The best curling iron for fine hair

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When you have fine hair, curling your hair can be a tedious — and even slightly dangerous — game. Celebrity hair stylist Sally Hershberger told Byrdie that fine hair can be prone to heat damage. "Fine hair is more susceptible to heat damage, so finding one that allows you to keep a steady temperature is major," she shared.

But finding the right curling iron for your hair type can feel like a never-ending challenge primed with question after question: What's the difference between a curling wand and a curling iron? What are the biggest mistakes you can make when curling your hair that lead to heat damage and fried ends? Should you give up on curling irons, wands, and rollers all together and search for ways to get beautiful curls and waves without heat?

Don't give up on curling irons just yet. So long as you're following some basic rules while using heat on your hair — like never curling it wet, curling strands of hair in the right direction, and not applying too much heat, stylists Jarrod Harms and Dani Everson previously told us — you're fine to use curling irons to attain the voluminous waves you've been looking for. These are the best curling irons for fine hair, organized to help you find your best fit based on your budget, hair length, and styling experience.

For the seasoned-pro

The Hot Tools 24K Gold Marcel Curling Iron is one of the best overall curling irons on the market, according to Byrdie editors and stylist Sally Hershberger. The celebrity stylist prefers this curling iron for styling thinner hair because temperature plays such an important role in maintaining healthy fine hair. "I like the Hot Tools Professional 24K Gold Marcel Iron," Hershberger told Byrdie. "It's lightweight, creates a great curl, and can hold a steady temperature (remember 310 F for fine hair) that won't damage the hair."

And InStyle calls Hot Tools Professional 24K Gold Curling Iron "the best for loose curls." This is an especially useful look for those with thin hair. Making sure the iron is on its softer settings, curl your hair loosely into soft waves that create texture. If you're sporting a cut with curtain bangs, these Hot Tools items will be a great way to add volume to those front pieces.

Priced at just under $31 on Amazon, it's not too expensive a tool.

For the budgeting beauty

The Conair Double Ceramic 1-Inch Curling Iron is great for anyone looking to make a budget-conscious choice when finding their ideal curling iron for their fine hair. Like the Hot Tools 24K Marcel Curling Iron, this Conair curling iron has a limited and moderate heat range that will help keep you from frying your fine hair (per Byrdie). Good Housekeeping also loves the range of heat settings you can get on a budget with this Conair item. About 70% of the over 28,579 Amazon customer reviewers gave the iron five out of five stars.

And while you won't have to empty out your bank account for this much-loved item, it still made Vogue's best curling iron list, too. Vogue dubbed the Conair Double Ceramic 1-Inch Curling Iron "the ultimate affordable styling tool." Byrdie editorial and strategy director Kathryn Vandervalk opened up about why she loves Conair Double Ceramic 1-Inch Curling Iron, which she calls "ultra-affordable" and her "go-to curling iron": "It heats up quickly and simply works in a way other, more expensive models haven't for me. The double-ceramic barrel protects against damage, and it means you can also use the tool like a curling wand if you don't want to clip in for tight curls."

Priced for less than $20, even the most budget-conscious beauty fans will be able to take part in making gorgeous waves.

For the celebrity wannabe

The T3 Micro Whirl Trio Styling Wand is heralded by both celebrity hair stylists and average fans of glam. If you're looking for a professional styling instrument and don't mind spending some extra money on that investment, the award-winning T3 Micro Whirl Trio Styling Wand might be perfect for your head of fine hair (per StyleCraze). Because fine hair is so susceptible to heat damage, this high-tech wand is great for making sure you don't hurt your hair (per Byrdie).

According to Byrdie, "The intelligent heating system can be set as low as 260 F, so you won't have to worry about frying your hair." Celebrity stylist Nikkia Nelson noted to Vogue how the interchangeable barrels are so convenient for those looking for unique looks without heavy baggage. "The T3 curler comes with three barrel sizes [for] different size curls, which is super important when you don't want to carry around a bagful of curling irons," Nelson told Vogue.

Priced at over $270, this curling wand is an investment. But according to celebrity stylists, it's for sure worth it.

For extra fine hair

If you have extra fine hair, you'll need to be especially careful with ensuring you don't burn your lovely locks. Keeping the temperature of your iron low and practicing patience is key to keeping your hair healthy. That's why we'd recommend the Revlon Salon Long Lasting Curls Titanium 1.25 Inch Curling Iron for those who have extra fine, fragile hair. With temperature settings that go down to as low as 225 F, you will be able to get soft curls without giving your hair heat damage.

Good Housekeeping's "Lab" found that the Salon Long Lasting Curls Titanium 1.25 Inch Curling Iron "had good instructions that may be helpful for fine haired users to prevent over-experimentation (a.k.a. increased risk of damage)." But remember: Keep that temperature at or below 310 F and use heat protectant spray for an additional layer of hair care (per Well And Good).

For the fan of curling wands

If you have fine hair and prefer curling wands to curling irons, you're in luck. Both Vogue and Byrdie note NuMe curling wands on their lists of favorites. For fine hair, Byrdie recommends the traditional NuMe Magic Curling Wand. The wand's temperature range goes all the way down to 140 degrees, making it ideal for those with fine hair who want to protect their locks from heat damage. Plus, the wand has "Far-infrared heat technology protects [the] outer cuticle," and an "auto-shutoff feature" (per Byrdie).

If you want to step up your curling wand game with another NuMe product, Vogue recommends the NuMe Octowand 8-in-1 Curling Wand. Celebrity hairstylist Erinn Courtney told the outlet how she loves the variety the NuMe Octowand has to offer: "It comes with eight different wand heads to achieve so many different styles. This one is cool when you want to include different styles of curls in one sitting."

With all of these options, you're bound to find one that gives you the bouncy style you're looking for.