Best Mini Flat Iron

What is common between Julia Roberts, Taylor Swift, and Mariah Carey?

All of them have curly hair in real life.

If that’s the case, you may wonder, why do they sport straight hair on screen? Well, because they know that long and lustrous hair are synonymous with beauty. Such hair fit every face shape, allow improvisation and give you a youthful look. And finally, though Oprah Winfrey might disagree, women with silky, shiny and long hair look more attractive.

Agree with me? It means you need the best mini flat iron.

Our top 10

AmoVee Mini Flat Iron

Since it is using a combination of tourmaline coating on ceramic layer, the AmoVee mini flat iron is best for thin hair.

It uses a combination of heat (ceramic) and negatively charged ions (tourmaline) to not only smooth your hair but also protect them in the meanwhile. Consequently, there would be no hotspots once you’re done with this iron.

Making it versatile and easy to carry is the safety lock which comes alongside the AmoVee. For instance, if you are traveling and carrying the iron with you, you can just activate the safety lock, so that your iron preserves its shape during the journey.

Finally, unlike your average mini flat irons which take an eternity to heat up, this one won’t cause you to wait. Despite temperature ranging between 365* F and 410*F, this iron will heat up in an instant, meaning you won’t have to wait.

User Critique

The fact that this mini flat iron comes with only one heat setting isn’t a feature worthy of the top irons out here. For, no matter how instantly it heats up, the freedom which comes with adjustable temperature controls is just not there.

VAV Mini Hair Straightener

A major reason why most of us invest in mini-hair straighteners is that of their portability. That is, we like them because we can use them in different settings. Taking care of this aspect is the dual-voltage capability of the VAV Mini which allows it to be used anywhere in the world.

Using a mixture of ceramic and tourmaline gives the straighteners at least two benefits. First, since ceramic is known for heat generation, it breaks down even the toughest of frizz. Second, to make sure the heat doesn’t get out of hand to damage your hair, tourmaline tames it down by applying negative ions, so as to prevent any hot spots from developing in your hair.

Finally, while we like mini hair straighteners, we still like their cord length to be of considerable size. After all, we can’t always sit next to a power plug while straightening our hair. Thankfully, VAV seems to have heard our plea as they have supplemented this hair straightener with a cord measuring 1.6m in length.

User Critique

Look closely, and you’d notice that this flat iron doesn’t have round edges. It means you might not be able to use it for curling/waving your hair.

MHU Professional Travel Size 0.5 inch Mini Flat Iron

All but guaranteeing that this mini flat iron would safely and securely heat your hair is the fact that it uses PTC heaters. Self- regulating in mechanism, such heaters provide uniform heating and would automatically shut down if the temperature goes out of control.Consequently, you won’t have to worry about hair being burned.

Complementing the functionality of PTC heaters are the ions supplied by tourmaline. Known for adding shine to the hairs, these negatively charged ions also protecting hair cuticles apart from styling your hair at the same time.

Finally, if you are new to hair straightening and don’t know how to do it for maximum effect, this mini-iron comes preset at the salon temperature. In this way, it won’t let you experiment with your hair by supplying predetermined optimal temperature levels.

User Critique

The quality of this mini flat iron’s power switch isn’t that good.

Pros

• PTC Heater for self-regulating the iron
• Tourmaline for adding shine to your hair
• Inexpensive

Cons

• Question marks about the quality of its power switch.

BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium

In contrast to the majority of mini flat irons – which are only adequate for thin hair, the BaByliss Pro plies its trade on thick hair thanks to its titanium plates. That is because titanium plates are known to safely conduct heat at high temperatures, which means the thickness of your hair won’t affect their performance.

Despite their fame for heat conductivity, titanium plates are not known for quickly heating up. Thankfully, BaByliss has overcome this shortcoming of theirs by supplying this flat iron with a ceramic hair. Consequently, apart from conducting enough heat to straighten thick hair, this flat iron would heat up in an instant.

Finally, to protect the plates from overheating, a Ryton covering is placed, both under the ceramic layer and over the titanium coating. In this way, BaByliss has checked the over-heating tendency of titanium plates.

User Critique

Compare it with other mini flat irons mentioned in this review, and you might notice that Nanotechnology might make this flat iron too hot for thin, fine hair.

Vivid & Vogue 0.5-Inch Mini Hair Straightener

Famous for its ability to reduce frizz and add shine to your hair, this mini-flat iron has employed ceramic technology in the construction of these plates. Also making it adequate for traversing pixies and other short hairstyles are the plates, whose half-inch width makes this straightener perfect for such tasks.

What’s more, since it comes with only one temperature distribution setting, this flat iron wouldn’t make you wait for an eternity before it heats up. Similarly, adjusting it to international power supplies is the dual-voltage compatibility of this iron, so that you can use it on abroad trips with only a proper adaptor.

Turning our attention to how long it will take to heat up – and how hot it will get, we were pleased to know that this flat iron fared brilliantly on both these counts. That is, while its startup time is negligible, this iron would provide enough heat to style/straighten thin, fine hair.

 

User Critique

It doesn’t matter which mini flat iron you are looking it, the length of its cord would be the last feature which would impress. For, we always want the cord’s length to be a bit bigger, however, with its smaller than usual cord length, Vivid & Vogue disappoints on this count.

Mini Portable Flat Iron Tourmaline Ceramic

For those of you who want something more than what the typical flat iron provides, this mini-portable flat iron is for you. It has a built-in 2-in-1 system which not allows this iron to curl and straighten your hair at the same time.

In contrast to most mini-irons – which aren’t good enough when dealing with thick hair, the 3D plates of this straightener suggest otherwise. Containing curved edges, and a more rounded design, these tourmaline plates ensure better contact and even heat transfer. Consequently, whether you have thick or thin hair, you won’t find this straightener wanting.

Provided you have the correct adaptor in your inventory, the dual-voltage compatibility of this flat iron lets you use it anywhere in the world. And in case your traveling bag is running out of space most of the time, you don’t have to worry about making space for this iron. For, it offers a heat-resistant bag in the package.

User Critique

Though not many critiques have come from the users about this iron, the one that has appeared consistently is about the time it takes to heat up. Users believe it is not quick in a startup, meaning you might have to wait a bit.

FARI Travel Mini Hair Flat Iron

Though color is the first thing we notice on seeing a product for the first time, for most people, its importance is way down their list of priorities. Still, if you think otherwise, the range of colors this flat iron offers – from a cute pink to an elegant black and stylish purple – will make this iron a good addition to your bag of tricks.

The FARI travel contains ½’’ ceramic coated plates enclosed in a rounded barrel. The addition of tourmaline allows these plates to emit negative ions to condition your hair and take frizz away from them, but not before the addition of shine.

Its rounded barrel, meanwhile, amplifies the usability of this iron. Be it curling your hair or straightening, – and from adding some curls to giving them a few flips, the rounded barrel makes this flat iron an all-track pony.

Finally, the dual-voltage compatibility of this mini flat iron turns it into a perfect travel companion regardless of where your next travel destination may be. Similar ease is on offer with its 30Watts capacity which allows the FARI to reach its maximum temperature in no time.

User Critique

One major downside to this flat ion lies in its inability to handle the styling needs of long hair. Create all the curls and twists you may like with it, but this mini flat iron may not be powerful enough to straight rough and thick hair.

Conair MiniPRO 1/2-inch Ceramic Flat Iron

For those of you who want their flat iron to be compact in size yet contain (almost) all the features of its bigger-sized version, the combination of small size and technological acumen in the Conair ½’’ flat iron might just suit you.

Starting from the ceramic plates, not only do they eliminate heat damage but they are also known for being gentle on your hair. That is, the plates would slalom easily through the hair strands to distribute heat evenly before giving your hair a smooth, shiny look.

Once you turn it on, the Mini Pro’s plates would start emitting negative ions so that they moisturize your hair before taking frizz of them. Apart from that, the negative ions also help in even heat transfer, hence making sure there is no damage to hair strands.

Letting you know that the Mini Pro is a cinch to use is its power indicator light. Turn it on, and you wouldn’t have to wait for more than a minute to start styling your hair. And once it does the job, this flat iron will pack shut – leaving no space between its plates, hence making it easy to store.

User Critique

The downside? Well, if you intend to use the Mini Pro for longer periods, you may encounter that it gets pretty hot after a period of almost 15minutes. That happens because of the lack of space between the barrel’s plastic and the plates.

BERTA 0.5 in Mini Hair Straightener

In the field of hair straightening, tourmaline is one of the newest additions, and the fact that the Berta Mini Straightener employs this material adds a bit to the appeal of this mini-flat iron.

For, when compared with ceramic, tourmaline emits six-times more negative ions, which means that while your hair would get silkier, shiner, on one hand, they would suffer less damage on the other due to moisturization brought about by negative ions.

Making sure that it would straighten your hair in one go is the 365*F temperature which the Berta mini hair straightener would achieve in no time. This temperature is ideal for thin and short hair so that you can smooth them in a single pass.

Turning our attention to its design, and the Berta gives away many reasons for its selection, the first of which is its size. At only seven inches long, it’s tailor-made for either your carry-on luggage or even your makeup bag. The second is its dual-voltage compatibility so that you can take it anywhere you go. And finally, its rapid heating means it would take care of quick touchups in no time whatsoever.

User Critique

Turning one of its biggest strengths into a glaring shortcoming, the short length of this hair straightener makes it too delicate for straightening thick, rough hair.

6^th Sense 2-in-1 Mini Hair Straightener

One pass capability is the major feature which makes the 6^th sense mini hair straightener stand out in this review. Instead of wasting your time in multiple passes to get straight, smooth hair, the combination of Nano silver and tourmaline technologies allows this straightener to give you straight hair in half the time.

Next up we look at how it would deal with thick hair and once again, the 6^th sense didn’t disappoint. With an operating temperature of 374*F – which is 20*F more than your average mini flat iron, and the combination of abovementioned technologies, it would make a great iron for rough hair as well.

Running late and can’t wait for the iron to cool down so that you can store it in your makeup bag? Take advantage of the heat-resistant bag which comes in the package. No matter how hot the iron is, the heat-resistant bag would take care of it without breaking a sweat.

User Critique

Despite being one of the best mini flat irons of this review, the 6^th Sense does have its shortcomings; the most noticeable of which is its long length of 11’’. This length makes carrying this iron around a tad more difficult.

How does it work?

The major reason why some people have curls – and others don’t – is keratin. It is a chemical which our body secretes and whose concentration in different human beings is different. That is, if your body has a certain amount of keratin, your hairs are bound to develop curls, no matter what you do.

Once the keratin is secreted, it curls our hair via hydrogen bonding. For the purpose of simplicity, think of hydrogen bonding as a glue which holds out hair to form knots. The best flat iron breaks these hydrogen bonds by applying heat, so their configuration is altered, hence streamlining your hair.

Best Mini Flat Iron Buyer’s Guide

Until now, we were looking at the best mini flat irons available in the market. From here on, we are going to look at the features which make them the best.

Features that are Important

Types of plates

How a flat iron straightens your hair depends on the material of construction of its plates. While some materials apply enough heat to straight hair in a single pass, others require more effort from your side.

Ceramic flat irons, as a mere trip to the local market, would confirm, are the cheapest. That is because they apply uneven heat, meaning you’d have to be extremely careful while using them.

Of Teflon and Tourmaline – next two materials used in flat irons, tourmaline is undoubted the best. By allowing the straightener to flatten your hair at low temperatures, tourmaline flat irons reduce the risk of hair-burn. That said, no iron would be entirely made of tourmaline, as the most they will have is its coating over a layer of ceramic.

Finally, if you want to be on the safest side, choose a titanium straightener. Instead of applying heat, such flat irons distribute negative ions to kill frizz in your hair.

Usage

First of all, if you just want your iron for hair-straightening, you can skip this section. For, all flat irons are designed for hair-straightening purposes.

However, if you want them to curl your hair, your flat iron MUST HAVE curved edges, as they destroy keratin by holding the cuticles of your hair in bent shape for longer periods of time.

Finally, for those who like flips, choosing an iron with flat, sleek edges would serve the purpose. Such edges allow these irons to create waves in your hair, hence adding flips.

Wet or Dry?

Wet flat irons, as their name suggests, are intended to be used on wet hair. That is because they use steam to break down keratin, disturb curls, and hence straighten your hair. In other words, such irons use humidity to uncurl your hair.

Dry flat irons, on the other hand, rely on heat to straighten our hair. They do so by applying heat to the roots of our hair, hence breaking those bonds in the process which won’t let our hair get straight.

Adjustable Temperature Control

Regardless of the price tag of a particular flat iron, it would still be susceptible to malfunction. So, to make sure your hair does not have to bear the brunt in such a situation, always look for adjustable temperature controls in your iron.

That is the reason why the best mini flat irons offer three temperature levels: low, medium and high. While you may use the high-temperature setting for straightening your hair, always tone down the temperature when using the iron for styling purposes.

Thanks for Coming

That’s all folks! 10 must-have flat irons to choose from, which include our recommended choice: the BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium. Surely, its heat might be too much for thin hair, however, its Ruyton plates would never allow the flat iron to overheat, which means you don’t have to worry about the safety of your hair.

Still, if you want to take no chances, you can choose the MHU Professional Travel Size flat iron. Just like the BaBylissPRO, it is a top of the range model which offers dual-voltage capability and a set of unique features. What more can you ask!