Hair straighteners- expensive vs. cheap?

[elliemae1192]

I had a Conair wet/dry one and it worked ok. It stopped working this weekend and some people on here recommended the Cortex. They sell them in the little kiosks in the mall. Only problem is they're just as expensive as Chi.

I saw some posts on here about Marshalls and TJ Maxx selling them for much less so when my Conair conked on me I went into TJ Maxx and sure enough, they had them for $29.99.

So far I'm LOVING it. Works SO much better and faster than the Conair and cost about the same!

Good luck!

 

[mykidslovesdisney]

I recently purchased a Chi at BJ Wholesale for $79. The same one sold at Target for $120. It works great on my dd hair. Glad I shopped around first.

 

[mollay]

I'm gonna say you should go with a cheaper one. A lot of people are suggesting the Chi, which is indeed a really great straightener, but if you already have straight hair and only need it here and there.... go with a small less expensive one!

The Chi is ideal particularly for people who have really un-straight hair or who straighten their hair every day. It'd be a waste of money, imo, for you to spend $100 on a flatiron when you don't need it too often.

I had an old Con-air 3/4 inch as my first straightener and it works fine. My hair is also straight and using it just for touch-ups works just fine. I have a wider flat-iron (4 inches) for days that I need to really flatten it, which I used to do every day til I started worrying about hair damage. No matter which straightener you use, you'll damage your hair a little bit. But in your case I don't think you need to worry about it. But I think if you got a typical 3/4 or 1 inch straightener from Target you'd be just fine, based on what you're using it for!

edited to add: Also, if you're worried about how long the straightener will last, I'd check online for reviews. Target has a Customer Review section and you can also try Amazon.

For your needs, this flatiron looks most promising!
Andis Nano Cera Clamp Flat Iron
http://www.target.com/Andis-Nano-Ce...searchPage=1&field_keywords=hair straightener

Or Conair 1-5/8" Ceramic Straightener
http://www.target.com/Conair-1-5-8-...searchPage=1&field_keywords=hair straightener

 

[puffkin]

I'm gonna say you should go with a cheaper one. A lot of people are suggesting the Chi, which is indeed a really great straightener, but if you already have straight hair and only need it here and there.... go with a small less expensive one!
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I disagree with this. I have really straight hair, stick straight past my shoulders. I got addicted to using a straigtener on a cruise with friends. I just love how it makes my hair looks so polished, sleek and shiny.

Since I already had straight hair I figured I didn't need a real good straightner and I bought the wet/dry one at Target for $30 I believe. I thought it worked ok, but over time it really damaged my hair. The ends got extremely frizzy and damaged even though I always use a heat protectant spray (I like the Matrix straightening spray).

I got a CHI for Christmas 2 years ago and I cannot even begin to explain how much better it is! My hair looks so much better and nowhere near as damaged. I wash my hair every other day and I only need to straighten it on those days because it gets so smooth and controlled the first time and lasts til the next wash. It really is amazing how much better it works than the wet/dry iron.

I wouldn't waste the money on a cheapo iron. My Chi was $80 and worth every penny!!!!! There are lots of other irons just as good as the CHI but I would defintiely stay away from the drugstore ones!

 

[tluvstink]

I just bought a new Chi on Ebay for $70 with free shipping. I hope I like it

Terri

 

[cheerforchelsea]

Over the years I must have spent a small fortune on different straighteners for my now 24yo DD. I wish I had purchased a Chi straightener the first time and I would have saved myself a lot of money!! It has been well worth the extra $$!!

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

I had a Remington wet2dry though I never used it on wet hair. It worked ok, I asked DH for a Chi for my birthday. I sent him this link:

http://www.amazon.com/CHI-Ceramic-S...ef=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1267673285&sr=8-1

It was 65 at the time with free shipping. I freakin LOVE that thing. It is amazing and I notice a difference every single time I use it. It's not just easier to use but my hair actually looks better and I don't have to go over the same strip of hair multiple times like with the other.

I have straight/wavy hair naturally.

 

[schoen]

I received a ghg as a gift. It is SUPER EXPENSIVE, but it is also amazing. My hair looks great all the time, and I totally attribute it to that tool. Now, I would never buy one for myself as they cost about 250$ BUT I love it, and considering that i use it every day, at least once, it is not THAT expensive.

 

[TyRy]

I've got really thick wavy hair. I bought a Remington T Studio from Target about a year ago for 25 or 30 bucks. It has been fantastic! It's pretty wide (two or three inches) and it can straighten my hair in about ten minutes.

 

[Goofyzgurl]

I had a babybliss that I got from TJ maxx for $25. I loved it, and it lasted 3 years before it broke. DD got a chi for her bday last year and she likes that. I've heard that chi's are good but they break a lot. I looked at follica and decided the buy a sedhu. I love love love it. My hair was looking dull, but once I started using the sedhu, it has a shine to it now. Unlike the chi, it doesn't catch my hair. Plus it has a temp control so I know how hot to turn it...the highest setting for me. I have waist lenght wavy hair that I used to have to fight to straighten. I bought my sedhu from ulta and used a 20 percent off coupon. I talked to the ladies there and they told me some of their stories of their chi breaking.

 

[tinkerbell_xo]

I am the assistant manager of a hair salon/beauty supply store and buying professional is your best bet!
They have great warranties, they have better motors, they have better technology, they will last you years! Professional irons are meant to be used by stylists, which means all day, every day.
Go to a salon that sells them and try them out! See what works best for your hair type. Ask about the warranties. Ceramic & Tourmaline together are amazing for your hair. Titanium is also good and gets very hot.
I love Bio Ionic irons, such as the iSmooth, they have a 5 year warranty. I also love Babyliss irons, they have a 2 or 3 year warranty.
I have found Chi is either amazing or horrible. We sell Chi. Some models have a 1yr warranty, some have 2yrs. BUT! I will say that I get at least one Chi a week brought back because it's broken (won't turn on, turns off, doesn't heat up) and still under warranty. But then I know some women who have had a Chi for 8+ years. We NEVER get Babyliss or Bio Ionic brought back. Maybe twice a year.

 

[SOnotLayuh]

I have had just about every type of hair straightener, from a $20-$200. I have really big, SUPER thick, frizzy messy curls.

You're going to think I'm crazy, but I decided to try that InStyler thats on all of those late night TV commercials... and it has changed my life completely. It used to take me about 45 minutes to straighten my hair with my chi, and it takes me about 7 minutes with the InStyler, which I can also use to curl the ends of my hair. I don't need any hair product, and my hair looks a million times better than it ever did with any conventional straightener.

The InStylers cost about $100, but they give you two... I'm not sure why, I don't see why anyone would need two of them! Lots of people are selling their second one on ebay, and so I snagged mine for about 55$ with free priority shipping. Now that I know how amazing it is I would gladly spend the $100.

This is the best product I have EVER used on my hair... and I've been straightening for about 10 years.

 

[charlenewang]

of course not, last year, i bought ghd hair straighteners from an online shop at a lower price, now, i have used it for about a year, its quality is well and can help me make dream hair styles,so i want to tell you that, not every expensive things are the best. if you want to buy hair straighteners, you also can choose ghd.
ghdsale.com
ghdflatiron.co.uk
ghdbeauty.com

 

[ohlas]

I got one from sally's that was like $60 a couple of years ago and teenage girls still using it...

I hate the way it makes my head feel lol

 

[Kairi]

I love my Paul Mitchell flat iron. It does a really good job on my thick, wavy hair, and it doesn't damage my hair like my cheap one did. They are kind of pricey, but totally worth it!

 

[dtr_angel]

I used to use a cheap $30 Wet2Straight I think it was by Conair? And loved it... until I spent $81 on a solia and oh my gosh, they don't even compare and even though I'm cheap, I've never once regretting getting it.

In December I finally bit the bullet and got an expensive hair dryer, I don't remember how much exactly but between $50-$60 and AHH! I have long, thick hair that used to take FOREVER to hair dry... and now I can go from sopping wet to bone dry in 5-7 minutes, it makes my hair so smooth & shiny, and flat ironing is SO much easier.

 

[LuvTheMagic985]

I agree with most of the post... I too started with a Wet2Dry Remington that cost about $25 and I thought it was great. Then my DD, who has super curly, very thick hair begged for a CHI for Christmas. Her nanny bought her one and when we used it, let me just say...NO COMPARISON. The CHI was awesome. She's had it for about two years and I always steal it. LOL Anyways, I decided to purchase my own and my stylist told me that if I loved the CHI, I should try the GHD. Soooo...I bought one. Needless to say, it is everything she said it would be. It is definitely a top notch iron like the CHI. However, it has a few more plus' ....like the fact that it is much more rounded than the chi which makes great curls. GHD irons have touchable ends so that you can use to hands to guide it and it has an automatic shut off. Plus they come in great little boxes with carrying cases. Both the GHD and the CHI are worth every penny.

 

[fseoer2010]

I still like ghd hair straighteners.
New Generation ghd Mk4 Ceramic Hair Straighteners have been on the market since 2007.The ghd Classic Styler, formerly known as the MK4 IV, is all you will ever need to create perfect curls, movement and volume.The ghd MK4 styler is beautifully designed with a funky new design, rounded barrel for improved curling and styling, auto adjust for international voltages, stronger cable and a new sleep mode which turns itself off after 15 minutes . It includes there color stylers：Black GHD MK4 Hair Straighter,Gold GHD MK4 Hair Straighter,Pink GHD MK4 Hair Straighter.
you can learn more info at ghdtradezone.com

 

[heartsy77]

I also need a new one. My dd chi of just under 2 years broke in Disney and wouldn't turn on. I thought because I bought it at a salon it was under warranty 4 life. Nope so now I have to buy a new one! It makes not want to buy a chi again! IMHO a 90$ hair straightner should last more than 2 years. But the chi is amazing in my dd thick curly hair!

 

[patsal]

Chi was totallly worth it, wish I would have gone that route in the first place. If I took all the cheapo ones and added them up and the ones that broke and needed to be replaced the cost is more than a new Chi not on sale. Besides with a coupon and on sale at Ulta you can pick whichever color you want and get it for like $79.