While hair dryers are usually found in most hotel rooms, Airbnbs or holiday lets, there’s no guarantee that you’ll find straighteners when you check in to your accommodation.

If you’re keen to avoid frizz in humid climates but don’t want to take up too much space in your luggage, a cordless straightening iron is an excellent idea, but are these portable tools really as effective as the regular kind?

ADVERTISEMENT

Best cordless hair straightener

GHD Unplugged; Cloud Nine The Cordless Iron Pro; Babyliss 9000
From top: GHD Unplugged; Cloud Nine The Cordless Iron Pro; Babyliss 9000 (Katie Wright/PA)

With a week-long trip to Cyprus on the horizon, I trialled three of the most popular rechargeable straighteners to decide which – if any – would make it into my suitcase…

1. Babyliss 9000 Cordless Straightener

Babyliss 9000 Cordless Straightener
(Babyliss/PA)

One of the first cordless straighteners on the market, the Babyliss 9000 is really impressive, especially for the price. With three temperature settings, (160°C, 180°C and 200°C) its ceramic plates heat up quickly and feel just as powerful as my usual wired straighteners, leaving my hair sleek and smooth.

The only downside is that this is the largest and heaviest of the three tools, but it’s also the cheapest by quite a margin and comes with a carry case, two-pin European plug adapter and two-year guarantee.

BaByliss 9000 High-Performance Cordless Hair Straightener, Ceramic Floating Plates, Lithium Power,...
  • High performance cordless hair straightener with ultra-smooth ceramic plates
  • 3 temperature settings: 160°C, 180°C, 200°C
  • Patented Micro Heating Matrix heaters for consistent even heat

Last update on 2024-03-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

2. Cloud Nine The Cordless Iron Pro

 Cloud Nine The Cordless Iron Pro
Cloud Nine/PA)

You might have spotted these stylish straighteners in the girls’ dressing room on this year’s Love Island. New from Cloud Nine, this is the most expensive tool I tried, but you get a lot for your money.

The straightener comes with a large faux leather box, a roll bag, travel case, charging pod, two extra plug adaptors and a heat guard, plus a Love Island mirror and water bottle. The narrow, light design makes it easy portable and while the ceramic plates only heat up to a maximum of 170°C, the vibrating ‘Revive’ mode gives added oomph – more than enough to smooth my wavy locks.

Sale
CLOUD NINE The Original Iron Pro Hair Straightener (Pearl)
  • VARIABLE TEMPERATURE - With heat settings ranging from 100-200°C for styling at lower temperatures without the unnecessary heat damage.
  • MINERAL-INFUSED PLATES - Infused with our signature healing minerals to seal the hair’s cuticle and lock in moisture for shinier hair every time you style.
  • REVIVE MODE - Revolutionary Revive Mode works to minimise friction, vibrating 8,000 times a minute at the controlled temperature of 150°C to maintain style for longer.

Last update on 2024-03-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

3. GHD Unplugged Cordless Hair Straightener, £299

GHD Unplugged Cordless Hair Straightener
(GHD/PA)

The first cordless tool from the original hair straightening experts, the new GHD Unplugged is available in matte black or white and comes with a zip-up travel pouch.

The smallest (by length) of the straighteners I tried, its ceramic plates heat up to 185°C and it comes with a USB-C charger so you don’t have to take an additional bulky plug away with you. It heated up quickly and provided strong, frizz-fighting power for my hair in just a few strokes.

The verdict

GHD Unplugged; Cloud Nine The Cordless Iron Pro; Babyliss 9000
From top: GHD Unplugged; Cloud Nine The Cordless Iron Pro; Babyliss 9000 (Katie Wright/PA)

All the cordless straighteners I tried were excellent in terms of getting the job done – my hair went from frizzy and wavy to smooth and straight in no time. So which is the best?

Katie Wright
(Katie Wright/PA)

If price is the most important factor for you, the Babyliss 9000 is the obvious choice. If you want a compact tool that heats all the way up to 185°C then the GHD is your best best, though with 20 minutes of power from a full charge compared to around 30 minutes with the other devices the battery doesn’t last as long.

As for me, I decided to take the Cloud Nine with me on holiday, mainly because the lower temperature and narrow plates better suit my fine, short hair, and in its skinny travel pouch it was the lightest and the easiest to slot into my suitcase.

Best-selling cordless hair straighteners

Need more inspiration? Check out our list of best-selling Amazon products!

Bestseller No. 1
SUNMAY Voga 2 in 1 Cordless Hair Straighteners and Curler, Travel Wireless Portable USB Rechargeable...
  • 【New Design with Higher Performance】SUNMAY Voga cordless hair straightener is upgraded from the old version SUNMAY Adite. It has much better performance in straightening and curling. This upgraded...
  • 【Fast Heating Up in 30 Seconds】SUNMAY Voga wireless straightener is equipped with a premium battery. Although the battery capacity is still 4800mA, the output power is 50W (higher power than...
  • 【3 Temperature Levels】SUNMAY Voga hair straightener was designed with 3 temperature levels: 165℃-185℃-205℃. The 165℃ is for thin hair. 185℃ is for normal hair. 205℃ is for medium thick...
Bestseller No. 2
Cordless Hair Straighteners Curler 2 in 1, Mini Portable Travel Wireless Straightener, Fast Heat Up,...
  • FAST HEATING & SHORTER USAGE TIME---Cordless Hair Straighteners has fast heating and shorter usage time. Adopting a 0.3mm ceramic steel plate heating design, the heating speed will not slow down....
  • WITH STORAGE BAG, SUITABLE FOR TRAVEL---In addition to the packaging box, the straight hair stick also has a small storage bag. When you use it outdoors, the temperature is 200 degrees Celsius and...
  • LONG USAGE TIME---The top 4800mAh high capacity battery in the built-in cordless curling stick. The charging time is about 3 hours (2A charger), which can be used for about 30-45 minutes or more, so...
Bestseller No. 3
Cordless Hair Straighteners Curler 2 in 1 - Zirzoe Portable Mini Hair Straighteners Ceramic 8 Inch,...
  • 【Cordless Hair Straighteners】The upgraded cordless hair straighteners in 2023 with the latest cordless design, effectively avoid wire entanglement when straightening and curling hair.
  • 【30s Fast Heat】This cordless straighteners rechargeable heats up fast in 30s. No need to cool down after using the straightener, just put on the sturdy metal protective cap.
  • 【3 Temperature & Ceramic Material】The portable hair straighteners comes with three temperatures, 320℉ for finely colored hair, 356℉ for normal textured hair, and 392℉ for thick or wavy hair....
Bestseller No. 4
Cordless Hair Straighteners and Curler, 2 in 1 Travel Flat Iron Hair Straightener and Curler for...
  • 【Cordless Travel Hair Straightener】Our 2 in 1 hair straightener and curler, with cordless functionality, eliminates the hassle of wires and allows for use without being plugged into a device. They...
  • 【15-Second Quick Heating, 3 Adjustable Temperature Levels】The cordless straighteners uk can work under 3 different heating settings (160°, 180°, and 200°C), with high-quality ceramic heating...
  • 【USB-C Rechargeable, Long Battery Life】The travel mini hair straightener mini use a USB-C charger for charging, with battery life lasting up to 45 minutes, allowing for straightening or curling...
Bestseller No. 5
Cordless Hair Straighteners Curler 2 in 1 Cordless Portable Hair Iron Ceramic 8 Inch, Anti-Scald...
  • 【Professional Hair Straightener】 This professional hair straightener is designed with 3D flexible floating heated flat iron plate, and equipped with PTC heating technology. It straightens hair...
  • 【Negative Ion Technology】High quality ceramic can release negative ions to lock in the moisture in your hair which allows it to lay flat and close the cuticle which leaves your hair looking shiny,...
  • 【2 Adjustable Temperatures】Smaller but more professional, this straightener heats up quickly to 150°C/180°C in 60s. Choose the right temperature for your hair type to minimise damage. 150°C for...

Last update on 2024-02-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

You may be interested in…

This article may include affiliate links to products and services where we may receive a small fee to support the running of this site if you make a purchase or is a sponsored article from one of our select editorial partners providing valuable advice and information to our readers.

ADVERTISEMENT

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.