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Georgia
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498 Review
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Review on πŸ’ Sleek Results 1 Inch Flat Iron: Hot Tools Pro Signature Ceramic + Tourmaline Plates by Cindy Epps

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Good but not great: straighteners

I recently broke my straightener and decided to use my lemons to make lemonade after trying a few straighteners to find the best one. I've tried HSI, Nition and two Hot Tools Pro series. I'll make a few notes on others at the end for those interested. But first I will focus on this particular rectifier and how it compares to others. For reference, I have a mix of 2B and 2C curly/wavy hair with coarse/thick individual strands. First, I liked that it comes with a storage pouch and glove. In addition, they have a very cheap design. Compared to those that came with the HSI and Nition straighteners, the accessories are like what you buy on a dollar tree compared to buying something higher end from Ulta. So I would definitely not consider them in your purchase. You'd better spend a little more to get quality Revain accessories when you buy them. So I couldn't say why this straightener would be cheaper than the Hot Tools Pro Series purple straightener from the list, but when I use it it's very clear to me. This is a much more fragile construction while purple iron is much stronger. When I squeeze the plates to straighten my hair, I actually feel like the straightener itself flexes a bit. For someone like me who needs the plates to sit tight and even effectively smooth out kinks and curls, this is a minus. It straightened my hair, but it took a little more effort than its firmer counterpart, and the end result wasn't as finished or soft to the touch (although it's probably not noticeable to anyone but me). What I liked about this iron is that the plates are slightly longer than the other two (3.9 inches instead of 3.5 inches). It just adds a little more surface area to accommodate more hair. It heats up quickly and the controls are easy to use with a handy temperature gauge letting you know exactly where you stand. However, I didn't feel that the straightener retained heat as well as the others during straightening. It took me almost twice as long to straighten my hair with this hairstyle than its purple counterpart or Nition and it didn't stay straight all day. I love that this hairstyle has a locking feature. Only this one and the Nition from that batch had it, and I think it's a good feature for travel and record protection. The cable has a flat style, although it's not the cheapest option, which I don't like because it inevitably gets messy over time. I prefer the plain black plastic over the purple, which has a matte and grip coated finish. I say that because matte things always wear and scratch. It also shows every fingerprint. Not a big deal in terms of functionality, but something to consider. All in all it's still a good straightener depending on your needs. If you don't straighten your hair often or need something that requires a lot of hard work then I think this is an option rather than spending money on small ones (but significant ones if you are very thick or curly). Update. I think you can find a rectifier of very comparable quality (probably even better) in the Remington range, a brand that I believe has also been pretty good in the past. I tried the Remington S5500TA anti-static hair straightener through a friend and found it to be a very decent straightener at a similar price to this one and I personally recommend it over this one based on my experience. , the Hot Tools Pro Series and Nition Purple Ceramic straighteners are my top picks. The purple is long lasting, heats up quickly and does a great job of making my hair look smooth, soft and shiny. The Nition has competitive specs that set it on its feet, so it all comes down to personal preference and how you weigh it. The Nition comes with a slightly higher price tag, good accessories, a lockout feature, and temperature control that may seem a bit odd to some people. HSI is another rectifier that I would not recommend. Despite the good reviews (which, if you're paying attention, have accumulated over the years, they've probably made changes to the product), I found that I couldn't tighten the plates that much and it just wasn't effective at straightening my hair. . . . It has a good solid construction and comes with quality accessories. The temperature is set via a dial, which annoyed me a bit, but unless you're picky about your heat or just keep it running at full blast all the time, it's likely to go almost unnoticed.

Pros
  • quick change
Cons
  • almost never