7 best cordless hair straighteners for sleek locks wherever you go

As its name suggests, the ghd unplugged sets you free from the confines of cables so you can style your hair while on the go. Super lightweight – 300g to be exact – the sleek tool is small enough to fit into your handbag using the included carry case. And, unlike other ghd models, it has a slide power switch instead of a button, which prevents it from being accidentally turned on while in your bag.

When it comes to performance, unplugged takes around two hours to fully charge, 45 seconds to heat up and offers up to 20 minutes of continuous styling. While this doesn’t sound like long, it was more than enough time to ensure our hair was looking sleek and we found it gave us similar results to those when using our regular tool, the ghd platinum plus (£229, Ghdhair.com). This is because it is ceramic plates feature dual-zone technology, meaning a consistent optimum styling temperature of 185C is maintained for healthy-looking results. We tested unplugged for curling too and while the plates are smaller, we managed to achieve a full head of loose waves before the charge ran out.

We also like that the styler can be charged via USB-C cable using a plug, laptop or even in your car and that it comes with a sleep mode, which automatically shuts the straightener off after three minutes of non-use so you don’t waste precious battery. A great option for travellers, unplugged is airport security safe too, meaning you can pop them in your hand luggage without a second thought.

Read the full ghd unplugged review

The brainchild of Dyson, a company best known for its high-tech vacuum cleaners and cooling fans, the corrale is packed with innovative technology to help combat heat damage. Flexible copper allow plates that bend to the hair’s strands to avoid breakage and three heat settings (165C, 185C and 210C) so you can tailor the temperature to your needs.

Designed with a four-cell lithium-ion battery, the corrale gives you up to 30 minutes of cord-free styling, which was plenty of time for us to smooth over our locks, which were left looking shinier and noticeably less frizzy. The tool takes 70 minutes to charge fully but if you do run out of battery, fear not, because the good news is that you can use the corrale while it’s plugged in too, making it a great option for everyday use.

You also get a luxurious heat resistant travel pouch, a magnetic charging dock and a magnetic charging cable with a 360C swivel feature. For the jet setters among you, there’s a handy flight feature too, meaning you can take them on a plane. However, it’s worth noting that because of the powerful battery, copper plates and OLED screen, the corrale is one of the heaviest tools in this list – it weighs 561g – which could take up a precious chunk of your baggage allowance.

Read the full Dyson corrale review

If you’re looking for a cordless straightener that comes with all the bells and whistles, this is it. The first portable tool from Cloud Nine, the cordless iron pro comes with a host of accessories, including a chic faux leather carry case, faux leather roll bag and travel pouch, sleek charging pod, heat-resistant guard, universal voltage charger and plug adaptors.

As for the tool itself, the styler is finished with a glossy white look and has just two buttons. One button turns it on and lets you choose between two temperature settings (160C or 170C) and another enables “revive mode” – this lowers the temperature to just 150C and vibrates the plates at 8,000 times per minute. The brand says this feature helps minimise friction and heat damage and, while we can’t say whether or not it caused our hair less harm, our locks were left perfectly straight and frizz-free after giving it a go.

Weighing just 290g, it takes 50 minutes to charge and offers 30 minutes of styling time, meaning it is genuinely portable and great for use on a range of hair types while you’re out and about.

When a product comes recommended by Victoria Beckham, we listen. In 2019, the fashion designer hailed the cordless tool a “life changer”, which is high praise indeed, so we knew we had to put them to the test and, we’re pleased to confirm that the Balmain styler did not disappoint.

Lightweight and travel friendly, the tool has heated titanium floating plates that glide through the hair easily and comes with three heat settings, allowing for tailored styling to suit your hair type. We also liked that the straightener features a handy colour temperature gauge – blue for 160C, green for 180C and red for 200C. It heats up in 30 seconds but has one of the longest charge times, taking four hours for the battery to fully charge, which gives you around 30 minutes of styling time.

The styler works equally as well when creating tousled waves as it does straight looks and comes with a zip-up case for easy storage, meaning you can pop it in your bag for touch-ups while on the go. Looking for something that will stand out on your dressing table? Balmain has also recently released a pink version.

Unlike any of the other tools in this list, the allure is a cordless straightening brush that’s designed with bristles just like your regular hair brush. Fitting comfortably into the palm of your hand, the tool is an oval shape with a purple ceramic plate in the centre and a number of 3D, multi-length bristles surrounding it that are also coated with ceramic technology to prevent snagging.

The brush takes 3 hours to charge and takes around two minutes to fully heat up to an optimum temperature of 185C. It also lets you know when it’s ready to use by beeping and comes with a thermal bag and safety cover so you can pop it straight back into your bag after use.

Super easy to use, you simply brush the tool through your hair like you would a normal hairbrush. While we were concerned about the coated bristles at first, we found that they have a slight spring to them which helps to protect your scalp from any direct heat. The battery lasts for around 30 minutes and we managed to straighten our hair in just 7 minutes, meaning it should last a few styling sessions before your need to recharge. Speaking of which, to charge the brush you simply plug it into a USB port.

This cordless straightener from Babyliss has a lot going for it, tech wise. It’s designed with a lithium-ion, high-performance battery and comes with three heat settings to choose from, 160C, 180C and 200C. The plates are among some of the biggest we tried, making it a great option for those with longer hair. They’re floating and feature something the brand calls a “micro heating matrix” too, which ensures a consistent temperature through the styling process to help prevent damage.

We also liked the simplicity of the styler, as it’s controlled using a single circular button at the base of the styler which adjusts the temperature and uses coloured lights to indicate battery life. The tool takes three hours to charge fully and offers 30 minutes of styling time.

However, just like Dyson’s corrale (£299.99, Currys.co.uk), it can be used while plugged in. Although the cable is rather short, measuring at 1m long, which can make it difficult to manoeuvre. We used the tool to both straighten and curl our hair, and found that it performed particularly well at taming flyaways and creating a glossy finish.

One of the most affordable cordless straighteners you will find, Revamp’s offering still manages to deliver on all fronts. After three hours of charging, it will give you 30 minutes of use so you can create sleek straight locks or waves wherever you are. It’s suitable for use on a range of hair types thanks to its custom temperature control, which ranges from 170C to 230C.

Worried about your hair feeling fried? Fear not, because the tool’s plates are ceramic and floating, which helps them to glide through your locks without any snagging. Plus, they’re infused with oils such as keratin, argan and coconut oil, which we found left our hair looking healthy and shiny.

The straightener also comes with a handy heat-resistant travel bag and a charging cable with a UK/EU interchangeable adaptor, so you can use it for touch-ups while running errands at home or to create a totally new look while on holiday.