Heatless curls went viral in 2021 and before there was the Silke heatless curler kit (£42, Lookfantastic.com), people were improvising with their dressing gown belts.

The damage-free hair styling solution is certainly not a new phenomenon and I’m undoubtedly late to the party, but I made it eventually and I’m here to tell you this is the future of effortless, luscious locks.

I’ll admit I was sceptical, putting the mass of TikToker successes I’d seen on my FYP (for you page) down to their manageable hair types or corpse-like sleeping positions (the trend requires you wear the curler overnight), but I can’t deny the success I myself found without even so much as one unruly curl.

It’s no wonder the likes of Stacey Solomon and Holly Willoughby’s stylist, Ciler Peksah, have credited their statement ‘dos to the unconventional method. Keep reading to discover my takeaways, including the extra products I employed for an even silkier result.

How I tested

After wrapping my hair around the curler, I then wrapped my head in silk to prevent frizz overnight (Lucy Smith)

After washing my hair earlier in the evening, I waited until it had air-dried around 90 per cent before combing through some leave-in conditioner spray. I then gave myself a middle part and attached the included claw clip to the top of my head, gripping both my roots and the heatless curler while I got to work twisting my hair.

Trying to describe how I weaved my hair around the curler is tricky. Almost like two French plaits, I picked up pieces of hair as I worked down my scalp, spiralling them into the existing section of hair, winding it around the curler as I descended. Once wound, I secured both sides of the curler with the included silk hair bands and then removed the claw clip now that everything was holding in place. This isn’t necessarily recommended by the brand but, as someone with very knotty hair, I wrapped my entire head in a pair of silky pyjama bottoms (in the absence of a bonnet) to protect the style overnight.

The curler had stayed in place surprisingly well overnight (Lucy Smith) (Theindependent)

The following morning I set about removing the curler, unravelling the two hairbands before gently pulling the curler upwards. I let the curls fall on their own and then tipped over my head, tousling the hair around my roots to help separate some of the clumped sections. To finish, I used a wide-tooth comb to lightly brush the ends and any tangled areas from where I had to re-section my side part. Here’s what I thought.

Silke London heatless curler

Silke London silk heatless curler review Indybest

Material: 100 per cent pure mulberry silk

Products included: Curler, two silk hairbands, claw clip and clear make-up bag

Cruelty-free: No

Washable: Dry clean or hand wash only

Why we love it

Keeps frizz to a minimum

It’s quick to wrap your hair around the curler (even as someone with long hair)

The bag it’s packaged in is large

With a foam inner and silk wrapping, the Silke London curler looked too short for my long hair at first, but I was pleasantly surprised to find myself with space left over should I have had even longer hair.

The curler isn’t uncomfortable – in theory – in that it’s squishy and smooth. But, as someone who rolls from side to side throughout the night, I did find myself waking up occasionally with surprise at the extra lump of foam on my head. I suppose this is to be expected.

With regard to the results, I was genuinely wowed. Even when I leave my hair in plaits overnight it results in a frizzy mess, so to see my hair fall out of the curler looking silky and effortlessly curls, I was happy, to say the least. Throughout the day, my hair held the curls better than it would if I’d styled with heat and I could even brush them throughout the day without risking them falling flat. Magical stuff, this curler.

Back to top

The verdict: Silke London heatless curler

In terms of results, I could not be happier with the Silke heatless curler. Despite going into this test as a sceptic, I’ll certainly use it again, and I’m excited about the future health of my hair sans heated tongs. That said, I wouldn’t describe the overnight experience of wearing the curler as comfortable and it definitely falls into the “beauty is pain” category alongside the likes of waxing and covering your white bed sheets in fake tan. Alas, I do both of those things nonetheless, so from that I’d deduce that the Silke heatless curler is worth your money (it looks nice on your dressing table, too).

Thank you for registering

This heatless curler kit is the key to low maintenance wavy hair

I was sceptical, but these are the longest-lasting curls I’ve ever styled

How I tested

Silke London heatless curler

The verdict: Silke London heatless curler

Thank you for registering