge you to go through my experience with each of them to realize that they’re actually kind on the strands, add shine upon straightening and deliver the finest outcomes you could ever hope for!

Highlights of the Top Ten Flat Irons for Black Hair

An In-Depth Review of the Best Flat Irons for African American Hair

The products I’ve listed in this section are all centered toward treating African American hair in the gentlest possible way. There are all price ranges of products with unique features, so it’s up to you to find which one fits you the best!

T3 Lucea Professional Straightening & Styling Iron

As we always say, your curly or coily hair deserves the best treatment, no matter how difficult that may prove to be. And in this case, the T3 Lucea flat iron lands as the savior that aims at protecting your delicate strands at all costs!

In my dictionary, it’s one of the best flat irons for African American hair due to its certain qualities that no one can look past. First off, the device heats up in seconds, meaning heat retention is highly optimal which is highly essential for coarse, kinky hair. Otherwise, you’d find common flat irons staggering through your curls and burning it up in the process.

As an added bonus, the T3 Lucea carries a very neat design, housed with a mesmerizing white tone and golden accent. The cord is long enough and never gets tangled up while styling my clients. It’s very important because straightening African American hair is not the easiest job and the device must allow me to be as agile as I want to be!

Get T3 Lucea at Amazon

Great Positives

Among the great many positives, there are 9 precise heat settings that can be digitally controlled with one round knob. The instruction manual is very clear on this matter, however, ones with less familiarity with technology, double pressing or holding to change settings may find it a little unpleasant.

Since we’re talking about African American coarse hair with high volume, wider plates are of essence here to accommodate more hair with each pass. There are two variants you can choose from: a one-inch plate or a one and a half inches. I’ve picked the latter as it’s more time efficient, but there’s a price discrepancy of $20 between the two, so keep that in mind.

One thing that sprinkles kindness over your frizzy, breakage prone hair is the custom-blend of CeraGloss ceramic plates. It doesn’t deliver heat aggressively and removes all sorts of frizziness upon straightening. And that’s not all! This operation also adds a shine afterward, which would convince everyone that you probably have fine hair naturally!

The CeraSync technology paired with floating heat plates reach the extents of your African American hair which only a handful of devices are able to do. With the sturdy build quality, supreme performance and deluxe outcome – I guarantee that it’s an investment of a lifetime!

Important Concerns

The only downside of this product is the hefty price point that sits under $200 for the wider plate and at $170 for the narrower one. Since it’s a device for professionals, this range of price is expected out of such a polished device. But home consumers can make every penny’s worth out of it due to its delicate operation with coarse, coily hair!

BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium-Plated Ultra-Thin Straightening Iron

The BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium-Plated Ultra-Thin Straightening Iron is perfect for my hair. If you are a fan of the environment, this may be the best option for you. When on, it only uses about 120 volts of power! Other flat irons can use as much as 200 or higher volts of electricity. This not only saves money when paying for an electric bill, but it conserves energy and makes it environmentally friendly.

This straightener works great with my hair. With over 50 heating settings, the BaByliss Pro Straightening Iron can be any temperature between 100 degrees and 450 degrees Fahrenheit. This is great for every hair texture, including black hair, because of its ability to be set to any high temperature you’d need it to be.

The BaByliss flat iron was made to maintain a high level of heat for an extended period of time. This flat iron can withstand a lot of high heat ratings because it is enforced with titanium plates. Additionally, titanium is resistant to corrosion and wear and tear, so you won’t have to worry about handling your flat iron.

Get BaBylissPRO Nano at Amazon

Great Positives

I love this straightener’s thin and compact look. I can travel anywhere with it and not have to fear about it getting damaged because of its titanium plates. The plates are also only one inch wide! This makes for a great compact flat iron.

Titanium and other metals can help reduce the amount of frizz in your hair, so when straightening, I never have problems with frizzy hair. This BaByliss flat iron is perfect for keeping natural hair naturally healthy.

If you’ve ever burned your hand while straightening your hair, you know as well as I do that they can get hot! Thankfully, this flat iron has a Ryton exterior. This does not conduct heat and therefore cannot travel to your hand to burn you.

Important Concerns

The only thing that concerns me about this flat iron is how it feels when it glides over my hair. This straightener can feel like it is pulling at your hair, so watch out if you have a sensitive scalp.

Paul Mitchell Pro Tools

Paul Mitchell Pro Tools is an amazing flat iron for individuals who are fearful about causing further damage to their hair. The Paul Mitchell Flat Iron is safe, gentle, ergonomic, and effective.

The plates of this flat iron are one and a quarter inches thick, while the handle is narrower. This paddle shape makes for a comfortable handle and its grip ensures that it will never slip out of your hand. I have had plenty of instances where my flat iron slipped from my grip and ended up burning my hand. Thankfully, this won’t be an issue.

Always know the temperature that you are putting on your hair. This Paul Mitchell Pro Tools Express Ion Smooth+ Flat Iron has an LCD screen that displays the exact temperature of your flat iron at the time you are using it.

With an easily programmable heat setting ranging between 100 degrees to 410 degrees F on Pro Tools, you can iron your hair to utter perfection with the lowest possible heat. For the record, Being able to iron the hair at the lowest possible heat is the ultimate key to achieving quick and long-lasting hairstyles without any heat damage.

You’ll never have to worry about burning your hair off like those YouTube videos about common hair mistakes you keep watching!

Get Paul Mitchell Pro Tools at Amazon

Great Positives

Paul Mitchell Pro Tools use ceramic floating paddle technology to guarantee your hair will stay as smooth and less frizzy as possible. This is because negative ions are emitted from the hair straightener that will contrast with the positive energy ions in your hair that cause frizz and fly away hair. These ceramic plates are able to heat up to 410 degrees Fahrenheit in merely 5-10 seconds! This is one of the faster warmup times of hair straighteners on the market.

With beveled edges, if used properly, this hair straightener can also give your hair a wavy look. Just curve your hand like you would normally do with a curling iron! Always have shiny, beautiful hair with the Paul Mitchell Flat Iron.

Important Concerns

One thing I was concerned about with the Paul Mitchell Flat Iron is it can take a decent amount of time to straighten long hair like mine because the paddles are only an inch and a quarter thick.

Paul Mitchell Express Ion Smooth+ Flat Iron Set

Paul Mitchell Express Ion Smooth+ is slightly larger than the classic Paul Mitchell Pro Tools, making it a better alternative for women with really long and thick hair. Smooth+ lets you easily adjust the temperature from anywhere between 250-410 degrees F. There are total 5 programmable heat presets to help you easily dial in your flat iron for your specific hair type.

If you think 410 degrees won’t be sufficient for your 4G curls, you might just be wrong. The excellent heat conductivity of the ceramic plates enables the flat iron to effortlessly handle the coarsest hair one could possibly have.

It features top-notch glossy ceramic plates that heats up evenly to prevent further damage on thin and brittle bleached. The plates are coated with Paul Mitchell’s exclusive Express Ion Complex formula that revitalizes frizz-prone flyaways and bone-stiff split ends, leaving your parched locks velvety smooth and radiant.

Of course, you’ll also have to power up your daily hair care routine with nourishing oils, deep conditioner and keratin-rich shampoo to unleash the full potential of your hair.

Get Paul Mitchell Express Ion at Amazon

Great Positives

Fear of heat damage and painful snagging have dissuaded many from trying DIY styling at home. The fear is legit, though. I remember frying my hair countless times with a crappy flat iron in my teen years. Only if I could get my hands on a flat iron of Express Ion’s caliber back then.

That is to say, if you too are on the lookout for a flat iron for your Afro-textured hair that doesn’t demand crazy skills, Smooth+ won’t let you down.

The heat presets on this device is a true saviour for beginners who don’t wish to spend days figuring out the ideal temperature setting for their hair type. It’s lightweight enough to pivot in every angle and direction, helping you nail your silk press or loose curls look in every attempt.

The Ion Complex coating on the plates act as a frizz-tamer as well as a hair conditioner to soften up your coarse tresses for a shiny finish. While it does have certain limitations, for the price, you can’t go wrong with this Paul Mitchell flagship iron.

Important Concerns

This device takes 2 whole hours to automatically shut off which is a ridiculously long time. For someone who routinely forgets to turn off her flat iron, this could be a real bummer.

Moreover, the awkward positioning of the control switches on the handle makes it somewhat difficult to style without accidentally pressing a wrong button once in a while. However, you will eventually get used to it, so I won’t definitely count it as a dealbreaker.

HSI Professional Ceramic Tourmaline Ionic Flat Iron

The HSI Professional Ceramic Tourmaline Ionic Flat Iron is the first one on this list to review. This sleek designed hair straightener is unique from others due to the way it produces heat.

The technology inside this HSI Professional Ceramic Tourmaline Ionic Flat Iron is great! It uses infrared heat technology. This model, compared to other options, works by uniquely heating the ironing plates and leads to a quick heating. Because of this, you’ll never have to wait a long time for your flat iron to heat up. Start straightening almost immediately after you power on this amazing HSI Flat Iron.

This option is one of the best flat iron for black hair because it is equipped with ceramic plates that heat up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The ceramic plates distribute heat regularly and evenly to ensure every part of your hair will receive the same level of heat. In just one pass, your hair will be straight!

The Tourmaline Ionic technology embedded inside this iron makes for a healthier way to straighten hair, as it generates negative ions, or little aspects of energy similar to what’s found in a battery, and glides these against your hair. These ions tame frizz and flyaways.

Get HIS Professional Iron at Amazon

Great Positives

I can use this HSI Professional Ceramic Tourmaline Ionic Flat Iron many times without gaining a lot of damage to my hair! The adjustable heat setting ranges from 150 degrees up to as high as 450 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that I can control and change the amount of heat I want my hair to receive, which keeps my black hair healthier than other flat irons do.

I don’t like when my straightener makes my hair frizzy, but I don’t have this fear with my HSI Flat Iron. Because of the ion technology and ceramic plates, even after one pass on my hair, it stays straight and tame.

I love added accessories, and this flat iron comes with a glove to protect my hand from the high temperature exposure, a carrying case, and even an argan oil treatment that is sure to nourish my beautiful hair.

Important Concerns

I would have liked this flat iron more if the ceramic plates were made more durable. They can acquire scratches and chips if you don’t handle them carefully and properly.

Bio Ionic OnePass

The Bio Ionic OnePass Nano Ceramic Straightening Iron is a great option for anyone who is fearful of damaging their hair while straightening it. The Bio Ionic is made with a special material which they call Silicon Speed Strips. These strips are on the plates that touch your hair.

When powered on, they can mimic the natural hydration of hair and actually help repair it! This straightener will remove any fear of hair damage, and you may even end up straightening your hair more due to its healing mineral properties.

The ergonomic shape of this iron fits perfectly in my feminine hand. It is narrow where you grip and widens out to an inch and a half thick on top. This means more hair can get straightened per pass than with a smaller thickness. You’ll straighten your hair faster with this Bio Ionic OnePass flat iron!

Just like the name says, this Bio Ionic OnePass flat iron only needs to pass through your hair one time to be perfectly straight and healthy. Because the temperature goes up to 400 degrees, this even works perfectly with black hair.

Get Bio Ionic OnePass at Amazon

Great Positives

I love the ability to control my own heat setting on a flat iron. This Bio Ionic OnePass has a dial for multiple levels of heat control possible. Whether I want to use a higher heat or a lower heat, I have the power to decide. I can go up to 400 degrees with this hair straightener.

I have ruined and caused major damage to my hair when straightening it on too high of a heat in the past. Thankfully, this straightener only goes up to 400 degrees and is also enforced with Silicon Speed Strips to make my hair healthier than it was before I put the straightener to it. The NanoIonic minerals hydrate dry and damaged hair for perfectly healthy and shiny hair.

Important Concerns

If you like to clean your hair straighteners like I do after every use to prevent the buildup of grease, the silicon strips on the plate make cleaning a little more difficult than usual.

CHI G2 Ceramic and Titanium Hairstyling Iron

The CHI G2 plates are made of titanium infused ceramic to get your hair the best of both worlds. These heavy duty plates are composed of ceramic and titanium. The titanium metal part of the plates ensures that heating happens fast, and the ceramic in the mix makes sure the heat is distributed evenly.

This hair straightener is perfect for long, curly hair. It is an inch and a quarter thick. This means that it is one of the wider heads on the market and can hold a lot of your hair at once so you can get the job done faster.

This flat iron has a ceramic heater. The negatively charged ions associated with the ceramic will negate the positive charge and energy from your hair. This is what causes frizz and fly away hairs. With this flat iron, you won’t have to worry about having a head of messy hair! Your hair will be perfectly straight and silky smooth for as long as you need it to be.

Great Positives

The CHI G2 Ceramic and Titanium Hairstyling Iron is great if you hate straighteners that pull at your hair like I do. Because of the ceramic in the plates of this straightener, it will run smoothly across your hair and not pull or cause any pain.

I hate the smell that comes from burning hair, and because of this flat iron’s color coated digital display I can always know the exact temperature that my iron is heated to.

I love how this straightener comes with an added extra! It includes a thermal mat that allows you to safely set your hot flat iron down without the danger of melting your countertop. Moreover, like all great heat styling tools, it integrates an auto shut-off function for optimal safety.

Important Concerns

One thing to be aware about with this flat iron is its short longevity. The CHI G2 Ceramic and Titanium Hairstyling Iron is known to last a shorter amount of time than its competitors.

Furiden Revolutionary One Step Straightener and Styler

The Furiden Revolutionary One Step Straightener and Styler is a great option for most people. This ergonomically designed iron fits perfectly in hand and its weight to height ratio provides a nice balance. The material that this Furiden flat iron is made of heats up in as fast as 15 seconds! The heat settings available range from 250 degrees up until 450 degrees Fahrenheit and is therefore perfect for your black hair.

This flat iron is perfect for multipurpose use. It has curved, rounded over edge making for a great curling iron as well. Just use it as you would use a typical curling iron and wait for the magic. Now, you won’t have to stress about using two different items for styling your hair with this amazing two-in-one.

This Furiden iron is known for its practicality as well. It is equipped with a 360-degree swivel cord to prevent tangling. This, with its extra-long 97-inch cord, will ensure that you won’t have a problem reaching a mirror from the outlet. The Furiden Revolutionary One Step Straightener and Styler is great for its ease of use.

Great Positives

I love having a straightener that’s easy to travel with, since traveling is one of my favorite hobbies. This Furiden straightener and styler is great for both curling and straightening my thick hair. This means that when I travel, I only need to take one hair tool. This saves weight and any hassle that comes with carrying multiple hair tools.

The Furiden Revolutionary One Step Straightener and Styler comes with plenty of added bonuses to protect yourself and materials while styling your beautiful hair. This package comes with a heat resistant glove, a travel bag, two combs, and two styling salon style clips. No matter what you need for your hair, the set includes it.

Important Concerns

One concern that I have with the Furiden Styler is it can often make my hair frizzy. If you purchase this, you may want to invest in a frizz hair styling spray.

Croc Classic Nano-Titanium Flat Iron

This unique Croc Classic Nano-Titanium Flat Iron is one kind of flat iron that you may have never seen before. It has an ergonomic shape styled to fit a woman’s hand comfortably, without sacrificing its performance.

The Croc Classic Nano-Titanium Flat Iron boasts about its mixture of ceramic and titanium plates. They claim to straighten hair sixty percent better and faster than other similar ceramic plates on the market.

Temperature is one of the most important factors of choosing the best straightener for you. This Croc Classic Nano-Titanium Flat Iron has 25 heat settings for a precise customized hairstyle.

The temperature ranges from 200 degrees to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature also runs in increments of ten degrees, so you can get to a very specific heat that works best with your hair. These settings prevent heat damage to your hair.

If you’ve ever left your house and realized you left your hair straightener on, you’re not alone! I’ve done this plenty of times and wished there were a special feature that automatically turns your iron off.

That invention exists in the Croc Classic Nano-Titanium Flat Iron. After a certain amount of time, your flat iron will turn off! Don’t fear about burning your house down just because you left your flat iron plugged in anymore!

Great Positives

I love how sturdy this flat iron feels in my grip. It feels comfortable and I don’t fear it slipping out of my hand, which I absolutely love. There have been plenty of times where I was straightening my hair and the flat iron slipped right out of my hand. I never have to worry about this with this hair straightener! It is fantastic.

The power of this Croc Classic Nano-Titanium Flat Iron is impeccable. With just one pass I am able to straighten my curly hair without a problem. Also, the hair straightener does not grip your hair. It glides over your locks smoothly without hassle.

Also, if you’ve ever straightened your hair and had that burned smell lasting on you for a while, have no fear, as this straightener does not make your hair smell like this! Always smell and look your best with the Croc Classic Nano-Titanium Flat Iron.

Important Concerns

It is important that you are aware of how this hair straightener can be fragile. If you drop it, you may need to find a replacement, as it can break easily.

Mondava Professional Ceramic Tourmaline Flat Iron Hair Straightener

The Mondava Professional Ceramic Tourmaline Flat Iron Hair Straightener is one of the best straighteners I’ve used on the market today. Your hair will be pin straight in just one pass because this flat iron is made of ceramic plates enforced with negative ions.

This is perfect for curly hair because the negative ions will reverse the frizz in your hair. If you have curly hair and have ever tried to straighten your hair, you are probably aware of how frizzy your hair can get and how fast it can turn fluffy. This fluff won’t be a problem for you when you use the Mondava Professional Ceramic Tourmaline Flat Iron Straightener!

This one and a quarter inch thick hair straightener makes getting ready in the mornings or for events faster and more fun. The handle sits comfortably in your hand because it was designed by women, for women. This straightener performs just like similar salon quality ones, but for a much lower price.

Great Positives

This hair straightener by Mondeva is perfect for those days where you wake up late in the morning and need to run out of the house, but don’t want to leave with your hair not straightened. Even those with the thickest, curliest hair are capable of having perfect, smooth, and flat hair in under thirty minutes! This is phenomenal, because for anyone who has sat at a professional hair salon knows how long it takes for thick hair to get done!

I love receiving packages and products that are all inclusive. I don’t have to purchase any other materials after getting this straightener because it comes with much more! This straightener includes a heat resistant glove, travel pouch, styling comb, two salon grade hair clips, and a Velcro strip to hold everything together.

Important Concerns

Some people who use the Mondeva Hair Straightener find it difficult to use. There are lots of different controls that may take a while to learn to use.

Kipozi Professional Flat Iron

The Kipozi Professional Flat Iron is an innovative kind of flat iron best for individuals who are prone to frizzy hair after hair straightening. This flat iron is durable yet gentle to your hair because it’s made of titanium and ceramic. The advanced technology in this flat iron moistens your hair which helps transform damaged and frizzy hair into straight and shiny hair.

This Kipozi Professional Flat Iron is equipped with one-inch titanium ceramic plates that are strong yet treat your hair with care. Ceramic can glide over your hair without tugging and pulling like other materials. This amazing Kipozi hair straightener has advanced technology with an adjustable temperature setting. There are three settings: The first is for fragile hair, the second is for damaged hair, and the third is for healthy hair.

The temperature range of each is between 270 degrees and 320 degrees Fahrenheit, 330 degrees and 380 degrees Fahrenheit, and 390 degrees to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively. It is so helpful knowing the temperatures that my hair is suitable for. You don’t want to be using a higher temperature than your hair can handle, because it can further damage and cause harm to your hair.

Great Positives

This Kipozi Professional Flat Iron is sure to keep your scalp happy because it won’t pull or tug at your hair. This flat iron is equipped with floating plates which are ideal for those who have a sensitive scalp like me! This will also help your hair, especially if it is damaged. Pulling and tugging on damaged hair is bad for you, because it can cause further breakage and harm. With the Kipozi Professional Flat Iron, you’ll never have a problem with hair damage.

I never have to sit around to wait for my flat iron to heat up. It only takes 15 seconds!  Also, I love how this device powers off after 90 minutes. I never have to worry about whether or not I’ve left my house without powering off the straightener. The Kipozi Flat Iron is a great tool to straighten my hair with.

Important Concerns

This flat iron has touch screen controls, and sometimes they can be slow to engage. You may have to press it more than once to get the proper settings.

Isa Professional Titanium Flat Iron Digital Hair Straightener

The Isa Professional Titanium Flat Iron Digital Hair Straightener is another great flat iron for black hair. It has a unique, feminine shape that is sure to attract the eye! You’ll never see a different flat iron like this one.

The Isa Professional Flat Iron uses mirrored titanium plates that heat up evenly and glide across your hair. You will always be aware of the temperature that your hair is being exposed to because it is equipped with an LCD display.

This is great for anyone who has issues with frizzy hair, prior damage, or wants to avoid putting unnecessary heat on their hair.

This Isa Professional Titanium Flat Iron Digital Hair Straightener not only straightens your hair on the first swipe, but it performs multiple other tasks and doubles as a curling iron!

This flat iron has a round, beveled edge that allows for beautiful curls. Just insert your hair into the opening as you would with a normal hair curling iron, wrap your locks of hair around the plates and barrel, and wait a few seconds for the magic to happen!

Great Positives

I love how versatile, useable, and attractive this two in one hair straightener and curling iron is! I love the color red, so this definitely stands out to me. Not many other people will have a bright red iron, and therefore this acts as a statement personality piece.

Additionally, I find the controls on this hair straightener very easy to use. There is one large power on button, and just two buttons to increase the temperature. These easy buttons make this a great tool for all ages.

The temperature of this Isa Professional Titanium Flat Iron Digital Hair Straightener ranges from 265 degrees to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Speaking of temperature, your temperature is displayed on a digital LCD screen right on the top of the straightener’s handle. Never worry about burning your hair again!

Important Concerns

My main concern with this flat iron is that it doesn’t have ceramic in the plates. Titanium is a great material, but it can be a bit rough on very sensitive scalps.

Top Things to Consider While Choosing the Flat Iron for African American Hair

What You Should Know Prior to Straightening African American Hair

There are plenty of things that can go wrong when straightening African American hair. To calm your nerves and make sure you get as close to professional quality as possible, there are a few things you should learn first. Avoid damaging your hair more by learning the ins and outs of straightening thick or curly African American hair.

What you should know prior to straightening African American hair include:

• Find the Best Straightener for your Hair
• Limit How Often You Straighten your Hair
• Moisturizer is Key
• Make Sure your Hair is Clean
• Use a Heat Protectant

Let’s dive deeper into each of these key aspects of straightening black hair.

Steps to Straighten Black Hair

If you want to temporarily straighten your African American hair, there are many ways to do it. Some may be right, and some may be harmful. When you need to straighten your hair, you want to make sure you follow the appropriate steps to cause the least damage of your hair. There are things to look out for that can cause permanent and unwanted damage, too. The following will list out the best procedure for temporarily straightening your black hair and make it last as long as possible.

Listed below are the steps to properly straighten African American hair and cause the least amount of harm possible.

1. Wash
2. Dry
3. Comb / Brush
4. Protect
5. Straighten

Conclusion

The best flat irons for African American hair have various temperature ratings, strong and durable materials, and are created with thick, curly hair in mind.

Out of all the products listed, I recommend the HSI Professional Ceramic Tourmaline Ionic Flat Iron due to its functionality and advanced technology that will keep your hair as healthy as can be. The HSI Flat Iron only takes seconds to warm up which ensures that you can complete your straightening fast. From people who are trying to straighten their hair for the first time ever to experienced salon workers, this product is great for everyone!

Each of these flat irons on this list are sure to benefit you and your hair when straightening. There is a straightener for everyone. Make sure to read through all of the benefits of each product to choose the best one for you!

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