If you’re Black, have naturally coily hair, remember a world without the internet, or got your hair done (at home or at the salon), chances are you have some memories of the infamous hot comb. Whenever a holiday or special occasion came around, you already knew what was coming: a morning spent in the kitchen, with the distinct smell of the styling tool heating up on the stove and the unforgettable sizzle you could hear (and feel!) as soon as it made contact with grease-slathered roots.

That said, it’s easy to see why many of us now opt for flat irons when straightening our hair. But don’t get it twisted, heated combs are still great for smoothing out roots, edges, and small sections. So sometimes, it’s good to bring that old thing back.

Thankfully, heated combs have come a long way since the new millennium, and are way more enjoyable to use now—as long as you know what you’re doing. So let’s get into the nitty-gritty of what they’re all about, along with the best ways to use them, and our top picks for the best heated combs to use.

Our best hot combs for styling natural hair, at a glance

• Best for travel: Red by Kiss Hot Styler Pressing Comb, $21
• Best for detangling: Gold N Hot Professional 24K Gold Pressing & Styling Comb, $39
• Best for even heat distribution: Andis 38335 Professional Ceramic Press Comb, $15
• Best for on-the-go use: DAN Technology Mini Hot Comb, $15
• Best for roots: Conair The Curl Collective Ceramic Pressing Hot Comb, $28
• Best for touch-ups: Infiniti Pro by Conair Gold-Plated Hot Comb, $22
• Best styling set: Leeons Hot Comb, $15
• Best old school feel: Annie Electrical Straightening Comb, $16
• Best for preventing scalp burns: Terviix Electric Hot Comb, $25
• Best for pairing with a stove: Challenger Thermal Pressing Comb, $22
• Best for two-in-one styling: Shark Beauty Heated Comb + Blow Dryer Brush, $99
• Best for blending leave-out: The Frontal Queen Hot Styler Comb, $199

The 12 best hot combs for styling natural hair

Best for travel: Red by Kiss Hot Styler Pressing Comb — $21.00

While your hair should be detangled prior to using any hot tool, this heated comb offers wedge-shaped teeth to help hair glide through seamlessly. 

Key features: Eight-foot swivel cord, gold-plated to balance heat distribution. 

Pros:

• Includes an anti-scald bracket to prevent burning your countertop
• Can also be used on beards

Cons:

• Some may find the cord to be too long

Best for detangling: Gold N Hot Professional 24K Gold Pressing & Styling Comb — $44.00

While your hair should be detangled before using any hot tool, this heated comb offers wedge-shaped teeth to help the hair glide through seamlessly. 

Key features: Eight-foot swivel cord, gold-plated to balance heat distribution. 

Pros:

• Offers adjustable heat settings, up to a max temperature of 430 degrees
  
• Ergonomic handle for maximum comfort while styling

Cons:

• Some may find the cord to be too long

Best for even heat distribution: Andis 38335 Professional Ceramic Press Comb — $15.00

This ceramic-coated comb gives you silky, smooth results while ensuring heat is distributed evenly across the tool. This helps to prevent burns and heat damage. 

Key features: Auto shut off after 30 minutes, fast-heating

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Heats up in as little as 30 seconds
• Affordable option

Cons:

• Has a short auto shut-off time

Best for roots: Conair The Curl Collective Ceramic Pressing Hot Comb — $27.00

Specifically designed to target baby hairs, flyaways, and roots, this staple from Conair helps you straighten every strand, without burning your scalp. 

Key features: Uses ceramic coating to avoid heat damage and hot spots. 

Pros:

• Offers nine heat settings
• 30-second heat up

Cons:

• Can still cause scalp burns if the user is inexperienced

Best for on-the-go use: DAN Technology Mini Hot Comb — $15 — $14.00

This 11-inch by 1.8-inch by 1.6-inch hot comb is smaller than its competitors, making it perfect for on-the-go use. 

Key features: Fast heating, anti-scald bracket to avoid burning countertops. 

Pros:

• Dual voltage, making it safe to use in different parts of the world
• 360-degree swivel cord
• Heats up in 30 seconds

Cons:

• Only offers two heat settings: 430 and 450 degrees

Best for touch-ups: Infiniti PRO by Conair Gold-Plated Hot Comb — $21.00

Offering a max temperature of 345 degrees, this hot comb gets just hot enough for single-pass touch-ups and is great for smoothing over any frizz or flyaways.

Pros:

• Offers 30 heat settings
  
• Salon-grade tool

Cons:

• Single voltage
• Only heats up to 345 degrees, which some may not find to be hot enough if you want to use it for more than touch-ups

Best styling set: Leeons Hot Comb — $15.00

If you’re looking for a hot comb that comes with all the bells and whistles, you’ll definitely want to give Leeons a try.

Key features: This hot comb is made with titanium alloy, allowing for optimal heat distribution. So you’ll really only need to do one pass for smooth results. 

Pros:

• Includes hair clips to make sectioning easier as well as a silicone case to prevent scalding

Cons:

• No auto shut-off feature
  
• Single voltage

Best old school feel: Annie Electrical Straightening Comb — $16.00

If you’re a hot comb pro and miss the old school feel at the salon, opt for this OG straightening comb. While you can’t heat this one up in a traditional salon oven, its single heat setting will give you the same feeling from back in the day. 

Key features: Easy-to-use on and off switch.

Pros:

• Offers a traditional feel
• Only has one heat setting, with a simple-to-maneuver on-and-off switch

Cons:

• Longer heat-up time
• Goes up to 500 degrees, which may cause heat damage

Best for preventing scalp burns: Terviix Electric Hot Comb — $25.00

The Terviix Electric Hot Comb offers a removable anti-scald shield that can be used while the tool is on. This allows you to get as close as you can to your roots, without burning your scalp. 

Key features: Keratin and argan oil-infused teeth provide a smooth and sleek finish.

Pros:

• Safe to use near the scalp and around edges
• Comes in different colors

Cons:

• Offers max heat of 450 degrees, which may cause heat damage

Best for pairing with a stove: Challenger Thermal Pressing Comb — $16.00

If you prefer to heat your hot comb up either in a salon oven or on your kitchen stove, then this is the perfect tool for you. 

Key features: Offers a traditional metal comb, and wooden handle

Pros:

• Gives you a nostalgic feel
• Can still be used in the event of a power outage

Cons:

• Pricey for a non-electric option

Best for two-in-one styling: Shark Beauty Heated Comb + Blow Dryer Brush — $99 — $102.00

If you’re in a rush and don’t want to take a multi-step approach to straightening your hair, this combo tool is both a blow dryer and a hot comb in one. 

Key features: Two-in-one styling to help you achieve a sleek finish in half the time. 

Pros:

• Cuts down styling time
• Can be used on wet hair, straight out of the shower

Cons:

• Tool is larger than traditional hot combs, making it potentially more difficult to maneuver

Best for blending leave-out: The Frontal Queen Hot Styler Comb — $199.00

If you need to blend in your leave-out from your wig or your weave, then this hot comb was made just for you. 

Key features: Made with tourmaline-infused titanium that helps to reduce frizz. 

Pros:

• Seamlessly blends leave-out and extension hair

Cons:

• Pricey option

What are hot combs?

“Hot combs are hair styling tools that resemble traditional combs but have a metal or ceramic component that can be heated either with an electric stove for hair tools or they can be electric themselves,” explains Nafisah Carter, celebrity stylist and owner of The Salon Raleigh in North Carolina. “They are used to straighten hair, resulting in a sleek and smooth appearance.”

It’s also important to note that while hot combs can style all hair types, they’re typically used on curly and coily textures to temporarily straighten hair.

Are hot combs good for your hair?

Like any other hot tool, it depends on how often it’s used. “Hot combs cause the same amount of heat damage as any other hot tool,” explains celebrity hairstylist Ursula Stephen. “Spacing out the time in between using these tools is highly recommended.” That said, Carter recommends always using a heat protectant to shield your hair from damage.

However, using a hot comb at home it’s not something New York City-based Spoke and Weal hairstylist Karen Miller recommends for her clients—or anyone not well-versed with self-styling. Not only is heat damage a factor, but there’s potentially a higher risk of burning the scalp if you’re not familiar with using this specific type of hot tool.

How to use a hot comb

If you prefer to straighten your hair with a hot comb, it’s always best to go to a licensed stylist who specializes in curly hair. However, if you do choose to use one at home, both Miller and Carter recommend using an electric hot comb, rather than heating it up on the stove, as the former is a bit easier for beginners to maneuver. Plus, you’ll have more control of the heat settings.

Still, you may want to lean on an old school trick to ensure the tool isn’t too hot before using it on your hair. “Try testing the hot comb’s temperature by wiping it on a white tissue or napkin,” says Carter. “If the tissue changes color, the comb is too hot, and you should wait for it to cool before applying it to the hair.”

Now you’re ready to go.

Step one: Put on a heat guard glove

This is to prevent burning your free hand that will be holding the hair in place—which can easily come into contact with the hot comb.

Step two: Grab a small section of hair

Section out a quarter-inch section of hair and hold it taught to ensure it’s properly straightened.

Step three: Glide the hot comb through each section

Getting as close to your roots as possible, without touching the scalp, carefully glide the hot comb through your hair until you reach your ends. Be sure to only do one pass per section to avoid heat damage.

How to prep hair for a hot comb

Like with any other styling method, you’ll always want to ensure you’re working on clean hair. So be sure to use a clarifying shampoo prior, as well as a moisturizing conditioner, and of course, a heat protectant.

“I like using SheaMoisture’s Bonding Oil,” says Stephen. “It’s a multi-tasking all-in-one oil offering 24-hour frizz and humidity control, provides heat protection, and creates a protective shield around hair making it soft, easy to detangle, nourished, and moisturized while leaving hair 5x stronger with less breakage versus untreated hair.”

Is a hot comb better than a flat iron?

Depends—mostly on the type of finish you’re looking for.

“It’s more about necessity,” explains Stephen. “Sometimes a flat iron can’t get as close to the scalp as the hot comb can. Usually, once the hair has been flat ironed, you would grab your hot comb for the edges and hairline.”  Carter agrees, but still prefers to use a flat iron. “They typically have titanium and ceramic plates, which are less harsh on the hair compared to hot combs,” she shares.