Electric hot combs are an extremely convenient product. They’re a new piece of technology that lets you comb and straighten your hair simultaneously, saving you time and eliminating frizz. It’s a great option for anyone who has trouble getting to the roots with their straightener and needs to avoid the little frizz bump at the top of their head.
These tools are no longer just used in professional salons, either. They have a lot of great hot combs that are available for at home use. These are a great way to avoid damaging your hair, too. Unlike normal combs, the teeth are wide enough to glide from the top to the bottom of your hair without snagging it. This will remove tangles without breaking anything.
The trick is finding the right hot combs. If you choose a hot comb that has very poor quality, it could end up doing real damage to your hair. This will create more problems than it solves, so it’s important to purchase the right hot comb. This article will help you learn which combs are the best available, regardless of your budget. They will also help you learn some of the different features to look for in case you want to continue your search.
Budget |
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Pritech Hot Comb |
3.8/5.0 |
Auto Shut Off: Yes |
Temperature Range: 170 to 210 Fahrenheit |
One button control operation, anti-scald technology protects your scalp from burns. |
Check Amazon |
Best Value |
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Andis 38300 450F Hot Comb |
4.3/5.0 |
Auto Shut Off: Yes |
Temperature Range: Up to 450 Fahrenheit |
Gold plated comb, 20 heat settings make it versatile for multiple types of hair. |
Check Amazon |
Top Pick |
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Tymo Hair Straightening Comb |
4.6/5.0 |
Auto Shut Off: Yes |
Temperature Range: 266 to 410 Fahrenheit |
Triangle teeth increase the area of contact by 200% compared to other straighteners. |
Check Amazon |
Hot Comb Tips and Tricks
Now that you’ve gotten to know the different features of our favorite hot combs, let’s take a look at some tricks to make using them much easier. Here are some of our stylist’s advice on how to use these combs with ease!
Cleaning Hot Combs
It’s important to keep your hot comb clean if you want to protect its life expectancy and get the best use form it every time. Make sure that when you apply the oils that protect your hair from heat damage, you avoid getting them on the comb or it will fry your hair. Once you apply the oil, wait a few minutes for your hair to absorb it before applying the comb. This will also make cleaning easier.
When you do need to clean the comb, make sure that you use the right cleaner. The same cleaner you use on other metal surfaces should work fine for the comb. Make sure you heat it before you apply the cleaning spray. If you want to be a little friendlier to the environment when you clean, you can also heat up some vinegar and use that to clean, but it will take longer.
How do I avoid getting burned from the hot comb?
You need to know how to use the hot comb well if you want to avoid scalding yourself. Make sure that your hair is completely dry before using the comb. You should also spray your hair with a heat protection or coat it with oil to prevent heat damage.
Make sure that you watch your heat setting. One of the most common mistakes people make is setting the temperature to maximum, and that’s not necessary for all hair types. It can lead to damage and burns on your hair, your scalp, and your fingers.
Make sure you cover each area only once, moving slowly enough to perform the job well. Repeating an area won’t necessarily make it straighter, but it will burn your hair. If you have a particularly tangled area that may need more than 1 run through, it would be wise to brush it thoroughly before you use the hot comb. You should also limit your usage. If you use the comb every day, you are far more likely to get damaged and burned hair and scalp.
If you do end up with burns on your scalp, you will be able to treat minor problems easily. Just soal a towel in cold water and place it over the burn for a few minutes. Then, apply something soothing like aloe juice, so your skin won’t dry out too much. For more severe burns, take a painkiller as necessary and consult your doctor.
Things to Look For
There are some features that distinguish good hot combs from inferior ones. It’s important to know what the important pieces of a comb are, and what you should be looking for when buying one. Let’s take a look at some of the features that are common among good combs.
Material
The material of a hot comb can make all the difference in the world. You need to make sure that you are using materials that won’t damage your hair while you straighten and comb it, and that the comb can glide right through your hair.
The best possible hot comb materials are titanium, ceramic, tourmaline, gold, or a mixture of these components. These can absorb very high levels of heat in a very little amount of time. They are also able to retain heat in the teeth, where the material isn’t being directly electrically heated. This will make styling faster and ensure your hair gets straighter.
Heat Settings
The heat settings vary from comb to comb, just like with the more traditional straighteners. While many people are able to sacrifice the higher levels of heat because their hair is very responsive to heat treatment, others will need to ensure that their hot comb has high enough levels of heat to properly and fully style their hair.
For example, natural African American hair can be very difficult to style and will require a much higher level of heat to straighten completely. Otherwise, you may end up with kinks instead. This hair needs a temperature display instead of numerical and should style their hair somewhere between 340 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal results.
For everyone else, the balance is quite important. If you style your hair using a setting that is too high, you could completely burn and fry your hair and kill it, making it very dry and straw like. If you use a setting that’s too low, you won’t have perfectly straight hair and it will be less likely to last for long enough periods of time.
You also need to look for an instant heat recovery feature. This technology allows your tool to maintain a consistent temperature level throughout the use. Instead of losing heat over time, or getting too hot, it remains consistent so you won’t have a disparity in your style job. It also prevents hot spots, damage, and the need for spending extra time redoing work.
6 Best Hot Combs Comparison Table
Product Name | Temperature Range | Auto Shut Off | Price |
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Tymo Hair Straightening Comb | 266 to 410 Fahrenheit | Yes | Check Price |
Pritech Hot Comb | 170 to 210 Fahrenheit | Yes | Check Price |
Andis 38300 450F Hot Comb | Up to 450 Fahrenheit | Yes | Check Price |
Conair Hype Ultra Hot Comb | Up to 350 Fahrenheit | Yes | Check Price |
Dan Technology Hot Comb | Up to 450 Fahrenheit | No | Check Price |
Wiwi Hair Straightener Comb | 350 to 450 Fahrenheit | Yes | Check Price |
6 Best Hot Combs: Detailed Reviews
Now that you’ve seen a brief comparison, let’s take a closer look at the 6 best hot combs available on the market right now. We will give you an overview of their strengths, weaknesses, and best features. By the end, you’ll know enough about each product to determine whether it’s the best option for your hair.
Our recommended hair combs all do a great job. We have chosen them to fall under a wide range of budgets, with some of them costing less than the price of a fast food meal, and some of them costing a bit more money for those who want to spend more for lots of extra features. They all meet minimum safety requirements for your protection, offering guards against burning your scalp and tangled cords limiting your range. Most of them even have an automatic shut down feature to prevent it from staying on if you forget to turn it off when you leave.
1. Tymo Hair Straightening Comb (Top Pick)
Editor’s Rating: 4.6/5.0
This is a fabulous straightener with all kinds of fantastic features that works as a brush and hot comb while ensuring your hair stays sleek. It’s got ceramic heating to protect your hair and retain heat during the entire styling process.
The triangle teeth on the comb are designed to more efficiently grab and separate individual hair strands, ensuring you can straighten your hair in a single pass. The comb ensures your hair remains healthy while removing the frizz and adding volume. It works by separating each section of hair into smaller strands.
The frame design is patented. It forms a V and is made from flame retardant plastic. This will protect your scalp from being burned no matter what angle you use. It also has a safe zone of 0.2 inches that offers insulation between the heating core and the outside. This PTC and heat lock all work to reduce your hair damage and give it a natural shine, for healthy hair.
This has 5 different heat settings on the comb. You can choose your settings for soft, thin, and fine hair. There are also settings for bleached and dyed hair. Even curly, thick, and wavy hair can be straightened with this hot comb. The swivel cord lets you style from any direction without tangling your cord.
Tech Specs |
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Heat settings: 5 |
Automatic shut off: Yes |
Includes: A travel bag, glove, and 2 hair pins for easy styling |
The Pros |
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Anti-scald safety feature won’t burn your scalp |
Swivel cord prevents tangling and protects range from getting shortened |
Divides hair into small strings so each gets straightened |
Triangle teeth increase the area of contact by 200% compared to other straighteners |
V shaped frame prevents burns no matter what angle |
The Cons |
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More expensive than a lot of straighteners |
Have to take small sections at a time so it takes a while to use |
2. Pritech Straightening Hot Comb Hair Straightener (Best Budget)
Editor’s Rating: 3.8/5.0
If you’re on a budget, you can still get a pretty good hot comb. This Pritech one has plenty of great features for under $20! It’s a perfect choice. It’s made from ceramic to retain the heat and bring out the natural oils, leaving your hair shiny and silky.
This is also safe to use. It is made from quality materials so you won’t burn yourself on the surface of the brush. It maintains a consistent temperature throughout styling. It’s also very easy to use. One button toggles all of the controls. Simply keep pressing to toggle between settings.
The comb has an LED display to indicate what setting you’re using in case you forget. It will automatically shut off after 60 minutes so you don’t have to worry about burning the house down after forgetting.
Tech Specs |
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Heat settings: 3 |
Automatic shut off: Yes, after 60 minutes |
The Pros |
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Anti-scald technology protects your scalp from burns |
Includes a 1 year warranty with immediately responsive customer service |
Automatic shut off for safety after 60 minutes |
One button control operation |
360 degree Swivel cord prevents tangling |
The Cons |
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Only hits 210 degrees Fahrenheit – won’t work for hair that needs high heat levels |
Comb has strange gaps and isn’t as easy to use as others |
3. Andis 38300 450F High Heat Ceramic Press Comb (Best Value)
Editor’s Rating: 4.3/5.0
This comb is an incredibly well priced item. It costs little more than a good new hairbrush and is able to easily straighten your hair. It is coated in real gold, retaining heat during your styling session.
This comb is a great option for thick and coarse hair types. The high heat level will help tame and smooth it, offering a sleek finished style. I just 30 seconds, the teeth will heat up to their full potential, which saves you time waiting for it. The heat retention makes for.
It’s got a great swivel cord that makes your life easy. Instead of having a stationary cord that tangles and twists every time you move, it swivels with you. This keeps the cord from looping and tangling, allowing the cord to stay long. It also includes an automatic shit off in case you accidentally leave it on when you finish.
Tech Specs |
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Temperature max: 450 degrees |
Heat settings: 20 |
Automatic shut off: Yes |
The Pros |
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20 heat settings make it versatile for multiple types of hair |
Soft grip on the handle and swivel cord make it comfortable to use without tangles |
Heats up to 400 degrees in just 30 seconds! |
Swivel cord to prevent tangles |
Gold plated comb |
The Cons |
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Gold plated – not solid gold. If coating wears off it won’t be as good |
Temperature control knobs are not positioned well. You have to be careful not to accidentally turn it while styling |
4. Conair Hype Ultra Hot Comb
Editor’s Rating: 3.8/5.0
This comb is made with anodized gold, a great material for retaining heat and maintaining a consistent temperature while you style. It’s affordable and effective for use on a wide variety of hair types thanks to 30 heat settings!
Conair is a trusted name in beauty products, so you can already rely upon their established expertise. This hot comb follows suit in the line of great products they release. This design started with a basic stove pressed hot comb and replaced all the wood and unsafe features with convenient and safe modern design elements, powering it with electricity instead.
It’s got 30 settings for heat so you can use it on any hair type, even natural and very thick hair that doesn’t want to straighten. The end result is a hot comb that works extremely well, even on natural and black hair. The Turbo Heat feature lets you style very quickly as long as you’ve protected your hair first.
Tech Specs |
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Heat settings: 30, including 15 high heat |
Heating time: 30 seconds |
Automatic safety shut off: Yes |
The Pros |
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30 heat settings make it useful for any hair type! |
Turbo mode lets you style quickly |
Very lightweight |
2 year warranty |
Turbo mode for fast styling |
The Cons |
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Turbo mode and high ends of heat settings may damage your hair |
Heating inconsistent – sometimes smokes and sometimes won’t get hot enough to style hair |
5. Dan Technology Hair and Beard Straightener Hot Comb
Editor’s Rating: 3.8/5.0
This hot comb uses ceramics to keep your hair straight while the comb heats it. The heat level is even throughout your strands, leaving a shiny result that eliminates the frizz.
It’s got a beard straightening comb and a hair comb that is made with anti-scald technology to add a layer of protection between the hot ceramic comb and your scalp and hands. This ensures that you won’t burn your skin. If you want to keep the heat instead of the safety measure, you can still use this without the anti scald combs.
The 450 degrees of heat will let you straighten your hair very quickly. It is hot enough for African American hair and coarse hair. The lightweight comb has a swivel cord, so you can move it and style it however you want to.
This comb was designed to make heat styling more efficient while preventing damage to your hair and remaining easy to use. Simply dry your hair then set up the anti-scald comb and wait for it to heat then slowly comb your hair and watch it straighten with ease!
Tech Specs |
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Temperature Range: Up to 450 Fahrenheit |
Auto Shut Off: No |
The Pros |
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Can be used for both hair and beards |
Comes with anti-scald protective combs |
Very easy to use |
Ceramic hot comb |
Rest stand while not in use |
Up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit of heat |
360 degree swivel cord |
The Cons |
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Includes multiple anti-scald combs |
Anti-scald comb guard is too insulated from comb so it prevents straightening from being as effective |
No dial to control heat settings |
6. Wiwi Hair Straightener Comb
Editor’s Rating: 4.0/5.0
This hot comb will heat in only 30 seconds. The teeth will allow you to reach your roots without burning your scalp. The ceramic plates heat quickly and diffuse the heat through your hair, ensuring an even distribution.
The fine teeth are packed densely enough to make sure that they pick up every strand of your hair as you comb, pulling them straight so you get a shiny, full finished look where every strang is straight without frying it to death.
The temperature control has 33 different settings. If you have thin, fine or fragile hair then you can set it to the 350 degree low setting. Wavy or normal hair should use 390 degrees for the extra power, and anyone with black, thick, curly, or coarse hair can use 450 degrees of heating power to straighten their hair.
Even if you’ve got relatively straight hair, this helps smooth it and make it silky. Having flyaway’s and frizz will be a thing of the past with this hot comb. It includes a couple of hair clips to make styling easier and more convenient and includes a dual voltage add on so you can use it when you travel as long as you bring a conversion plug.
Tech Specs |
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Temperature Range: 350 to 450 Fahrenheit |
Auto Shut Off: Yes |
The Pros |
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Heats up in just 30 seconds |
Extremely fine teeth are designed to make sure every hair gets straightened |
Temperature control adjusts to each hair type’s need |
Ceramic plates with PTC heating technology |
Auto safety shut down |
Swivel power cord to avoid tangles |
The Cons |
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One key operation button placed in an area that makes it prone to accidentally being toggled |
Temperature display gets covered by hand during use |
Conclusion
Now that you have reached the end of the article, you should be well prepared to buy your own hot comb. You’ve learned about the best hot combs on the market. We showed you our favorite budget, value, and best overall hot combs along with several other great options.
We also helped you learn about the different features that make a great hot comb stand out from inferior products. You’ve got some tips for using your hot combs, too. Armed with this information, you can go grab your hot comb and use it with confidence. Happy styling!