Best Flat Iron for Short Hair
Most people think that straightening short hair, unlike long hair, is a walk in the park. After all, the time spent straightening short hair can’t be compared to the hours and hand aches involved in straightening long hair.
However, we find this to be a misconception as although the time difference factor may be true, straightening short hair has its struggles. For example, there's always a probability of burning one's scalp in a bid to grab onto the short ends of the hair.
This goes to show that if you want to straighten short hair successfully without the "ouch" and the "squirms", the addition of an excellent flat iron tool to your arsenal of beauty tools is a must.
This is why, after long hours of research and coffee(literally), we've put together an expert recommended list of the best flat irons for short hair in 2021.
Comparison table:
Product | Plate Size | Plate coating | Floating Plates |
Conair Instant Heat Ceramic Flat Iron | ¾ inch | Ceramic | Yes |
1 inch | Titanium-Ceramic | No | |
1 inch | Copper | Yes | |
1 inch | Ceramic | Yes | |
1 inch | Titanium | Yes | |
Remington S9500PP Pearl Pro Ceramic | 1 inch | Ceramic | Yes |
1 inch | Ceramic | Yes | |
1 inch | Ceramic | Yes |
The 8 Best Flat Irons for Short Hair in 2021
Without further ado, let's get to the business of the day and consider the specs and capabilities of each flat iron. You're sure to find one that sticks out for your hair needs, budget, and all!
1. Conair Instant Heat Ceramic Flat Iron - Best Overall
The Conair Instant Heat Ceramic Flat Iron is the first on our list as its ¾ inch plate width makes it one of the best irons for styling short hair. With its ceramic coated floating plates and turbo heat boost button, this hair tool will deliver fast and even heat to achieve the desired style without damaging your hair strands.
Its round-edge design makes it perfect for curling, flipping, and straightening your hair. Also, thanks to its thin plates, it can get very close to your hair roots without hurting your scalp. The flat iron emits negative ions that lock in moisture, preventing your hair from being frizzy. This ionic technology protects and promotes hair health, keeping your hair smooth and shiny.
The flat iron features 25 heat settings, and with a 30-second heat-up time, you can achieve your desired style in record time. It also has a maximum heat temperature of 400°F, and its dual voltage makes it capable of being used anywhere in the world.
Pros
Cons
Our Take
This multi-purpose tool can effectively curl or straighten out those bangs or pixie cuts without hurting your scalp. With the Conair Instant Heat Ceramic Flat Iron, you can be sure that even the smallest of hairs would not be left behind.
2. BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium - Best Mini Flat Iron
The BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium, aka "small champion," is a mini flat iron that's great for straightening very short hair. Don't be discouraged by the size of this iron, as it has a lot of features most mini flat irons don't have.
This 6-inch flat iron features a ceramic-coated heater that can heat up to 440°F. Its one-inch wide nano titanium plates offer even heat distribution for your hair strands. They also generate plenty of negative ions that lock in moisture and prevent your hair from being dry and brittle, leaving your hair looking shiny and smooth.
With a weight of 4.8 ounces, you can use this mini flat iron for extended periods without experiencing arm aches. It heats up very fast, and thanks to its compact size and dual voltage, the BaBylissPRO is a convenient travel buddy.
Pros
Cons
Our Take
Thanks to its size and plate width of one inch, the small but mighty BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium is best for straightening very short hair. Its compact size makes it a very convenient travel buddy. While it won’t take much space in your bag, it’ll hand your hair a salon-worthy experience.
3. REVLON Salon Straightener Copper + Ceramic - The Fastest
The REVLON Salon Straightener Copper + Ceramic Flat Iron is another model that you can't go wrong with when it comes to styling your hair. This tool is ready to deliver excellent results in minutes thanks to its fast heat-up feature that allows the iron to reach the desired speed in less than 10 seconds.
Its one-inch advanced Nano Copper 3X ceramic plate allows for high heat transfer and even distribution to protect your hair from heat damages and over-styling. Gone are the days when you had to set your flat iron temperature every time you wanted to use it. With its sophisticated smart heat memory system, this flat iron automatically recalls your last heat settings.
Moreover, the true grip rounded plates of this model make it multi-purpose. With its digital heat settings that have a professional maximum of 455°F, you can create loose curls, waves, or super-straight shiny hairstyles for any hair type.
Its auto-dual rounded plates guarantee worldwide usage, and with its automatic shutoff, you never have to worry if you forget to turn it off.
Pros
Cons
Our Take
The REVLON Salon Straightener Copper + Ceramic is that flat iron that can deliver speedy, salon-worthy styles to you right in the comfort of your home. Thanks to its features, you can be sure that this flat iron will provide when it comes to any hair, be it long or short.
4. HSI Professional Glider - Most Versatile
The HSI Professional Glider is a multi-purpose salon-grade hair straightening tool guaranteed to score you a dazzling hairstyle even at home. With this heat tool, you can achieve versatile styles in minutes.
The flat iron's tourmaline-infused ceramic plate is 1 inch wide and emits negative ions, allowing tiny water molecules to penetrate the hair shaft. This prevents the formation of crimped and frizzy hair. The width of the plate enables you to straighten the roots of your hair without hurting your scalp.
One thing that sticks out for us is its ceramic plate's even distribution of heat, thanks to its eight microsensors. This means that each strand of hair gets the same amount of heat. Not to mention, it helps save time, reduce arm aches, and prevent heat damage.
The HSI Professional Glider includes a fast heat-up feature with a temperature ranging from 140 °F- 450°F. This gives the user complete control over how much heat they think is suitable for their hair type.
It also features a 110/220 worldwide voltage and a silky pouch for easy transportation so you can take it on your next trip. The extra-long 360 swivel cord makes for ease of use when styling and helps reduce tangling and damage to the cord.
The Cherry on top is the number of extras you get with this model. The long list includes a bonus travel-size argan oil leave-in hair treatment to help smoothen and protect the hair, a heat-resistant glove to protect your hand from the iron's heat, a silky pouch for ease of transport, and a one-year warranty.
Pros
Cons
Our Take
Thanks to the HSI Professional Glider plate width, you can easily access the roots of your hair without worrying about hurting your scalp. This makes for easy styling, especially when it comes to bangs, so we say, "bring on these bangs!"
5. KIPOZI Hair Straightener - Best For Safety
The Kipozi Hair Straightener gives you the "oh, I'm just back from the salon” thanks to its fantastic styling features, which leave your hair looking healthy and gorgeous at the same time. With this hair tool, there’s never a bad hair day!
With this flat iron, safety and easy storage are ticked as it comes with an automatic switch-off feature after non-use for 90 minutes and a safety lock function that keeps the iron closed when it's not in use.
The design of the Kipozi Strighteneer includes an LCD digital display at the back so you can keep track of the temperature when using it. Its 8.2ft, 360-degree swivel cord makes for ease of use when styling and prevents the cable from getting tangled up and twisted.
The hair straightener is crafted with two titanium floating plates measuring one inch in width. They're designed to heat up fast (up to 380°F in 15 seconds) and spread the heat evenly amongst your hair strands. With its one-inch plate, this iron can grab and straighten short hair, easily accessing your hair roots without hurting your scalp.
The flat iron has a maximum heat of 450°F, which's guaranteed to straighten your hair in one pull. However, the manufacturers leave the decision of how much heat is needed to the user as the straightener comes with easy-to-understand heat settings that can be adjusted based on your styling goal and hair type.
Its shine-boost technology and emission of negative ions moisten your hair, adding shine to it as its smooth nano titanium plates glide through your hair. You won't experience any breakage or hair snagging with this iron, thanks to its plate design.
Pros
Cons
Our Take
Whether you have short or long hair, this flat iron will get you the styling results you desire without posing any risk, and the best part about it? You do it in less time than you would with other regular hair straighteners. Neat or what?
6. Remington S9500PP Pearl Pro Ceramic - Best for Professionals
The Remington S9500PP Pearl Pro Ceramic is a hair tool that offers you professional services even in the comfort of your home. Its one-inch ceramic floating plates infused with genuine pearls make for a smooth glide over your hair, giving your hair the ultimate shine.
This highly durable yet inexpensive flat iron has a feature of even iconic heat distribution, so there are no hot spots on this iron, and your hair is left looking silky and smooth. It has a 30-second heat-up feature and a maximum temperature of 450°F.
Moreover, it includes a digital control feature by which you can control heat levels, a temperature lock feature that allows you to keep the iron at a particular selected temperature without overheating, and an LCD temperature display.
With its 60 minutes automatic switch-off feature, you no longer have to worry about not switching off the straightener before stepping out.
Finally, the Remington S9599PP Pearl Pro Ceramic straightener has a 360-degree swivel cord that allows for ease of use and freedom to style at any angle.
Pros
Cons
Our Take
The Remington S9500PP Pearl Pro Ceramic straightener is an excellent choice for those with experience under their belts. Its one-inch floating plates allow easy access to hair roots and provide a snug-free and overall unique styling experience, saving time and leaving your hair with the professional touch.
7. AmoVee Mini Flat Iron - Budget Choice
The Amobee Mini Flat Iron is another of our little champions when it comes to straightening short hair. This iron not only delivers professional smoothing results on the go but also comes at a very affordable price!
With the Amobee Mini Iron, you can achieve super-straight, cascading waves and curly hairstyles. The iron features ceramic plates coated with tourmaline, which distribute the heat evenly among your hair strands, preventing a spot on the iron from getting hotter than the rest and ultimately damaging your hair.
With the tourmaline coating, the plates heat up fast, and there is zero sticking or pulling of your hair strands. The iron emits negative ions that help in smoothing the hair, eliminating frizz.
Thanks to its plate width, this flat iron is suitable for bob styles, face-framings, bangs, pixie cuts, beard curling, and more!
We like the extra addition of a heat glove to protect your fingers when styling. Also, the portability of the flat iron makes it a fitting travel buddy as it’ll fit right into most tight spaces. Moreover, the iron features a safety lock for extra protection. Its 360-degree swivel cord makes for ease of use while styling as well.
Pros
Cons
Our Take
The Amobee Mini Flat Iron is a hair tool that's just right for those looking for a model that can multitask without breaking the bank. Its plate width and mini size make it suitable for short hair, and with its portable size and capacity, you will always have a travel bud that's ready to switch it up!
8. GHD Classic Original IV - Best Bang for the Buck
With the GHD Classic Original IV, you can create sleek everyday styles at home that will keep all eyes on you. This hair tool uses ceramic flat iron heat technology that works at an optimum heat level of 365°F to create perfect styles every time with no damage to your hair.
Thanks to its floating plates, the GHD Classic Original IV will glide through your hair, create easy styles, and deliver the optimum result. It has a 30-second heat-up time and automatically enters sleep mode after 30 minutes of non-use. Its universal voltage also guarantees that this iron can be used anywhere in the world.
Its rounded barrel and 9ft swivel cord allow for versatile and snag-free styling when it's in use. Its cord length also prevents the cable from tangling.
Pros
Cons
Our Take
The GHD Classic Original IV is a multi-purpose hair tool that can deliver great styling results to its user. Not only is it perfect for any hair type, but its 2-year warranty also indicates the manufacturers trust in the durability and authenticity of their product, which is a definite plus!
Factors to Consider When Buying a Flat Iron for Short Hair
Like we said earlier, straightening or styling short hair without the proper heat tool can be a real hassle. Here are four factors you should always consider before purchasing a flat iron if you have a short hairdo. Of course, all the products listed above have all these features and more!
Plate Size
Flat irons with wide plates make it hard to get close to the roots of your hair without hurting your scalp. If you've got a short hairdo, you want to get a flat iron with thin plates. ½ to 1 inch is the expert-recommended size for flat irons for short hair.
Plate Coating
The heat plates of flat irons are usually coated with one of these materials: ceramic, tourmaline, and titanium. Your hair type has a role to play in your decision-making process, but most importantly, you should know what each of them excels at.
Ceramic has the advantage of producing negative ions, which close the hair follicles and prevent frizzing. Tourmaline heats quickly and produces more negative ions than ceramic, six times more, to be precise. As for Titanium, which is the newest and most advanced material of them all, it’s the most durable and the fastest in producing heat.
Weight
Lightweight flat irons will reduce arm aches and aid in easy maneuverability when styling.
Floating Plates
One major problem with short hair is that it doesn't stay in contact with the iron long enough to be straightened. Floating plates solve this problem by keeping the hair in contact with the iron for extended periods.
Short Hairdo, Flat Irons, and All!
In this review on the best flat irons for short hair, we started with the Conair Instant Heat Ceramic Flat Iron, which has the smallest plate width on the list and is best for styling short hair with ease thanks to its shape and plate size.
We moved on to the BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium; the size of this little champion makes for easy maneuverability when styling short hair. Its light weight is an added plus too.
The REVLON Salon Straightener Copper + Ceramic Flat Iron is third on our list because of its innovative heat memory and high heat settings. This flat iron offers you professional services right in the comfort of your home.
