Revlon The One-Step Collection provides fast and effective styling for a very affordable price. But which One-Step to choose?
Revlon One-Step Volumizer PLUS 2.0 vs 1.0 Original
Revlon One-Step Volumizer is a reliable and affordable model that has been one of the tops of our list for some time and for good reason. With its affordable price and fast styling capacity, Revlon Hot Air Brush is perfect for home stylists that prioritize budget and speed.
They’ve recently come up with a new version called Revlon One-Step Volumizer PLUS 2.0, which is an intriguing upgrade from the original version.
While many points like bristles and ionic technology, as well as the ceramic titanium barrel remain the same in both versions, there are some key differences between the two.
The new detachable head is a huge progress, making it compact and easier to clean. On top of that, 4 different heat settings instead of 3 is just taking things to the next level, since there’s no other hot air brush in the market that offers this quality. There are also some design differences between these two tools.
You may also like: Best Hot Air Brushes
We broke down the differences and measured everything you need to know about these two sisters. Here’s what we found out:
LONG STORY SHORT
Revlon One-Step Volumizer PLUS 2.0
Model name/ number: RVDR5298N/ULT
Price: $70
Barrel size: 2.4″
Barrel shape: Oval
Heat settings: low: 140°F / medium: 150°F / high: 170°F
Hair type/ texture: medium to thick hair texture, chin-length to longer hair, not for dense hair
Pros: features an additional medium heat setting, detachable head
Cons: its cool tip gets really hot, can not provide a strong grip on the hair
How it stands out: Gives long hair great volume and lift at the roots, whilst also creates soft bends in the ends
You may also like: Revlon One-Step Volumizer PLUS 2.0 Review
REVLON Salon One-Step Volumizer Enhanced 1.0
Model Name/ Number: RVDR5222
Price: $60
Barrel size: 2.8″
Barrel shape: Oval
Heat Settings: Low: 170°F / High: 210°F
Hair type/ texture: Thick hair, shoulder-length or longer hair
Pros: Reduced styling time for long hair, delivers greater volume
Cons: not detachable , both the barrel and the handle gets too hot
How it stands out: This tool operates at very high temperatures even on the low heat setting, making it suitable for those with thick or coarse hair that requires intense heat for styling
Table of Contents
Keynotes On Their Differences:
Barrel Size And Shape
As we all know, the barrel size and shape are the most important points of the decision-making process when choosing a hot air brush.
The “Original” has a quite large-sized barrel (2.8″).This size provides significant lift from the roots, creating volume and body in long hair. It is also ideal for creating a slight bend in the hair. While it can cover a lot of hair at one brush stroke and style long hair faster, it’s very inconvenient for shorter hairstyles, bangs, or short layers.
The new “Plus”, on the other hand, is a relatively slim hair brush with only 2.4″. So it stands to reason that most people would find “plus” spins easier than the “original”. This mid-size provides a better grip on the roots while still covering enough area to be convenient for very long hair. It also gives volume on longer hair and a soft wave. It is a great upgrade in our opinion.
Both versions are oval-shaped. Oval shape is generally considered the better choice for boosting volume. It can create loose waves, but it’s worth mentioning that these tools are not the best option for creating curls.
Detachable Design
Revlon seems to have listened to their customers very well because there was quite a bit of requests about a more compact model, and here it is. While the head of the “original” doesn’t detach from the bottom, in the “plus” version you can separate the head. Detachable design has many benefits, starting with how easier it gets to clean.
The detached head allows us to reach to every little bit of the tool and clean it thoroughly. It also clearly makes it more compact, which is great quality if you’re traveling often. But even if you’re not, no one wants their hair tools to take up too much space. Not to mention the fact that you can detach the head and use the tool to blow dry your hair!
Bristles
When comparing the bristles between these two Revlon tools, the new Plus version has shorter bristles than the original. While the original already has average-length bristles, the Plus version has very short bristles, which are below the market average. Furthermore, the tufted bristles of the Plus version are the shortest on our list. This means you should not expect very strong tension on the hair, which is essential for straightening. Shorter bristles will also affect the styling time of coarse or dense hair, as a smaller amount of hair can be styled at once.
Temperature
– Heat Settings
Hot air brushes often come with different heat settings, and the “original” Revlon was also providing 3 heat settings including high, low, and cool options. This is already a considerably efficient way, fitting the needs of both thick and fine hair. Although users had some complaints about high setting getting too hot and the low setting not being effective enough. Revlon one step “plus” seems to be solving this problem.
It offers 4 heat settings instead of 3, adding a medium heat option.
Well, you know that we’re obsessed, we had to measure and decide; While “original” is getting relatively high on low setting (168°F), it gets really hot on high setting (207°F). The Original, on high heat setting, is hot enough to fry your hair if you use it on a daily basis.
When we went ahead and measured the “plus” version, the results were: low (145°F), medium (150°F) and high (170°F). Low hair temperature is still high for fine and delicate strands, but high heat setting is gentle yet enough to tame thick hair.
You can see that it gets much less hot than the “original”, even the high option of “plus” is almost the same as the low option of the “original”. Now we have been informed that the “Plus” promises 50% less heat damage, and with these results, we can definitely believe them.
– Handle Temperature
The handle of the Original model gets really hot, nearly reaching 100°F on the high heat setting. This is one of the highest temperatures we measured on hot air brush handles. It means this tool is not suitable for holding and using for long periods.
On the other hand, the handle temperature of the Plus version is around 85°F on all three settings. This is an average temperature that won’t cause discomfort even during long periods of use.
– Cool Tip Temperature
We pay attention to the cool tip temperatures because when using a hot air brush to add texture to your hair, you often need to touch the cool tip while spinning the brush. Surprisingly, the Plus version’s cool tip temperatures are higher compared to the Original. On the high heat setting, the Plus’s cool tip temperature goes as high as 125°F, while the Original’s cool tip temperature stays around 105°F.
Performance And Durability
New Revlon one step “plus promises to have 40 percent more life than the “original”. The need for this upgrade is understandable since the “original” was reported by many users to be not very durable. Our tests indicates that the “plus” version is a bit sturdier than the “original” but still the difference is not great and durability is not the strongest suit of Revlon. But with this price it’s still a great option.
Both Revlons released a burnt-like smell when they’re used for the first time, which burned our throats and eyes. The smell can be a sign of toxic chemicals in the smoke. We thought it’s worth mentioning in case you’re one of our sensitive users. You might want to stay a bit far and open the windows when you use these tools for the first time.
Ergonomics
– Weight:
Revlon One Step Plus is claiming to be a more lightweight tool. After measuring both versions, we came to realize that they weigh exactly the same! (14.8lbs.) We don’t really understand why and how they make such a claim but it’s not true.
– Handle Size:
Both models have a handle thickness of 5″, which is considered average compared to the market standard.
– Length:
The “original” measures 13″ while the “plus” is 14″. This change includes both the handles and the brushes.
Both the handle and the brush of “Plus” is noticeably longer then the “original” version. Longer brush provides a larger area which really helps with long hair. While the thickness of the handle remains the same, the design is improved making it easier to hold, especially for smaller hands.
– Noise Level:
After our measurements, we found the sound of these tools are quite similar with each other, as well as between different heat settings. To be precise, for the “original”; Low is 85, medium is 94, and high is 93, while for the “plus”; low is 88 and high is 94 dBA. Generally, above 90 dBA is considered on the higher end, which makes both the “original and the “plus” quite noisy tools.
– Cord:
Both models have nearly the same cord length; the Plus version’s cord is just slightly longer by 0.3 inches. However, a 6-foot cord is not very long, so if your power source is far away, you may face some difficulties while using it.
