‘Heatless curls’ are trending, and here are 7 ways to do them
We’re all about as much payoff with as little effort as possible, and we’re not the only ones. All you have to do is open TikTok or Instagram and you’ll get hit with a heatless curls tutorial. So, naturally, the idea of falling asleep and waking up to gorgeous waves is our idea of a dream, so we rounded up some of our favorite heatless hair products and some of our favorite tutorials for how to do them.
The methods can look a little complicated at first glance, but they’re so not. Expect a little trial and error, though, especially if you’re a loyal heat tool user. You and your hair will need to get used to these new twists, but aside from making mornings so much easier, you can expect healthier hair overall. We don’t have to tell you how damaging heat styling can be, so even if you only use these options a few times a week instead of your regular routine, your hair will thank you. They’re also fantastic for kids’ hairstyles.
Kitsch Satin Heatless Curling Set
One of the OG heatless curl sets, the Kitsch Satin Heatless Curling Set is great for medium to long hair in all different textures. The satin headband keeps your hair from getting damaged while you’re wearing it and it’s cushy enough to comfortably sleep in. We’ve been doing it for weeks (and we take our sleep seriously).
Kitsch Satin Heatless Curling Set ($15.98)—Buy Here!
Octocurl
The Octocurl Roller Band features 8 sets of double hair rollers (16 single rollers). Wrap with 4 curlers for voluminous curls, 2 curlers for soft loose curls, 1 curler for spirals or twist outs, wrap tightly for springy coils, or braid for beach waves. Each roller is soft enough to sleep on, too.
Octocurl Roller Band ($32.99)—Buy Here!
Flexi Rod Curls
Beauty blogger @laineymariebeauty rocks this old-school heatless curls method. She only left them in for around an hour, though, versus overnight, so just keep that in mind (no guarantees, but our experience tells us you’d probably wake up with some extremely intense curls if you slept on curling rods that thin). She used a leave-in conditioner first (we like this one) and finished off the look with cult fave Moroccan Oil.
Flexi Rods ($9.99)—Buy Here!
Curlformers
Charisse from @charissechristine makes using curlformers look easy (and makes the end result look incredible). Curlformers essentially ‘zip up’ into your hair (don’t worry, it’s not scary), so you don’t have to twist and roll it yourself. Charisse used Mielle Organics Babassu Brazilian Curly Cocktail Curl Mousse and dampened her hair with a spray bottle. She did choose to use a blowdryer to speed up the process, but you definitely don’t have to if you want to go 100% heatless. You’ll just need to leave your curlformers in longer.
Curlformers ($24.99)—Buy Here!
Jumbo Half-Bend Curling Rods
@fraya.beauty gets her big bouncy curls from a combination of jumbo curling rods and self-holding rollers at her roots. She starts with Coco & Eve Miracle Hair Elixir, then sections her roots and just lays her hair over the rollers. Finish the lengths with jumbo half-bend curling rods.
Jumbo Half-Bend Curling Rods ($10.15)—Buy Here!
Cold Wave Rods
On a natural hair journey? Kalani from @kalanquiocho has perfected the art of heatless defined curls. Her tools? Mielle Moisture Rx Hawaiian Ginger Leave In Conditioner and Mielle Organics Moisture Rx Hawaiian Ginger Hair Butter, added some Eco Styler Styling Gel, then wrapped small sections around curling rods and slept in them. The result? Stunning.
Curl Wave Rods ($9.99)—Buy Here!
Flower Curl
UK brand Cordina Hair offers the Flower Curl for easy curls with a ponytail and a few twists. The satin rings protect your locks from damage (and as a bonus, it keeps your hair out of your face while you wear it). You can use bobby pins or small claw clips to keep the strands in place while they set.
Flower Curl ($44.62)—Buy Here!
All the products listed are independently & personally selected by our shopping editors.
If you buy something from the links in this article, we may earn affiliate commission or compensation. Prices and availability reflect the time of publication.
All images courtesy of retailers.
Need some fresh ideas?
Related reads
