Straightening Experience
I have tried all kinds of flat irons that have gone in and out of vogue from metal (so long ago) to glass and beyond. And since I absolutely hate putting any strain on my hair I'm incredibly picky. I will not use anything that pulls or "scrapes" along my hair. The BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium Wet to Dry Flat Iron thankfully did not of that! It glided through smoothly and didn't leave my hair looking or smelling burnt (yes, I have had flat irons that have done that in the past). I separated my hair out (which was dry) into manageable sections and made a steady pass through and it straightened my hair easily.
Along with this straightener I received a bottle of KQC Thermal Shine Spray. If you're used to using hot tools on your hair you're likely familiar with products like this that add shine to your hair while protecting it from damage due to the heat being applied. I have several products I've used and I'd say this was fairly comparable, though I'm personally more of a fan of things that spritz or have to be applied using your hands to your hair than aerosol cans as I tend to avoid them generally. If you're interested in checking it out you can view it HERE.
Features
The BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium Straightener that I received was 1.5" wide--perfect for someone with long hair like me. This can be used on either wet or dry hair, which I think will appeal to quite a few people. I personally prefer to straighten my hair dry or slightly damp so I haven't used it with wet hair yet. Like most straighteners I've used, it had a temperature dial, on/off switch and indicator light. I was a little confused as to whether the indicator light meant it was heating up or on (I've had hair tools in the past that had lights that meant either). The light did switch off midway through me straightening my hair so I'm guessing it means it's heating up? I also love that the section where the cord attaches to the flat iron swivels. I hate when you get your cord all twisted around so that's a nice little feature.
Performance
This heated up quickly! I would say I waited maybe 1 minute or so before it was ready for me to use. It maintained its temperature well and I'd say it allowed me to straighten my hair in really good time considering how long and thick my hair is.
Before: As you can see I have very textured, thick hair.
After: I think you can definitely tell the difference. I had a little bit of difficulty taking a picture that captured as much of my hair as possible because I have short arms (and long hair) but I think you can see a reasonable enough amount ;)
Price
This particular model is priced at $199.95, but is on sale at the time I created this post for $129.95.
Where to Buy
This can be purchased at FlatIronExperts.com. The specific model I reviewed can be seen HERE.
Final Thoughts
This is definitely a great flat iron. It's priced around what I'm used to seeing for flat irons of this size and doesn't take forever to heat up. It also didn't rip down my hair (huge plus to me) or fry it. My hair is definitely smoother and silkier after using it. I think this 1.5" size is great for someone with medium to long hair. When I had shorter hair (I've probably had my hair at almost everything length except pixie at this point) I preferred a thinner straighter, so that's something to keep in mind if you have shorter hair, though I know that FlatIronExperts.com offers a number of widths. I'll have to ask Beelex of Spanglelime Connection, my occasional co-blogger, what her thoughts are on this as she's gone from a pixie cut to medium length and I believe will be going back to pixie some time soon. All in all I'm very pleased with it and look forward to using it!
Do you currently have a favorite flat iron model or are you in the market for a new one? Would you consider giving this one a try?