Curling Wand vs Curling Iron: What to Reach For

Curling Wand vs Curling Iron: What to Reach For

A curling wand has no clamp, and that one difference changes how your curls look and how you hold the tool. Here are the wands I would look at, the clamp irons that do the opposite job, and the sprays that belong underneath.

Heated tongs have a long history. In the 1870s a Paris hairdresser named Marcel Grateau worked out a way to press waves into dry hair with heated tongs, and the Marcel wave took his name. Those tongs were heated over gas burners, which tells you how far the tools have come. Sources give slightly different years for the invention, most often 1872, so I will stay with the 1870s.

Those tongs clamped the hair, and that is the line between the two tools today. A curling wand has no clamp. You wrap a section around the barrel, hold it for a few seconds and slide the wand out, which gives a more natural, less uniform curl. A curling iron has a clamp that holds the ends in place.

The wands below vary in shape. The BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium comes in 1 inch and 1 1/4 inch, both heating up to 430 degrees with five digital temperature settings. The ghd Chronos Curve Conical Wand is tapered and pre-set at 365 degrees, while the ghd Thin Wand is a 0.5 inch barrel for tight curls. The Bio Ionic Gold Pro 1 inch has a 60 minute automatic shutoff and a cool-touch tip. The Drybar Wrap Party has a reverse-taper barrel and heats up to 450 degrees. Mane Let's Bounce is a 1 inch wand with four heat settings, and the Curlsmith Defrizzion has four interchangeable ceramic barrels.

A quick test: wrap a section no wider than the barrel, as ghd suggests for its thin wand.

Big numbers collage titled CURLING WAND, six products numbered one to six with each product set beside its number: BaBylissPRO, ghd, Bio Ionic, Drybar and Oribe
Curling Wand

Curling wands, from thin barrels to tapered cones

Irons with a clamp, and ones that turn themselves

If you like a classic, bouncy, uniform curl, the clamp is your friend. The T3 CurlWrap 1 inch rotates its barrel automatically, with nine heat levels and two rotation speeds, and the T3 SinglePass Curl X 1.5 inch has an extra-long barrel for wide sections. The T3 Curl ID 1.25 inch is the smart one, with a touch interface and nine heat settings that adjust to your hair. The Drybar 3-Day Bender has a rotating clamp that Drybar says makes curls in half the time of a traditional iron.

For a traditional iron feel, the BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium 1 1/4 inch Extended Barrel is two inches longer than a standard barrel and heats up to 430 degrees. The Bio Ionic Long Barrel 1.25 inch uses NanoIonic MX, and Bio Ionic says it keeps hair hydrated with continuous use. Mane Handle with Curl is a classic 1.5 inch iron with four heat settings, and the ghd Chronos Curve Grand Iron is a 1.25 inch iron pre-set at 365 degrees.

How to use a clamp iron: clamp the ends of a one to two inch section and roll toward the roots. For a bigger, bouncier curl, choose the 1.5 inch barrels.

What I would skip: an auto-rotating iron if you love the loose, undone look of a wand. The clamp and rotation give you a tidier curl.

Curling irons with a clamp, including auto-rotating ones

Heat protectants and texture sprays

Both kinds of tool need something between the hair and the heat. Moroccanoil Perfect Defense is a weightless dry spray with argan oil. Bumble and bumble Bb. Heat Shield is a mist made with a honey protective complex. Oribe Royal Blowout is a highly concentrated spray for sleekness and shine, and Oribe says to use it sparingly. Drybar Hot Toddy says it protects from heat up to 450 degrees, with rice proteins and marula oil. Ceremonia Guava Rescue is a four-in-one spray that detangles, protects from UV and heat and prevents frizz. Olaplex No.9 is a leave-in serum for shine and bounce-back curls.

Then there is texture, the thing that helps a wand curl look lived in. Bumble and bumble Surf Sea Salt is a matte texturizing spray for fine to medium hair, and dae Hibiscus Wave Spray is a lightweight spray for soft waves with a Desert Hibiscus scent.

How I would layer them: protectant on damp or dry hair before the wand, and texture spray after the curls have cooled. Squeeze and twist sections and you get a beachy finish.

What I would skip: a salt spray on hair you have just curled with a tight wand. Let the curls cool and loosen them with your fingers first.

Heat protectants and texture sprays to use with a wand

How I would choose

Choose the tool by the curl you want. A curling wand gives you waves that look natural, a clamp iron gives you a tidier curl, and a rotating iron saves you the wrapping. Match the barrel to your goal: thin for tight curls, 1 inch for classic curls, bigger for loose waves. Always spray a protectant first, and start on a lower heat setting than you think you need. Then see how your hair responds before you raise it. The right tool is the one you will actually pick up on a busy morning, so be honest about how much patience you have.