With this T3 BodyWaver, you can get a salon-worthy look at home without overexposure to heat and damage. Design: There are two types of hair wavers out there: round triple-barrel wavers and deep V wavers. For consistency sake, we decided to only test triple-barrel wavers—the more popular type right now—as they deliver the tousled, S-shaped style of beach waves as opposed to crimped, zig-zag ones. Having short hair is bliss as you can experiment with a lot of different styles like curling, straightening, waving with a little maintenance.

I recommend using a waver on clean, dry hair, or, if needed, applying dry shampoo for a freshly-washed feel,” says Jewel. “Instead of holding the tool horizontal, try holding it at different angles for a more natural, imperfect wave. Use small subsections of hair closer to the root on bottom sections for extra volume.” Hair Type: After testing all eight hair wavers, I’ve come to the conclusion that these styling tools work best on straight hair. If your natural hair skews wavy or curly (like mine), you’ll see the sleekest results if you run a straightener through your hair or blow dry it at least semi-straight rather than allowing it to air-dry prior to use. Admittedly, either of these extra steps adds to the styling time required, ironic because the style itself is meant to look so effortless.

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You can achieve soft and romantic natural waves by just rough drying your hair, curling a section onto the deep hair waver, and waiting for the curls to cool. The small size of this Conair Mini hair waver is perfect for getting wavy hair when you’re travelling.

If you have longer hair, you can use a hair waver with larger barrels (see: around three inches). However, if you have shorter hair, using too large of a hair waver can be (a) difficult or (b) cause you to burn yourself. The solution? Use a hair waver with smaller barrels (try Bed Head A Wave We Go Adjustable Deep Waver), but in this case, note that some smaller barrels may create tighter waves. If you prefer the more undone wave look, use a single barrel hair waver, like the Hot Tools Professional Nano Ceramic Deep Waver. Prep your hair properly When it comes to results—arguably the most important aspect of a quality hair waver—this one outperforms the rest. A single clamp of a 3- to 4-inch section of hair held for less than 5 seconds delivered instant S-shaped waves that held steady all day long, even after a lengthy and brisk walk around the neighborhood—no hairspray needed! I repeated that action two to three times down each section of hair and all over my head, which took about 15 minutes. All you need to do is dry and detangle your hair, divide it into sections, hold the waver’s steam vents away from the scalp and move the waver according to you. Do you style your hair once a week, once a month, or once a year? If you only grab your hair waver for the yearly Christmas party, it doesn’t make sense to drop the cash on a salon-quality hair waver.I’ve used many different hair wavers for short hair in the past but I found T3 BodyWaver to be the best one for its technology, usage, and functions. All you have to do is dry your hair, separate them into sections and run the waver from where you want your waves.

Scientific studies show that protecting your hair with heat protectant lessens hair breakage. The polymers in hair protectant keep the heat from degrading the keratin. Oh and the plates have a ceramic coating, which is great news for curly hair or damaged hair as the plates don’t get hot enough.We tested hair wavers that contain three curling iron-like barrels, but others look like a zig-zag crimper. Create a budget before you do your shopping. Your eye might catch an expensive hair waver while you’re scrolling through products, but don’t waste your time looking at hair wavers you can’t afford. So, What’s the Best Hair Waver? A wave iron is one of the simplest ways to get perfectly imperfect tousled beach waves, however, your results can change depending on the style of the hot tool you use. The best hair wavers for beach waves will typically have multiple barrels (or curved, jagged sections) that clamp down onto each other, leaving your tresses looking naturally lived in. They will also have adjustable temperature settings so you can maximize your styling to your hair type.