The tool also offers 25 heat settings up to 430°F, so you can dial in exactly what your hair needs (lower heat for finer hair or higher heat for coarser textures). The porcelain ceramic barrels distribute heat evenly to minimize hot spots while smoothing the cuticle for shinier, more consistent waves from root to ends.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a hair waver and a hair curler?
Ocando says that a curler has a single barrel (you know, your classic one-inch curling iron) and a waver has multiple barrels to create an “S” wave pattern instead of ringlets or a traditional curl. Ballance adds that wavers are better if you want your hairstyle to look beachy and intentionally undone.
How do you use a hair waver?
Always start with a heat protectant, no matter what hair look you’re going for. Once your hair is prepped, Ballance says it’s all about the clamping technique. “Take a small section of hair and clamp the waver down, so the barrels can shape the hair shaft into an ‘S’ wave,” he says. From there, work your way down from root to ends, overlapping slightly as you go, so the waves connect seamlessly.
Ocando advises looking for a waver with adjustable temperature settings, ceramic or ionic barrels, and a grip on the top of the tool, which gives you better control while styling. A bonus is that it stays cool on the outside during use, which makes the experience safer and more comfortable.
Meet the experts
How we test and review products
We always enlist a range of testers for any review, but hair-care products and tools are another story. While some can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and concerns, many are created with specific consumers and their needs in mind. When reviewing tools, we also take into account testers’ experience levels. For instance, an innovative new blow-dryer may feature industry-leading technology, but if the only people who find it intuitive to use are professional hairstylists, we have to consider this when determining whether it is worthy of a recommendation.
For our review of the best hair wavers, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and experts you interviewed for the piece—who all have different hair concerns and types, desired outcome (i.e., want shinier hair), and whether one product was tested across multiple hair types (i.e., straight, wavy, and curly hair). Testers considered performance across three primary categories: efficacy, safety and ease of use, value. For more on what’s involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the “best” for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser hair dryer worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
