The best hot rollers to use in your hair right now, 'cos the old-school beauty tool is making a comeback
Hot rollers are not just for grandmas; nor are they a thing of the past. Trust.
Since cutting my hip-length hair off some two years ago now, I’ve become more adventurous when it comes to styling my locks. Before, the weight of my long tresses would mean that anything other than straightening was nearly impossible – I’d finish curling one strand and by the time I got to the next, it would be straight again.
While there undoubtedly were (and are) a whole world of hair accessories and hair products that I could use to try and make my efforts last, I never got into them. That was, until, I tried hot rollers – or heated hair rollers, if you like – on my now shoulder-length hair. Since then, I’ve honestly never looked back.
An easy method of giving my hair some volume, bounce, and a glamorous edge, hot rollers are my go-to for night’s out with the girls or romantic dates with my boyfriend. I will never not love my hair straighteners, curling wand and a good ol’ hair dryer bouncy blow, but there’s only so much you can do with said tools. In order to get that I’ve-just-been-to-the-salon finish, hot rollers are the quickest way forward.
Are hot rollers better than a curling iron?
Some curling irons and wands reach up to 450 degrees in temperature, which can do some pretty hefty damage to your hair when used often. Hot rollers still heat up (clue is in the name), but unlike a curling iron you can leave them - and even pin them - in your hair as your locks cool. This means that the curl is more likely to stay.
How long do hot rollers stay in your hair?
It depends on how much time you’ve got, but the longer you leave them in the better. As your hair cools around the roller it’ll maintain that shape, so you’ll want to leave them in for at least 15 minutes to get a long-lasting result. Of course, it always helps if you use heat protection spray and hair spray, too.
Can you put hot rollers in wet hair?
Big no. Wet hair and heat will result in a lot of damage and could even burn your hair and break it. If you want to use some form of roller on wet hair then you should go for normal hair rollers made from mesh or velcro - then you can apply them while your hair is wet or damp and leave them in overnight for curly hair the next morning. Look for products like these Large Sleep Rollers from Boots.
Which hot rollers are the best?
In terms of which brand has the most hot rollers on the market, BaByliss takes gold. The Thermo-Ceramic Hair Rollers set features 20 soft-touch rollers which add body and bounce to your hair. Showcasing 3 varying roller sizes, all infused with ceramic to help create high defintion curls with long-lasting hold, the kit offers an impressive array of styling options to create a salon-worthy finish.
Elsewhere, T3’s Volumizing LUXE Hot Rollers are a sure fire way to achieve body, shine and a whole lot of volume for your tresses. Eight velvet-flocked rollers - four extra large and four large - and eight crease-free clips come included, but the best part is that T3’s HeatCore technology ensures that your results last throughout the day. That’s all you ever need.
Not after something hot? These sleep-in rollers will help you wake up with a bouncy blow… and they're comfortable enough to drop off in.
For more from GLAMOUR UK’s Commerce Writer Georgia Trodd, follow her on Instagram @georgiatrodd.
Roll on for the best hot rollers we’ve found on the market. Big bouncy hair is just one purchase away.
Best hot rollers for long hair
T3 Volumizing LUXE Hot Rollers, WAS £125 NOW £115, CurrentBody
Why we love them: T3’s Volumizing LUXE Hot Rollers are a sure fire way to achieve body, shine and a whole lot of volume for your tresses. Eight velvet-flocked rollers - four extra large and four large - and eight crease-free clips come included.
Pros: T3’s HeatCore technology ensures that your results last throughout the day
Cons: Even though they're on sale, they're still over £100.
Best hot rollers UK
BaByliss 3663U Curl Pods Hair Heated Rollers, £18, Argos
Why we love them: Featuring 18 Large size pods for total styling versatility, these hot rollers deliver perfect kink-free curls with a smooth finish and volume. The 'ready to use' indicator is positioned on the front of the unit which starts off red, but as the unit heats the pods, the indicator will subtly turn from red to clear. Once the 'ready to use' indicator has changed colour, the pods are ready to use. Easy!
Pros: The ‘ready to use’ indicator.
Cons: There's only one size.
Save when you shop for hot rollers with our Argos discount codes.
Remington hot rollers
Remington PROluxe Heated Hair Rollers H9100, £53, Argos
Why we love them: Remington's PROluxe Heated Rollers are designed for long lasting, salon quality results. Heating up in 90 seconds, with Grip Tech coating to prevent hair slipping, the ceramic-coated hot rollers will set your curls in five minutes.
Pros: They heat up in 90 seconds.
Cons: They only come with large and medium rollers, so smaller/tighter curls aren't as achievable.
Save when you shop for hot rollers with our Argos discount codes.
Hot rollers Amazon
Infinitypro by Conair Instant Heat Ceramic Flocked Rollers, £96.71, Amazon
Why we love them: These hot rollers create dynamic and dimensional curls ranging from tiny and tight to big and bouncy. With 12 heat settings for all hair types, and an ionic generator to avoid unwanted kinks, they heat up within just two minutes. Adds to cart.
Pros: There are three roller sizes.
Cons: The clips are plastic so you'll need to be careful with the heat!
Best hot rollers for fine hair
TRESemme 3039U Volume Rollers, £29.49, Amazon
Why we love them: Inspired by the salon, the TRESemme Volume Rollers build body, volume and provide soft curls with long-lasting results. This set includes 10 large rollers with a fast heat-up time and includes a soft storage case and with a multi-voltage feature making it ideal for styling hair at home or away. All 10 rollers can be heated at the same time and each one comes with a metals pin to secure them in place.
Pros: The case is portable.
Cons: The set only includes 10 rollers.
Heated hair rollers: T3
T3 Voluminous Hot Rollers with Embedded PTC Heater & Aluminium Core, £115, Amazon
Why we love them: Complete with eight pieces, the voluminous hot rollers set has been designed with proprietary tourmaline technology that emits maximum ionic, infrared heat to safely penetrate the hair shaft, effectively styling the hair from the inside out while sealing the hair cuticle.
Pros: The flock coating creates a shiny finish.
Cons: There are only large and extra large sizes.
Best hot rollers for short hair
Nicky Clarke Compact Travel Set of 12 Heated Rollers, £39.99, Amazon
Why we love them: Nicky Clarke is well known and respected in the hair industry, so, when it comes to his own hair products, you know you can trust in them. This set includes easy to use grips to hold each roller in place and features ionic technology which creates smooth, long-lasting curls.
Pros: There's a heat indicator light which tells you when the rollers are ready.
Cons: They take up to 10 minutes to heat up.
Babyliss heated rollers: Velvet hot rollers
BaByliss PRO Soft Style Flocked Hair Setter Hot Rollers, £56.76, Amazon
Why we love them: The velvet to these hot rollers provides a sleek and shiny finish to your newly-curled locks that you don't always get with other styles.
Pros: There are a variety of sizes.
Cons: The largest size isn't that large in comparison to other brands.
Remington heated rollers: Amazon
Remington H5600 Hot Ionic Technology Wax Core Rollers, £59, Amazon
Why we love them: Ionic technology in these hot rollers reduces the static charge of hair and gives it a silky gloss.
Pros: They feature cool ends for easy application.
Cons: You have to leave the lid open for one minute before you can use them.
Babyliss hot rollers: Babyliss heated rollers
BaByliss Thermo-Ceramic Rollers, £50, LookFantastic
Why we love them: This high-performance hairstyling kit features 20 soft-touch rollers, all infused with ceramic to help create high definition curls with long-lasting hold.
Pros: The set comes with 10 super clips and 20 metal pins for securing the rollers.
Cons: They don't have as long of a guarantee as other sets do.
Babyliss hot rollers
BaByliss PRO 30 Piece Heated Ceramic Roller Set, £75, Look Fantastic
Why we love them: This set of thirty ceramic heated rollers come with six small, eight medium, eight large and eight jumbo sizes, each with easy grip with cool rims. Simply plug them in, switch them on and get going.
Pros: There are 30 rollers in four sizes.
Cons: There are only 15 clips.
Save when you shop for hot rollers with our Look Fantastic discount codes.
