There is something enticing about hair done in beach waves that appear easy. Yet, there is a catch: despite the style’s seeming simplicity, it is actually rather difficult to learn without the proper tool. The three equally sized barrels of a hair waver open like a crimper to push hair strands into the characteristic S-shape of beach waves.
To assist you in locating the greatest hair waver, we evaluated the top-rated items on the market. During our exhaustive testing, we discovered two clear frontrunners: the Hot Tools Pro Artist 24K Gold 3 Barrel Hair Waver (available at Ulta), which earned our Best Overall spot for its perfect scores across the board, and the Bed Head Wave Affair 3 Barrel Digital Jumbo Hair Waver (available at Amazon), which earned the title Best Value because it performs nearly as well as more expensive options without compromising performance.
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If you want to experiment with the wavy hair trend without breaking the bank, the Bed Head Wave Affair 3 Barrel Digital Jumbo Hair Waver is an excellent option.
Although costing less than half as much as our Best Overall option, this hair waver performed admirably in the great majority of evaluations. Similar to the more costly option, it features an easy-to-read digital display that lets you to set the temperature up to 410°F. What’s missing: a guide on selecting the correct number for your hair type. This was my first time testing a hair waver, so I opted for a temperature of 410°F since I think that higher temps produce the sleekest appearance for my hair.
This waver takes longer to heat up than some of the other options on the list, notably the Best Overall option, but once it does, it produces beach waves in a flash. As I let the clamp to fully tighten on my strands, the hair became more wrinkled than I desired. This may be due to the fact that this hair waver seems heavier in every direction.
This device has several safety features that our ultimate winner lacks, including a kickstand and a glove for finger protection, if desired.
Pros
- Digital display
- Includes a safety stand and gloves
- Long cable
Cons
- Heavy
Three-barrel Hot Tools Pro Artist 24K Gold Waver
The Hot Tools Pro Artist 24K Gold 3 Barrel Hair Waver received flawless marks in all categories, including construction and durability, usage, and performance. My experience with this hair waver was quite favourable from beginning to end (and beyond).
First and foremost, the hair waver features a digital display that shows the precise temperature setting, allowing you to select the optimal temperature for your hair type between 200°F and 450°F and see when the iron has reached the desired temperature and is ready to use. The instructions give detailed direction on the optimal temperature ranges for various hair types. I selected to wave my shoulder-length, medium-textured hair at 350°F, which was at the lower end of the suggested temperature range for this hair type.
As is the case with the great majority of hair wavers, the instrument is cumbersome and difficult to use on my non-dominant side, however the button location on this specific model is as user-friendly as possible. It even features a lock—a dial you depress—to prevent you from mistakenly adjusting the settings while using it.
This hair waver exceeds the competition when it comes to results, possibly the most significant component of a high-quality hair waver. A single clamp of a three- to four-inch portion of hair held for less than five seconds produced immediate S-shaped waves that lasted all day, even after a long and brisk walk around the neighborhood—no hairspray required! I repeated this technique two to three times down each portion of my hair and over my entire head, which took around fifteen minutes.
If there’s a negative to this hair waver, it’s that it lacks a standard kickstand, so it rests low to the counter when not in use, which might be a problem if your vanity is made of wood or another heat-sensitive material.
Pros
- Appealing design
- Digital display
- Lock to retain settings while in use
Cons
- Missing safety stand
Amika High Tide Deep Waver
The sleek, black Amika High Tide Deep Wave Hair Crimper includes an extremely easy-to-read digital display that indicates the precise temperature you’re dealing with up to 390°F – a lower maximum temperature than the majority of the other devices I tested. Nonetheless, I tested this temperature on my hair because this was one of the first hair wavers I evaluated and there was no information available. At this temperature, the hair waver provided me with considerable waves that lasted throughout my 9-hour workday. This iron tells you when it is fully heated, and you won’t have to wait long because it heats up quickly, making it excellent for those who are frequently pressed for time.
The waver includes desirable safety features that other devices lack, like an auto-shutoff mechanism, a metal stand, and a glove to shield your fingertips from the heat. It also has a one-year warranty, so you can feel confident about your purchase, despite the fact that it was the most costly device we evaluated.
Pros
- Automatic cutoff
- Becomes hot very soon
Cons
- Lower maximum temperature compared to other waveforms
Bondi Boost Wave Wand (32mm)
Even though the Bondi Boost Waver Wand is a tremendously popular product, it landed in the centre of the pack since its advantages and disadvantages are comparable.
I will not dispute that it is a highly effective hair waver that produced the smoothest waves of any instrument that lasted through the rigours of a typical day, including mild activity. Its huge barrels let me to collect more hair at once, hence saving styling time. The difficulty is that the styling tool’s barrels make it significantly heavier and more difficult to manage than other versions I’ve examined.
Like our award-winning hair wavers, the Bondi Boost boasts user-friendly controls and a clear digital display. The temperature is indicated in degrees Celsius. After reading the instructions, it appears that there is no method to translate the temperature to Fahrenheit, which might lead to misunderstanding.
If you can overlook these little drawbacks, you will love the overall performance and some of the extra features, such as the fact that you can lock the tool at a specific temperature and rely on it to go to sleep after an hour—a excellent safety feature. For me, the incredible benefits that this product offered my hair were not worth the style difficulties that were not there with other products that also produced excellent results.
Pros
- Digital display
- Rapidly generates heat
- Automatic cutoff
Cons
- Temperature is only shown in Celsius
