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Are you SURE that a flat iron with a built in comb for natural hair is your best option?
If you think that a flat iron with teeth is the answer to straightening out your thick, 4C natural hair until it’s sleek and straight without heat damage, hold onto your cash unless you specifically need the flat iron version that steams for frail hair, because...
...what I'm about to show you about this type of flat iron comb just may change your mind FOREVER (even though I will vouch for the 1st place winning flat iron)....
... ONLY because of the brand reputation, not the "built-in comb" thingy.
STILL THOUGH:
You get good news! Because I'll give you what I feel are some FAR BETTER options that'll give you your most amazingly silky and smooth-looking straightened natural hair.
So dive in!
And hey, if you’re deadset of using a flat iron with built in comb for natural hair, I’ll show you your best options of those types of flat iron combs as well. As a matter of fact, you can jump right to them if you want...
And rest assured, because today...
... you'll get every answer and option you'll need to lead you to the BEST hair straightener for your natural hair type.
And that's fact. Look...
If you’ve been to this natural hair info-hub before, you know about the TONS OF RESEARCH we put into our reviews for the best flat irons for natural hair silk presses.
Honestly, using one of the highest-rated flat irons reviewed in that article, combined with a good clamping flat iron comb are the best answer for silky smooth-to-the-touch, sleek-looking natural hair.
And here’s why…
Join NHP-HIVE and get sent our info-packed, down-to-earth & sometimes funny NHP hair tutorials by email. SIGN UP HERE...
You'll Pay for a Quality Flat Iron Once or Pay The Price With Mediocre Straightening Results
Some natural-haired honeys have learned this lesson long ago and they are the ones who always get great straightening results and have everyone asking them what their "secret"is...
And the secret is simple:
If you want the smoothest, sleekest, straightest natural hair results...
... you WILL pay now or pay later.
Because to put it plainly - Using high-quality straightening tools makes THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE in getting great results or getting "trash" frizzy regrets.
Cheap flat irons are THE #1 CULPRIT and reason why....
...some naturals just don’t believe that it’s even possible to have truly straightened natural hair.
They are wrong though, they have been been hoodwinked! Bamboozled! Led astray! Run amok!
And even if a flat iron with built in comb for natural hair IS NOT THE ANSWER. I'll show you how you can get truly bone strait hair,
Listen to what happened to Chinwe, the face behind the hair and health blog.
Back in the day, Chinwe thought that it was impossible to flat iron natural hair so that it would get really and truly “bone-straight”...
She thought that because she'd tried sooooo many times and failed.
Thankfully, homegirl soon learned where she had been going wrong the whoooole dang time.
I'll tell you her story about FINALLY straightening natural 4C hair in the next section...
[RELATED ARTICLE: Find the best hair steamers for natural hair]
This 4C Natural FOUND The #1 Key To The Silkiest & Straightest Flat Iron Press Results
So this is what happened in Chinwe’s “how to flat iron natural hair” moment of discovery...
A few years back, one of her sisters who is also type-4 natural convinced Chinwe to let her flat iron her kinky, coily natural hair.
Funny thing is:
Chinwe was low-key thinking that she was going prove to her sister that her kinky 4C hair simply refused to get very straight, no matter what.
And guess what...
...Chinwe was proven wrong!
And she truly learned the MAJOR importance of the quality of straightening tool that you're using and how it makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE in whether you get your natural hair bone straight or halfway janky, ready to puff up any minute and get frizzy.
She Learned Why "Flat Irons Don't Straighten Type 4C Hair"... (They Do!)
Some naturals have mistakenly figured that "a flat iron doesn't straighten my hair" like women with looser curl patterns.
That's why it's so important that you know what Chinwe learned...
Her type 4 natural sister had a REAL natural hair flat iron. You see...
Her sister had one of the BMW's of flat irons, the GHD Gold Pro hair straightener, while Chinwe had lived a life of rollin' in the hoopties of the flat iron world, riding dirty with the gas tank light on "E", lol...
After letting her sister bless her with an elite flat iron press session, she realized that the "results" she was accustomed to getting from rinky-dink $40–50 hair straightening tools versus the results of natural hair flat irons that were profession-level ( thus, double or even quadruple the price of the cheapies) were like night and day.
Pro Tip: The results between the cheapies & the pro-level flat irons for kinky natural hair are NIGHT and DAY different. You should be SURE to get the results you want or don't waste your time.
Chinwe learned that the ABSOLUTE BEST WAY to straighten her kinky Black hair with a flat iron was to stop wasting her time trying to squeeze juice from a turnip and use the flat irons that are MADE to really work and also last a long time.
And neither of her favorites are a flat iron with built in comb teeth, although you can easily use a flat iron straightening comb with them. Her 2 favorites for how to make natural hair flowy & bone straight are:
Her kinky type 4 natural hair responds and straightens best with GHD’s Gold Professional flat iron by far...
...and MK‑I Halo’s Ceramic (being a close second) and are the most effective flat-ironing tools that get her hair salon straight, flowy and sleekly smooth for weeks.
None of the other straightening irons she had tried did such an impressive and thourough straightening for her kinks, even when she used the so-called “tried and true” flat iron straightening techniques, such as the comb chase method.
After about 45 minutes of flat-ironing with her sister...
...her once kicky-curly natural hair was now “bone straight” and all while straightening with less than 370 degrees Fahrenheit, effectively avoiding heat damage! And ofcourse, she used a top-notch heat protectant.
You can check out the highly-rated Bamboo Smooth Anti-Breakage Thermal Protectant (right here) if you need a good & proven flat iron heat protectant product that keeps your flat iron from pulling, burning & breaking your tresses.
How She Uses The Best Straightening Tools for Black Hair
Of course, getting and using the best straightening products for Black Hair means paying more for more quality, but better quality means better results for you.
Paying ONCE for smoother, better flat iron plates and technology translates into smoother, straighter results with less heat. She bought her GHD flat iron for somewhat less than $300 and when she straightens she stays in the 300's (Fahrenheit) temperature range for heat.
She noticed that her other low-budget cheap flat irons would require more heat (in the 400s) to get close to the same natural hair straightening results, if at all possible.
The GHD Pro straightening iron for natural 4C hair does not have an adjustable temperature setting, but according to the GHD flat iron website, the Gold Professional iron ranges from 347 to 365 F. Saving your hair from excess heat and giving a top-notch performance in less time and less passes.
Did She Lose Her Kinky 4C Texture PERMANENTLY After Going "Bone Straight"?
Nope!
Reverting her natural hair after flat ironing was simple and quick.
Chinwe's natural 4C kinks bounced right back after washing her hair for a couple of weeks.
From that day forward, Chinwe became a firm believer in this level of versatility – the ability to go from tight and shrunken kinky coily natural to super straight hair and all the way back again.
If you've had challenges in successfully experiencing this kind of texture change versatility, you can learn from her experience in learning how to flat iron natural hair properly and with gorgeous results.
Now recognize:
Chinwe did not use a flat iron with comb teeth attached, she realized the importance of using high quality and that was the answer.
Still though:
If you STILL feel that you want a flat iron w/comb attached, I'll show you pros & cons...
My mama always said "a hard head makes for a soft behind"...
LOL, so I already know...
...no matter what I say, some hard heads will insist on getting a flat iron with built in comb teeth, so I'm gonna give you ALL the good and bad of using a flat iron with straightening comb attached.
Then you'll have the information to make a smart decision for yourself about a flat iron with built in comb vs an elite flat iron.
The greatest benefit of a flat iron with built in comb for natural hair is that you can divide your natural 4C hair into an even layer as you straighten.
So your typical flat iron with teeth can help each section of hair get an even amount of heat.
And even though you can get the same results from using a clamping flat iron comb...
...the flat iron with teeth can be helpful if you have really kinky curly hair. Although as we talked about earlier, the main reason for a failed straightening session is using an inferior flat iron.
Still though:
Many times, kinky hair and thick curls don’t like to straighten when your individual hair strands are tangled and locked together.
If you hate to finger comb (sometimes called finger detangling) each section of hair before straightening it, a flat iron with built in comb for natural hair can help eliminate the need to finger combing step, and helps by separating your hair as the flat iron straightener passes down the length of each hair section.
A flat iron with built in comb for natural hair is also good for thick hair. When you have thick natural hair, you often end up with parts of your hair not recieving enough heat, while other parts are getting too much. (This is a bigger problem with low-quality flat irons than with professional models.)
By using a flat iron with teeth, the buit-in comb helps position your hair evenly, so that every part of your sectioned off hair receives the needed heat in order to fully straighten without frizziness.
And you can do all the styles that a flat iron without teeth can do...
A flat iron with built in comb for natural hair has the same overall functionality of other flat irons in it's class range. In other words, You can use a flat iron with built in comb for natural hair to straighten and curl as normal.
The attached flat iron comb just make things go smoother, the same way that a normal flat iron comb or clamp comb would.
PRO TIP: Using a normal flat iron comb (A.K.A. clamp comb) with a high-quality flat iron will give you equal or better results than MOST flat irons with built-in combs.
Some kinky-haired naturals discover that maneuvering a flat iron with teeth is clunky-feeling, a bit more difficult to maneuver and that the attached flat iron comb slows the whole process.
That’s because your typical flat iron with built in comb for natural hair device can only be used (or passed) in one direction because of the comb position settings, and since you need the comb to start the pass close to your head at the roots.
This makes this natural hair flat iron more difficult to work with, especially when you have to switch from one side of your head to the other. It can also be annoying when you’re doing the back sections.
Although I begrudgingly give you a top 5 list for finding the best flat iron with built in comb for natural hair further down this page, it's almost like the "best of the mediocre flat irons" when we look at ALL the other flat irons you could be using for the best results.
In fact:
Only ONE of the flat irons on the top 5 list below is made by a TRUE professional salon-level brand. (It's #1 on our list, of course.)
And even the #1 winner for best flat iron with built in comb for natural hair is outperformed by the other flat irons from the SAME BaBylissPRO Brand.
In my opinion, the "flat iron with teeth" thing is a marketing gimmick and not your best option for truly straight natural hair.
And I believe that's one of the reasons that finding a flat iron with built in comb for natural hair is like finding a needle in a dang haystack.
These companies are not going to produce something so gimmicky in MASS, they make enough for the few folks who'll buy them and that's it.
They know, as Chenwe and I know...
...that the best way to straighten natural Black type 4C hair is by using TRULY professional straightening tools that might cost more, yet, work the way you'd expect them to. You get the results you pay for, whether good or crummy.
It's just that simple.
Either way though, I promised you reviews and a top 5 list of flat irons with teeth combs attached, so let's see what we have!
**mumbling under my breath about hard heads and soft tails**
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What is the best flat iron with teeth for 4C hair? You'll find out today...
So let's get to our top 5 list:
I was a bit skeptical about this flat iron since it was so expensive, but I decided to give it a try since I could return it if I wanted to.
Let me tell you, this is the best flat iron with teeth that I have ever used!!
It's the only flat iron that really works on my naturally thick, kinky/frizzy hair.
The BaBylissPRO BP2590 Porcelain Ceramic Straightening Flat Iron with Built In Comb is ranked NHP’s #1 best flat iron with teeth.
It generates far-infrared heat which is less damaging than other heating methods and helps when you want to stop hair breakage on 4C natural hair that results from too much heat.
This natural hair flat iron is the only flat iron with built in comb that's made by a top-tier, truly professional-quality level flat iron company.
This flat iron has a little comb attachment on it that eliminates the need for the "comb chase method".
The flat iron's comb is similar to a wide tooth comb, and it doesn't pull or snag on your hair. Reviews say that this is one of the best flat iron hair straighteners because it gets to those ends that can sometimes become hard and tangled with a cheap flat iron.
The comb attachment on the BaBylissPRO BP2590 is remarkably-built to last and high-quality, exactly what you'd expect from the BaByliss brand and this straightening iron gets hot quickly.
ONE COMPLAINT THOUGH...
There is no flashing light or indicator on this flat iron with a built in comb that lets you know the straightening tool has reached the temperature that you set it at. Beyond that, reviewers have hardly any real complaints.
Babyliss products are known to be of the highest quality, and this BabylissPRO flat iron with teeth is highly recommended to anyone who insists on a flat iron with comb built in, and especially to those naturals who have hard, kinky, or hard to straighten 4C natural hair. The temperature on this flat iron with built in comb gets up to 420 degrees.
1st Place on Best Flat Iron with Built In Comb list.
GOLD STANDARD WINNING FEATURES:
The BaBylissPRO Porcelain Ceramic 1-1/2" Straightening Iron distributes even heat across the plates that have a built-in comb & generates efficient far-infrared heat, which is gentler on natural 4C hair.
It has an anti-static removable comb that securely guides through natural hair without pulling and snagging and it has a curved handle design which gives you the comfortable feel of an ergonomic grip. This BaBylissPRO flat iron is dual voltage for worldwide use.
This BaBylissPRO flat iron with teeth has instant heat-up & recovery as well as a rheostat temperature dial up that reaches temperatures up to 420F, this straightening iron with comb teeth attachment delivers sleeker, smoother, shinier natural hairstyles VS other comb-attached flat irons.
This Revlon comb flat iron for natural hair is excellent for thick hair. The problem with many straightening irons is that you need to do 3 to 4 passes for each section so that it would effectively straighten thick type 4 natural hair, but with this Revlon Salon Straightener Copper Edition you get by with fewer passes!
This Revlon version is no match for the BaByliss PRO (rated #1), still though, you won't need to repeatedly brush each hair section before each flat ironing, so that's good.
A BIG COMPLAINT about this flat iron with teeth is that it does NOT come with an extra comb attachment.
If this flat iron with built in comb would come with two attachments, instead of one, it may have been more highly rated. With only one comb, you're forced to constantly switch sides just to use the comb. Which can get tiring and take longer to finish your ironing session.
2nd Place on Best Flat Iron With Teeth.
GOLD STANDARD WINNING FEATURES:
This is by far, one of the best known flat irons with teeth on the market. I'm not going to lie, even though I'm not personally a fan of this type of comb-attached flat iron, one flat iron reviewer she that she'd tried every flat iron you can think of, from $20 to $200 flat irons. From steam straighteners to vibrating flat irons.
And she mentioned that some of them are good in their own way, some are horrible.
Regardless of all that, in the reviewers opinion, this Revlon Salon Straightener Copper + Ceramic Flat Iron is one of the best she has ever used on her coarse, curly, thick &, frizzy hair.
The ONLY thing that she didn't like is that that Revlon Salon Straightener Copper + Ceramic Flat Iron makes a burning smell and made her hair smell like iron.
Although she mentioned that the bad smell goes away after a while.
On the good side, this flat iron with built in comb teeth gets very hot, very quickly, which means your natural hair gets straighter with just one pass or fewer passes.
My naturally curly type 4 hair hasn't been this silky & shiny since I attended cosmetology classes where we had access to the salon-quality flat irons.
IMO, this is flat iron healthier than traditional irons. My hair looks healthier after using it and my straightened style has held up a long time, even after sleeping on it.
It is durable too because it fell on the floor and still works, lol.
The MKBOO Ceramic & Titanium professional steam flat iron with teeth is designed for high-quality performance and long lasting durability to meet the demands of thick, kinky natural type 4 hair.
This flat iron with built in comb has an advanced steam ion generator which works in harmony with the titanium ceramic plates to produce more ions for noticeably smoother and shinier results.
Ionic titanium ceramic plates work to improve flat iron heat distribution so that fewer passes are needed through your natural hair...
... which exposes your hair to less potential heat damage.
This flat iron is designed to give your natural Black hair the silky results and shine that you want all while protecting your hair cuticles from overheat exposure.
3rd Place for Flat Iron With Built In Comb list.
WINNING FEATURES:
This steam flat iron with removable comb is an innovative and unique flat iron that uses steam to produce heat for straightening thick, kinky hair. It looks very modern, and the steam aspect brings a new twist to the flat iron world.
You have to put water into the steam compartment before turning the this flat iron on. This flat iron with teeth and steam comes with a dropper bottle that's included with the purchase. I'm not really a fan of steam flat irons because of they break too quickly, I wrote more about that in my article about the best steam flat iron for Black hair. Anyway...
The instructions say to wait 1 minute and 30 seconds after filling the steam iron's water tank, use flat iron as normal, and be sure to empty the water tank after use.
ONE COMPLAINT THOUGH... Some women get irritated that you have to refill before each use and empty after each use. So take that into consideration if you feel that would be too much of a hassle.
This steam flat iron with comb straightener takes one minute to reach its full heat potential. When the light stops flashing, your iron is heated and ready to use. There are 5 heat settings beginning at 300 degrees Fahrenheit and going as high as 450 degrees.
The Furiden professional ceramic dual voltage steam hair straightener has a powerful heating mechanism that heats up in 30 seconds and made to tame thick, dense, natural 4C hair.
Being a flat iron with comb teeth AND steam means that it releases steam as you style and straighten your naturalhair, helping hydrate and infuse moisture into your hair follicles, keeping your hair from becoming overly-dry during the straightening process.
4th Place on Best Flat Iron with Comb Attachment list.
FEATURES:
The flat iron plates measure 1-inch in width and are ceramic covered to provide extra protection to your natural locks. This steam flat iron also has an LCD display to show the temperature. You can choose between 6 adjustable heating options that range between 350 to 450 degrees.
This steam flat iron has a firm grip, and the built-in teeth comb assists in seperating your natural hair to help the flat iron press your hair more completely and thoroughly.
This is more of a straightening brush than a TRUE flat iron, this is not what you would use if you were looking for the best flat iron for a natural hair silk press, not even close.
This natural hair straightening brush isn't meant for "bone" straightening your hair like a true high-quality natural hair flat iron will; this straightening brush for kinky hair helps smooth out the frizz and makes your natural 4C hair look straighter with volume, so it doesn't look truly press, it's it looks NATURAL.
This is ideal for taming your natural hair, some best uses are:
The straightening brush iron heats up super fast, about 30-40 seconds to 350F, and about 90 seconds to 425F. With normal flat irons, you usually have to section hair into thinner sections, but with the Berta, you can process bigger bundles of hair and it still works fine.
5th Place on Best Flat Iron with Built in Comb list.
FEATURES:
As a combination of hair straightener and comb, the Ceramic Hair Straightening Comb Iron will be a perfect replacement of traditional flat iron straight and natural.
Your natural hair should be clean and completely dry before using any styling tool. Comb your hair with a normal comb or brush so it is smooth and free of tangles.
Do not use on hair extensions. Do not use in combination with hair products (gel, cream, etc.).
FAQs: Do Straightening Brushes Work on Black Hair?
Wondering do straightening brushes work on Black natural hair?
Women often confuse flat iron with built in comb with straightening brushes.
If your goal is to straighten for a natural look without having "bone straight" hair, the answer is yes. Straightening brushes certainly do work on Black hair for the purpose intended.
As we explain above, in review #5, which is actually a straightening brush, a straightening brush works very well on natural Black type 4 hair for the purpose removing indents and creases left in your hair after a night's sleep and giving you a natural-looking straightness.
It gives you more of a "maintenance straightening" instead of a silk press super-straightening treatment. Straightening brushes are great for Black girls who love to exercise and who need to touch up their natural hair quickly after the workouts at the gym or running. So, yes, straightening brushes work well on Black hair. Just understand what their purpose is and you won't be disappointed.
So now, let me talk you about:
Straightening combs.
I think you'll find this interesting because straightening combs are becoming very popular. So keep reading...
So listen:
I'm about to show you a straightening comb tutorial video titled...
"Testing Out a High-Tech Straightening Comb for Natural Hair...And, I DID NOT EXPECT THESE RESULTS!"
You'll see some good first-hand evidence that, yes, certain straightening combs definitely work very well for natural hair. The straightening comb that gave this beautiful Black woman good results for her natural hair is the TYMO Hair Straightener Comb,
Take a look at the video evidence below...
You see... A straightening comb works on Black natural hair with safe levels of heat that is good for straightening coarse hair faster. And one bonus is that straightening combs are easier to use than most flat irons.
PRO TIP: Before styling with your straightening comb, it's best to comb your curls out with a regular comb or hair brush and use a quality heat protectant product to prevent heat damage.
Oooooh, the old hot comb vs. flat iron debate will never die, will it? Ha!
OK, let's fight then...
So look, some are gonna wanna kill me for this but I don't think that using a hot comb is AUTOMATICALLY bad or going to lead to serious heat damage.
The trick to it is that the person using the hot comb has to be skilled AND your hair has to be able to handle it.
And I'll quickly admit that a high-quality flat iron is safer and faster than a hot comb.
The hot comb will get your hair straighter though. I'm just keepin' it real...
Truth is:
Nothing straightens natural hair better than a silk press with an old school hot pressing comb. But you have to learn to use it properly and it takes longer than a flat iron.
Some professional hair stylists use both the flat iron and hot comb in combination to get the best results for straightening coarse type 4 hair
For example:
Many elite hairdressers use the hot comb to get your hair straightened down by the root and then they lightly run their hot comb over the rest of your hair. Afterward, they'll pass over everything with a professional flat iron.
That video dropped some knowledge, right?!? And see...
One of the reasons I'm not a big fan of using the flat iron with built in comb is because you can always use the very effective flat iron chase comb. See...
When you know how to use a flat iron comb like the one our natural hair sister in the video above just showed you, 9-times-out-of-10...
...you can get a better straightening job by simply combining the use of a TRUE flat iron and a good clamp comb than by using a flat iron with teeth attached.
And in the next natural hair straightening tutorial you'll learn how to use a flat iron with a regular comb and the "chase method", take a quick look...
In the above video she gives you some important reminders for flat iron safety as well.
It's Important to know these things BEFORE you try the flat iron comb chase method:
Stick to these precautions whether you're using the flat iron with comb chase method or not. If you avoid damage you won't have to worry about learning how to stop breakage on natural hair.
As mentioned before, I personally am not a fan of the flat iron with built in comb for the reasons I gave you IN DETAIL above. Fact is...
The top 5 flat iron with teeth list you saw above is for those who insist on buying one, I still prefer the pro-grade flat irons WITHOUT the comb attached.
STILL THOUGH:
The fact remains that if you get a cheap flat iron you'll get cheap-looking results.
So whether your flat iron has the comb attached or not, grab a top-notch professional iron.
And as a BONUS:
Here's are more keys to flat ironing Black hair perfectly.
The key to a good natural hair straightening is first deep conditioning, then blow drying with a round paddle brush on high heat and low speed, and flat ironing in small sections.
BONUS TIPS - Here's The Key to Flat Ironing Black Hair Perfectly:
Thanks to carefully placed interview questions to top-notch hairdressers I discovered all the best tips on how you can flat iron Black hair like the professionals do (OR EVEN BETTER).
Here's what you do...
With the right hair tools and the correct technique you'll look so amazingly cute that you'll get tired of hearing so many compliments and explaining "How you did it.." a million times.
That's the price you'll pay for being gorgeous.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Melissa Lee
Melissa Lee is a Contributing Editor to NHP and a former owner of the BlackhairOMG website. She formed 4C Trichology Growth Services, LLC., a US based hair care consultation service. She has also contributed as a writer and consultant for various hair and beauty websites. Melissa can be followed on Twitter here.