If you haven’t been living under a rock, then you probably know by now that the curling wand is the latest thing in hair-curling technology. It is an improvement on the curling iron, which is a straight cylindrical barrel that is heated up to curl the hair, along with a clamp to hold the hair in place.
The curling wand does not have this clamp (meaning that you will not have to deal with the weird crease it has always made in the hair), and some of them are tapered, allowing you to make curls of different sizes depending on which part of the wand you wrap your hair around.
Wands are user-friendly when compared to irons in that they take less time to curl your hair than irons do. The materials used in wands are more superior to those used in curling irons. The basic concept is the same in these two devices but the results are somewhat different. As we have already said, the clamp in curling irons sometimes creates a crease in the hair that may not look completely natural.
In this article, we will talk about the top cheapest curling wands, and go through a list of what we think are the best options in the market but still, gives the same effect on the hair.
Available in the Market
Products | CHECK IT OUT HERE | BEST FEATURE |
|---|---|---|
xTAVA  | IDEAL FOR TRAVEL | |
REMINGTON  | CERAMIC | |
INFINITY PRO  | NO CLAMP | |
BED HEAD  | IDEAL FOR LOOSE HAIR | |
HERSTYLER  | IDEAL FOR BABY CURLS | |
PERFECTWO  | DIGITAL | |
ANJOU  | FAST HEATING |
7 Top Rated Affordable Curling Irons Reviewed
1. xtava - Ideal for Travel
This curling wand has a tapered barrel that goes for half an inch to an inch in thickness. It is perfect for defined ringlets and tight curls. It has 22 adjustable heat settings, making it ideal for all hair types.
It has a universal dual voltage feature (when used with the adapter) that makes it an excellent travel companion. It has a one-hour auto shut off function and an eight-foot ten-inch power cord that has a 360-degree swivel function. It also comes with a travel case and travel glove both of which are heat resistant.
Customers really liked this affordable curling wand because of the ease with which it works. Its wide range of temperature settings makes it a good tool for thin hair and thick hair.
The wand heats up very quickly and does not require more than two to five seconds of hold to get a good tight curl, which lasts all day long. Women who have a very busy lifestyle like working moms particularly appreciated the 60-minute shut off function.
Critics of this product complain that it did not curl their hair properly and was very difficult to use. Curling wands do take some practice before you can get it right, especially for those of you who are used to the traditional curling iron. Stick to it and you won’t be disappointed.
2. Remington - Ceramic
This wand is made from ceramic and goes from one inch to one and a half inches for quick curling in multiple sizes. It heats up in just 30 seconds and goes up to a whopping 410 degrees Fahrenheit and it has a 60-minutes automatic shut-off function for your peace of mind.
It comes with a swivel cord that offers a free-range motion for you to easily curl your hair at any angle. A temperature lock maintains heat at your selected optimal temperature, and a heat-resistant glove keeps your hands safe while you get those curls.
People who bought this product appreciate the cost to quality ratio in that it is an extremely affordable wand that provides a professional outcome. It heats up rapidly and stays consistent, making it a convenient tool for curling your hair at home.
Complaints about this wand are mostly that it is very slippery, making it difficult to hold the hair in place while curling. However, this is another case of practice makes perfect. Once you get the hang of it, the curling wand becomes an indispensable tool.
3. Infiniti Pro by Conair - No Clamp
This product features a conical barrel that tapers from one inch at the base to half an inch at the tip allowing you to have wider corkscrew curls and tighter ringlets. It heats up in a matter of 30 seconds to a temperature of 400 degrees Fahrenheit giving you instant results.
It is infused with Tourmaline Ceramic technology, which eliminates static, gets rid of frizz, and protects your hair from damage caused by heat. It has five temperature settings for all hair types, and it comes with a three-fingered heat-resistant glove. It also has an auto shutdown feature for your safety.
This may be cheap but has a lot of positive feedback from users. Customers love how quickly this wand heats up, freeing up time to do other things. It also helps that it takes no more than ten seconds for your curls to set. It also curls (or waves) your hair perfectly without causing breakage or frizziness.
One problem that some people encountered is that the glove that comes with this wand is heat-resistant only on one side, meaning that it won’t work on the left hand. This is an unfortunate oversight by the company, but you can buy a glove separately to solve this problem.
4. Bed Head - Ideal for Loose Curls
This curling wand incorporates Tourmaline Ceramic Technology for reduced frizz and increased shine. The barrel has a one-inch diameter for those who prefer corkscrew curls or wavy hair.
Its temperature goes up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, making it ideal for the thickest hair types. It also comes with a heat protective glove and a tangle free six-foot long swivel cord.
Those people who tried this curling wand are pleased with the quick 30-second heat-up that this wand is capable of. It is also very quick in curling hair, so you don’t need to hold your hair in place for more than a few seconds to get the desired results. It takes half the time it would with a traditional curling iron.
The cord does not tangle at all while moving the wand around. People also loved the rest stand that comes along with this product, which keeps the wand out of the way and prevents from rolling around, or worse, rolling off a table onto the floor.
The only problem with the wand is that it does not have an adjustable temperature. It heats up to 400 degrees and that’s it. This may be a problem for people who have thin hair, but it can be remedied by not keeping the hair pressed to the rod for the full ten seconds. Maybe two to three seconds should suffice.
5. Herstyler - Ideal for baby Curls
Engineered with ceramic and negative ion technology, this state-of-the-art curling wand gets rid of frizz and flyaway hairs by sealing cuticles. It enhances shine for longer periods of time, and is lightweight and portable, making it ideal for those who travel a lot.
Those who purchased this product are pleased with the efficiency that it provides. It takes only about 15 to 20 minutes to finish curling long straight hair that typically grows down to the middle back. This wand is quite the rage among people who have very thick hair that sometimes refuses to curl in certain places.
Detractors of this product did not like the fact that it has only one heat setting. This is not good for people who have thin hair, but it can still be used properly if the hair is not wrapped around the wand for more than two to three seconds.
6. Perfectwo - Digital
This ceramic curling wand has a tapered barrel that goes from one inch to half an inch, allowing you to create a variety of curls for a smooth salon style finish.
It comes with a PTC heater and an LED display for full control of the temperature, and it has an automatic shut-off feature that switches the wand off if left idle for an hour. It also comes with a lifetime warranty.
Buyers of this product greatly appreciate the efficiency that it provides, allowing some people to finish curling their hair in a matter of 15 minutes. The results are also of the highest quality; making curls that refuse to come loose even if you tried really hard. It has an adjustable temperature setting that makes it a suitable option for people with any kind of hair type – thick or thin. And it looks sleek and stylish.
Some people did not like the three-fingered glove that came with it for protection from the heat. As is usually the case with curling wands, it takes practice to get the hang of this kind of curling tool. But if it is a major problem, then proper gloves are available separately.
7. Anjou - Fast Heating
This curling iron is fitted with PTC technology, which heats up to 410 degrees Fahrenheit or 210 degrees Celsius in a minute for smooth and fast curling. It is suited for all hair types – long or short, thin or thick.
The barrel is 1.25 inches thick, making it ideal for corkscrew curls or wavy hair. The ceramic construction prevents the hair from getting pulled. It comes with a power cord that can swivel in all directions and stretches up to two and a half meters.
Customers greatly appreciated the super fast heat-up, which greatly reduces the time spent curling hair. The ceramic plate barrel gets two thumbs ups for not tugging at the hair when the clamp is closed. It has a dual voltage function, meaning that it can work anywhere in the world with the adapter. This makes it perfect for the ladies who like to travel.
One problem that people had with this product is that the clamp sometimes leaves a crease or a crimp in the hair once it is curled. This tends to give a somewhat unnatural look, but it is very subtle and will not be noticed by most people.
Benefits of Owning an Inexpensive Curling Wand
As we have already said, curling wands do not have the clamp that is a permanent fixture on the traditional curling iron. This is good for your hair in that it gives your curls a more natural look as opposed to the curling iron, which would often create a crease or a crimp wherever the flipper clamped down on the hair, essentially trapping it between itself and the iron.
If you are not a professional hair stylist and are planning to curl your own hair, then a wand is the way to go because it is way more user-friendly than its older sister.
Like curling brush, a curling wand greatly reduce the amount of time needed for you to curl your hair. It takes only two to five seconds to curl your hair using a wand, unlike the arcane curling iron that takes 15 to 20 seconds per curl. They also come with a wider range of temperatures and are designed to get you through the practice phase much sooner than with those old irons that grandma uses.
How to Choose a Budget-Friendly Curling Wand
Type of Curls You Want
Probably the first thing you will be thinking about is the way you want your curls to look, i.e. small spiral curls, corkscrew curls or wavy hair. Generally speaking, the thinner the shaft of the wand, the smaller your curls will be. If you are going for the small spiral curls falling all over your head, then a wand that is three-eighths of an inch to three-fourths of an inch will work for you.
However, this is a good idea only for hair that is up to a certain length. If your hair is very long, then this style will take a very long time to accomplish. If you don’t want super tight curls like the ones described above, then corkscrew curls are a good style to try out.
They are wider and make fewer rotations, meaning that you will need a larger wand to get this look. A wand that is larger than an inch will work for this style, as well as for a wavy look if you don’t want proper curls but just want to add some body and bounce to your hair.
Hair Type
You will also have to find the right wand based on your hair type. The first feature we will address is the length. If your hair is very short, then you will want a smaller wand to be able to wind your hair around it at least once.
However, a wand may not be the best idea for short hair – a traditional iron will work better because the clamp can hold the hair in place while the heat sets in. With medium to shoulder length hair, you have more freedom to decide what kind of wand you should buy.
A smaller wand will work for small ringlets, while a larger wand that is half an inch to an inch thick will work for wider curls.
The same holds true for longer hair but you may want to stay away from wands smaller than an inch thick because smaller wands will take a very long time to finish curling your hair.
Material of the Curling Wand
The material that the wand is made of will also play a role in the outcome of your hair styling effort. If you have thin hair, then you should consider yourself lucky because just about any material will work for you.
This is because thin hair does not trap that much moisture, making it super easy to get rid of frizz. Thin hair also does not need the temperature of the wand to be too high because it reacts quite well to lower temperatures.
Normal hair is also pretty easy to deal with, although you might need a tad more heat to set the curls in properly.
However, if you have coarse, thick hair, then you will need a titanium wand that can deliver very high temperatures. If you don’t like the idea of a metallic wand, there are ceramic wands that are capable of reaching temperatures high enough to tame your hair.
Conclusion
Curling wands have proven themselves to be a much better curling tool than the curling irons that have been traditionally used since before we had electricity. The biggest advantage that it has is the fact that it does not come with a clamp for the hair, creating curls that do not have a weird crease where it was caught between the clamp and the barrel.
When you are buying a wand, make sure to take into account all the features of your hair – length, thickness, frizz, etc. You will want to buy a thinner wand for short hair and a thicker wand for long hair. You will a wand that has lower temperature settings for thin hair, and higher temperatures for thick hair.
If you are still on the fence about which wand to buy, then you may want to go for the xtava Twirl Curling Wand. It has 22 adjustable heat settings making it a go-to curling wand for women of all hair types, and a dual voltage function that makes it compatible with power outlets all over the world.
So what are you waiting for? Get that curling wand and glam yourself up!
Additional Resources
1. Check our article about Heat Protectant for Fine Hair
2. For a heat-free curler try hair rollers that you can sleep in
3. Problem with dandruff? Check out this list of sulfate-free dandruff shampoo.
