A Guide to Choosing the Best Straighteners from CLOUD NINE

Achieving a sleek, smooth look or dream mermaid waves isn’t just about styling – it's about choosing the perfect hair straighteners for you. Whatever your hair type, length or condition, there’s a CLOUD NINE straightening iron to suit you. 

The first step is to understand, if you don’t know already, your hair type. A simple way to find out is to take a strand from your hairbrush and hold it between your fingers. 

• If you can barely feel it, you probably have fine hair, and if it feels dry and rough to the touch, it’s likely you have thick, coarse hair. 
• If your strands feel neither wispy nor rough, you can assume you have medium hair thickness. 

For more information about your hair type, use our handy Temperature Calculator, which will also tell you the perfect heat setting for your hair straighteners.

Here at CLOUD NINE, we have the lowdown on which straightening iron is best for all hair types – plus tips for keeping your hair healthy, shiny and brimming with style.

CLOUD NINE’S GUIDE TO HAIR STRAIGHTENERS

• Best straighteners for fine hair: The Original Iron
• Best straighteners for thick hair: The Wide Iron
• Best straighteners for short hair: The Slim Iron 
• Best straighteners for long hair: The Wide Iron
• Best straighteners for afro hair: The Wide Iron
• Best straighteners for quick styling: The Touch Iron

BEST STRAIGHTENERS FOR FINE HAIR – THE ORIGINAL IRON

• Pre-sets to a lower temperature
• Revive Mode™ minimises friction
• Floating plates glide rather than clamp hair

If you have fine hair, it’s likely that you struggle with flyaways and breakage. Too much heat can easily damage fine hair, so investing in a straightening iron with adjustable temperature control is a must. Enter The CLOUD NINE Original Iron. 

Featuring the revolutionary Revive Mode™, the Original Iro helps to prevent breakage with Axial Vibration™ technology. How does this work? Once activated, the temperature is pre-set to 150°C and its Ceramic Floating Plates vibrate at maximum frequency to feed hair smoothly between them for minimum friction and maximum shine.

Another way to protect fine hair from heat damage is to spritz your hair with a heat protection spray like CLOUD NINE’s Magical Quick Dry Potion before styling. By sealing the cuticle of each hair strand, the potion acts as a leave-in conditioner to nourishes your hair to add strength – and prevents further heat damage – leaving hair frizz-free, healthy and shining.

BEST STRAIGHTENERS FOR THICK HAIR – THE WIDE IRON

• Wider plates for quicker styling
• Revive Mode™ minimises friction
• Floating plates glide rather than clamp hair

Taming thick hair can be challenging and time-consuming, especially if your hair is naturally wavy or curly. That’s where The Wide Iron comes in. Its wider plates mean you can straighten more hair at once, cutting down the time it takes to achieve your desired look. 

For flawless results, it’s best to section thick hair before using a straightening iron – our Croc Clips are perfect for the job. Once sectioned, apply a heat protection spray like Magical Quick Dry Potion before slowly moving the straighteners through each section. 

The Wide Iron is ideal for thick hair because the Ceramic Floating Plates contain a special mineral Sericite to spread heat out evenly, heating every strand. The light springiness of the plates is down to our expertly-designed Spring-Flex Technology™, which also helps to reduce damage and split ends – instead of clamping the hair strands, the hair is gently and smoothly fed through the plates.

BEST STRAIGHTENERS FOR SHORT HAIR – THE SLIM IRON

• Smaller plates for shorter styles
• Lightweight for quick and easy styling
• Variable Temperature Control

If you’re rocking a shorter style or have a fringe, The CLOUD NINE Slim Iron are your ideal straighteners. Packed with all the high-tech styling power of a full-sized iron, these lightweight straighteners are easy to use and perfect for achieving styles that require more precision. 

You can also control the heat setting with its Variable Temperature Control of between 100°C to 200°C. With every stroke, the mineral-infused Floating Ceramic Plates provide shine, decrease frizz, and smooth your hair’s surface with minimal damage. 

BEST STRAIGHTENERS FOR LONG HAIR – THE WIDE IRON

• Wider plates for quicker styling
• Mineral-infused plates to lock in moisture
• Variable Temperature Control 

Long hair is one of the most versatile hair styles around – whether you wear it up, down or somewhere in between, there are plenty of ways to style it. But long hair doesn’t have to take a long time to style – with The Wide Iron, you can straighten more hair in less time. 

Featuring innovative technology to help care for longer hair, the Wide Iron has 1.5 inch-wide Floating Ceramic Plates, infused with mineral Sericite which help to lock in moisture. The Wide Iron also contains intelligent predictive heat technology to ensure an even distribution of heat, so you can be sure every hair strand is covered – from root to tip.

Wider straighteners don’t necessarily equal higher temperatures, as the Wide Iron has Variable Temperature Control (between 100°C to 200°C) putting you in charge of your heat settings. Discover which heat setting best suits your hair type, colour, and length, using the CLOUD NINE Temperature Calculator – then adjust your straighteners’ temperature accordingly.

If your long hair is generally dry, or it’s been damaged by colouring or excessive heat, try CLOUD NINE Magical Remedy to rejuvenate your hair. Magical Remedy looks after your existing hair bonds and repairs broken ones while sealing split ends. Full of ingredients to improve overall hair health and manageability, it’s the perfect accompaniment to use with the Wide Iron to style your long locks.

BEST STRAIGHTENERS FOR AFRO HAIR – THE WIDE IRON

• Wider plates for quicker styling
• Revive Mode™ minimises friction
• Floating plates glide rather than clamp hair

If you have curly or afro hair, you’re likely to need a higher heat setting of around 200°C to fully flatten out your curls. High temperatures can contribute to heat damage so, with its Variable Temperature Control, the Wide Iron is perfect for straightening or smoothing curls while being kind to your hair. 

First things first, its 1.5-inch wide Floating Ceramic Plates, infused with moisture-locking mineral Sericite, enable you to straighten wider sections. So you get straighter hair in less time. Activate Revive Mode™, and feel the Ceramic Floating Plates gently vibrate to prevent breakage – this is our Spring-Flex Technology™ in action.

It’s important to protect your curls while transitioning to a straighter, sleeker style. So it’s best to start with a few spritzes of a heat protection spray such as CLOUD NINE’s Magical Quick Dry Potion followed by a straight blow dry. Next, section off your hair using clips like our Croc Clips to make straightening much easier. Once you’ve chosen your temperature setting, you can then straighten each section by gliding the straighteners through your hair.

BEST STRAIGHTENERS FOR QUICK STYLING – THE TOUCH IRON

• Hibernation Mode activates after 30 seconds
• Touch Technology for quicker styling
• Variable Temperature Control

If you’ve got places to go and people to see, or you’re a busy hair stylist with customers waiting, then you need straighteners that get the job done quickly. Introducing The Touch Iron, with our revolutionary Touch Technology for faster, more precise styling. 

The Touch Iron activates instantly upon plate contact, eliminating wait time. The Touch Iron prioritises safety and versatility, offering Variable Temperature Control from 165°C to 195°C to suit different hair types. Tap twice to reach 195°C, tap three times to lower to 165°C. Plus, with Hibernation Mode, forget the faff of switching them on or the stress of forgetting to power down – after 30 seconds of inactivity, the Touch Iron switches off automatically. 

WHICH ARE THE BEST HAIR STRAIGHTENERS FOR ME? KEY TAKEAWAYS

• For fine hair, the CLOUD NINE Original Iron with Revive Mode™ offers gentle, effective styling at 150°C, minimising breakage with Axial Vibration™ technology.
• The Wide Iron is perfect for thicker hair, cutting styling time with wider plates and even heat distribution.
• The Mini Iron is perfect for short styles, offering precision and variable temperature control.
• Long hair benefits from The Wide Iron's moisture-locking plates and predictive heat technology.
• For afro hair, The Wide Iron's high heat and gentle vibrations ensure efficient, damage-free styling.
• For speedy styles, the Touch Iron’s Touch Technology delivers instant heat, safety features, and customisable temperature control.

Before you dive into straightening, check out our Temperature Calculator to find out the optimum heat setting for your hair.