Hair rollers have a way of making us feel retro, elegant, and classy. But it's not just about the look of them in your hair. They give bouncy, long-lasting celebrity-style curls when you remove them. Whoever designed heated hair rollers back in the day knew that girls wanted easy, gentle, instant curls. Compare that with the super hot, cast iron curling tongs of those times, long waits under searing dryers, and uncomfortable roller sleep, and you'll understand the genius behind heated hair rollers. It's a good thing beauty isn't pain anymore, at least when it comes to these hair rollers. Best Choice Compact for Easy Storage & Travel Wondering how heated curlers are supposed to stay put? Using hot hair rollers is supposed to be easy, right? Enter uniquely shaped clips to help keep them in place.Best ChoiceFind on Amazon Pros:The Remington H1016 hair roller set is compact and dual voltage, so you can keep your hair looking great on the road with a minimum of fuss. The two sizes of the rollers (one inch and one and a quarter inch) make them great for hair that’s medium to medium-long in length. The best feature, however, is the price. If you are new to heated rollers, this is a great set to try and see if they work well for you. The rollers have an ionic ceramic coating for less frizz and more shine. Cons:Very fine strands can be difficult to keep on these heated rollers, which are a bit heavier than plastic rollers. A little practice in seating the rollers can resolve the issue. Hairspray will also give your hair the right amount of tackiness to stay put, no matter how fine it is. For Any Type And Length Perfect for any hair type and lengthWondering how heated curlers are supposed to stay put? Using hot hair rollers is supposed to be easy, right? Enter uniquely shaped clips to help keep them in place.For Any Type And LengthFind on Amazon Pros:The Remington H1016 hair roller set is compact and dual voltage, so you can keep your hair looking great on the road with a minimum of fuss. The two sizes of the rollers (one inch and one and a quarter inch) make them great for hair that’s medium to medium-long in length. The best feature, however, is the price. If you are new to heated rollers, this is a great set to try and see if they work well for you. The rollers have an ionic ceramic coating for less frizz and more shine. Cons:Very fine strands can be difficult to keep on these heated rollers, which are a bit heavier than plastic rollers. A little practice in seating the rollers can resolve the issue. Hairspray will also give your hair the right amount of tackiness to stay put, no matter how fine it is. For More Volume For smooth curls and voluminous wavesQuick heating, these jumbo rollers create a big-curl, wavy look quickly. The small, dual voltage kit is perfect for taking on the road. For More VolumeFind on Amazon Pros:The rollers in the Conair Instant Heat travel kit are sized a hefty diameter of one and a half inches. They create big, loopy curls and waves on medium length and long hair. There’s no issue with these staying in because of the velvety surface of the rollers. Your hair smoothes onto the flocked surface, and large plastic hair clips are there to keep everything in place. You can wrap more hair than you think around these rollers, and you’ll get nice, loose, natural-looking waves and curls. Cons:The clips tend to leave crimps if the hair isn’t rolled tight enough. Also, there are only five rollers in this set, so if you want a tighter curl or if your hair is thick, you might need two sets For Every Kind Of Curl Creates dynamic and dimensional curlsThis set has enough rollers, sizes, and temperature settings to create a myriad of different curly styles for varying lengths of hair.For Every Kind Of CurlFind on Amazon Pros:There are twenty rollers in this pack and an ionic generator to give shine and reduce frizz. The rollers are flocked. The smallest roller size is three-quarters of an inch, and the largest is one and a quarter inches, making them perfect for creating both waves and curls. Use the higher temperatures to create curls and the lower settings for waves. The different temperature settings allow you to find what works perfectly for you and to create the same look more than once with ease. Cons:The clips that come with the Infinitipro by Conair Instant Heat Ceramic Flocked Rollers are like thin clamps and can take some getting used to so that the rollers don’t fall out. If this happens to you, don’t be afraid to use hairspray or mousse to give your hair more grip. Best configuration Fast heat up and even heat distributionConair Instant Heat Compact Hair Rollers come in a small, fabric travel kit that contains eight one inch size rollers, more than any of our other best reviewed kits.Best configurationFind on Amazon Pros:The rollers aren’t the jumbo size, or even the larger size available (the one and a quarter inch), but one-inch rollers are perfect for making curls on long hair, especially when there are a lot of them included. Eight one-inch rollers and four rollers that are three-quarters of an inch in size are more than enough to get most heads of hair nicely curled. It’s a wonder that other sets didn’t decide on this configuration. They are great for medium length hair, and waves on short hair, too. Cons:Without a hard plastic container, there is a potential for damage to the apparatus while traveling. The heat isn’t as instant as it could be. We found it takes a full five minutes for it to heat up properly. Clips must be purchased separately. What Really Matters? Inserting those pesky metal clips properly The experts – you know, the women who have been using hot hair rollers for many years – told us how to do it properly. Insert the thin metal clip from the opposite direction of where you rolled. Insert the clip in the part of the hair roll that still shows the shape of the roller. Insert it from above, at an angle, with the curvy side down if there is one. You can also press down at an angle, and then once the clip touches your scalp, direct the clip upward. Done. Matching your hair length to the set you buy The longer your hair is, the better large rollers will work for you. For medium lengths, choose a set that has at least two sizes. Using two sizes of rollers will help your curls appear more natural. If you have a layered cut, a set with three sizes is going to style your hair beautifully. Starting with dry, straight hair If you have curly hair, it’s best to straighten it or blow it out first before using hot rollers. The temperature of these is not suitable for straightening and curling at once. Your hair must also be thoroughly dry before starting, but a light mist of water on the ends tends to help them curl better. Using the proper rolling technique to get curls vs. waves We normally associate heated hair rollers with bouncy curls. But waves can be created using heated rollers with a change in procedure. Rolled normally from the tips, hair curlers create a tighter curl at the bottom half of your hair length and more of a wave on the upper half. If you want voluminous waves on the entire hair length, roll from the roots in as much of a spiral fashion as possible. Rolling from the roots means the base of your hair will be closest to the hot hair roller as the curl sets. This method creates more volume at the source and makes your hair look bigger all over. If you start rolling the sections from the base, you will have more voluminous curls that are closer to waves. Use a low heat setting and keep them in for the full 20 minutes for well-set wavy curls. Alternately, if you want your hair to be less curly and more like beach waves, leave the rollers in for the shortest possible time, say five minutes. Afterward, use a salt-based hold spray. What’s in right now? Easy is in! Although heated curlers are one of the easiest ways to curl your entire head of hair quickly, better versions continue to surface. How about just five rollers with which you can get great, bouncing waves on the go? That sounds like the Conair Instant Heat travel kit. If you have medium-long to long hair, these are less work to put in, create perfect curls, and have a cute, compact case. Prices Expensive $50 – $100. These kits usually have several temperature settings and more features as well. The more costly hot hair roller kits get, the more bells and whistles they have. Some have inner cores that heat up too, instead of just carrying the heat from the curler base. Others have fancier clamps, steam, or an attachable roller handle to make it easier to use the rollers while hot. Still, other kits contain more than the maximum twenty rollers you’ll find in a lower-priced kit and have some of the features mentioned above as well. Mid-range $25 – $50. These rollers usually have a ceramic or titanium finish with frizz reduction. They come in kits of 20 or less and have three sizes of rollers. There may or may not be more than one temperature setting on these. Cheap $10-$25. These have less than 20 rollers and only one or two sizes per kit. That doesn’t mean they are insufficient for the job. There’s just no bells and whistles. FAQs How to use heated hair rollers? The proper way is to hold your hair at a 90 angle to your scalp while rolling. This angle helps keep the rollers in place and also boosts the volume of your hair. Allow the appliance to heat for the time recommended by the manufacturer, or for up to five minutes. The longer you leave the rollers in, the bouncier your curls and waves will be, and the longer they will hold. Try to leave them in for a full twenty minutes or until the rollers cool. You can use hairspray before rolling for even longer lasting curls. Which are best? Curling irons or hot hair rollers? Curling irons use very hot, sustained temperatures to curl your hair. Because this can damage the hair shaft, curling irons weren’t created for daily use. You can get similar curls with hair rollers. But because they don’t create many individual curls, they are not as precise as curling irons. For that reason, if you’re accustomed to using a curling iron or wand, it might take a few tries for you to get your curls just right with hot rollers. What are the advantages of heated hair rollers or regular rollers? Regular overnight rollers were made to maintain the curly hairstyle created at a salon. Hot rollers are something in between rollers and a curling iron but work quicker than both. Styling your hair with a curling iron can take one to two hours. Rollers take a minimum of one hour after rolling to create a style with a hooded dryer, or three to five hours using setting lotion without heat. Hot rollers work in 30 minutes from start to finish. What products can be used with hot hair rollers? If your hair is freshly washed, lightly apply a heat protectant before blow-drying. Then use the time it takes to heat the curlers to mist your hair lightly with hairspray. You can choose the kind with a very light hold or the stiff stuff, as you prefer. After curling, use your fingers to style as much as possible. A brush will create frizz. Then, depending on the look you’re after, lightly apply pomade for shine or a texturizing mist to remove some of the curl definition for beach waves. Related posts:Powered by SearchIQ The Best Lint Rollers Read more The Best Hair Brushes For Dogs Read more The Best Hair Dryers For Dogs Read more The Best Slicker Brushes Read more