A deep look at expensive but extremely luxurious GHD Premium Plus, which brings salon-quality results
Price: $280
Available sizes: 1”
Best for: strands with medium thickness, all hair lengths
What we like: unique wishbone hinge, even heat distribution, heats up very fast
What we don’t like: no variable heat settings
How it stands out: this tool is a very good quality flat iron with fast and high-quality performance, but it only appeals to strands with medium thickness
Rating: 4.6/5.0
GHD Premium Plus is a tool that exceeds expectations when it comes to the quality of your styling experience. First of all, it has outstanding material quality, basically the best that you can find in the market. It’s really sturdy to hold and just feels smooth and luxurious when you hold it. Its performance is also extraordinary and it can provide you with great results with the fewest passes that we have ever come across. It heats up in less than 20 seconds and makes the hair very soft and smooth. It has a shape which they call “Wishbone Hinge”, as well as rounded edges, which both help a lot if you want to use your iron to curl your strands as well. It also Its design is also very elegant and more importantly, very beginner friendly. It only has one button to turn the tool on and off and it’s all you need. That said, this easiness comes with some consequences. This tool has only one pre-set heat setting which is 365F. Their approach to heat is quite different from most brands, which usually come with variable heat settings. They believe this temperature to be optimal for heat safe styling while being effective enough. We agree that this is true for medium type hair, but if you have very unruly strands that needs taming, it may not do the trick and you probably are better off with 400F or more. It also is way too high for very thin and delicate strands. So, this tool is an incredible flat iron but it appeals to a specific audience. So, if you have this kind of hair type, we think it’s more than worth its price, but otherwise it may not be the best option. Below we share our experiences with “GHD PLATINUM PLUS 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 Platinum, while being a classically shaped flat iron with straight plates, it has a unique hinge which has a wishbone shape. Since it also comes with rounded edges, you can easily curl your strands with it which makes this tool versatile in styling. It also has floating plates that keeps better contact with the strands at all times. So, it comes with all the little bits that makes a flat iron more convenient and ergonomic.
When it comes to size of plate width, they go for the most commonly found number in the market with is 1”. This size is preferred more as it’s the most versatile one which fits most strands. It’s narrow enough to come close to your roots if you have a shorter style and is large enough to cover enough area at one pass, which provides a faster session.
Length of its plates are also average sized. With 3.82”, it’s slightly less than the average in the market and you don’t need to worry about if it’ll fit you or not, unless your hair length is not on the extremes.
The size of the tool is 10”, and while not being the shortest, it still is compact enough to travel with.
Heat And Variable Settings
GHD has an interesting approach which is definitely worth mentioning when it comes to heat. Most hair tools come with variable heat settings that appeal to different hair types, but not this one. This brand claims to have perfected the temperature of optimal styling. They think that 365F is the golden number that provides a session which is completely safe from heat damage, while being powerful enough to tame your strands. Unfortunately, this theory only works if you have strands with medium thickness. But, if you have very fine hair that needs temperatures as low as 250F to be gentle enough, this tool may be way too harsh for you. Same issue arises if you have very stubborn hair, and in this case this number may not be high enough to tame your strands. Long story short, we love this tool for only medium hair types.
This tool is very ergonomically designed and its handle and cool tip doesn’t get hot at all. You can touch them without hurting your hands, even for long periods of time.
Material And Performance
Material of GHD’s plates is ceramic. This material is known to be the gentler option compared to titanium as it heats up much slower. But actually, this tool comes with a technology that allows it to heat up very fast, so we can’t say that this fact applies to GHD Platinum. Ceramic is less durable compared to other materials, but the way its mechanism works protects the strands from heat damage as it can tame strands with less heat. It’s a more beginner friendly option as it leaves more room for mistakes.
We love this tool’s performance, it’s one of the fastest that we’ve tested and you don’t even need to pass it through your strands more than once in most cases. This also protects your strands from heat damage more than usual. It has extremely sturdy and durable material, and what you will need to consider mostly with this tool is its price of $280. We’re more than aware that this is a number that not many home stylists are willing to pay for a hair tool. And this tool appeals to only hair with medium thickness. So, we think it has great performance vs price, in case you fit in this group. Otherwise, it probably should be considered overpriced.
Features
Its auto shut off is 30 minutes and is less than the usual number of 60 minutes. While it may be appealing for some, we think it’s too short of a time and it may get frustrating to have your tool turned off by itself while you’re in the middle of your session.
It comes with floating plates, which is a great feature which most luxury flat irons provide. It helps your tool to keep contact with your hair at all times and provide a faster and more efficient session.
It has sound indicators to let you know when the tool is heated up and ready to use, which we find very helpful.
Ionic technology is one important feature that this tool is missing, which eliminates frizz from strands. If you have relatively thick strands, you may want to aim for a flat iron that provides this.
It comes with a heat resistant protective plate guard which allows you to cover your tool right after you use it, without having to wait for it to cool down. This accessory is great if you want to bring your tool to use at work or at gym and helps you gain some time. It also has dual voltage which means that you can use this tool anywhere in the world. Considering these combined with its compact design, we can say that this tool is travel-friendly.
Ergonomics
If a flat iron is too heavy, it can easily cause arm fatigue and it’s worth going for a lightweight tool, especially if your session takes long. GHD Premium has an average weight of 9.7oz, which we think is on the limit of being too heavy. It most likely will be comfortable enough, but if you have weak arms, it may be a bit frustrating at times.
Thickness of its handle is 4.5” and is comfortable to hold. It’s a very ergonomically designed tool and it most likely will fit your hands perfectly.
It comes with a very long cord which is 8.8ft. It also is swivel and very easy to maneuver.
It doesn’t have led display, but since you don’t need to change temperature, it’s actually not needed at all.
Comes in 2 colours which are black and white, and has a very smooth and elegant surface. We really like the design of this tool.
Price And Guarantee
This is one of the most expensive flat irons on our list this year and certainly is one of the most luxurious ones. If we were to discuss value, we can say that it has great value for money, only if you have hair with medium thickness. But if your strands are very thin or thick, it may not satisfy your needs.
Another thing we appreciate with this tool is that it offers 3-year warranty. This number is longer than usual which puts minds at ease.
Competition
In need of a pick-me-up? The Dyson Corrale is a tool that has all the features you’re looking for and more. It boasts outstanding flexing plates technology that reduces hair breakage, and intelligent heat control to prevent heat damage. Additionally, Dyson offers cordless functionality for up to 30 minutes of styling, something none of the other tools in our list offer.
As a fairly expensive flat iron, we know that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. If you want a solid flat iron with decent performance and don’t want to spend over $200, we recommend checking out Ghd Original Flat Iron.
