The Best Heatless Curlers: 3 Picks for Overnight Curls Without Heat

They set hair into the shape of the rod or band as it dries, which is how rollers have always worked. How well the curl holds depends on your hair and how damp it was when you wrapped it. The brands make the styling claims; the AAD's advice is the reason to try: it says frequent heat styling damages hair and suggests hot tools about once a week or less.

Slightly damp. Goluxor's directions say to start with slightly damp hair and include a spray bottle; Tifara says its rods work on wet or dry hair. The AAD recommends wrapping hair in a towel to absorb water rather than rubbing it, which is a gentle way to get hair to damp before you wrap.

Overnight is what Kitsch and Goluxor describe. If you wrap hair that is too wet, it may still be damp in the morning, so start with hair that is mostly dry and only slightly damp. If your curls fall by midday, Kitsch and Goluxor both describe securing the ends firmly, and a bonnet like the one in the Goluxor set helps the wrap stay put.

Foam flexi rods. Tifara's 7-inch rods are listed for short, medium and long hair, and the thinner sizes wrap shorter sections. The Kitsch rod and the Goluxor headband are built for medium to long hair.

The Goluxor headband. At 70 inches it is listed for long or medium-length hair and comes with a bonnet to hold everything in place overnight. Kitsch's 34-inch rod also suits long hair with a simpler setup. Whichever you choose, the AAD advises wearing hair loosely pulled back rather than tight, so wrap firmly enough to hold but not so tight that it pulls at the roots.

Less than heat does, but not zero. The AAD says tight pulling from ponytails and buns damages hair, so wrap loosely and use covered ties made for hair, like the scrunchies and velour ties in these sets. Medical News Today notes a small 2020 study found women who had used heat tools in the previous six months were more likely to show microscopic hair changes, which is the damage heatless styling avoids.