The Best Heatless Hair Curling Kits for Healthy Curls
Curls give hair body, dimension, and can make any look more polished. Yet, curling your hair with a blow-dry brush or curling iron can be time-consuming, and the excessive heat can damage hair making it dry, brittle, and frizzy. If you’ve had enough of the frizz and the fuss, we cover the best heatless hair curling kits for bouncy, healthy curls that will last.
What causes heat damage to hair?
Excessive heat temperatures (typically over 300 degrees) can weaken the cuticle of your hair, which acts as a protector and shield for the inner cortex. The inner cortex of your hair is responsible for keeping your hair elastic and strong. When it’s compromised, hair becomes weak and susceptible to breakage.
Signs of Heat Damage
Signs of heat damage to your hair include excess frizz and dryness, lack of shine, hair breaking more easily, and split ends becoming more noticeable. You may also experience a change in texture, and your hair may become more easily tangled when brushing.
Using Heatless Hair Curling Kits
While we love the resourcefulness of “bathrobe curls,” a beauty hack where you wrap your hair around a bathrobe tie, spending a little money on the right tools can help you better capture the size and shape of the curls you are trying to achieve. For an added bonus, heatless hair curling kits can even help add shine while minimizing frizz.
For most heatless curling kits, simply section damp hair and wrap it around the heatless curler or ribbon. For tighter curls, create smaller sections and wrap hair tightly around the heatless curler. For loose curls or waves, create larger sections and wrap hair more relaxed around the heatless curler. Once you’ve finished wrapping your hair following the instructions of your kit, you can sleep overnight to ensure your curls set in, or simply leave in for 4-6 hours.
Read on to discover the best heatless hair curling kits so you can master healthy, heatless curls without the time and stress.
Best Quality:
The Curling Ribbon™ By Heatless Hair | $48
Handmade in Los Angeles, The Curling Ribbon™ is one of the best heatless curlers made from 100% silk that is very gentle on hair. The silk will help reduce frizziness and make your hair soft and shiny. Spanning 34-36″ long, it can be used on a variety of hair lengths to create loose or tight curls. The kit includes a silk curling ribbon, a hairclip, and two scrunchies.
Best for on a Budget:
Satin Heatless Curling Set By Kitsch | $24
Kitsch Satin Heatless Curling Set allows you to create the perfect waves or curls without the heat damage. The satin construction keeps your hair frizz-free and prevents breakage. The set includes a foam curling rod with two scrunchies that gently secure your hair, and an open shape claw clip to keep your curling rod in place.
Best for Corkscrew Curls:
Hydro Flexi Curlers By Bukli | $36
For sleek, corkscrew curls try latex-free Bukli Hydro Flexi Curlers available in 18 mm for tighter curls and 22 mm for slightly looser curls. Infused with vitamin E, now you can hydrate while you curl to deliver high-quality results with minimal effort. The curlers are made from a flexible, breathable foam that absorbs water, oil, and other liquid hair products.
Best for High Definition Curls:
Ultra Soft HD Curlers By Bukli | $34
Ideal for short to medium lengths, these flexible curlers can be worn overnight to create high-definition spiral curls in straight hair. Crafted from latex-free foam that’s soft yet durable, they’re comfortable to sleep in and can be easily washed when needed. These heatless curlers also come in 6 inches perfect for creating high definition curls on longer hair.
The Story Behind the Brands
The concept of the Curling Ribbon™ came from online videos of “bathrobe curls” where people use bathrobe ties to curl their hair without heat. The creator of Heatless Hair™, Jacqueline Elkouby, tried to use this hack and was disappointed in the results, and thus, the Curling Ribbon™ was born. The ultimate mission of the brand is simple: To help people of all ages get beautiful curls with a gentle solution that doesn’t damage hair with heat.
Kitsch is a beauty brand built on positivity and the idea that if you just keep at it, and believe in yourself, you will succeed. Founded by Cassandra Thurswell, Kitsch wants its community to be ready for whatever life throws their way – with easy, fun beauty solutions that are totally reliable and practical, but also truly special, and made as sustainably as possible.
The ultimate goal is to create a support system that gives you a boost any time you need it, allowing you to treat yourself well and do your best every day.
Sustainability is important at Kitsch. From packaging to the product itself, the brand is working to eliminate excess waste & source materials that are better for the environment, without compromising quality. All Kitsch products and/or their packaging meet at least one or all of the following criteria: vegan and cruelty-free, recyclable materials, purposeful packaging, reusable alternatives, and reducing its carbon footprint.
Bukli started with a personal need and a passion for styling hair. Founder Elitza Voeva-Kolev took an interest in curling her hair from a young age growing up in Bulgaria. She came to the US when she was 19 years old to pursue engineering, and in her early 30s, while balancing a full-time job and a newborn daughter, she recognized that electric styling tools were more than time-consuming and damaging to hair.
Putting her engineering background to use, Voeva-Kolev designed a new set of curlers for herself. From this innovation, Bukli was born.
The name comes from two places that are important to the brand: France and Bulgaria. In French bouclés simply means curls. It is equally inspired by the Bulgarian meaning of букли; the confidence boost you feel when your hair looks amazing. Today, Bukli products exist to simplify your hair routine, minimize damage, and most importantly, give you beautiful hair.
The brand also supports the “STEM for Her” organization that connects girls and young women to a community of STEM women, enabling them to envision the path to an education and a career in STEM.
