To Clamp or Not to Clamp

Both curling tongs with clamps and curling irons with no-clamps create beautiful, voluminous curls. But if you’re not sure what to opt for, we have outlined the differences below.

Curling Iron with a clamp.

Firstly, let’s get with the lingo, generally Curling Irons have a clamp and have been around for a long time. Curling Wands do not have a clamp, and are much newer to the market. Both are great options creating curls and waves.

Structural: Curling irons have clamps (also known as clips) and curling wands don’t.

Speed: Clampless can be a faster way to curl the hair as you don’t need to worry about positioning the clamp or avoiding clamp lines in the hair.

Smoothness: Curls tend to be more structured when done with a curling iron as the clamp can flatten the structure of the hair. More loose curls and waves are made when using a curling wand that has no clamp.

Level: Those who are new to curling may generally prefer the curling iron with a clip. This means your dexterity just focuses on rolling the tool rather than wrapping the hair. Those who are more used to curling hair generally prefer clipless curling wands as they are used to the dexterity of twirling hair around the barrel.

Rolling: With a curling iron you wind the tong from tips to roots, and with a curling wand you wrap the hair from roots to tips. 

How to use a Curling Iron

1. Clamp the bottom of the hair.
2. Wrap the hair up from the rip to the root.
3. Hold for 3-5 seconds.
4. Unclamp and let the curl drop. 

How to use a Curling Wand

1. Use a heat-protection glove + hold the handle with one hand.
2. Hold the strand of the hair with the other hand and wrap hair from root to tip.
3. Hold for 3-5 seconds.
4. Gently remove the wand and cup curls to keep their integrity.