Over the past ten years, hair gadgets have skyrocketed in popularity. Whether it’s hair dryers, curling irons, or steamers, there’s likely a TikTok influencer endorsing the latest tool that claims to transform your hair care routine. With this in mind, I was eager to experience L’Oréal’s Light Straight firsthand at CES 2026.

This innovative device builds on the technology L’Oréal unveiled at CES 2024 with the Airlight Pro hairdryer. Traditional hair styling gadgets typically use heated coils and motors. However, the Airlight Pro introduced the use of infrared light, which accelerates drying time while minimizing heat exposure. (Having tested this advanced hair dryer against a conventional one over the past year, I can attest to its increased speed.)

The Light Straight incorporates similar technology but is designed as a flat iron. Its key advantage is the ability to straighten or curl hair in a single pass, utilizing less heat. While standard styling tools can reach temperatures above 400 degrees Fahrenheit, the Light Straight is capped at 320 degrees. According to L’Oréal, this means styling is three times faster and results in hair that is twice as smooth. Given that hair styling can be time-consuming and often leaves hair damaged, the promise of efficiency with reduced harm is quite appealing.

Although I couldn’t test the device on my own hair for hygiene reasons, I did have the opportunity to handle it and observe a robotic arm expertly curl and straighten a sample strand. The flat iron is notably lightweight and heats up swiftly. During the demonstration, the robot effectively curled and straightened the hair in one go, without leaving it too hot to touch. While the demo was impressive, the true test will be its performance across diverse hair types. L’Oréal assures that the device should be compatible with most hair types, though flat irons inherently work better with some textures than others.

The Light Straight is expected to hit the market in 2027, but pricing details remain undisclosed. Looking ahead, L’Oréal aims to extend this infrared light technology to multi-functional styling tools, such as hairdryer and roller brush combinations.