A Lovely asks…
I’m looking for a good hair straightener that won’t dry out my thick hair. I also want to stay in a decent budget of $30-35. Any suggestions?
Buying hair appliances on a budget can be tough, especially because typically, you get what you pay for. And I gotta say this first: when it comes to heat styling tools and my hair, I invest in something that will do the least amount of damage to my hair. About four years ago, I bought a CHI flat iron for around $100 and I’ve never had any problems with mine. I used to buy the cheaper $40-50 flat irons at Wal-Mart and Sally Beauty Supply, but I found myself either waiting a really long time for it to heat up, the plates cracked, or it just stopped working completely. Or worse: it was starting to take its toll on my hair. After I bought my third flat iron in a year, I decided to just give up and invest in buying a quality one. While CHI flat irons are expensive, they typically last a very long time. I would recommend investing a little more money in buying a better iron for your hair that will last longer, and it will probably save you money in the long run.
Now, with that being said, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a quality flat iron within your budget. (And Lovelies, if you know of or use a great straightener that is around $35, let us know!) Here are a few things to look for:
1. Read user-submitted reviews of the product online before you buy.
Don’t assume that just because a flat iron is more expensive than another, it means that it’s better. While there is typically a correlation between quality and price with a lot of hair appliances and products, most user reviews will usually help guide you in your decision-making.
2. Is there a warranty available?
You can always tell who stands behind their products if there is a warranty involved. No warranty? Proceed with caution.
3. Look at the heat settings that the flat iron offers.
You had mentioned having thicker hair, so if you like to flat iron your hair in bigger chunks, you may need a higher heat setting to make sure your hair stays silky and straight. I have very thick hair, but since my CHI has only one heat setting (which is hot enough, trust me…I have scars to prove it), I section my hair to make sure I am able to straighten all of it. If you divide your hair into smaller sections and straighten them, it will stay straight longer.
4. Make sure you protect your strands from heat damage with the right product.
If you’re going to use a flat iron that has ceramic-coated heat plates (and almost all of the cheaper ones do), be aware that the ceramic coating will chip over time and you MUST use a heat-protective product on your hair before you blow-dry and straighten.
1. Andis Ceramic Clamp Flat Iron, 2 Inch - $19.66 and an almost perfect rating with currently 31 reviews. Maximum temperature: 400 degrees. Also comes with an auto shut-off feature.
3. Remington S9520 Flat Iron, 2 Inch – Currently $33.99 on Amazon with free shipping, this bad boy has an almost perfect rating with currently 151 reviews. Maximum temperature: 450 degrees. Also comes with an auto shut-off feature.
4. TRESemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Protective Spray – Around $5. Perfect for daily use, and it smells good, too.
5. John Frieda Frizz-Ease Heat Defeat Protective Styling Spray – Around $6. Great for heat styling and it also helps block humidity.
6. CHI 44 Iron Guard Thermal Protection Spray - Around $14. Help keeps hair silky and straight all day. I use it before I blow-dry also.
I hope this helps! Keep in mind that a lot of beauty supply stores will have return policies, so if a certain hair product just does not work for you, keep your receipt and you can exchange it for something that does… and they may even offer returns/exchanges for appliances also. I know that Trade Secret and Ulta have return policies, and Ulta also carries some drug-store brands as well. Good luck!
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orchid / 197 posts
check out the sales at sally’s beauty supply. i managed to pick up an absolutely awesome ceramic hair straightener by toolscience for 40 bucks and it also came with a free travel-size hair straightener. they also have a good return policy and warranty.
daffodil / 1615 posts
Since this was brought up, I’m assuming the same can be said for curling irons, too? I’m contemplating getting one (at 22 I’ve yet to learn how to curl my own hair….sad, I know) but I haven’t really had a chance to look around and see what’s out there.
guest
I have a CHI straightener, too! I was able to find one for $50 (marked down from $100) at Marshalls. I was saving up, and read online reviews about various flat irons, and it seemed to be the best value (price for results). So, when I saw it there in the store, I knew it was the one to buy. The CHI on Amazon is a great deal! I do agree, though, to check return policies before buying and keeping the receipt.
@ask_ashleyyy@xanga - I don’t think it is sad, I didn’t learn how to curl my hair until I was 25! Of course, by the time I got really good at using the curling irons…one of my 3 piece set curling irons broke. And, of course, it is the one that I used the most often (1″). And then curling wands became popular. Now I am back at square one in terms of hair curling skills.
guest
@ask_ashleyyy@xanga - hair straighteners can curl hair too!
orchid / 105 posts
@ask_ashleyyy@xanga - I use Remington curling wands available at Target and I LOVE them! I have both barrel sizes, but I really only use the larger one. They give me great curls, and if I sleep in them, I have perfect waves the next day too. I used to use a curling wand and I could never really figure out how to make it look good. These curling wands are great… just make sure to use the glove that comes along with it or you’ll burn your hands!
Here’s the link: http://www.target.com/p/remington-t-studio-pearl-ceramic-styling-wand-large/-/A-13549605#?lnk=sc_qi_detailbutton
daisy / 568 posts
Marshalls is the place to go for great brand named straighteners at a low price. I bought my cheetah print CHI for 45$ and i love it! I don’t go anywhere else for my straighteners.
guest
Go to tjmaxx or Marshall’s they sell brand name, high end straighteners for a fraction of the price. Plus always use a heat tamer, ie tres emme to help your hair.
orchid / 105 posts
@twenty_twenty_surgery@datingish - Whoa! That’s amazing! I’ll definitely go there for my next one!
daffodil / 1615 posts
@misswheeler - Thanks for the suggestion! Just bookmarked it and will probably be going out this weekend. $30 is a steal, too haha
guest
Oh my! You always want what you don’t have. I’ve been so envious of friends with curly hair, and the products they have now we didn’t have when I was in school, and the curly heads were all frizzy. I have stick straight hair, rather thin, and if I could have natural curl, I’d probably be so happy I’d wet myself. I coveted the girls in school with olive skin, black wavy or curly hair, and didn’t look upon my blonde hair and blue eyes as valuable. I think it had to do with my choice of a first husband, who had the traits I’d longed for, and I gave birth to two beautiful children with gorgeous black wavy hair. Normally I wear my hair short, and blow dry it, but am thinking at my age, 59.5, maybe I’ll just grow it out, all one length. God bless all you girls with gorgeous hair, even if you need a wand or an iron to do it.
orchid / 103 posts
Wow this article is perfect timing. My 8 year old Chi just died two days ago. I had been wanting a new one for a few weeks anyways, but saw no reason to spend $50-100 when I still had a working one. So now it’s time to start saving up for a new one. I’ll have to consider these three. I want a new Chi, but I’m not sure I could afford it right now.
guest
I have a Conair Instant Heat combination ceramic flat iron and curling iron that I got at a local drug store for about $25. I think they have similar ones at Wal Mart. Bought it about 5 years ago and still works perfectly fine. My hair is always so shiny when I use it and I never bother with any heat protector (I only straighten a couple times a month, though, if that). The paddles are rounded on the outside and lock to form a barrel for curling, but I rarely use that because it makes curls that are too large for my liking. Works well though.