Is the ghd Chronos Max worth the upgrade? Our contributing beauty editor's honest review

Anybody with a modicum of knowledge about hair straighteners has heard of ghd. The brand has been leading the way in hair straightening technology for more than two decades and a pair of its straightening irons will easily be found in hundreds of thousands – if not millions – of households around the world.

Team woman&home is very familiar with the brand’s entire range of stylers, from its flat irons to hair dryers. The best ghd straighteners is a group that, as of 2025, comprises eight different models. In 2024, the brand launched its most advanced straightener to date, the Chronos, and now we get their newest - a supersize edition that marries the size of the Max with the tech of the Chronos.

Promising smoothness and shine that lasts for 24 hours, we wanted to know how good this tool really is when put through our rigorous testing process. After using the ghd Chronos Max on my curly hair, I’ve compiled a thorough run-down of how well this wide plate straightener performs. Here’s what you need to know…

Our contributing beauty editor's full ghd Chronos Max review

Our first impressions of the ghd Chronos Max Hair Straightener

When you first open its compact box, it’s clear from the get-go that the Chronos Max is an incredibly chic and sleek tool. This is already the standard set by ghd, but they’ve somehow managed to raise that bar and reach sleeker new heights with this tool. Designed to be some of the best straighteners for curly hair, thick hair, long hair, or all of the above (though you can still use them if your hair doesn’t fall into that category!), the styler takes on a wider-plate design. It’s available in two colourways, black and white, the latter of which I got my hands on. The finish of the tool is matte while the plates are glossy and almost sparkly. In the box you’ll also find a plate guard to protect them from scratches, dust, et cetera while being stored or being carted around in a bag, but no carry case.

How does the ghd Chronos Max perform?

Fire up the Chronos Max (with that happy little melody that tells you they’re in heating mode) and it takes a pretty quick 35 seconds to reach temperature. This is a little longer than the ghd Platinum+ Hair Straightener’s 20 seconds – which makes sense given the larger plate size – and about the same as the Max Styler’s 30. As is the case for all ghd straighteners, the Chronos Max heats to 185°C, the temperature the brand says is optimum for great styling without utilising extreme heat that could compromise your hair’s health.

Ghd notes that hair is left sleeker with just one stroke – this doesn’t mean hair will definitely be straight in one pass, but rather that you’ll see a big difference in how much smoother and straighter it is after smoothing the tool over just once. I did find it took a few slow passes through each section of hair, depending on the size of the section, but it was incredibly smooth – absolutely no feeling of frying my strands whatsoever. It is worth mentioning that if I was planning on straightening my hair after washing, I would usually dry it smoother with this in mind; I’d dried it curly purely to test how well it would straighten curlier hair. But either way, my hair retained movement and some elasticity and bounce, rather than feeling fried and rigid from the straightening process.

Though I have a lot of hair and it’s curly, my strands are fine to medium, so I can’t personally comment on whether the Chronos Max makes the best straightener for thick hair specifically – but it certainly seems as though it’s well-equipped for the task. All in all, it’s a very smooth user experience, and the smooth results also last brilliantly.

How does the ghd Chronos Max compare?

Size-wise, the Chronos Max is almost like-for-like with the ghd Max Styler, save for the rounded top of the plates instead of straight - and an ever-so-slightly different-looking display near the power button. I own both the original Max and the Platinum+ and found that, somehow, the Chronos Max glided over my hair even more easily, not snagging once on my curls. It's definitely the sleekest ghd straightener I've ever used (before, I would flit between the Platinum+ and the Max any time I straightened my hair).

I find that both the user experience and results are largely unrivalled when it comes to styling my own hair, and the Chronos Max yields some of the shiniest results I can get with straightening irons. But it is worth noting that if you know from experience that you get the best results by styling at a higher temperature than ghd's magic 185ºC, you may find this area to be a sticking point.

Should you buy the ghd Chronos Max?

I would say that if you’re drawn to the size of the Max Styler and have the budget level up on ghd’s already smooth technology, it’s nice to have the techiest tech at your disposal. There’s no denying that this is another great launch from ghd, but some will see the benefit more than others.

If your hair is already close to straight and isn’t at all frizz-prone, you may not need the added bells and whistles of the Chronos technology to achieve the sleek and straight finish we know and love from ghd – and will therefore save £90 by opting for the Max. But if you love having the most up-to-date and advanced tools to hand, or you have curly hair and want an ultra-smooth and shiny finish after straightening your hair, I think you’ll rate the Chronos Max.