5 Best Rotating Curling Irons – Review and Buying Guide

Are you still curling your hair with the manual curling iron? Why put up with the burnt when you shouldn’t be lifting a finger in the first place? It’s 2020 and with the arrays of the innovative devices in the hair department, it’s time to step up your styling game. The Best rotating curling irons are meant to lift the hassle of styling.

Ahead, we have compiled the list of the most top-rated rotating irons at the moment. Each product featured is accompanied by a detailed review alongside the pros and cons. And because we want to make you a discerning buyer that you should be, we also made a comprehensive guide on how to choose the right rotating iron for your hair needs.

Read also related articles: Best flat iron for fine hair, best heat protectant, cordless curling iron, best hot rollers, and Tyme iron pro reviews.

5 Best Rotating Curling Irons

 Want to transform your kinks into voluptuous waves, or perhaps you got straight hair you want to turn into a head full of ringlets? Regardless of what type of hair your mama gave you,  a curling iron can give you the curls that you want in just a twiddle of the button and the fraction of the time you usually spent styling.

If you haven’t taken advantage of the benefits of a rotating iron yet, now is the time.  The following are the most reliable rotating curling irons to style your hair in a minimal effort instantly.

1. Kiss Products Ceramic Instawave Automatic Curling Iron

Beginner-friendly curling iron with the prongs

Recommended for long hair

We love a hair iron that takes out all the guesswork of which direction to contort the iron just to get the curls that you intend. With this automatic curling iron from Kiss Products, your hair is one push of a button away from ‘instawave’.

Never will your hand be near the hot iron again as there are prongs or ridges that you can feed your hair into so you don’t have to lace your hair around the barrel manually. Once you hold the button on the direction that you want ( yes, there’s left and right directional switch), the prongs swirl as it combs and sucks your hair around the barrel, the prongs are widely spaced so you can be confident that your hair won’t be caught up.

Tousle in some waves or keep your curls tight as you wish. The barrel is sized 1 inch, which is the ideal width to create varieties of curls. You can choose between the two heat levels with the highest temperature of 420 ° F. The plate is made of ceramic, which works to boost shine and neutralize frizz.

2. MaikcQ Rotating Curling Iron

The rotating iron that dual functions as a hot brush

Recommended for fine and thin hair

Pssst, got wild curls you want to tone down? MaikcQ Rotating Curling Iron is equipped with a brush you can snap to the spinning barrel to give your curls a more polished look. The brush is also great if you want to give volume to your limp hair. And you don’t have to worry about the brush melting as its made with premium quality nylon bristles with cool tips that can withstand high heat.

The rotating curling iron is also great alone without the brush. The 1.25-inch barrel rotates in left and right bi-directional which can create some of the most ambitious curls, from defined curls to massive soft waves; you pick your own style. The chamber harbors the hair conditioning benefit of a tourmaline technology and the anti-static power of the ceramic, much appreciated for those who have delicate hair that only tolerates little heat and hard to style at the same time.

More to the heating technology is a PTC element responsible for the tool’s quick 30-second heat-up and also functions to lock your curls for a style that lasts all day. The iron fosters pretty much all hair type as it has a  customizable temperature control ranging from 105°F to 410°F that can be easily read in an LCD digital screen. What’s more to love? It’s portable and works on 100-240 voltage which means you can bring your MaikcQ Rotating Curling Iron on your next abroad trip.

3. The Beachwaver Co. S1 Curling Iron

The gold standard of high-end rotating irons

Recommended for medium to thick hair

Want to covet those sexy locks as hot as those models you’ve seen on TV? The Beachwaver is the secret to highly-sought waves Victoria’s secret models’ sport on the 2017 fashion show. Designed by top A-lister stylist Sarah Potempa, the Beachwaver Co. S1 Curling Iron is for those who want to exude the look of perfectly tousled waves without breaking a sweat.

The S1 Beachwaver features a 5.5-inch long and 1-inch diameter barrel that has ceramic internal heaters responsible for even heat distribution. So what’s on it for your hair? You’ll get a uniform looking waves that are neither too flat nor refined, just the right touchable curl with some hint of a dimension. There is also a fast and low-speed setting so you can create different wave patterns including beach waves, glam waves, and defined curls.

The process is simple: you just need to settle your hair onto the tiny clamp, select a precise temperature from 290°F to 410°F,  hold the left or right button for  3 to 4 seconds, and release the clamp to unveil the style.  If the idea of a rotating iron terrifies you, no problemo, you can also use the Beachwaver as you would with a manual curling iron. It’s a genuinely high-quality hair iron that heat up quickly, won’t rip your hair out, and holds the curl in a decent amount of time, with or without spray.

4. Gawervan Auto Rotating Curling Iron

A curler and straightener wrapped up in one tool
Recommended for fragile to normal hair

Perhaps, the most innovative tool in this roundup is this curling iron from Gawervan. This is a styler combo that you can use as a rotating curling iron and hair straightener. The secret lies in its ingenious construction. At first glance, it looks like a regular curling iron with a clamp. But once you unlock the transfer switch on the skid handle, there’s a spring-action clip that you can clamp your hair into. And from there, you can straighten your hair as you would with a typical flat iron.

If you want the switch the device to curling action, you just need to flip the switch back to its lock position. There’s a clamp that secures your hair as the barrel spin in the bi-direction. The 3- speed settings can be precisely adjusted with the “+” and “-” button. The front-end of the chamber is proofed with insulation so you can work as close to your roots without scalding your scalp. It also is designed with a bracket stand so you can safely lay down the device without the use of the thermal surface.

The only caveat with these products is it does not get hot as other curling irons. The maximum temperature is  290°F so if you have textured hair that is hard to style,  you may need to apply styling products for the best results additionally. Nonetheless, the temperature range best suits fine, thin to normal hair. You’ll also appreciate that the plate is made with ceramic material that baths hair with negative ions to infuse shine while taming frizz and statics.

 5. Salon Tech Spinstyle Pro Automatic Hair Curling Iron

The hair iron that chimes to let you know your waves are ready to be unleashed

Recommended for coarse hair

This spinning iron works pretty similar to Kiss Products rotating iron. It also has the curl dial ridges designed tangle-free to pick up a section of hair and does the styling for you without yanking. One additional feature, however, is the smart sound technology that makes a chime sound to indicate your style is ready to be released. No more guessing on how long you should keep your hair on the clamp to hold a curl.

One reason why its priced higher than its model counterparts is because of the graded materials poured into the construction. You can enjoy the true benefit of hair-friendly benefits of pure ceramic. As a result, your hair is fully protected from possible damages while revealing hair’s natural shine. And because the heat is transferred without burning your hair, expect a curl that lasts longer.

Meanwhile, the PTC heating technology works to distribute even heat in just a fraction of time, so expect your curler to heat up and style your hair quicker instantly. There are 5 adjustable heat settings with a minimum temperature of  250°F and a maximum of  450°F.

What is a rotating curling iron?

As its name implies, a rotating curling iron is a hot styling tool that spins itself to curl your hair.  You wrap a portion of your hair into the rod and once you hold the power button, the barrel rotates taking your hair along with it.

Just like the traditional curling iron, it still comes with a tiny clamp so it can hold your hair as it styles and adjustable heat setting for temperature control. But because of its auto-rotating feature, the self-spinning iron eschews the use of manually maneuvering the rods just to get the curls you want. The innovative iron does all the job of twisting to style the hair.  You just hold the rotating iron horizontally. In just a matter of seconds, you have an instant curly hair.

How to choose the best rotating curling iron for your hair

Indeed, you want to make the most out of your rotating iron especially that it can be pricey. Having this said, there are certain factors that you need to take into account for you to be able to pick the right styling tool optimal for your hair needs and intended look.

Barrel Size

Rotating iron, just like its non-spinning counterparts, comes in varying widths. As to what size to go for should depend on two aspects — the length of your hair and the curl pattern you are after.

Barrel Size Vs. Hair Length

• All barrel sizes BELOW an inch are ideal for short to medium-length hair.
• All 1 – 1 ¼ inch barrel works on most hair lengths.
• 1 ½ – 2 inches barrel is recommended for long and extra-long hair.

Barrel Size Vs. Available Curls

• ⅜ – ¾ inch creates tight curls including coil, spiral-shaped curls, corkscrew, kinky and ringlets.
• 1 – 1 ¼ inch caters to most types of curls, from defined to voluptuous full-body curls.
• 1 ½ – 2 inches are recommended for loopy, waves and loose kind of curls.

Heating Element

Most curling irons of today use different heating materials. The plate could either be made or coated with ceramic, tourmaline, titanium, or a mix of the aforementioned. It is worth-mentioning that heating tool that is only coated instead of plated risks the iron of chipping which bares the harsh metal underneath. As such, irons that are solid or those that are pure plated is highly preferable because they are more durable.

Ceramic, tourmaline, and titanium all work to counteract the possible hair burnt that comes with a heat styling tool, all while taming frizz and boosting hair shine.  However, each comes with takeaways and downsides as they differ in heat performance. To know which among the heating elements are best for you and your hair, please refer to the below guide.

Rotating curling irons: Fixed Vs. Adjustable Vs. Customizable Setting

Different hair types entail different heat settings to get results without over frying it.

• If you have fine hair, the recommended heat setting is 250-340°F
• If you just recently dyed or processed your hair, it is advised that you don’t go temperature higher than 320°F
• And if you have normal to thick hair, 300-350°F is your optimal heat range.
• Unless your hair is exceptionally thick, you can go play with higher temperature settings and can go as high as 450°F.

Bearing these in mind, the temperature setting is one important consideration when buying a rotating iron. You should be fine with a curling iron that has fixed heat temperature (or those that non-adjustable)  ONLY IF your hair can tolerate high heat. Otherwise, opt for a rotating curler with an adjustable or multiple heat setting which features a level of temperature to choose from.

If optimum temperature control is what you are after, opt for a curling tool with a customizable heat setting. This advanced design allows a certain temperature setting so you can increase or decrease temperature gradually and determine the right heat for your hair type. The temperature is often displayed on a digital screen for easier reading.

Extra Features and Accessories

Depending on the model and sometimes the brand of the of your styling tool, it may come with some bonus features that allow flexibility and range of functionality. As mentioned, most rotating irons feature an attachable brush, usually of nylon bristles that makes the tool a styler combo.

Some even feature a portable design that makes it easier for the device to just anywhere you want to look best. Even better, most of these travel-friendly irons allow the usage on worldwide volts so you can take it with you on your overseas trips. Other bonuses include accessories such as a traveling pouch for easier storage.

An auto-shutoff is also a commonly added feature that works great if you are someone who tends to forget turning devices off. There are also user-friendly features that include an ergonomic handle and swivel cords that make styling more comfortable and easier.

Of course, all of these innovations put into the styling tool will cost you more so you need to think if these extra benefits are something that you truly wanted.

Our top pick

Kiss Products Ceramic Instawave Automatic Curling Iron wouldn’t just be the best rotating curling iron and an Amazon’s choice in the same category without no apparent reason. It has all the benefits and more than what we have come to expect in an automatic curling iron. The curl dial ridges pretty much do all the job of curling in different styling precisions. Additionally, the ridges comb and smoothen tangles as it curls while the ceramic barrel is there to protect your hair while you style.

But what really sets this rotating iron apart from other iron in its class is its cost-effective value. With a wide range of functionality, it surprisingly priced cheaper than other automatic curlers. Even better, it’s backed up with a 2-year warranty. Having said all of these,   this rotating iron is indeed worth giving the whirl.