You will be surprised to learn that 4 months in a row the top rated product overall comes from this price range. That’s because I don’t hunt just cheap hair straighteners, but ones that provide quality for your buck.
If you are new to the website, before we move on, let me just stress that I take pride in the fact that my reviews are completely unbiased and I DO NOT accept free products ever. This way, the reviews can remain completely objective.
Moving on – Meet our winner for in both the categories of “best price” and “best quality” which might be counter-intuitive and rarely happens but it’s going on right now. My doubt is that the HSI Pro is being discontinued, and they are clearing house.
The downside is that becomes “unavailable” almost on daily basis because of the low price and the high demand. Who wouldn’t want a product that used to cost $229 for years and is now being sold for under $50?
But let’s take a step back and talk about how this guide is going to work. To meet the two criteria a flat iron that’s this low priced, has to be either on a discount because of clearances, or the price is company’s strategic decision to sacrifice profits to get its name out there.
Getting the best “cheap” hair straightener while still maintain quality standards and deal with even the thickest hair comes down to two things:
- hunting down discounts on good products
- not settling for cheap pieces that will end up costing you more – which is the easier way to go but certainly not the right one in the long run
I spend by far the most time updating this guide – again, for two reasons:
- the quality straighteners that are not costly or an discounted go out of stock very quickly, so I have to keep track of that
- within this price range, I am always on the lookout because it’s hard to make something good at that price, and companies tend to compromise on quality by cutting cost
Bottom line – it all comes down to grinding endless hair straightener reviews, getting them for testing and picking surefire models that earned customers’ seal of approval and tested well.
How will we do that???
Through joint effort using my usual and proven methods of statistical rating, I review and rate a flat iron in 5 different categories. This method has been tweaked, improved and proven over time.
But without more ado, here are the top rated hair straighteners the market has to offer for under $50:
| Model | Read more | Overall Quality Rating | Picture |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSI Professional Hair Straightener |  | 4.9 / 5 | |
| Salon Collection Hair Straightener | | 4.5 / 5 |  |
| Ceramic Pro Flat Iron | | 4.6 / 5 |  |
| Infiniti Pro Hair Iron | | 4.6 / 5 |  |
I have to admit we’re very proud with the fruits of my labor and research, and we can’t wait to show you some in-depth perspective when it comes to these pioneers within their price range.
Let’s look at these low cost hair straighteners one by one in digest reviews:
Digest reviews??
Basically, they’re shortened versions of my regular product reviews:
For first time readers, here’s the gist of it all:
- We start the story with some “narration” by the manufacturer. We’ll see what the company has to say about its product
- Dissection part entails taking a look at some PROs and CONs the users have been kind enough to share with us after having a “hands-on†experience with a certain product
- Finally, the whole thing is buttoned up with my own two cent and a final rating. I’ll give my darn best to answer that omnipresent riddle for you; Is this thing a budget breakthrough, or just a waste of my time?
Now that we know exactly what’s ahead, we can (finally) get some work done. Here are the products in command when a pretty restrictive price range comes knocking! FYI, turns out, there’s a very abundant range of cheap hair straighteners that are more than willing (and able) to sing for their supper when it comes to all of your hairstyling needs.
HSI Professional Hair Straightener
By HSI (best rated in this price range and overall)
Let’s dig right into this mini review by listing out the product features shared with us by the manufacturer:
- Straighten, curl, and flip your hair
- Adjustable temperature suiting all the different hair types (240 – 410 F)
- Ion ceramic/tourmaline plates will save your time and create a silkier and shinier finish
- 1†plates are wide enough to service any hair type or length effectively, yet still narrow enough to do bangs
- Transform dull, frizzy hair into sleek, straight, and gorgeous locks
If you’re still not quite there yet after this article, you can tap into Amazon’s resources for more pictures and customer reviews >>
This manufacturer’s specification certainly doesn’t give off the feeling like we’re talking about a budget product, does it? But let’s get real and see what the users are saying about it:
We’ll start with some pleasant experiences:
- This is the best cheap hair straightener ever! I absolutely LOVE how the plates glide through my hair without any pulling, followed by the pain I had to go through every time I tried to do my hair. I also like the free pouch that comes with it
- This little miracle saves me so much time! My entire long hair is done in about half the time it took me with my previous hair straightener. Not to mention I paid a pretty penny for that previous one, and this HSI flat iron is superior in every way for just the fraction of the cost. Super happy customer here, and a huuuge recommendation from me!
- This flat iron is able to dish out some serious heat. I have a very thick and coarse hair, and the temperature I need to get it straight and keep it that way is pretty considerable. This one straightens my curse of a hair in no time, and it keeps it perfectly straight until I wash it
- The long cord is simply a blessing! It also has a circuit breaker built in, so I don’t have to worry about any sorts of accidents that might happen. It’s very easy to use, and it doesn’t heat up anywhere near my fingers, so that’s one more type of accidents I can safely say goodbye to
- There is no smell of burnt hair whatsoever after I use this little guy. Not to mention the shine and softness it gives to my hair, unbelievable! And all that for 30-something bucks?!
- No frizz after I use it and my stubborn hair is finally under my control! Best hair straightener I’ve ever owned!
Let’s see what the customers didn’t like:
- The reset button was a bit too hard to press
- I’m not a fan of the design
Well, after seeing dozen of thousands user reviews on Amazon HAS to leave an impression on you if you’re from this planet. Users mostly relay positive experiences regarding the functionality, work-speed, ease of use, extra shine and hair softness after use… You see a pattern here?
Overall rating of 4.9
That’s everything a 200-300 dollars hair straightener would have to say for itself! I’m usually suspicious when we get a free pouch, glove, oil samples, etc. But I guess the users made all that suspicions a moot point. This iron is what I call a smart investment, and there’s a lot of people out there swearing it’s the best hair straightener they’ve ever owned.
Salon Collection Hair Straightener
Manufacturer’s specification:
- Ceramic Pearl technology offering the smoothest and silkiest finish ever
- Contains more ceramic than any competition for up to 15 times
- 120V and 450 degree high salon heat
- Plates infused with pearls give incredibly smooth glide
- Auto shut-off
Remington is such a well-know name in the world of hairstyling, but not even that will save it the scrutiny we’ll expose this product to.
This model is offered on Amazon along with more useful tips. ratings, and user-reviews:
We’ll begin with some positive things users had to share about this hair straightener:
- This is the first flat iron I don’t have to press with everything I’ve got in order to clamp my hair perfectly! It’s very easy to use, and it does an amazing job at getting my unruly hair bone straight. Best cheap hair straightener ever! Even better than some of much more costly models I was fooled into buying!
- I would give it 10-star grade if I could! This little gadget really gives you the feeling of full control over your hair. I especially like the little side display, where I can always keep the temperature in check. It also heats up incredibly fast, and gets my hair perfectly straight and shiny in the matter of minutes
- It’s a really noob-friendly flat iron. It doesn’t pull on my hair, and doesn’t punish me with hair damage when I don’t know what I’m doing (which is like half the time)
- It turned my frizzy hair nightmare into a silky smooth, soft, and most importantly completely straight bliss! The thing I like the most is that results I get after I’m done straightening my hair don’t just vanish after a couple of hours. My hair is perfectly straight until I wash it without an exception so far
- I’ve read all sorts of hair straightener reviews, and frankly didn’t know what to do with all that information. I just kept getting more and more confused until I saw the sheer number of positive reviews this bad boy had. The price made me doubt it for a while, but hell, so many people can’t be oblivious, right? So, I took a leap of faith, and boy am I glad I did… It’s the best hair straightener I ever bought, and my daughter keeps eyeballing it, so I think I’ll have to buy another one after she inevitably steals it J
- Better than my old Chi, and a lot cheaper too!
The CONs:
- It’s very hard to see what’s on the display when viewed from certain angles
Remington is no stranger to my hair straightener reviews, and even if I don’t particularly care for their quality-boasting, you got to hand it to them; they sure know how to make a great product for every budget size. Overwhelmingly positive user reviews attest to that.
The lowest rated (4/5) flat iron on the list, but still worth the buck.
Customers are very pleased in their reports with the quality and performance, ease of use, overall handling, the heat intensity and many more aspects of this hair iron. Digital display has its shortcomings though, as it is not exactly “angle-friendlyâ€.
Ceramic Pro Flat Iron
Let’s dig some essential information concerning our third money saving flat iron:
- 4†ceramic porcelain plates
- Reostat heat control (Going up to 450 degree F)
- Insta heat/recovery
- 8ft tangle-free swivel cord
You can read far more about this model and compare it to the rest of its price-range on Amazon:
Follow this link to visit the page >>
Here are some things the customers liked about this good and cheap hair iron that can deal with even the thickest afro-American hair:
- I’m an African American with a very think and coarse hair. It’s a decent challenge for any hair straightening product out there, but this flat iron handled it like a pro! It tamed my unruly mess of a hair by dishing out just enough temperature
- I use it almost daily! It’s also great if you want to make some beautiful curls. I also like the swivel cord, which prevents any tangling from ever happening. Swivel cord is also a big must if you’re into curling
- I’m just amazed at the speed it heats up! It says it’ll take it a minute or so, but I swear it happens almost instantly. The plates are getting heated very evenly, and so far I haven’t witnessed any hot spots
- I really enjoy how easy to use this flat iron is. It features pretty straight forward controls, and even a tech noob like me can operate it perfectly. There’s a power button, temperature dial, and a light informing you whether the iron is on
- Wider and longer plates allow me to go over more hair at once, so I’m completely done at a fraction of a time it used to take me
- I like how the plates go through my hair without any resistance. There’s no pulling or tugging with this little guy, and when I combine all it has to offer I have to say it’s the best hair straightener in its price range, period!
Let’s go over some of the negative experiences:
- Be careful if you aren’t used to operating this kind of temperature! I cranked it up when I first got it, and realized it gets veeeery hot! Take caution if you have a somewhat delicate hair such as mine
- I don’t like the switch placement
Final thoughts
As one of the customers already said, this flat iron really dishes out the temperature it says, so be careful if you’re used to low-quality, “barely warm†hair straighteners. I can’t come up with anything meaningful to add to what the users have already stated in their reviews.
One of the best products to come to us from Babyliss, especially at that price range and with an overall quality rating of 4.6/5.
It’s a real winner in its price range, and possibly beyond that, knowing what manufacturers are trying to sell for big buck nowadays.
Infiniti Pro Hair Iron
When you name you product model “Infiniti Proâ€, you better have some real substance to back it up.
Let’s see if that’s the case here:
- Ceramic heater and 2†ceramic tourmaline plates for uniform heat level
- Ultra-high temperature (455F)
- 70 percent less frizz, all day hold and humidity protection
- Insta 15-second heat up
- Heat shield included
See the latest customer-feedback, ratings, and prices on Amazon:
So far, so good! But we’ll nevertheless consult the opinions of women and girls who actually have more of a hands-on experience with this hair iron.
We’ll start with the positives – the PROs:
- This is so much better than my cheap Chi hair straightener! It’s like a completely different level! My hair is done in half the time, and the shine and softness are to die for
- It reaches maximum temperature very quickly, and the way it glides through my hair is something else. If I’m in a hurry, I don’t even have to go that slowly, provided I take smaller strands of hair at a time. Saves time, money, and my hair, which is pretty much my definition of the best hair straightener for me!
- The heat is distributed very evenly throughout the plates, thanks to them being solid ceramic, and not just coated. It’s so great not having to worry about hot spots anymore!
- I’ve gone through piles of cheap GHD hair straighteners, and I would trade them all for just this one! It’s simple to use, lies nicely in my hands, and it gets the job done, which is the most important part
- I was at the verge of cutting my coarse, thick hair completely before I tried this one! It just drove me insane, but now I realize that a bunch of wrong hair iron choices might have contributed greatly. I never dreamed my hair could be so straight, soft, and shiny! Also, the temperature is pretty serious stuff, exactly what the doctor ordered
- It’s the best hair straightener in terms of pure performance and lack of any heat damage! There’s also no burnt smell once I’m done with the whole straightening process
Some of the CONs the customers shared:
- I really wished I could’ve used it during my Europe Dual-voltage option is the only thing this iron needs to be perfect!
- They sent me the wrong model, but it was all resolved pretty quickly thanks to the forthcoming customer support staff
Last, but not least, as they say. This Conair flat iron really justifies the “pretentious name” it holds with an overall rating of, again, 4.6/5.
Users report it’s heating up insanely quickly, and reaches out temperatures not even the coarsest of hair can resist. It’s pretty much the main forte of this product, paired up with some other very nice characteristics as stated above. All that at a very affordable price is an offer you won’t be able to refuse.
Final thoughts
After seeing the top rated irons in the price range, the last two thoughts I want to leave you with are these:
- This guide is my baby and I update it every month to keep the info fresh and relevant
- The review process includes users, my colleagues hair stylist and my statistical review method, that’s proven as reliable over the years
I hope this guide helps you save money without sacrificing quality, because that’s what I set out to do.
Stay pretty,
