Tried and tested hair straighteners - Tiscali Shopping

We've ironed our way through various hair straighteners to bring you impartial to help you get the best results. Read the reviews before you invest...

Using titanium technology plates, these straighteners are said to give "exceptional results in record-breaking time...increasing the penetration of ionic energy through the hair 10 times more than a conventional ceramic plated iron."

What we liked: Sleek, shiny, stylish and glossy, these straighteners very much reflect how you expect your hair to look after you've used them! And they didn't disappoint. Results appeared much more quickly than when using my own straighteners and hair was left incredibly smooth. The digital on-off switch and mini temperature display is great for easily moderating and monitoring plate temperature. There's very little waiting around for these irons to heat up and once on, the plates can be adjusted to between 100°C and 200°C depending on individual hair textures and types (at start-up the default temperature is set to 180°C). I found the highest setting of 200°C was perfectly adequate for my thick curly hair but a lower setting was much safer for thinner strands around the fringe area. The sides of the irons barely pulled on the hair and in general these irons were comfortable to hold for sustained periods of time.

What we disliked: They claim that because these irons use "titanium technology plates for the ultimate-ionic experience" these straighteners are suitable for daily use - however, despite this claim I woud exercise caution. As a long-time user of hair straighteners myself, I can guarantee that hair will naturally dry out if subjected to regular intense heat. Not the cheapest irons on the market but worth the investment as they do the job very well and allow you to control the temperature according to your needs.

Reviewed March 2007.

"Ready to use in 60 seconds, Remington's Wet2Straight Nano Gold Wide Straightener has Nano Gold ceramic coated plates for an enviable shine, and Tourmaline ions for shine, frizz-free hair."

What I liked: I must say I really liked these straighteners. The big bonus with these irons is that they can be used directly on wet hair. Impressively, they took less than a minute to heat up, and also allow the user to moderate temperature - useful if you've got fine hair or are straightening frizzy bits close to the scalp. The wide blades worked very well on my long thick hair, allowing me to straighten more in one go. Given the size and weight of these irons, the thumb placeholder came in handy for comfort. On wet hair, they did straighten well, however it was a little worrying to watch clouds of steam escape. There are little holes that allow the steam from the wet hair to escape, which is a natty design touch. They also worked just as well, if not better, on dry hair and could easily replace your usual straighteners - on dry hair, they left my hair very shiny and silky. Not only do they have a long power lead for easy manoeuvrability but they also come with a compact travel pouch for portability. For the odd wet-to-straight occasion, I think they worked well and were a great time saver.
What I disliked: Whilst on the highest temperature, I did burn the tip of my index finger slightly on the back of the blades. Be careful of the little puffs of hot steam that poof out when using them on wet hair - it would be easy to burn your fingers if you hold the straighteners in the wrong place! Also, due to the thickness of the plates and weight of the irons, hair roots are quite awkward to straighten well. I probably wouldn't use these regularly on wet hair as I'm not fully convinced they don't do your hair some damage in the long run, by blasting the moisture out of your hair. If you are going to use these, or any other irons, my one piece of advice would be - make sure you use protection! Invest in a thermal protector to lock in moisture and minimise any damage which can be caused by excessive heat. I did find that strands of hair occasionally got caught in the blades as they glided over the hair - however I have yet to find a pair of straighteners that never does this!
Reviewed March 2007.

What I liked: These were light and definitely travel-friendly, as promised - they folded up to half their size (the iron plates slip neatly inside the handles). They are made of a very light plastic that would even make it easy to carry them around in your handbag. Thoughtfully, they do come fitted with a 2-pin plug making them immediately functional and hassle-free abroad. They also have an extraordinarily long cord, which would be handy when you are staying in hotel rooms where inevitably the only mirror is located on the other side of the room from the only plug socket. The strength of the iron plates was very good and I managed to iron out some impressive sleek, shiny hair and artfully create some neat flicks at the ends. The irons heated up and cooled down very quickly, which is a bonus when time on holiday is precious.
What I disliked: Unfortunately, the massively long cord means that when you fold up the irons neatly, you still have to deal with the bundle of cord and plug, which adds bulk. I also realised that you cannot fold them away immediately after you have finished using them as the plates are too hot to touch. Also, make sure you pull out the plates completely BEFORE you turn them on or risk melting the appliance!
Reviewed February 2007.

"An innovative new British haircare brand - O3- today launched the sexy looking O3 Hair Straightener, a 30mm hair iron which combines ozone, ionic and ceramic technologies in a compact and stylish, 100% white design, allowing you to create sleek, shiny, 'peptonic' hair at home."

What I liked: The O3 straighteners have the look and feel of an iPod, with sleek white handles, flat irons and cord. The heated up very quickly and did the job well; the important thing to remember to get the best results is to seal the hair with some leave-in conditioner or other treatment and to make sure it is bone dry before you start using the irons. The nifty features I enjoyed with these irons were the dial that adjusted the temperature of the irons, so that you could use a lower setting on fragile hair (such as wispy fringes) and the clever double plug that works on both the continental 112 volts and the british 240 volts. Good value straighteners which would do a good straightening job on short-medium length hair.
What I disliked: The main disappointment was that I didn't notice any particular difference in the final result between these "ionic" irons and my normal ceramic irons.
Reviewed October 2006.

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