The Panasonic EH-HV11K is a compact styler that does two jobs, and it is the travel-and-handbag answer in this category.

It straightens the conventional way — clamp a section and glide down its length. It also curls: clamp, wrap the strand around the plates, and slide through, which produces soft curls and waves. Getting both from a tool 23.5 cm long with the cap on is the point of it.

That cap is smarter than it sounds. It protects the plates from scratching, and it locks them closed. Together that means you can put a still-warm styler into a bag without worrying about what it touches — which is exactly the situation a compact styler exists for. Without a cap, "portable" usually means "wait ten minutes first".

The plates are ceramic infused with keratin and botanical oil. The purpose is friction: less drag means the cuticle is not roughed up as the plates pass, so hair comes out smoother and shinier rather than merely flatter. It reaches 100 °C in 40 seconds and tops out at 210 °C, so the small size does not cost you styling heat.

One thing to know clearly: this model has no automatic shut-off. It will stay on until you unplug it. Given it is designed to be thrown in a bag on the way out of the door, that is worth building a habit around — unplug it, cap it, then pack it.