Curling Iron Alternatives: You Curl and You Wrap and Wave from Conair

I fully admit to being intimidated by any hair styling tool more complicated than a curling iron. Or hot roller. Because I do actually really love me some hot rollers.

Anyways, you’ve probably noticed that over the past year or so, there have been a lot of new heated wandish things showing up in the hair tools area of your local salons and stores. Some of them look crazy. Seriously, how can some of these things create pretty hair? While they first seemed like a big investment (some of these double barreled things can easily run over $200), the good news is that they’re pretty affordable now since Conair has started to release their versions as well. I thought we’d take a quick peek today at the You Curl and You Wrap and Wave, both from Conair.

The idea behind the curlers here is the same regardless of which you choose. Instead of having the clamp that you’re used to seeing on a curling iron, these are simply the wand found underneath. You hold on to your hair with fingertips and you won’t have crimp marks. Here’s a fun little tutorial on how to use them:

So, they work the same way. With the You Curl, just start at the base of the curler and wind your hair around. With the You Wrap and Wave, the idea is the same. But, since it is really 2 skinny wands together, it is easier to get some variety in the curl pattern. For an oval curl, leave the 2 closed. You can also open the 2 wands up and wrap hair around in a figure 8 to add a bit more variety.

Both curlers have the same super easy to use controls. A simple on/off button and then -/+ to turn the temperature up or down (the max on both is 400). They heat up very quickly so there isn’t much waiting around. While it is easy to avoid burning yourself with the You Curl, it is much harder with the extra winding for the You Wrap and Wave. The curler does come with a small 3 finger glove, which is basically made out of felt. I had a really hard time holding on to my hair with this little glove and switched to the full glove that came with my NuMe Curling Wand. Unfortunately they don’t sell them separately, but I have seen similar products at Sally’s Beauty and similar stores if you want one.

My curls lasted all day with both curlers, and in fact they were still there the next day! I do think that the You Wrap and Wave is a bit more versatile, but picking which curler to check out depends on what look you’re going for.