GHD offers a straight forward and uncomplicated tool with the greatest material quality available in the market
Price: $240
Available sizes: 1”
Best for: all hair lengths, strands with medium thickness
What we like: durable material, elegant design,
What we don’t like: expensive, auto shut off is only 30 minutes
How it stands out: high quality flat iron that straightens strands with long lasting results
Rating: 4.6/5.0
GHD is one of the most luxurious brands when it comes to hair tools and their Gold Styler is no different. This tool is not only elegantly designed, it also comes with highest material quality. Its plates are medium sized with 1” width and 3.55” length. These numbers fits most hair lengths and types, other than really short styles. GHD as usually, uses a pre-set temperature of 365F, which they believe to be the perfect temperature for the most efficient results. This may be true for normal hair types, but things are more complicated if you have fine strands. Ceramic is its material of choice which makes the process gentler with its slower heating mechanism, but this temperature may be a bit too harsh if your hair is very fragile. It comes with multi directional heating plates which are rounded edged. These both help with the speed and efficiency of your session and allow you to always keep contact between the plates and your strands. We appreciate that the outside of the plates remains at a reasonable temperature with 135F, and this tool will not burn your hands while using it. As you can see, this tool is not for every budget and with $240, it definitely is an investment. The decision is about if you’re willing to gift yourself a tool that will protect your strands and will last you for many years. Below we share our experiences with “GHD GOLD STYLER FLAT IRON”.
Table Of Contents
- Shape And Size
- Heat And Variable Settings
- Material And Performance
- Features
- Ergonomics
- Price And Guarantee
- Competition
Shape And Size
GHD Gold Styler is a classically shaped tool and it comes with flat shaped plates. While its biggest use is to straighten the strands, it also has the capacity to curl and its rounded edges make things much better for it. After our tests, we can say that it does a decent job at creating curls as well. When it comes to versatile styling, this tool is one of our favourites. We also should mention its multi directional floating plates which helps with keeping equal contact with the strands at all times.
When it comes to size, GHD sticks with the old school number of 1”. This is the standard size in the market and you’ll see that most brands offer it. The reason for that is it literally fits every hair type and length. It’s small enough to get close to the roots in case you have short hair, and large enough to cover a sufficient amount of your hair at a single pass. When we look at the length of its plates which are 3.55”, we also can see that this is the average number in the market which most hair types benefit from. So, whether you have long or short strands, don’t hesitate to go for this tool.
If you have very short strands such as a pixie cut, while this tool will do fine, you may want to consider an even smaller size such as 0.75” or 0.5”. These numbers are created specifically for shorter strands and they can come very close to the roots.
Another thing worth mention in in terms of size is the tool’s length, which is 9.5”. This size is one of the shortest on our list which makes this tool extremely compact. This is a great quality if you want to travel with your flat iron.
Heat And Variable Settings
Most hair tools come with variable heat settings that allows you to switch and choose according to your needs. GHD on the other hand, has a particular approach when it comes to heat. It offers only one pre-set temperature that they think is perfect for a flat iron, which is 365F. Now, we do agree that this number is really convenient if your hair tyle is somewhere close to medium. But if you have very fine and delicate strands, you may need temperatures as low as 250F, and this tool may be too harsh for you. If you have very thick and unruly hair which needs very high heat to tame, you probably need temperatures such as 400F or even more. So, this tool is perfect if your hair type is not on the extremes. Another important thing to mention here is that after measuring the heat of this tool, we saw that it actually heats up till 311F, rather that 365F as it promises. So, it’s a bit gentler than we imagined, which may help fine strands, but it definitely is not suitable very stubborn hair.
Back of its plates heat up till 135F and the tip till 110F. These numbers are a bit warm, but still comfortable enough to hold while styling, which we appreciate.
Material And Performance
GHD choose ceramic as its plate material which means that they’re aiming for gentleness with their tool. Ceramic, has a mechanism of heating up slower than others, as well as heating less. This is a great quality for beginners as it leaves a lot of room for mistakes, and it’s quite difficult to damage your strands with it. But as you can imagine, speed is not its strong suit. It definitely takes a longer time to finish your session compared to titanium and if this is your priority, ceramic may not be the best option for you.
As a luxurious tool with a luxurious price, this tool has extraordinary material quality. It’s so durable that we’ve never seen one die on us yet. This tool is very sturdy and it will last you for as long as you need. It also has a very elegant design and ergonomic to use. Considering its quality, we think it does deserve its price, as long as you have strands with medium thickness.
Features
It has multi directional floating plates which keeps your strands attached to the plates at all times, providing a healthier session.
It comes with heat resistant protective plate guard, which is a case that you can cover the tool with while it’s still hot, allowing you to take your tool anywhere without waiting for it to cool off. It also has dual voltage and allows you to use your tool anywhere in the world. Combined with its compact size, we can say that this tool is very travel friendly.
We must say, we’re not impressed with the fact that its auto shut off is only 30 minutes. This is a feature to make the tool as fire safe as possible. But many people are not finished with their session in 30 minutes and it can be frustrating when your tool shut itself off while you’re not done.
It doesn’t come with ionic technology which is a feature that eliminates frizz from strands. If you have this issue, we recommend to seek a tool that comes with this technology.
Ergonomics
GHD Gold Styler weighs 8.8oz which is considered average in the market. This number is usually easy to handle and manoeuvre and is less likely to give you arm fatigue. It also adds to how travel-friendly it is.
This tool is very pleasant to hold with its 4.6” slim handle and it will fit your hands comfortably.
Its cord is 8.8ft which is a considerably long size. We like the fact that its swivel and you can twist and control it easily.
Since this is a luxury tool, we must say that we’re disappointed with the fact that it doesn’t have digital display and since it doesn’t have variable heat settings, it also doesn’t have digital temperature control.
Price And Guarantee
We’re aware that a tool with $240 is not everyone’s cup of tea. It’s an investment and what you’re investing on with this tool is its material quality and its capacity to smoothen your strands without damaging them. It’s extremely durable and comes with a 2 year warranty to put minds at ease. If you ask us, this tool is value for money if you have strands with medium thickness and length, but it may be overpriced if you have very fine or thick hair.
Competition
Choosing the ghd gold means you’re already making a big investment. For a bit more, you can get the Ultra-zone™ technology with the ghd platinum plus model.
If you have unruly strands, GHD’s maximum heat will not satisfy you. Bio Ionic OnePass Styling Iron is another luxury tool with great material quality, but it comes with 450F maximum temperature as well as ceramic plates. This tool can tame even the most stubborn strand without a problem.
Sources: Ghd Gold Styler Flat Iron
