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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sarah Jones

Best cordless hair straighteners for sleek locks wherever you go

Things have come a long way since the days of cumbersome irons that would fry your locks into submission - (iStock/Ghd/Dyson/Revamp/The Independent)

If you’re looking for sleek locks wherever you go, the best cordless hair straighteners let you achieve just that. Whether that’s the changing room after a sweaty gym session or in the back of a taxi on the way to the pub from work, these helpful hair tools are a game-changer.

But what makes them better than the best corded hair straighteners you already own? One of the best multitasking beauty tools around, cordless hair straighteners are easier to manoeuvre, allowing for simpler styling of both sleek and curly looks. Plus, they’re compact and rechargeable, making them much more travel-friendly than standard models.

When it comes to picking the right tool, there are a couple of non-negotiables worth considering, including temperature settings. While 185C is considered the optimum for heat styling with minimal damage, those with particularly fine or thick locks might benefit from more temperature flexibility. You’ll also want to consider plate size if you have longer hair or want to use your straightener for curling, with wider plates allowing for looser waves and narrower ones for tighter curls.

Following our research and testing, we found that the Ghd unplugged (£299, Amazon.co.uk) allowed us the freedom to curl, straighten or smooth our locks without running out of charge mid-session. Meanwhile, Dyson’s corrale hair straighteners (£299.99, Boots.com) proved a stylish and effective dressing table addition – as is the case with most of its high-tech hair devices. But it was also refreshing to see that Revamp’s sub-£100 offering (Boots.com) maintained hair health with its infusion of nourishing oils. For all this and more, keep reading for the full review.

How we tested

We put a number of cordless straighteners to the test on our long, frizz-prone hair for a number of weeks, using each to create both poker straight and wavy styles. We took them out and about with us and paid attention to the criteria below:

  • Portability: We assessed whether the straighteners lived up to their claims of being easily transportable, considering both packing bags/equipment (if any) and size/weight.
  • Design: While not paramount to the effectiveness of the straightener, we considered the aesthetics of each device in line with its price. We also noted any standout features, be it smooth chrome plates or an ergonomic grip.
  • Ease of use: Certain straighteners boast multiple temperature settings, whereas others offer a one-touch set-up. We wanted to establish how simple each pair was to operate and if there were any issues during use, like catches/tugs on the hair or ineffective heating.
  • Versatility: Being able to curl your hair with a straightener is particularly helpful if you’re short on packing space, but not all straightener plates and barrel shapes afford crease-free curling. With this in mind, we used each cordless device to style our hair into waves and ringlets, too.
  • Battery power: If you’re taking your cordless straightener to a festival, you’re likely going to want its charge to last from Friday through Sunday, so we timed each pair’s run time before losing charge, as well as the charging time itself.
  • End results: Using the same topical styling products, we recorded how long our hair remained smooth and sleek after styling, taking any adverse weather into consideration where needed (it is the UK, after all). We also observed how thorough the straightening was in each instance, looking out for any neglected strands or patches of frizz.

Why you can trust IndyBest reviews

Sarah Jones has not only been working within the beauty sphere for more than 10 years, but she’s a hair straightener aficionado having penned IndyBest’s reviews of the best ghd straighteners, the Remington hydraluxe pro steam straightener and the Dyson corrale. Sarah has long hair, which she frequently styles using hot tools, and now, for this round-up of the best cordless straighteners, she was on a mission to discover which tongs will prove the most effective without their mains power. Not to mention, with a toddler running around at home, being able to straighten her hair quickly and thoroughly is a priority. Scroll on for her verdict.

The best cordless hair straighteners for 2025 are:

  • Best overall – Ghd unplugged cordless hair straighteners: £299, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best budget buy – Revamp progloss liberate cordless compact ceramic hair straightener: £99.99, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best for everyday styling – Dyson corrale hair straightener: £299.99, Boots.com
  • Best for festivals – Babyliss 9000 high performance cordless straightener: £106.99, Amazon.co.uk

Ghd unplugged cordless hair straighteners

Rating: 4.5/5

Best: Cordless hair straightener overall

Variable temperature control: No – 185C

Charge time: 2 hours

Styling time: 20 minutes

Why we love it

  • Super lightweight
  • Can be used to straighten and curl hair
  • Charged via USB-C cable

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 (£199, Ghdhair.com). This is because its 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

Buy now £299.00, Amazon.co.uk

Revamp progloss liberate cordless compact ceramic hair straightener

Rating: 3.5/5

Best: Budget cordless hair straightener

Variable temperature control: Yes – 160C, 180C, 210C

Charge time: 3 hours

Styling time: 30 minutes

Why we love it

  • Affordable yet effective
  • Can straighten and curl hair

Take note

  • Long charge time

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.

Buy now £99.99, Amazon.co.uk

Dyson corrale hair straightener

Rating: 4/5

Best: Cordless straightener for everyday use

Variable temperature control: Yes – 165C, 185C, 210C

Charge time: 70 minutes

Styling time: 30 minutes

Why we love it

  • Three heat settings
  • Can be used while plugged in

Take note

  • One of the heaviest tools tested

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 plates that bend to the hair’s strands to avoid breakage and three heat settings (165C, 185C and 210C), 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

Buy now £299.99, Boots.com

Cloud Nine the original cordless iron hair straightener

Rating: 4/5

Best: Cordless hair straightener for damaged hair

Variable temperature control: Yes – 160C, 180C, 200C

Charge time: 90 minutes

Styling time: 20 minutes

Why we love it

  • Left hair perfectly straight and frizz-free
  • Comes with a chic faux leather carry case, a universal voltage charger and plug adaptors

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 original cordless iron comes with a chic faux leather carry case, a universal voltage charger and plug adaptors.

As for the tool itself, the styler is finished with a matte black exterior and has just two buttons. One button turns it on and lets you choose between three temperature settings (160C, 180C or 200C), and another enables “revive mode” – this 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 370g, it takes 90 minutes to charge and offers 20 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.

Buy now £189.00, Cloudninehair.com

Babyliss 9000 high performance cordless straightener

Rating: 3.5/5

Best: Cordless hair straightener for festivals

Variable temperature control: Yes – 160C, 180C, 200C

Charge time: 3 hours

Styling time: 30 minutes

Why we love it

  • Larger plates make it great for long hair

Take note

  • Longer charge time

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 (£399.99, Currys.co.uk), it can be used while plugged in. Although the cable is rather short, measuring 1m long, it makes it slightly 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.

Buy now £106.99, Amazon.co.uk

Your cordless hair straightener questions answered

What are the best cordless hair straighteners?

For a cordless tool that manages to be truly portable without sacrificing performance, we’d recommend investing in ghd’s unplugged. It’s lightweight, small enough to fit in your handbag and features the same technology you’d expect to find in the brand’s standard plug-in models. We also love how easily it manages to create both straight and curly styles and the fact you can charge it almost anywhere.

If you’re less concerned about portability, consider Dyson’s corrale, which can be used cord-free or plugged in. While it’s the most expensive on our list, it’s a great option for anyone who styles their hair regularly from home but still wants the freedom that a cordless tool provides.

Can you take cordless hair straighteners on a plane?

Yes, cordless hair straighteners are permitted on aeroplanes, though models with lithium-ion batteries – like Revamp’s liberate device (£99.99, Boots.com) – will need to be packed in hand luggage.

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