Cordless Curling Irons 101- The Ultimate Guide

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to look your best anywhere you go, especially when it’s a new and exciting place. Sometimes, this means curling and styling your hair, which isn’t easy if you have to carry around a huge curling iron.

We’ve got a solution for you. Cordless curling irons are your new best friend. These work just like your regular curling wands, but they are smaller, lighter, more portable, and you can do away with all those annoying cords!

Here’s everything you need to know about cordless curling irons, from what they are, what makes them so good, how you can find the right one for you, and a review of the best cordless curling wands we’ve found. Let’s get started!

Read also related articles: Best rotating curling irons, best curling wands for thick hair, best hot rollers, titanium vs ceramic flat irons, and CHI hair straightener review.

What is a cordless curling iron?

So, what is a cordless curling iron, exactly? To put it simply, it’s a heat styling tool that is used for curling hair, much like a regular curling iron, except, as the name suggests, it doesn’t have a cord. Rather, it runs on electricity from batteries in order to let you style your hair.

Rechargeable vs butane curling iron

There are actually two types of cordless curling irons based on how they are powered, which can either be with butane cartridges or rechargeable batteries. Here’s how each one differs from the other:

Curling irons with rechargeable batteries

Similar to most other rechargeable devices, a cordless curling iron with a rechargeable battery needs to be charged for a sufficient amount of time before usage. You can easily charge them with a USB charger for your convenience, and use them for 25 to 40 minutes before having to recharge again- plenty of time to style your hair any way you want.

Curling irons with butane cartridges

Older but just as efficient curling irons are sometimes powered by a small butane cartridge filled with a flammable gas that burns and heats up the curling iron. A single cartridge can last for several uses, but once it’s empty, you’ll need to replace it, and that can be a bit expensive. In exchange for the hassle, you’re getting a smaller and lighter curling iron, perfect for traveling.

Benefits of cordless curling irons

Due to their compact size and cordless feature, cordless curling irons come with a lot of awesome benefits:

Easy styling

Since there is no cord that ties the curling iron to the nearby socket, you don’t have to suffer from the limitations of the outlet’s location and the length of the cord. You are free to move around and style your hair anywhere you want. You also don’t have to worry about the cord getting tangled as you twist and turn the curling iron during the styling process.

Portable

Even when you do away with the smaller size and what-have-you, the mere fact that the curling iron is cordless really means you can bring it everywhere you go, whether that’s to a wedding you’re attending, to an out-of-town meeting, or even a party at the club. With a cordless curler, you can touch up and style your hair on the fly.

Travel friendly

Of course, the small size and featherlight weight do mean something. It makes the curling iron very travel friendly as it can easily fit in your handbag. You also won’t have to worry about luggage weight, nor dual voltages, since cordless curler wands can be charged with a standard USB charger or a butane cartridge. Read also: Heatless curlers

How to find the best cordless curling iron

If you really want to find the best cordless curling iron, there are several things you need to take into account before you make your decision, so you can be sure that you’ll end up with the curling iron that suits your needs, hair type, and budget.

Size

First of all, you need to decide on what size of a curling iron you want. Think of it this way- a smaller one will be easier to carry around, pack, and use anywhere, but it will also make for a longer and more difficult styling process, especially if you have long and thick hair.

On the other hand, while a bigger iron will make things go faster and give you more natural looking loose curls, they are also not as portable, and more straining on the hands and wrists when used for a long time.

Barrel type

With most cordless curling irons, you have your choice between titanium and ceramic barrels, both of which are amazing when it comes to creating beautiful and shiny curls. The difference is that ceramic barrels are gentler on your hair, which is important if you have fine, thin, or damaged hair. Plus, ceramic also makes for a more even heat distribution.

Meanwhile, titanium irons are significantly more lightweight while also being more powerful and able to reach higher temperatures, so if you want quick styling sessions or you have thick and stubborn hair, titanium is the way to go.

Heat settings

Another important thing you need to account for is how high and low the curling iron’s temperature can get, since this will largely determine whether it’s suitable for your hair type. For example, if you have fine or thin hair, you’re safest at lower temperature settings so as not to damage your hair.

Or if you have thicker hair, you might need higher temperatures to tame your hair into the hairstyle you want. What you have to know is that not all cordless curling irons offer variable heat settings, so if that’s not an option, you need to make sure that the default temperature is just what you need. Otherwise, look for one with at least 3 temperature settings to choose from.

Power source

Like we mentioned earlier, cordless curling irons can either be powered by a battery or a butane cartridge. You need to decide which one is better for your specific needs and requirements. On one hand, battery powered curlers are more convenient and allow for more versatility due to the multiple heat settings.

On the other hand, butane powered curlers are smaller, more compact, and more affordable. You also don’t have to charge them before each use. However, most, if not all, butane curlers only come with one heat setting.

Cost

As with any kind of purchase, you also need to factor in the product’s price, which, when it comes to cordless curling irons, is largely dependent on its power source and list of features. Generally, battery powered curlers are more expensive upfront, but butane powered irons rack up costs in the long run.

5 Best Cordless Curling Irons in 2020

Looking for the best cordless curling iron for your next travel? Check out these amazing finds:

1.  Unplugged Beauty Cordless 1 Inch Curling Wand

Perhaps the best cordless curling iron we found is the Unplugged Beauty one inch cordless curling wand, a portable and clipless curler that features a fast heating titanium barrel. Now, despite its tiny size, it delivers professional results.

The barrel offers even heat distribution and allows for variable heat settings, which can be anywhere from 200°F to 400°F, in order to suit various hair styling needs. It also comes with an ionic charge feature that seals in moisture to keep your hair smooth and shiny.

Moreover, the curling iron charges fast at just two to three hours, and can then operate for up to forty minutes, considerably longer than most cordless curlers you’ll find out there. As such, it’s great for both home and travel use.

2.  ThermaCell by Conair Compact Curling Iron

We also really love Conair’s ThermaCell Compact Curling Iron, a lower priced yet great quality curler that is guaranteed to deliver sleek and bouncy curls every time. It features a ⅝ inch barrel made of ceramic to produce average sized curls that will last all day long.

Its ceramic barrel is sure to heat up fast and reach temperatures of up to 360°F, making it perfect for those with fine to medium hair thickness. It also ensures that your hair will look smooth and shiny after styling.

The only catch is that it only comes with one heat setting, but it’s very lightweight, compact, and portable, so it’s a great tool for on-the-go styling and hair touch up needs. It even comes with a travel storage case and a rechargeable butane cartridge for your convenience.

3.  Conair Unbound Cordless Titanium 1″ Curling Iron

You should also check out Conair’s Unbound Cordless Titanium 1 inch curling iron, a new and sleek looking portable curler that makes use of a wide titanium barrel that can easily glide through your hair so you can make loose wakes and bouncy curls without a hassle.

It also features four different heat settings with a maximum temperature of 400°F. These settings are conveniently displayed on a mini LED screen so you shouldn’t have a problem choosing your desired temperature for styling.

The best thing about this curling iron, however, is that it comes in a compact and stylish design that will conveniently fit in a small handbag, so you can bring it anywhere. It even has a rechargeable battery and a removable charging cable.

4.  MaikcQ 3/4 Inch Mini Ceramic Curling Wand 2 in 1

Another great find is the MaikcQ 2 in 1 mini ceramic curling wand, which comes packed with multiple amazing features and comes at an affordable price tag. It’s a compact curling tool that is easy, convenient, and hassle free to use.

It boasts of tourmaline ceramic technology, which means it’s versatile and time saving, since it can be used on both wet and dry hair, and guarantees that your hair looks shiny and free of frizz after styling.

What’s more is that it also comes with a PTC heater, meaning, the barrel goes hot within seconds and maintains an even temperature throughout your styling process. It also has a built-in rechargeable batter that doubles as a power bank!

This battery charges within 2.5 hours and provides 45 minutes of cord-free curling.

5.  Braun Independent Cordless Styler

Last but not the least is the Braun Independent Cordless Styler with its ⅞ inch ceramic barrel that makes use of butane technology to heat the barrel and let you style your hair however you want.

This cordless curling iron is extremely versatile and lets you easily create defined curls, luxurious waves, and an overall amazing hairstyle that will turn heads. Its design also allows for a quick styling time due to its ultra fast heat up.

Moreover, since there is no pesky cord or electric outlet to deal with, you are not limited as to where, when, and how to style your hair. You just get to enjoy its safe and flameless technology that delivers an ideal styling temperature all throughout.

Conclusion

A cordless curling iron may just be the perfect solution if you’re always on the go and would like to maintain a fresh and perfect hairstyle with bouncy curls and to-die-for waves. There are even lots of amazing options out there, as you’ve seen from our reviews. You just need to find the best one for you depending on your needs, preferences, and budget.

If you’re looking for something that is versatile, easy to use, convenient, and works for just about any hair type and hair styling need, we highly recommend the Unplugged Beauty Cordless 1 Inch Curling Wand. It’s a little on the pricey side, but it’s more than worth it!