Our take on CHI’s sturdy round straightening brush which adds great texture to hair
CHI Amplitude Tourmaline Ceramic Heated Round Brush
Model Name/ Number: CA2168
Price: $57.60
For Which Hair Type: All Hair Types, All Hair Lengths Except Long Hair
What We Like: Sturdy Material, High Heat Capacity
What We Don’t Like: Heats Up Slow
Rating: 4.5/5.0
CHI is a highly revered brand among home stylists with good quality material and high performance, and their round straightening brush doesn’t disappoint. They already had a paddle-shaped one and they recently released a straightener brush with a round barrel for the ones who want to curl their strands. It’s a slim-sized tool with only 1.25” barrel for intricate curls and it adds texture to hair as well. It has a big range of heat settings and its maximum temperature is high enough (390°F) to tame the unruliest strands. It also is superior at eliminating frizz with its ionic technology and tourmaline ceramic coating. While it doesn’t have the best shape for a natural look, it still provides a gentle session as any straightener brush should do. Below we share our experiences with “Chi Amplitude Straightener Brush”. If you’re curious about the competition, check out the article about Best Hair Straightening Brush Reviews.
Table of Contents
- Shape And Size
- Bristles
- Heat And Variable Settings
- Performance And Durability
- Ergonomics
- Price and Guarantee
- Competition
Shape And Size
Chi Amplitude Round Brush has a round-shaped barrel which is quite slim with only 1.25”, with a heated plate of 4” length and 3.5” width. While paddle brushes are made for a fast and easy natural look, round brushes are better for adding texture to the hair and creating curls. Chi does both of these jobs perfectly. With its round barrel, it works as a curling iron while it can also function as a straightener, adding beautiful texture to the strands. Chi does an outstanding job with short hair and grabbing the roots with its slim barrel. But it will not be as efficient with long hair as it can’t cover a large area at one go. And if you have long hair, Ghd Glide is another great option with a large paddle-shaped brush that may be just what you need.
Bristles
When it comes to choosing a straightening brush, bristles play a very important role. They come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes as well as arrangements. These tools generally have 2 types of bristles; heated and detangler. Chi Amplitude has 2 types of detangler bristles (0.12”*0.37”, 0.08”*2.28”) and no heated bristles. Its detangler bristles are densely placed and medium length, which means this brush is a good detangler. They do get hot, but still cool enough to touch while styling. They’re superior at grabbing the roots and styling as well, especially with short styles.
Heat And Variable Settings
Chi amplitude has adjustable heat settings with a fancy digital display which shows you the exact temperature that you are using. It has a quite high promised maximum temperature of 410°F, which it fails to deliver. The real maximum heat is 390°F, which is still a high enough number to tame even the unruliest strands. This number is one of the highest on our list and it puts Chi in a position of being a great option for thick hair. This quality also makes Chi a very fast styler but it heats up slower than most straightening brushes; in about 2 minutes instead of 1 like the others.
Digital display is not the only luxury that Chi offers. It also has a 60 min auto shut-off, which makes this tool very safe to use, and also 15 sec auto temperature lock.
Performance And Durability
Chi almost never disappoints us with its performance and Chi Amplitude is no exception. Its material sturdy, with very little risk of breakage. But some users report that some of the bristles came off after some use so it may not be the most durable tool.
It has a wattage of 46W, which is average amongst straightening brushes, which comes after GHD Glide with 50W and Drybar The Brush Crush with 58W. Wattage effects the performance immensely, providing a faster and safer blow out with less risk of heat damage. When we compare between the round straightening brushes, on the other hand, Chi definitely is a winner in terms of wattage, which makes it clear that round-shaped brushes offer less wattage than paddle.
It has a tourmaline-coated ceramic barrel, which eliminates cold and hot pockets, providing a heat damage-free session while its ionic technology provides fast and frizz-free results.
Ergonomics
Hair tools can get frustrating to hold for long periods of time so it’s always worth considering the weight of the tool before you make your decision. Chi Amplitude has an average weight, which is 9.8oz. There are even lighter tools in the market such as Babylisspro Nano Titanium with 8.1 oz and even as light as Conair Instant Heat with 4.8 oz. They’re worth considering if you have weak arms and want to avoid fatigue.
It’s the longest straightening brush on our list with 12.5” and not the most compact option in case you want to travel with it. Yet it has dual voltage which allows you to use it all over the world. It comes with a pouch as well to pack and carry around in case you need.
Its cord is swivel and 6.5 ft long, a relatively short length, and may get frustrating if your plug is far away from your mirror.
Price and Guarantee
It has an average price compared to other straightening brushes on our list, but it can be considered expensive amongst the round-shaped ones. $58 may not be budget-friendly enough for many home stylists, but no need to worry. There’s another popular option which is much more affordable, called is Conair Instant Heat with a price of only $20.
It has 2-year limited guarantee, which is also quite average yet it’s more than enough for most people.
Competition
As detailed above, Chi Amplitude is a round straightening brush and its biggest competitor is also found in the round-shaped category. Conair Instant Heat Hot Brush is a cheaper alternative which also delivers effective results yet compromising on the material quality. It’s almost $40 less than Chi with only $20. The biggest sacrifice other than material quality comes with its lack of capacity to heat as much as Chi, which makes it a non-desirable option for thick and unruly hair. But if you have fine to normal hair, it’s a popular and effective alternative that can bring a similar quality to your session.
Another great alternative for Chi is a unique straightening brush. Tymo Ring Plus has a comb-like shaped tool that actually can straighten the strands. With $70, its similarly priced ass Chi but instead of curling and adding texture to the hair, it straightens and smoothens it.
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