The 8 Best Curling Wands in Australia

A curling wand is a clipless heated styling tool: a tapered or conical barrel with no clamp, which you wrap hair around by hand to set a curl. Losing the clip is the whole point, because a clamp leaves a crease where it grips and forces every curl to start at the same width. In Australia these wands are sold with barrels that taper from roughly 32mm down to 9mm, and the diameter you wrap against decides whether you finish with a loose beach wave or a tight spiral.

Four shapes cover the Australian market. Conical or tapered wands narrow along their length, so a single barrel gives you several curl sizes depending on where you wrap. Straight-barrel wands hold one diameter end to end for a uniform curl. Skinny chopstick wands sit around 9mm for ringlets and tightly textured styles. Interchangeable-barrel sets ship several clip-free barrels on one handle. Barrel surfaces are ceramic, ceramic-coated, or ceramic with tourmaline added, and every one of them is marketed on frizz control.

Barrel diameter is the number that decides the result, and across these eight wands it runs from 19mm up to 32mm. Below about 13mm you get ringlets, 25mm gives the loose wave most people actually picture, and 32mm produces more of a bend than a curl. The spec buyers overlook is heat recovery. Choice’s guidance on heated stylers makes the point that the better performers not only heat quickly but return to the right temperature faster between sections, which is what stops the last third of your head coming out limper than the first.

This guide compares eight clipless wands sold in Australia, from a budget conical to a salon-brand barrel, with tapers between 19mm and 32mm. Two honest boundaries. First, this is wands only: if you want a clamped iron, an automatic rotating curler or a hot-air styling brush, the comparison of hair curlers covers those instead. Second, three of these eight are recent releases with no Australian review history at all, and that is said plainly in the entry where it applies.

Quick Picks

Best Curling Wands in Australia Compared

Product	Link	Type	Best For	Key Spec
Bed Head Curlipops Clamp-Free Tapered Wand	Check price	Tapered wand	Bouncy curls	25mm, glove included
BaByliss Rose Quartz Conical Wand 13-25mm	Check price	Conical wand	Ringlets to soft waves	13-25mm taper
Remington Botanicals Curling Wand 13-25mm	Check price	Conical wand	Fine or coloured hair	10 settings to 210C
BaBylissPRO Ceramic Conical Wand 32-19mm	Check price	Conical wand	Loose waves	32-19mm, 585 g
Silver Bullet City Chic Conical Wand 13-25mm	Check price	Conical wand	Salon-brand buyers	13-25mm, 30s heat-up
Santiway Tapered Curling Wand 19-25mm	Check price	Tapered wand	Mid-range buyers	19-25mm, dual voltage
VS Sassoon Smooth Fusion Conical Wand 32-19mm	Check price	Conical wand	Loose waves on a budget	32-19mm taper
VS Sassoon Petite Style Conical Wand 33-19mm	Check price	Compact conical wand	Travel	33-19mm, short handle

How We Picked

We swept the Australian catalogues of five affiliate retailers plus Amazon AU for clipless wands, filtering roughly 120 listings down to true tapered and straight-barrel wands by checking each product image for a clamp. Clamped curling irons, automatic rotating curlers, three-barrel wavers and hot-air brushes were all cut. Two products were dropped on availability instead of performance: one shipped with a US plug despite sitting on the Australian store, and another quoted a six-to-seven-month dispatch.

Picks were cross-referenced against Choice’s heated-styler guidance and verified Australian buyer reviews on ProductReview and Amazon AU, with recurring complaints used to write the drawbacks in each entry. Two further wands were cut at the image stage because no clean product photograph existed above 500 pixels. We don’t physically test every product. Selections are informed by affiliate partnerships, but commission does not override editorial ranking when a lower-commission product is the better pick.

1. Bed Head Curlipops Clamp-Free Tapered Wand – Best Clamp-Free Wand for Bouncy Curls

The name is silly and the tool is not. Curlipops is a 25mm tapered barrel with no clamp anywhere on it, and at 4.6 out of 5 across more than 2,400 ratings it carries the deepest review history of the eight. Bed Head also sits at the premium end of this lineup, which is the first thing to weigh against it.

What reviewers praise most consistently is curling performance and ease of use, and the most useful detail in the aggregate is that it takes on hair which normally refuses to hold a curl at all. It ships with a heat-resistant glove. On a clipless wand that is not a courtesy but equipment (your free hand is the clamp): your free hand holds the hair against a bare hot barrel for the length of every section.

Two things split opinion and both matter. Heating speed draws mixed comment, with a real cluster of reviewers reporting it does not get hot enough. Curl duration divides the same way, some getting all-day hold and others losing the curl within hours. Read those together and you get a wand that suits fine to medium hair and struggles on coarse hair needing 200 degrees to take a set. The review base is also global, not Australian, so there is no local sample to check.

Pros

• 4.6 out of 5 from more than 2,400 ratings, the largest evidence base here
• A 25mm taper covers several curl sizes from one barrel
• Heat-resistant glove included, which a clipless barrel makes essential
• Reviewers report it holding curl on hair that normally will not

Cons

• A recurring cluster of reviewers report it does not get hot enough, which bites on coarse hair
• Curl duration divides reviewers, with some losing the set within a few hours
• No Australian reviews at all despite being sold here, so there is no local sample
• Premium end of this page for a single fixed taper with no interchangeable barrels

Key specs: 25mm tapered clipless barrel; ceramic surface; heat-resistant glove included; rated 4.6 out of 5 from 2,425 global ratings.

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2. BaByliss Rose Quartz Conical Wand 13-25mm – Best for Tight to Medium Curls

Six thousand ratings at 4.5 out of 5 makes this the most-reviewed wand on the page, and the 13-25mm taper is the most useful range here: wrap at the tip for ringlets, wrap at the base for a soft wave, all from one barrel.

Reviewers mention quality more than any other attribute and functionality second, which for a heated tool is about as good a signal as an aggregate gives you. The rose quartz finish is cosmetic. The ceramic barrel underneath is the same technology as the black salon wands further down this page, at a fraction of what position four asks.

The complaint worth reading is Australian, and it concerns fulfilment instead of the tool: a buyer received one with the box already open, no plastic wrapping and a loose cord, apparently a return or display unit sold on as new. Check the seal the day it lands. It is also worth knowing this model is listed in a 10mm version alongside the 13-25mm, and the size selector is easy to get wrong.

Pros

• 4.5 out of 5 from 6,083 ratings, the largest sample of any wand here
• The 13-25mm taper spans ringlets through to soft waves
• Quality is the single most-mentioned attribute across its reviews
• Costs a fraction of the salon-brand wand in position four

Cons

• An Australian buyer reported one arriving with the box open, no wrapping and a loose cord, apparently a resold return
• The listing also carries a 10mm barrel, and choosing the wrong size variant is easy to do
• The rose quartz finish is decoration and adds nothing to how it performs
• No stand in the box, so a bare hot barrel has to rest on whatever your bench is made of

Key specs: 13-25mm conical clipless barrel; ceramic surface; model C454E; also sold in a 10mm barrel; rated 4.5 out of 5 from 6,083 global ratings.

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3. Remington Botanicals Curling Wand 13-25mm – Best Temperature Control

Ten temperature settings up to 210 degrees is the reason this one is here. Most wands at this money give you three settings, or a single dial with no numbers printed on it, and neither helps if your hair is fine, bleached or already heat-damaged.

Australian reviewers rate it 4.8 out of 5 and, while 33 ratings is a small sample, not one of them sits below four stars. The recurring themes are fast heat-up and the temperature control itself. One Australian buyer with fine, thin, bleached hair reported her previous Remington conical lasting since high school, which is the sort of longevity claim nobody can verify but which is at least worth weighing.

Be aware that some of those ratings are Amazon Vine reviews, meaning the reviewer received the wand free. That does not make them dishonest, but it does skew a sample positive. Thirty-three ratings is thin either way.

The 13-25mm taper matches the BaByliss above almost exactly, so choose between the two on controls: the BaByliss brings the far larger review base, this one brings finer temperature adjustment. If you colour your hair, take the settings, which costs less than the salon-brand wands further down.

Pros

• Ten temperature settings up to 210 degrees, the finest control on this page
• 4.8 out of 5 with no rating below four stars
• Fast heat-up reported consistently by Australian buyers
• 13-25mm conical barrel covering ringlets through soft waves

Cons

• Only 33 ratings, and some are Amazon Vine reviews of free units, so the sample skews positive
• The plant-extract barrel coating is a marketing story, not a measurable benefit
• No stand included, which some cheaper wands here do provide
• At 13-25mm it cannot deliver the loose bend a 32mm barrel gives

Key specs: 13-25mm conical clipless barrel; ten heat settings to 210C; ceramic coated surface; model CI5860AU; rated 4.8 out of 5 from 33 Amazon AU ratings.

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4. BaBylissPRO Ceramic Conical Wand 32-19mm – Best Wide Barrel for Loose Waves

A 32mm to 19mm taper is the widest on this page, and width is the entire reason to buy it. Wrap at the fat end for the loose, barely-there bend that reads as natural hair instead of a set curl, then move down the barrel when you want something tighter. At 585 grams it is also the heaviest wand here (heavier than a full soft-drink can), and you feel that holding it up behind your head for the back sections.

There are no customer reviews on the Australian listing at all, so there is no evidence base beyond a salon brand’s reputation and a spec sheet. That is a real gap, and it sits next to a price near the top of this page. If you want a wide barrel with a review history behind it, the VS Sassoon 32-19mm further down has the same taper for roughly a third of the outlay, and the trade is build quality that neither listing lets you verify.

Pros

• 32-19mm is the widest taper here and the right shape for loose waves
• Salon sub-brand built on the professional line instead of the retail one
• Simple single-barrel design with very little to go wrong
• Ceramic barrel surface

Cons

• Zero customer reviews on the Australian listing, so there is no evidence base whatsoever
• 585 grams makes it the heaviest wand here, which tells on the back sections
• Near the top of this page on price for a wand with no review history
• Filed under an unrelated product category on the listing, which suggests one nobody maintains

Key specs: 32-19mm conical clipless barrel; ceramic surface; 585 g; no customer reviews on the Australian listing at the time of writing.

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5. Silver Bullet City Chic Conical Wand 13-25mm – Best Fast Heat-Up

Silver Bullet is an Australian professional brand, and this is the wand you are more likely to meet on a salon bench here than on a Chemist Warehouse shelf. The single Australian review on the listing reports it reaching working temperature in about 30 seconds, the fastest heat-up figure on this page that comes from a buyer instead of a box.

That same reviewer’s honest verdict was that it makes nice beach waves but takes some getting used to, and she gave it three stars. One review is not a sample. What does carry weight is the brand’s record elsewhere: on ProductReview, Australian buyers rate the Silver Bullet Keratin straightener 4.2 out of 5, which is above both ghd irons in that same category.

Stock is the practical problem. At the time of writing there were three units left on the listing, and a professional-brand wand at this money tends not to be restocked quickly. Anyone after a salon tool with an Australian support path instead of an overseas seller should look here first, and should look soon.

Pros

• Australian professional brand with a local support path
• A buyer reports roughly 30-second heat-up, the fastest buyer-reported figure here
• The brand’s straightener rates 4.2 on ProductReview, above both ghd irons in that category
• 13-25mm conical barrel

Cons

• A single rating of 3 out of 5 is the entire review history on the Australian listing
• That one reviewer noted it takes practice before the result is consistent
• Only three units showing in stock, so it may be gone by the time you look
• Costs more than the Remington and BaByliss above with far less evidence behind it

Key specs: 13-25mm conical clipless barrel; ceramic surface; roughly 30-second heat-up per buyer report; rated 3 out of 5 from a single Amazon AU rating.

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6. Santiway Tapered Curling Wand 19-25mm – Best Mid-Range All-Rounder

This sits mid-range on price and, on the evidence available, in the upper half on performance: 4.5 out of 5 across 64 ratings for a 19-25mm tapered barrel with dual voltage and a glove in the box.

The most useful thing in its reviews is practical. A buyer reports being able to curl the back of her own head with it, which she could not manage using a clamped iron. That is the clipless advantage in one sentence, and it is the reason wands exist at all. Another reviewer burned her hand after skipping the glove once, which is the same coin’s other face.

The catch is provenance. There are no Australian reviews on the listing, the sample is North American, and at least one is a Vine review of a free unit. Dual voltage does at least settle the plug and voltage question that sank two other candidates. Against the Remington in position three it gives up the fine temperature settings and gains dual voltage, which is the whole trade. A reasonable pick if you want a mid-priced tapered wand and can live with a brand name you have never heard.

Pros

• 4.5 out of 5 across 64 ratings, a real sample at this price
• 19-25mm taper suits medium curls through to soft waves
• Dual voltage, so it works overseas and the plug question is settled
• Heat-resistant glove included in the box

Cons

• No Australian reviews at all, and the North American sample includes at least one free-product Vine review
• An unfamiliar brand with no local service path if it fails
• A reviewer burned her hand after skipping the included glove, which a bare barrel makes easy
• The 19-25mm range is narrower than it sounds and will not give a 32mm loose bend

Key specs: 19-25mm tapered clipless barrel; ceramic surface; dual voltage; heat-resistant glove included; rated 4.5 out of 5 from 64 global ratings.

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7. VS Sassoon Smooth Fusion Conical Wand 32-19mm – Best Budget Wide Taper

The same 32-19mm taper as the salon wand in position four, at roughly a third of the outlay. It is the cheapest wide taper on this page. That is the entire pitch, and for plenty of people it will be enough.

VS Sassoon is the brand most Australians recognise from a Chemist Warehouse shelf instead of a salon, and the compromise at this money is usually build rather than function. A wide conical barrel is a simple object, and there is not a great deal in a 32mm ceramic taper that a premium price actually buys. The counterpoint is that this listing carries no reviews either, so probably fine is honestly all anyone can tell you.

Take it if you want loose waves, want to spend as little as possible discovering whether you will use a wand at all, and are relaxed about the missing review history. Take position four instead if you expect to reach for it several times a week for years.

Pros

• Same 32-19mm taper as the salon-brand wand for roughly a third of the price
• The cheapest wide taper on this page
• Familiar Australian retail brand, easy to buy and return
• Simple single-barrel design with little to fail

Cons

• No customer reviews on the listing, so there is no performance evidence at all
• Build quality is the usual compromise at this money and cannot be checked before buying
• Nothing like the temperature granularity of the Remington above
• A 32mm barrel is too wide for anyone wanting defined curls instead of waves

Key specs: 32-19mm conical clipless barrel; ceramic surface; no customer reviews on the Australian listing at the time of writing.

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8. VS Sassoon Petite Style Conical Wand 33-19mm – Best Compact Wand for Travel

The cheapest wand here and the smallest: a 33-19mm taper on a shortened handle built to go in a bag. Anyone who has tried to fit a full-length wand into carry-on will understand why the handle length matters more than the spec sheet suggests.

There are no reviews, the same caveat that applies to the two wands above it, and at this money the honest framing is a low-stakes experiment, not a tool you plan to keep for years. It is the one to grab if you want a wand for holidays and already own something better at home. Anyone using a wand as their main styling tool should spend up to the Remington or the BaByliss.

Pros

• The cheapest wand on this page
• Shortened handle genuinely designed for a travel bag
• 33-19mm taper still spans waves through to tighter curls
• Familiar Australian retail brand

Cons

• No reviews on the listing at all
• A shortened handle gives less leverage and control on long hair
• Nothing in the heat control suggests it suits fine or coloured hair
• Built to a price, and the wand here most likely to need replacing within a couple of years

Key specs: 33-19mm conical clipless barrel; compact travel handle; ceramic surface; no customer reviews on the Australian listing at the time of writing.

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How to Choose a Curling Wand

Start with barrel diameter, not brand. Wrapping hair around a 9mm barrel gives ringlets, 25mm gives the loose wave most people mean when they say they want curls, and 32mm produces a bend. A tapered barrel hedges the bet: wrap near the tip for tighter, near the base for looser. Got fine hair that drops a curl by lunchtime? Go narrower than you think you want. A Brisbane wet season will loosen a set curl faster than a Melbourne winter ever manages, and every curl relaxes as it cools regardless.

Clipless means the glove is not optional. A wand has no clamp, so your free hand holds the hair against a bare barrel sitting somewhere between 150 and 210 degrees (hot enough to blister in a second). Every wand here that includes a heat-resistant glove is better for it, and reviewers who skipped theirs have the burns to report. This is the single biggest practical difference from a clamped iron, and the reason a first wand takes a week of practice.

Treat the barrel-material marketing with suspicion. Ceramic, ceramic-coated, tourmaline-added: every listing claims its surface fights frizz. Choice reports that in its trials of heated stylers, respondents showed no preference between one plate material and another. That finding covers straighteners instead of wands, so treat it as directional, but it is a useful corrective to a spec that takes up a lot of listing space and changes very little.

Temperature settings beat top temperature. A wand reaching 210 degrees is not better than one reaching 180 unless you have coarse hair that genuinely needs it. What helps is granularity: picking 150 for fine or bleached hair instead of choosing between low, medium and high. Fine, coloured or heat-damaged hair is exactly the case where a ten-setting dial earns its money, and it is the one spec worth paying up for on this page.

Price does not predict satisfaction here. On ProductReview’s heated-styler category, drawn from more than 2,600 Australian reviews, the highest-rated tools are mid-priced while premium salon irons from ghd and Cloud Nine sit between 3.4 and 3.9 out of 5. Several of those low scores turn on repairs and warranty handling instead of the tool failing outright. Spend where the controls and the barrel size are right, not where the brand is loudest.

Check the plug and the seller before you buy. Two wands cut from this shortlist failed on availability, not styling: one shipped with a US plug despite being listed on the Australian store, the other quoted a six-to-seven-month dispatch. Dual voltage is a real plus if you travel, but an Australian plug is the baseline, and a seller with no local service path is a risk on any heated appliance. If you want a flat iron instead of a wand, the hair straighteners comparison covers those.

You’ll Also Want

A wand only works properly on bone-dry hair, and dry hair at 200 degrees needs a barrier, so a heat protection styling spray is the one accessory worth buying before the wand itself. Getting hair dry without cooking it is the other half of that job, which the guide to hair dryers covers.

Almost none of these wands ship with a stand, and a clipless barrel has no clamp to prop it on, so a heat-resistant silicone mat and pouch stops a 200-degree barrel resting straight on your benchtop. The pouch doubles as the thing you pack it in before it has fully cooled.

Wrapping by hand is far easier when the rest of your hair is out of the way, and a set of metal duck-bill sectioning clips costs very little and turns a clumsy first attempt into a repeatable routine.

Frequently Asked Questions

For most people the BaByliss Rose Quartz is the wand to buy: a 13-25mm taper covering ringlets through to soft waves, backed by the largest review sample on this page at 6,083 ratings. If your hair is fine, bleached or coloured, the Remington Botanicals earns its small premium for ten temperature settings up to 210 degrees instead of three. And if you want the loose 32mm bend instead of a defined curl, the VS Sassoon Smooth Fusion gives you the same taper as the salon wand in position four for roughly a third of the outlay, with the honest caveat that nobody has reviewed it yet.