There’s a ton of choice when it comes to picking a Hair straightener. Ghd alone have over 10 different stylers in their range!

So to help you choose the right styler for you, we’ve selected the 5 best straighteners available in 2017, with options to suit all budgets.

We’ll be reviewing each of the stylers below, but let’s start with listing the five finalists.

The Contenders For Best Hair Straighteners 2017

Straightener	Top Temp.	Auto Shut Off
ghd IV Styler	185°	no	Check Price
ghd Gold Classic Styler	185°	yes	Check Price
ghd Platinum Styler	185°	yes	Check Price
Cloud Nine Straighteners	200°		Check Price
TRESemme Salon Professional	230°	yes	Check Price

Now let’s take a closer look at our contenders for the best hair straighteners of 2017.

We’ll list the positives and negatives of each styler, to help you choose which one is right for you, before revealing what we feel is the best styler on the market!

1. Ghd IV Styler – An oldie, but a goodie

Quite simply, this is the styler that revolutionised hair straightening.

The ghd IV Styler is still going strong, some 8 years after its initial launch. And to be honest, there’s not much that we can say that’s wrong with it!

The positives

Quite simply, this is the styler that revolutionised hair straightening. It was the first to introduce a rounded barrel, allowing you to create curls and flicks as well as straightening. It has advanced ceramic technology with rapid heat up to the top temperature. It’s still a damn good straightener.

And of course, as it’s an older model, it’s around £30-£40 cheaper than its upgrade – the Gold Classic. So that’s a big plus in my eyes.

The negatives

It does have a tendency to snag hair a little more than the newer models. Also, it doesn’t have the automatic sleep mode – a great safety feature that was introduced in the Gold Classic. And I guess it takes a little longer to heat up, but we really are talking a few extra seconds. But hey, if you’re a busy girl those extra seconds add up!

2. Ghd Gold Classic Styler – straighten and curl with ease

The barrel is a little more rounded than the IV, making curls even curlier and flicks even flickier (that’s a work ok!).

The Ghd Gold Classic is actually getting on a bit too. It was launched back in 2011 as an upgrade to the IV styler (then known as the mk4) and featured a host of new features to take hair styling up another level.

The positives

The barrel is a little more rounded than the IV, making curls even curlier and flicks even flickier (that’s a work ok!).

Plus it has advanced features like automatic sleep mode, universal voltage (so you can use it anywhere in the world), mega fast heat up to top temperature and more.

Oh, and the ghd logo lights up when you’re styling

The negatives

Umm… we can’t really think of any. Truly this is an awesome styler which just seems to get better with age. Maybe we were a little disappointed when we first found out that the plates weren’t actually solid gold…

3. Ghd Platinum Styler – the most advanced hair styler in the world

In terms of performance, it’s the best straightener available in 2017. Period.

The ghd Platinum Styler is ghd’s latest edition to their range and the most advanced hair styler on the market.

The positives

It’s all about precision. Tri-zone technology in the plates ensures that the temperature of the plates is consistent from root to tip. A wishbone hinge ensures the plates stay perfectly aligned while styling your hair.

Ghd claim that this precision reduces hair breakage by 50% and increases shine by 20%.

The platinum styler is also great for harder to style hair.

In terms of performance, it’s the best straightener available in 2017. Period.

The negatives

Nothing wrong with the styler. But the price tag is a little hefty (around £35 more than the gold classic, and £70 more than the IV) .

4. Cloud Nine Straighteners – a great alternative to ghd

All in all, the Cloud Nine iron is a great straightener.

Cloud Nine irons were launched back in 2010 and were seen as a serious contender to ghd’s hair straightening crown. In fact, they had some of the original brains behind ghd as part of their team.

The positives

Cloud Nines have a lot of things going for them. In terms of performance they are definitely better than the IV styler. They also have adjustable temperature, which is a feature lacking from ghds. All in all, the Cloud Nine iron is a great straightener.

The negatives

While Cloud Nines outperformed the IV styler, ghd bridged the gap with the launch of their Gold styler range. And it’s not a ghd!

5. TRESemme Salon Professional – the best budget hair straightener

The TRESemme Salon Professional has a lot of the features you would expect to find in more expensive straighteners.

There are some highly usable straighteners available at the lower end of the cost scale. While there were a few contenders for the best budget straightener, our favourite is the TRESemme Salon Professional.

The Positives

The TRESemme Salon Professional has a lot of the features you would expect to find in more expensive straighteners.

It has a top temperature of 230 degrees (actually a little hotter than ghds), rapid heat up to top temperature (15 seconds), and auto shut off.

The negatives

It’s a decent enough styler that will definitely straighten your hair well. However, the top temperature is a little hotter than optimal, which can burn your hair, so be sure to always use a heat protection spray. Also, it’s not as good at curling as the more expensive irons and can snag a little when straightening. Still a great iron for the price though.

Best Hair Straightener 2017: The Winner!

These are all great hair straighteners and any one of them will allow you to create salon straight hair (or curls) from the comfort of your own home.

But in our eyes there is a clear winner. So… drum roll…

The best hair straightener in 2017 is the ghd Gold Classic Styler.

Why?

While it’s not the best in terms of performance (that would be the ghd Platinum) we believe it offers the best value for money overall.

It’s a fantastic styler, it’s feature packed, it’s safe, you can use it overseas. It’s all round awesome!

The best hair straightener in 2017 is the ghd Gold Classic Styler.

If you have the cash, then you will get a little more with the platinum. But our advice is to plump for the gold classic and spend the extra on some top notch finishing products (ghd have a good range).

And if the gold classic is a little too expensive for you, then don’t worry. The ghd IV is still a fantastic styler and is often available for under £80.

Straightener	Top Temp.	Auto Shut Off
ghd IV Styler	185°	no	Check Price
ghd Gold Classic Styler	185°	yes	Check Price
ghd Platinum Styler	185°	yes	Check Price
Cloud Nine Straighteners	200°		Check Price
TRESemme Salon Professional	230°	yes	Check Price

Hair Straighteners Buying Guide

Not sure what all the different specs mean? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

Here’s the lowdown on what to look out for when you’re buying a brand new set of hair straighteners.

Let’s start with the basics!

What’s The Difference Between a Straightener And a Styler?

We get asked this quite a lot actually and I guess it can be a little confusing!

The short answer is… there is no difference (generally).

Most modern straighteners have a rounded barrel, which means they can curl just as easily as they can straighten.

The first straightener to feature a rounded barrel was the ghd IV, and at the time of launch ghd made the decision to call it a styler, rather than a straightener. It makes sense: after all, it’s not just for straightening.

So whether it’s called a straightener, a styler, or a flat iron, as long as it has a rounded barrel it doesn’t make one bit of difference!

Why Are Some Straighteners Hotter Than Others?

Another good question!

The early ghds had a maximum temperature of 230 degrees and many stylers still heat up to that temperature. However ghd have spent a lot of money on research over the years, and have discovered that the optimum temperature for heat styling is 185 degrees. So these days that’s the temperature that all their stylers heat up to.

You should always use a heat protection spray when styling, but if you do choose to go for one of the 200 degree+ stylers on the market, then be extra careful when straightening or curling your hair.

What Is Universal Voltage?

Universal voltage was a feature first introduced in the ghd Gold Classic Styler.

Basically it means you can safely use your styler overseas. If your straightener does not have universal voltage then it is only designed to be used with UK mains voltage.

What Is Auto Shut Off (Or Sleep Mode)?

This is a safety feature which will automatically turn your straighteners off after a set period of non use.

Whether they heat up to 185, or 230 degrees, hair straighteners are darn hot, so it’s a great feature for peace of mind. Particularly if you are easily distracted like me!

What Are The Plates Made From?

ghd styler plates are made from aluminium, with a thin layer of ceramic coating to help the straigheners glide through hair.

Some plates from other brands are coated in tourmaline, which has more negative ions than ceramic. It is claimed that the negative ions result in tourmaline plates causing less damage than ceramic.

Any Other Questions?

So we’ve now covered the best hair straighteners on the market and most of the common features in modern stylers. But if there’s something you think we’ve left out, or if you have any questions, then don’t be afraid to ask!

Just leave a comment below and we’ll be happy to help

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