Steam flat irons are the most advanced types of hair straightening tools available in the market today. They use steam to heat up and straighten your hair without causing damage. They are easy to use and safer for natural hair.
Even though steam straighteners serve all hair types, they especially are great for hair that is prone to dryness or damage as they use water to straighten the hair instead of its natural moisture. They are far gentler on hair than conventional ceramic straighteners, and you will enjoy smoother and shinier hair for a longer period of time. If you are looking for the perfect steam flat iron for natural hair, you can choose from these top of the line products.
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Best Overall
1. Mkboo Professional Steam Flat Iron
Mkboo is a salon standard professional steam flat iron with high performance and long-lasting durability. It delivers salon-quality straight hair just from your home. Its plates are made from titanium ceramic that provides even heat distribution so that you only need a few passes to straighten your hair. The straightener has a 300-450°F heat setting with five adjustable settings that you can choose from depending on your hair type.
Mkboo features a removable comb to untangle hair. The comb is designed for fine hair only, thus if you have thick hair, it is recommended that you remove it. It has a water tank that is larger than most straighteners (40ml), and it heats up in just 30 seconds and makes itself ready for work.
Best Budget Straightener
2. Conair Infiniti Pro Steam Flat Iron
The Infiniti Pro is an advanced steam straightener that uses state-of-the-art Nano-Silver technology that makes the ceramic plates to glide gently through your hair protecting it from heat damage. The unparalleled heat steam technology the straightener uses applies steams and ions to straighten your hair without causing friction or damage. The technology is capable of fully eliminating frizz and flyaways from coarse and resistant hair or thin and fragile hair. With just a single stroke, the Conair Infinity pro combs and straightens your hair and lets you enjoy straight and shiny hair for a longer period of time.
The straightener features combs that separate tangles from frizzy hair and provide you uniformly straight hair from roots to ends. The combs have three different heights that you can set to fit your hair type. It has five heat settings from 285 -395 degrees Fahrenheit that you can adjust depending on your hair type, and it only takes 30 seconds to heat up the straightener. Conair Infinity Pro is designed for all hair types; from the most fragile thin hair to the most resistant coarse hair. It comes with a heat resistant pouch for storage or for use as a mat to rest the straightener while using it.
3. Solofish Steam Hair Straightener
The Solofish Steam Straightener uses a high-tech anti-static technology to straighten your hair and protect it from temperature damage. It heats up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit in 15 seconds and its temperature can be adjusted to six-level adjustable heat settings from 300 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on your hair texture, you can adjust the straightener’s heat setting. It also has an automatic temperature lock to ensure the consistency of heat usage.
Solofish is a salon grade home straightener that is suitable for all hair types. With just a couple of minutes, you can make it ready for work. The straightener has come up with safety gloves that you can wear while using it to protect your hands from burns in case you accidentally touch the plates.
4. Magicfly Steam Flat Iron
The Magicfly is one of top of the line steam flat irons available on the market today. It uses a ceramic heating plate and has five adjustable heat settings from 300℉-450℉ for different hair types. If you have thin or damaged hair, use low-speed settings 300℉ to 340℉. For thick or very thick hair use the high-speed settings 410℉ to 430℉. In just one minute the straightener heats up and will be ready for duty.
Magicfly has wider plates compared to other straighteners to help you grab and straighten more hair in a single stroke. It has a dual voltage option that is suitable for travel. It comes up with heat resistant safety gloves to protect your skin from burns while using the straightener.
5. FURIDEN Steam Flat Iron Hair Straightener
FURIDEN steam iron is an easy to use steam straightener that has wider temperature ranges than any other steam straightener in the market. It has 38 adjustable heat settings each with a 5°F change. This helps you to choose the most accurate mode that suits your hair type and hence, reduces hair damage significantly. The straightener stylizes your hair keeping its natural moisture and gives you shiny and smooth straight hair for a longer period of time.
FURIDEN is suitable for all hair types from the fragile thin hair to the resistant coarse hair. If your hair is damaged, the iron protects it and will give it a shiny and glossy look. It features dual voltage that automatically adjusts to the proper voltage while you travel.
Check also these top-rated, gentle, and professional steam flat ions. They are safe for straightening natural, dry or damaged hair. They straighten your hair protecting it from further damage and will give it a shiny and glossy finish.
How To Choose The Best Steam Flat Iron For Natural Hair
Going natural doesn’t mean completely avoiding heat styling. With the right heat styling tools, you can enjoy straight glossy hair without causing damage to your har. Here are a couple of factors to consider while choosing the best steam flat iron for straightening your natural hair.
Know your Hair
The first thing you have to do before buying a steam straightener is knowing well enough about your hair. Consider the texture and porosity level of your hair, and whether it is damaged or broken. If your hair is coarse and thick, look for a flat iron that heats up to high temperatures. If you have damaged or broken hair, look for top of the line straighteners with lots of good reviews.
Titanium or ceramic flat irons – Which one you should go for?
Titanium and ceramic are somehow similar materials by which steam flat iron plates are made from. Ceramic plates hold heat better than titanium plates and they are more capable of making even heat distribution. Ceramic straighteners use less heat and don’t cause hair damage, thus, they are recommended if you have fine or thin hair. If your hair is damaged or broken, you should also go for them. They also are less costly and suitable for home use. But you have to be careful when picking a ceramic iron as the qualities of the ceramic plates vary.
Titanium plates heat up faster and they are capable of holding high heat in a consistent way. Titanium straighteners are recommended if you have thick and coarse hair.
Look for tourmaline coated irons if your hair is frizzy or needs extra protection
Tourmaline is a coating that is spread over ceramic plates. It is made from gemstones and its main benefit is offering your hair extra protection through consistently heating the surface of the plate and trapping in the moisture. If your hair is frizzy or damaged, tourmaline coated irons give it extra protection and a shiny finish without damaging it.
The right size straightener for your hairstyle
Steam straighteners have come up with different sizes. If you have short to medium hair, small and thin flat irons are a great option. If you have long, thick and coarse hair, large and wide straighteners should be what you should go for. The average one inch flat irons work for most hair lengths.
A temperature gauge and automatic shutoff are must-have features
A temperature gauge is a must-have feature in straighteners as you need to adjust the temperature according to your hair type in order to avoid damage. Regardless of the type of steam straightener you choose, you should make sure that it has a temperature gauge to show you the heat levels of the plates; otherwise, you will end up damaging your hair by excessive temperature.
Automatic shutoff is a feature that is not found on every steam straightener. However, this feature is a must-have since too much temperature applied for a longer period of time could damage your hair. It also saves your iron from melting surrounding objects and catching fire in case you forget turning it off.
Curved edge steam straighteners should be your choice if you want to achieve different styles
If you want to achieve different styles with your straightener, curved edge steam flat irons should be your choice. You can create curls and waves by twisting the straightener through your hair and achieve the style you want.
How to use Steam flat irons
To straighten your hair with a steam flat iron from the comfort of your home, you need to master the skills beginning from making preparations to finishing touches. You are working with high heat, thus you need to know the game very well not to cause damage to your hair.
1. Wash and detangle your hair
The first preparation you should make is cleaning your hair. Wash your hair or rinse it under running water. Then, comb it downwards gently to detangle it so that it won’t make curls or frizz.
2. Dry your hair
Dry your hair facing the nozzle of the dryer downwards so that the hair won’t frizz. This gives the hair a straight direction. Wait till your hair gets completely dry. Since you are using a flat iron, avoid applying anything to dry your hair. You are boiling a chemical straight into your follicles.
3. Apply Heat protectant
Apply a heat protectant that suits your hair type and texture after your hair is dry. Exposing your hair to flat iron or any type of heat without a heat protectant will make it prone to breakage or damage. Argan Oil is a powerful heat protectant that could protect your hair from high temperature up to 450⁰F.
HSI Professional Argan Oil Heat Protector
The HSI professional is an argan oil-infused heat protectant that protects your hair from excessive heat and gives it a shiny and sleek finish. It protects your hair from high temperatures up to 450⁰F which is the highest heat setting in most steam straighteners. If you are a regular user of a straightener, apply this protector to your hair before you begin straightening. It can be applied to wet or dry hair and you can use it on color-treated hair or on human hair extensions as well.
4. Set the right temperature for your hair type
Many steam straighteners have ranges of temperature settings that you can set depending on the texture of your hair. Set the temperature to 300⁰F -360⁰F if your hair is thin, fine, or damaged, 360⁰F-400⁰F if it has to normal or medium texture, and 400⁰F-450⁰F if it is thick and coarse hair.
5. Carefully make sections
Section your hair into manageable pieces. Don’t make thick sections that won’t be caught by the iron. Instead, section your hair carefully to smaller and manageable sizes and straighten one section at a time.
6. Make a pass to each section
Hold your hair taut to use fewer passes on a section to reduce damage. Don’t apply more than one pass unless your hair is frizzy or curly which might need a few more passes.
Why You Should Go For Steam Straighteners Instead Of Conventional Flat Irons?
Steam straighteners are becoming trendy. They are the new rage when it comes to hair straightening. They are a bit different from conventional flat irons.
They use steam technology rather than heating up the plates
Conventional straighteners heat up the ceramic or titanium plates and use your hair’s natural moisture to straighten your hair. However, steam straighteners use steam technology that is derived from the water in the reservoir. This protects your hair from damage or breakage. The main advantage of using steam straighteners is that they keep your hair’s natural moisture and give your hair a glossy finish while protecting it from damage.
They give your hair a sleeker finish
Steam flat irons straighten your hair by a steam technology keeping your hair’s natural moisture. This provides your hair sleeker and shinier finish.
They are preferable if your hair is damaged or thin
Steam straighteners are gentler on your hair than normal flat irons. This makes them preferable for straightening damaged or thin hair that is prone to breakage and further damage.
Health Tips on Using Steam Flat Irons
It is pretty clear that while straightening your hair, you don’t want to cause damage to it. These health tips will help you achieve shiny straight hair while keeping its health.
- Always Pre-treat your hair before straightening it. Use your iron on clean and completely dry hair only. Otherwise, you will end up damaging it.
- If your hair is damaged or broken, you might need to have a hair steaming session before using straighteners. Hair Steamers repair damaged hair and help it retain its natural moisture.
- Set the temperature of the straightener in accordance with the texture of your hair. Too high temperature on thin hair will burn it, and too low temperature on coarse and thick hair makes it have lots of passes in a single section which is a waste of time.
- Carefully section your hair into small pieces and straighten each of them gently. Patience is the key to healthy straightening. It will be hard for the iron to penetrate thick sections and you might need to pass it over and over again in a single section which results in hair damage. One pass is enough on a single section unless your hair is frizzy or curly which might need a few more passes.
- Clean your iron after each use. Oil and dust could build upon the plates of the iron. Clean your iron with a warm washcloth or alcohol after it is turned off and completely cools down.
