Many complain that their flat iron doesn't really straighten their hair, and if it does, their hair doesn't stay straight. One or two manufacturers now produce steam flat irons. Maxiglide make a steam flat iron that is one of the best.

When ironing creased up clothes, it often helps to use steam to flatten out the wrinkles. The same principle applies when straightening hair. Thin or soft hair is easy to straighten but those who have thick or coarse hair, using a conventional flat iron just doesn't straighten hair.

Some of the best manufacturers of flat irons are now making steam flat irons. Leading brands include the Maxiglide steam flat iron, the Hot Tools steam flat iron and the Andis ceramic steam flat iron. All of these flat irons produce bursts of steam to help straighten even the most stubborn hair. And, all three produce great results and are excellent value for money.

But what is the best steam flat iron?

Deciding what steam hair straightener is best is a subjective decision. But, for the following reasons, the Maxiglide steam iron slightly comes out ahead of the other two mentioned above.

The plates widths of the Andis steam iron are 2 inches and the plate widths of the Hot Tools hair straightener is a generous 3 inches, but the Maxiglide steam hair straightener is 4 inches wide. When using steam to straighten hair, a generous width helps straighten more sections of hair at a time, thus decreasing the time it takes, and makes the Maxiglide flat iron a versatile styling tool. Also, the plates of the Maxiglide steam flat iron come with detangling pins, which helps to tease out tangles and helps reduce the amount of time spent to produce straight, shiny, smooth hair.

Next, let's take a look at the wattage power. Basically, the more watts, the more heat and the quicker the flat iron will heat up. Both the Andis and Hot Tools flat iron come with around 170 watts; the Maxiglide has 200 watts and heats up to 428F in seconds. Also, the Maxiglide hair straightener with steam has full control over its heat settings compared to only 3 fixed setting with the Hot Tools steam hair straightener.

The overall look and feel of the Maxiglide flat iron is also better than either the Hot Tools or Andis flat irons. Greater attention to detail has gone into the design. The handle of the Maxiglide hair straightener has been ergonomically designed, with rounded edges, to make it easy to use. Also, the position of the on/off switch has been positioned that that it is easy to switch on and off when you want, but without turning it off by accident.

Many consumer reviews say the Maxiglide is a top rated flat iron. But are there are criticisms of the Maxiglide?

First off, is its weight. As you might expect with a flat iron with 4 inch plates, it isn't light; it weighs in at over 12 lbs! So, even with an ergonomically designed handle, the Maxiglide steam flat iron will be too heavy or unwieldy for some to use comfortably.

Some complain that the special steam channels on the plates tend to clog up unless you meticulously clean it after use. Whilst this is a fair point, it is probably true for all steam flat irons.

Without doubt, the biggest drawback of the Maxiglide steam flat iron is its price. You can expect to pay nearly twice what you would pay for either the Andis of Hot Tools flat iron. This is a major consideration. You have to ask yourself whether its benefits are justified by its price.

The Maxiglide is a very popular flat iron. Other manufacturers have started making steam burst flat irons but the Maxiglide remains the best steam flat iron on the market but do your own homework and then decide which one is best for you. One final thing about the Maxiglide steam iron, which gives it the edge over the Hot Tools or Andis flat iron: you can buy the Maxiglide Hair Straightener Value Pack and, amongst other things, you get a DVD showing you exactly how to use the steam iron.