One of the many things about the South that we are proud of is our hair. Southerners are known for always having the ideal hairstyle, from Elvis Presley’s pompadour to Dolly Parton’s signature look.
For anything from beachy waves to large, bouncy curls, Southern women still love to use curling irons. However, getting salon-quality curls at home could be more difficult if you have short hair.
Choose a barrel that is on the thinner side for optimal results. According to Maria McCool, “the best options for short hair are a half-inch or three-quarter inch barrel.”
We looked into and tested a lot of the alternatives below to find the best curling iron for short hair. McCool added his professional perspective as well.
BaBylissPro Nano Titanium Curling Iron
Our top choice for curling short hair is the Babylisspro Nano Titanium Spring Curling Iron. Although it heated up quickly, our hair was unharmed by this iron. Not only that, but the bottom lever and indentation dimples made the barrel easier to grip and manipulate.
Feel free to utilise the kickstand to put the iron down while you’re attempting to curl that one tough section of your short hair (or when you just need a break from curling). The 0.75-inch barrel makes it simple to create distinct curls or ringlets on short hair.
Although this curling iron was a lot of fun to use, we would have rather had an electronic temperature control. The iron’s ability to be adjusted to different temperatures would be considerably simpler with this setting. The iron heats up quickly, but it can take some time to transition between temperatures. Remember that you must manually turn off this curling iron. This characteristic might make it less suitable as a curling iron for someone who is constantly on the go.
Best Budget
InfinitiPro by Conair Tourmaline Ceramic Curling Iron
The Conair InfinitiPro Digital Curling Iron is a great option for people on a budget who yet want a high-quality curling iron. We were immediately struck by how light the curling iron was when we lifted it up. Its handle is slender, but we were still able to maintain a firm grasp on it. The iron never fell out of our hands or pulled on our short hair while we were curling it.
Better yet, a digital display screen is included with this curling iron. It eliminates the need for guesswork while adjusting the temperature thanks to this feature. This specific function is helpful, especially for people with short hair, which curls with less heat than longer hair. This curling iron, like the Babylisspro Nano Titanium Spring Curling Iron, has a lever to facilitate opening and closing the clamp.
The negative was that it took a long time to heat up. Furthermore, even though it works well with some hair types, people with type 4 hair should avoid it because it won’t generate enough heat for their hair to curl effectively.
Best Splurge
Dyson Airwrap
If you’ve never used a curling iron before, you should think about the Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler. The iron softly self-wraps your hair, saving you from having to curl it by hand.
None of our hair felt tugged on or twisted up despite this characteristic. Additionally, you can style your hair in different ways with the detachable barrels. This curling iron has a cold setting, which may aid to lessen hair damage, unlike most others. This curler swiftly ajusts to the right temperature, whether you utilise the hot or cold option. We’ve never burned our short hair on the highest heat setting.
If you have type 1 hair, be aware that after an hour your curls will begin to relax. We also don’t know the precise temperature, even though we liked how fast it changed to different settings.
This curling iron produces a lot of noise, so be aware of that. Positively, you may store the curling iron and its attachments in the storage case for protection after use.
The temperature range is hot, medium, and cold. The barrel sizes are 1.2 and 1.6 inches long. The Coanda smoothing drier, firm and gentle smoothing brushes, and round volumising brushes are made of aluminium.
Best Titanium
L’ange Le Duo
You can use this LeDuo 360° Airflow Titanium Styler as a flat iron and a curling iron. As you style your hair, the iron’s cooling vents release heat automatically, assisting in the quick cooling and locking in of curls. It is quite easy to read the temperatures on the curling iron. We suggest this iron for people with thick hair because it features a titanium rod. Titanium is ideal for thicker hair types because it tends to heat up more quickly and evenly. This iron’s 1-inch barrel size makes it ideal for short hair types, which require a smaller barrel size.
If we were to make any modifications to this iron, we would include a locking mechanism. At the moment, it’s fairly simple to unintentionally turn off While you’re styling your hair, turn up the temperature on the iron.
Best Ceramic
Bio Ionic Long Barrel Curling Iron
Consider getting this small curling iron from Bio Ionic if you’re sick of dealing with big, heavy ones. This curling iron has a lever to help open and close the clamp, just like the majority of curling irons in this roundup. But this one has a locking mechanism, not the LeDuo 360° Airflow Titanium Styler. We could style our hair and set the temperature to our liking with it, all without worrying about it suddenly changing on us.
During styling, our short hair never came loose from the clamp. Our hair was securely clamped, making it simple for us to curl. We could always tell when the iron was ready to use thanks to the indication light.
Overall, we had fun utilising this product and all of its capabilities. Just be aware that there are no unique attachments included.
Best Rotating Rod
Drybar The 3-Day Bender Curling Iron
This is a wonderful option if you’re seeking for a revolving curling iron. These curling irons are not only simpler to use, but they also work well for creating traditional curl patterns. Our short hair looked tight and formal when we curled it with the 1-inch barrel.
We were able to simply alter the temperature of this curling iron because to its rapid heating time and + and – options. Additionally, we could easily grasp the iron by its handle because to its rubberised texture. We found that type 3 curls held in the clamp longer than type 1 or type 2 hair during the curling process. Despite the fact that we had to recreate our curls several times, they retained their form for a protracted period.
The spinning feature has the drawback of making the iron feel slick in our hands because the clamp rotates around the barrel a lot. Furthermore, we believe that an hour is too long for the iron to switch off, even though we loved the automatic shut-off feature.
Best Tapered Rod
BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Conicurl Iron
We adore this BabylissPro iron since it can be used to create a variety of curl patterns. Simply curl your hair close to the handle for looser curls. However, you can use the iron’s tip to curl your hair if you’d rather it be tighter. Although there are several heat settings on this curling iron, you can also turn up the heat by pressing the turbo heat button.
The extra-long cable makes it much easier to manoeuvre around and reach those challenging to curl sections of hair when curling your hair. The 0.75 or 1 inch barrel works well for creating loose waves or ringlets in short hair. The fun doesn’t have to end there, though, because you can experiment with different curling techniques for your short hair by using the tapered rod. Note that there is no thumb grip or clamp on this curling iron. It may take some time for you to feel comfortable using the iron as a result.
Best Cone-Shaped Rod
Paul Mitchell Neuro Unclipped Titanium Curling Wand
The Neuro Titanium Curling Wand is the ideal choice for people who want to advance their styling abilities because it is made of titanium and comes in two barrel sizes. The cone-shaped rod of this curling iron not only helps you achieve beachy waves and loose curls that look natural, but it also has an easily visible digital temperature screen.
The smartsense microchip allows you to style uninterrupted. You don’t need to constantly check the heat level because the microchip keeps an eye on the temperature. Additionally, you may program the curling iron to turn off at a specific time using the auto shut-off timer. Just keep in mind that although the clipless design gives you more styling options, you’ll need to use caution when handling the ends of your hair to avoid burning your fingers (a three-finger safety glove is included).
Best for Beachy Waves
Beachwaver Co. S1 Rotating Curling Iron
The Beachwaver Rotating Curling Iron is highly recommended if you prefer beachy waves for your curl design. This curling iron, from woman-owned company Beachwaver, makes hair styling a lot simpler. All you need to do is click a rotation button while putting a tiny portion of your hair under the clamp. After that, release the clamp to take your hair out of the iron. We advise curling the top of your strand first and working your way down if you have short, layered hair.
Additionally, you have complete control over the iron’s pace thanks to the fast-and-slow option. Just put it on the safety stand to store it when you’re done using it.
Just like with other curling irons, temperature adjustment is simple. Our only worry with this functionality is that some people could find it difficult to see the panel.
Best for Frizzy Hair
Bondi Boost Clever Curler Curling Iron
Be cautious when curling hair that is frizzy. Even if you want your curls to remain as long as possible, overheating your hair can harm it. Investing in a curling iron that can help you calm your hair is just as crucial as applying anti-frizz treatments (like this one).
The ionic technology in your hair naturally closes the cuticle as you style it. This reduces frizz in addition to giving your hair a lustrous appearance. Additionally, it has infrared heating, which makes curling hair easier and uses less heat. Your hair is less likely to sustain damage when there is less heat applied.
Best for Thick Hair
ghd 1-Inch Curling Iron
This vintage GHD curling iron is well worth the price. The iron only beeps to indicate when it’s ready to use, saving you from having to make some educated guesses. The iron heats up quickly—about 25 seconds—for people who frequently make last-minute plans. Furthermore, the iron automatically shuts off after a certain amount of time, even if you fail to unplug it.
There’s only one temperature that works well for short hair: 365°F. We discovered that fine, wavy, and naturally curly hair may safely be used with this heat setting. Thick hair usually requires more heat to curl, but we never had any problems using the iron on thick hair. Those with shorter hair can get loose, wavy curls by using the special tip.
Although the iron was simple to operate, we hoped the cool protecting tip was bigger to avoid burning our hands.
Best for Thin Hair
T3 SinglePass Curl Curling Iron
This curling iron, which comes in barrel sizes of 0.5 and 0.75 inches, is the ideal size for short, fine hair that is difficult to curl. You can quickly set the iron to the temperature you want with the temperature dial. Every strand will get the same amount of heat regardless of whether you begin from the front or the back.
Regardless of the barrel size, we had no damage when curling our delicate, wavy hair. The thumb grip on the clamp made it simple to use as well. You won’t ever have to worry about your hair becoming tangled in the iron either thanks to the flat surface.
The Bottom Line
The Babylisspro Nano Titanium Spring Curling Iron is our top choice overall after reviewing each curling iron. Because it evenly distributes heat and gives your hair a sleek, glossy finish, this curling iron took home our top rank. The 0.75 barrel makes it easier to define curls and produce ringlets for people with short hair. Because it heats up quickly and eliminates frizz, the InfinitiPro by Conair Tourmaline Ceramic Curling Iron was our favourite affordable pick. Five different heat settings are included with this iron.
Our Testing Process
Over the course of two weeks, we tested 14 curling irons once more at home and once more in the lab. We curled hair types 1-4 in the lab using each curling iron, checking the results after an hour and six hours, and then again overnight.
After that, we sent three separate testers home with each curling iron, and they used them for two weeks as part of their usual style procedures. We evaluated each curling iron according to its simplicity of use, temperature settings, heat-up time, and the curls it generated, as well as their shape and durability.
Only six of the 14 curling irons we tested made it onto our final list; the other items we suggest were selected after extensive research on the top curling for short hair.
Tips For Choosing The Right Curling Iron
Temperature Range
It is crucial to adjust the curling iron’s temperature correctly before using it. You won’t be able to correctly curl your hair if the temperature is too low. On the other side, the curling iron may harm your hair if the temperature is set too high. The ideal temperature will typically depend on the type of hair you have.
According to McCool, set the curling iron’s temperature between 325 and 350°F if you have delicate or fine hair. She says that the ideal temperature range for people with medium-textured hair is 350–380°F. For coarse or unruly hair, McCool recommends setting the curling iron between 380 and 400°F.
Barrel Size
When choosing a curling iron, the barrel size is a crucial consideration, much like the temperature range. The improper barrel size will result in curls that are either too tight and constricted or too loose to keep their shape.
It is advised to utilise lower barrel sizes rather than larger ones for persons with short hair. You can choose the best solution for yourself based on the desired curl pattern. For tighter curls, use barrels that are one inch or less. Anything larger will result in erratic waves.
Material
Finding the ideal curling iron for your needs will be made easier if you are aware of the benefits and drawbacks of the various materials. Curling irons made of ceramic are ideal for delicate, fine, and even damaged hair. These curling irons also heat up uniformly, giving your hair a sleek finish. However, they feel heavier and are less resilient than other sorts.
Although titanium curling irons are suitable for all hair types, their effectiveness is greatest on thick or coarse hair. These irons heat up considerably faster, are lightweight, and are very robust. However, because they heat up more quickly, they have the potential to harm delicate or fine hair.
A tourmaline curling iron can be something you want to think about if your hair is frizzy. These irons work well on all hair types and textures and minimise static and frizz. Keep in mind that curling irons with tourmaline are considerably more costly and hard to locate.
Rod Type
The type of rod in your curling iron determines the desired curl pattern, whether you’re going for beachy waves or long-lasting curls. For people who prefer to curl their hair into naturally occurring waves, we suggest getting a curling iron in the style of a wand. For those who prefer curls that last, a clamp rod is a superior option. You should use a tapered rod for curls that are dishevelled and have relaxed waves.
“Although there are various kinds of curling rods available, I believe that heated round brushes are the most ideal choice for short hair.” They won’t burn you or harm your hair with heat. According to McCool, “Plus, they give a much more modern curl than a standard rod.”
Special Features
The majority of curling irons come with a variety of features, including barrel covers, thermal mats, interchangeable rod types, equal heat distribution, customisable heat settings, and auto shut-off. Furthermore, some curling irons are cordless and include a rechargeable base that allows them to be charged. Check the product description carefully when shopping for a new curling iron to learn about all of its features.
Questions and Answers
What size curling iron is best for short hair?
The length of your hair will determine the best curling iron for you. McCool says, “If your hair is only an inch long, I’d say you need a half-inch barrel. If it’s one and a half inches long, I’d suggest a three-quarter-inch barrel.” If your hair is longer than one and a half inch, we recommend talking to your stylist to see which curling iron is best for you.
How do you style short hair with a curling iron?
When curling your hair, it’s best to make sure that you have recently washed your hair. If you try to curl your hair when it’s oily and unwashed, the curls will unravel and won’t hold as long. Before curling your hair, we recommend using a heat-protectant spray. This type of spray will prevent breakage and damage to your hair as you curl it. McCool also says that you should never curl your hair down or towards your face. Rather, always curl it back and away from your face.
Why Trust Southern Living
This article was written by Moriah Mason, a commerce writer for Southern Living who has over two years of experience writing lifestyle content. To figure out the best curling irons for short hair, we tested 14 curling irons over two weeks in the lab and at home, spent hours researching them, and evaluated them based on temperature range, barrel size, material, rod type, and special features. To learn additional tips regarding curling irons, Moriah also spoke with Maria McCool, hair stylist and founder of hair care brand Calista.
