Coarse hair needs styling tools capable of creating beautiful, defined curls on hair that is often stubborn. The perfect curling iron for coarse hair will have the ideal temperature, the right barrel material, and a barrel size capable of holding thickness.
We tested everything from barrel size to temperature capabilities to find the curling irons capable of working with coarse hair. Here, we list the fifteen best curling irons for coarse hair.
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In A Hurry? Our Top Picks
| Image | Title | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
Top Top | HOT TOOLS Professional 24K Gold Curling Iron/Wand, 1 inch | Buy on Amazon | |
 Top | Bed Head Wave Artist Deep Waver | Combat Frizz and Add Massive Shine for Beachy Waves, (Purple) | Buy on Amazon | |
 Top | INFINITIPRO BY CONAIR Tourmaline Ceramic Curling Wand; 1-Inch to 1/2-Inch | Buy on Amazon | |
 Top | BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Spring Curling Iron , 1.25 Inch (Pack of 1) | Buy on Amazon |
1. Hot Tools Professional 24K Gold Curling Iron – Our Top Choice
Highlights
A fantastic budget option, this iron features multiple barrel sizes and boasts technology for even heat distribution. For coarse hair that needs consistent heat, it’s great for providing quick, professional results.
Features
- Temperatures up to 430°F.
- Comfortable handle.
What We Like About It
We love the even heat distribution, which provided the temperature control needed to curl coarse hair. It’s great for daily use, heats up quickly, and won’t cause too much damage.
What We Don’t Like About It
The barrels were found to be a little short for anyone with long hair. The clamp was also too tight for some to use comfortably, although this is something that should improve with use.
2. Bed Head Wave Artist for Beachy Waves
Highlights
With a ceramic tourmaline barrel, this curling iron is fantastic for combatting frizz and emphasizing shine. Anyone with coarse hair is likely to love the smooth, long-lasting waves this iron gives.
Features
- Auto shut-off.
- Dual voltage.
- Multiple heat settings.
What We Like About It
This is a great product for achieving waves on coarse hair. We loved the practical aspects; it has easy storage, tangle-free wiring, and auto shut-off.
What We Don’t Like About It
We found that it was difficult to get many waves from shorter hair, and the sections of the iron were not great for fitting hair into.
3. INFINITIPRO by CONAIR Tourmaline Ceramic Curling Wand
Highlights
Promoting even heat distribution and with tourmaline ceramic plating, this wand protects hair from damage and removes the risk of hotspots while offering up to 400°F. It fights frizz and enhances shine while ensuring curls are defined, smooth, and kink-free.
Features
- Easy to use and fuss-free.
- Clamp-free to decrease damage.
What We Like About It
For a reasonably-priced wand, this product was great for achieving different styles. We enjoyed its capacity to achieve both tight curls and loose waves even in coarse hair.
What We Don’t Like About It
We would have preferred a more suitable glove so fingers are protected.
4. BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Spring Curling Iron
Highlights
A slightly more expensive iron, the BaBylissPRO offers protection by working from inside the hair shaft. It comes in a variety of sizes for creating different styles, and a number of heat settings to ensure customizability.
Features
- Nano titanium barrel helps to protect hair.
- Turbo heat option makes for quick, defined curls.
What We Like About It
Offering fifty heat settings, the BaBylissPRO is great for anyone with coarse hair wanting to experiment with different styles. We loved the results of this iron, ranging from loose, beachy waves to tight, bouncy curls.
What We Don’t Like About It
We found that the iron wasn’t as durable as others, which is disappointing considering the higher price point.
5. T3 SinglePass Curl Professional Curling Iron
Highlights
At the top end of the price range, the T3 comes with customizable heat settings to ensure temperature control. It is designed to need just one pass over the hair to create long-lasting, defined curls.
Features
- A ceramic barrel for defined and smooth curls.
- 1” barrel for any hair length.
- Temperature settings range from 260°F – 410°F.
What We Like About It
The SinglePass feature is great for achieving curls with minimal damage. We enjoyed the time-saving aspect of going over each section once, and it’s likely to leave hair less frazzled over time, too.
What We Don’t Like About It
The higher price point makes it less suitable for anyone who doesn’t curl their hair too often.
6. ghd Classic Curl Iron
Highlights
Part of a set of curling products that feature temperature monitoring and heat sensors to ensure damage is kept to a minimum, this iron from ghd is great for coarse and textured hair.
Features
- Spring activated ergonomic barrel for root volume.
- Temperature control technology.
- Auto shut-off after thirty minutes.
What We Like About It
We love the smoothness of the ghd’s ceramic coating, which helps it to glide through hair without tugging. It’s really easy to use and quickly produces great results.
What We Don’t Like About It
The barrel is slim, making it hard to create big, voluminous waves or curls.
7. Kristin Ess Titanium Pivoting Wand
Highlights
Compared with other wands at this price point, this has some fantastic. Its rotating handle makes for less stress on the arms and improves reach to the back of the head, while its quick heat-up means less time spent setting up.
Features
- Rotating handle for comfort.
- Auto shut-off for safety.
- Four heat settings up to 425°F.
What We Like About It
This titanium wand is capable of distributing heat evenly and has four settings, making it a great option for temperature control.
What We Don’t Like About It
We would have appreciated different barrel sizes as the 1 ¼” barrel is fairly limiting.
8. INFINITIPRO by CONAIR Curl Secret 2 Curling Styler
Highlights
Another INFINITPRO offering, this styler is an excellent choice for coarse hair. Containing more negative ions than other irons on the market, it adds extra shine to your hair while creating full, defined curls.
Features
- Sleep mode and auto shut-off for safety.
- Compact, lightweight design.
What We Like About It
Not only were curls smooth and long-lasting, but frizz was reduced and flyaways were minimized for up to 24 hours. It’s simple to use and produces great results quickly.
What We Don’t Like About It
Compared with other CONAIR products, this is slightly more expensive and at the top end of the price range.
9. Bestope 5 in 1 Ceramic Curling Iron Wand Set
Highlights
A set like this is great for anyone who doesn’t want to spend too much money yet is looking to achieve numerous styles. It’s super easy to set up and use, and maintenance is fairly easy too.
Features
- 100% tourmaline ceramic plating.
- Auto shut-off after an hour.
What We Like About It
For the price you pay, you receive a great range of interchangeable barrels. We loved the speed and ease of setup, and the instant heat up was much appreciated for quick styling.
What We Don’t Like About It
Temperature regulation is difficult with this set and is left down to the user.
10. Drybar The 3-Day Bender Rotating Curling Iron
Highlights
Producing long-lasting and frizz-free curls, the rotating clamp of this iron is great for anyone who wants to quickly curl lots of coarse hair. The curls you create will last days, helping you maintain healthy, strong hair.
Features
- Rotating clamp.
- Infrared Technology protects hair by heating from the inside.
- Dual ceramic heaters maintain even heat.
What We Like About It
A major plus for this curling iron is the speed; if you have a lot of coarse hair, you’ll appreciate how quickly it works. We also liked the professional-length cord, which helps when moving around.
What We Don’t Like About It
The clamp doesn’t sit flush, so hair can get stuck. Not only is this potentially dangerous, but it is disappointing given the price.
11. Herstyler Grande Ceramic Curling Iron
Highlights
A great affordable option, this curling iron is basic yet produces beautiful, defined, smooth curls. Its ceramic plating and negative ions ensure smooth hair with plenty of shine and no frizz.
Features
- Dual voltage.
- Teflon barrel for natural-looking curls.
- Compact sizing for easy storage.
What We Like About It
This iron is an affordable, basic option that can be used on coarse hair. It was able to create natural-looking hair free from frizz and made hair look very glossy and healthy.
What We Don’t Like About It
Temperature control is dependent on the user, which can be difficult for coarse hair. The single dial to change temperature and switch on or off was also slightly confusing.
12. Remington CI9538 Pro Curling Wand
Highlights
Boasting pearl ceramic plating, this wand is great for minimizing damage and maintaining the health of hair. With features like an LCD temperature display, digital controls, and temperature lock, it’s ideal for coarse hair that requires temperature control.
Features
- Digital controls.
- Temperatures up to 410 °F.
What We Like About It
We appreciated the simplicity of this wand, as it provided great results quickly and easily. The pearl-infused barrel helped to make smooth, natural-looking curls.
What We Don’t Like About It
The safety tip isn’t as big as we would like – a larger tip would make it safer.
13. Revlon Perfect Heat Ceramic Curling Iron
Highlights
This iron is fantastic for anyone who wants a basic curling iron for a very affordable price. It comes in different barrel sizes, each reasonably priced, and is perfect for creating medium curls.
Features
- Dual voltage.
- Auto shut-off.
- 30 heat settings.
What We Like About It
For the price, this iron produced fantastic, long-lasting curls. The ceramic plating minimized damage to hair and created smooth, frizz-free results.
What We Don’t Like About It
This is a very basic curling wand and isn’t for anyone who wants anything complicated or upmarket.
14. CHI Lava Spin N Curl
Highlights
A great curler specifically for textured and coarse hair, the CHI Lava controls temperature evenly. Its ceramic plating ensures minimal damage and beautiful curls that can be customized
depending on hair texture.
Features
- Ceramic plating.
- Volcanic lava-lined chamber to conduct heat safely.
What We Like About It
This is one of the few curlers on the market that considers hair texture. It recommends ideal temperatures depending on texture, ensuring hair is kept in its best condition.
What We Don’t Like About It
It’s expensive considering it only really works on medium-length hair.
15. Hoson Tourmaline Ceramic Curling Iron
Highlights
Designed with ceramic tourmaline, this iron is perfect for coarse hair. Not only will it create beautiful curls, but it will do so without tugging hair as the ceramic coating helps it to glide smoothly. It’s easy, fast, and effective.
Features
- Anti-scald tip for safer styling.
- 60 second heat up.
- Temperatures ranging from 225°F to 450°F.
What We Like About It
Negative ions in the ceramic coating reduce static and maintain moisture, leaving hair healthy and beautifully curled. We also appreciated its 8.3-inch barrel, which is great for long and medium-length hair.
What We Don’t Like About It
The long barrel doesn’t work with short hair, so it won’t be right for anyone whose hair doesn’t reach the shoulders.
Final Verdict – The Best Curling Iron for Coarse Hair
Hot Tools Professional 24K Gold Curling Iron
Coming in a variety of sizes and with excellent temperature control, Hot Tools’ curling iron is capable of creating beautiful, quick, and professional-looking curls.
We were impressed with the technology involved in this curling iron, which you would expect to find in a much more expensive iron.
If you are looking for an affordable, effective curling iron for creating beautiful curls in coarse hair, buy the Hot Tools Professional 24K Gold Curling Iron here.
What To Look For When Buying A Curling Iron?
1. Temperature
Temperature is the most important thing. Coarse hair requires greater temperature control to ensure it is right.
2. Material
The material is equally important. Different materials have different effects on your hair, and some are more protective than others.
3. Goals
Think about what you want from a curling iron; some will provide loose waves while others will give tight curls.
Frequently asked questions
The biggest difference between an iron and a wand is that irons contain a clamp that holds hair. With a wand, the hair is wrapped around the barrel and held there to create curls.
This depends on a few things, but the most important considerations are your hair type and your hair goals. The iron you choose should give the curls or waves you want while being mindful of your hair type.
Disclaimer: This site is not intended to provide professional or medical advice. All of the content on LovedByCurls.com is for informational purposes only. All advice should be followed at your own discretion. Ingredients may change at any time so always check the product label before using. Check our full disclaimer policy here.
