First let’s get one thing straight here. A curling wand is different from a curling iron. If you’re still confused about these two and you want to get down to the specifics on the whole curling wand vs curling iron debate, here are the reasons why the curling wand wins hands down:
- It’s easier to use.
- It doesn’t have clamps or clips that leave unsightly kinks or crease marks on hair.
- It produces curls that have volume.
- It maintains the hair’s shine.
- It has less potential to inflict damage on hair shaft, strands, and roots.
- It can reach hair and curl it up to half an inch of the scalp.
According to hairstyling industry experts, the curling wand is slowly but surely replacing the traditional curling iron. Many well-established brands of hairstyling tools have come out with very affordable price tags to their products in an effort to lure curling iron users to try out curling wands.
It used to be that the measure of a good curl depended on the size of the curling tool’s barrel and how long it held in place. But there have been many innovations to curling tools that choosing the best hair curling wand today can be overwhelming. The user-friendliness and affordability of curling wands have also made it challenging to select a single tool with fully functional features.
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The best curling wands can come in various sizes but also in different shapes:
Cone Shape Wands
With narrow upper ends and thick lower ends, cone shape wands have the following features:
- The rod’s smaller end is capable of delivering precision curls.
- You can create size variations of curls with it.
- Fuller and larger curls can be created using the rod’s larger end.
- Because of the cone shape wand’s versatility, there is less need to buy other hairstyling tools.
- Steeper sloped cones can produce thicker and smaller curls.
- Designed for women on the go who have little time to spend curling hair but want professional-looking curls.
Straight Wands
Uniformed consistency best describes the straight curling wand with the following features:
- Capable of creating curls that are equal in shape and size like rings.
- The overall final look of curls is well-groomed and sophisticated.
- Perfect for individuals who have extremely straight hair since it can give curvature to the hair’s lower part inward or outward.
Interchangeable Barrels
These curling tools can be expensive but they are worth every cent because of their maximal versatility as evident in the following features
- Because of the different curling iron sizes of these interchangeable barrels, the capability to create various types of curls is unlimited.
- You save money in the long run since you won’t need other curling tools.
- The final resulting curls have that professional look of salon-styled hair.
Barrel Material
It is important to consider the kind of material that was used in the manufacture of your chosen curling tool. Here are the various kinds of materials typically used for curling tools:
Ceramic: this material is known for its ability to create smooth surfaces, a key factor that enables the easy and quick release of your hair without snagging or tangling. A ceramic curling iron distributes heat evenly along the entire length of the barrel to give your hair the same temperature for each curl. Ceramic is scratch-resistant and inexpensive but it can get intensely hot. Make sure that your hand and fingers are protected with heat-resistant gloves when you use a ceramic curling tool.
Tourmaline: this semi-precious gemstone is crushed and fused atop a curling wand which is either titanium or ceramic base. Suitable for all hair types, even damaged hair can take the heat released by tourmaline-coated curling wands. This gemstone prevents friction from occurring while you curl your hair. Suitable for any hair type, tourmaline is a relatively recent technology for new curling iron models that eliminate static and frizz while curling hair.
Titanium: this is the most powerful of the lot when it comes to heat conduction, making titanium curling wands the perfect tools for hair that is coarse, super thick or unmanageable. Titanium has the high performance actions of both ceramic and tourmaline wands such as release of negative ions and far-infrared heat to curl hair twice as fast while sealing the hair’s natural oils and moisture to protect it against excessive heat.
A clipless curling iron coated with titanium will leave no crease lines or kinks on hair yet strengthen the curls to hold for a much longer period. Because of its immense strength to generate heat at an even pace, titanium curling tools are also the most expensive.
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Barrel Sizes
The shape and size of your curls will be determined by the size of your curling tool’s barrel. Hair that has short layers or above shoulder length will require a smaller barreled-curling wand. Curls can be created for longer hair with any barrel size. The best curling wand is that which has several adjustable temperature settings to suit the heat requirements needed by varying curls for all hair types.
The more important factor when choosing a curling iron is the barrel size since this determines the kind of curls it can create. Barrel size should be “compatible” with hair length as well. Using your hair length as your guide can help you make a wise purchase decision.
To make it easier for you to know which barrel size is best for your hair length, refer to the chart below:
| TYPE OF CURL | SIZE OF BARREL | LENGTH OF HAIR |
|---|---|---|
| tendrils | 3/8 of an inch | short to medium |
| ringlets | ½ inch to 5/8 of an inch | short to medium |
| coils or springs | 1 inch | medium |
| long and loopy | 1¼ inches | medium to long |
| big and round | 1½ inches | medium to long |
| loose waves | 2 inches | long |
Types of Curling Irons
To know what particular curling iron gives you a certain kind of curl, you have to know the different curling iron types such as:
Spring curling iron: most widely used type and a good tool to have for beginners in hair curling. The clip or spring-action mechanism provides firm hold on hair while you curl or style it. Catching and releasing hair sections is easily done by using your thumb.
Marcel curling iron: this is manually operated and equipped with an extra handle for total user control. Originally designed by French hairdresser Françoise Marcel for professional hairstylists, a Marcel curling iron will take time to master but if you get the hang of it, this tool can create curls faster with exceptional control. The Hot Tools 1182 Marcel Curling Iron is one of the best in this category.
Clipless curling iron: your hair will never get crease lines or kinks with this type of curling iron because there are no clips or clamps; you can just wrap your hair’s ends around the barrel of a 2 inch curling iron last rather than first when you curl your hair. This type is able to curl even near the hair roots to give your curls more volume. We recommend the Sedu Revolution Clipless Curling Iron if you are looking for this type of iron.
Spiral curling iron: this curling iron has ridges raised on its barrel for “guiding” hair as it goes around several times over to make spiral curls easily. Tapered versions are capable of reaching close to the hair roots to create romantic-looking curls which broaden as they descend.
Waving iron: this is a curling iron type with more than one barrel. A curling iron with double barrels are capable of creating a “figure eight” kind of loopy curls while a 3 barrel curling iron can give you that “waved” look reminiscent of “beachy” waves when it creates continuous waves all throughout the hair.
Conical iron: this comes either shaped like a cone or a reverse cone but both produce excellent quality curls. The former creates loose top curls and tight bottom curls while the latter creates tight top curls and loose bottom curls in typical reverse fashion as its name – reverse cone – indicates. The Remington CI9538 Pearl is a great conical iron.
Rotating curling iron: its barrel rotates automatically as it curls your hair with the one simple button click. You just clamp in your previously sectioned hair strands and voila! the rotation begins. If you haven’t decided which curling technique you want to practice, maybe you can let this curling iron type help you.
Hourglass iron: this curling iron alludes to its sexy hourglass shape and how such a shape your curls could probably assume after they are done. This baby creates tight middle curls, loose curls at the ends of the hair’s strands and, surprisingly, a lot of major volume in between them.
Cordless curling iron: equipped with an energy cell which doesn’t need charging, this curling iron type is portable and popular with frequent travelers because it can be separated into two pieces for storage in luggage. Some models provide their own fuel sources while others require recharging or batteries.
Looking for Curling Wand Reviews? – See Hair Styling Girl’s Top 5 Best Curling Wands & Irons