The 10 Best Hot Rollers and How to Use Them (2024)

If you feel like suddenly hot rollers are making a comeback, you’re not alone. The retro hair tools are a go-to for creating big, voluminous curls that look perfect every single time. Plus, they’re surprisingly easy to use. The rollers are heated via the case, so once they are on your head they begin to cool—making it virtually impossible to burn your hair off. Even better, "Most hot rollers are made of ceramic so there won’t be too much heat damage,” says Shelly Aguirre, Stylist at Maxine Salon in Chicago. Ready to (hot) roll? Read on for everything you need to know.

When to Use Hot Rollers vs. a Curling Iron

You may be wondering: Why should I invest in hot rollers if I already have a curling iron or curling wand? “I would say that rollers will give you more of a ‘set’ look with big and bouncy curls where an iron can be used for a loose wave or tighter curl and everything in between,” explains Aguirre. “If it’s a bouncy style you’re going after, I would recommend the hot roller set. You can also get more volume with a roller set.” Meanwhile, says the stylist, “If you’re wanting a beachy wave, use a curling iron.”

How to Use Hot Rollers

Don’t worry if you’ve never tried them before. “Hot rollers are pretty straight forward,” according to Aguirre.

Section hair. “With your hair completely dry, start at the top of the head and take section by section as wide as the roller,” says Aguirre.

Start rolling. “Roll the hair to the ends and wrap the roller to the base of the head, starting at the crown and moving forward,” says the stylist. “Then, using horizontal sections, continue on with the sides, then the back.” Remember, the rollers are hot, so be careful!

Top with hairspray. Once the curlers are in place, “You can finish with a light hold spray and let them cool off.”

Remove the rollers. It may take some trial-and-error to figure out how long to leave in the rollers. “Depending on what type of hair you have, you can remove them right away once they’ve cooled, or wait a little while longer if your hair is thicker and coarse.”

Tousle and style. Once the rollers are out, “Lightly brush with your fingers to separate the curls and add bounce.”Now, find out which hot rollers are right for you and your hair.

This Tik Tok-favorite set has 12 rollers in various sizes, velvet flocking, clips, and a handy ready indicator so you can get right to work.

Aguirre recommends this set, which contains eight large, six medium, and six small rollers, and heats up in just 60 seconds.

The hairstylist also likes these hot rollers, which have dual temperature settings and velvet flocking to make them easy to handle.

If you live in a small space, this tiny roller kit has everything you need, without taking up as much real estate.

These heat up in just 90 seconds and set hair in just five minutes. Plus, the extra-hold clips are more secure than most that come along with roller kits.

Large rollers for long hair can be harder to come by, but this set contains eight jumbo and four super-jumbo rollers.

This dual-temperature set contains rollers in various sizes, all housed in a sleek container you won’t mind leaving out on your vanity.

Once you become a hot roller person, you won’t be able to live without them. This travel-size set contains five 1.5” rollers, so you can bring your bounce and volume on the go.

Unlike most options, these are heated within the actual rollers themselves, which makes them super-effective (just be sure you take them out in the directed amount of time).

With a compact size and both medium and large rollers, this ceramic set works on most hair lengths and fits in nearly in any space.