'What I wish I had known before buying ghd hair straighteners' from a seasoned hair tool expert

Let us fill you in on exactly what to know before buying ghds, so you can shop for a new pair of straighteners with confidence.

Ghd has long been the first name in heat styling, and for good reason. They make some of the best straighteners overall, plus some of the best cordless straighteners and best straighteners for thick hair too. But, that doesn’t mean that they’ll be everyone’s cup of tea, as what works for one person’s hair might not deliver on another. Take me and my best friend for instance – I have very thick, naturally curly hair while she has lovely naturally straight, silk hair – which means we both have quite different wants, needs and expectations when it comes to straighteners. For me, it’s professional straighteners or bust (the ghd platinum+ is my favourite) but for her a cheaper tool more than does the job. 

To help you be as savvy as possible with your spending and decide whether a shiny new pair of ghd straighteners really is the right choice for you, we’ve rounded up 13 must-knows before you double-click that Apple pay button. 

What you need to know before buying ghd hair straighteners

1. The results really do last

Partly because of my job as a Beauty Editor, and partly because my frizzy, curly hair is a constant source of annoyance to me, I have tried a lot of straighteners over the years. Some have given seemingly brilliant results, only for me to look in the mirror 15 minutes later and see that all my smoothing graft has turned to frizz and fluff.

What I love about ghds is that every time I have used any of the straighteners in their range (and I’ve tried every single one) my hair has stayed impressively straight until my next wash. So, if you want to invest in a straightener that isn’t going to let you down, ghd is the one.  

2. You can't change the temperature

The clever folk at ghd have done a lot of research into heat styling, and have settled on 185°C as the optimum temperature for all their straighteners. The logic is that 185°C is hot enough to straighten the hair, but not so scorching that it’ll cause extreme heat damage to your strands.

The downside of one fixed temperature, however, is that there’s no option for adjustments based on your hair type or what you might be using your tool for. If, for example, your hair is extra frizzy post-wash, you might need a bit more heat to smooth those fluffy lengths. Or, equally, if your hair just requires a little touch-up on day three, you might not need the straighteners to be quite as hot as 185°C. The lack of wiggle room could be a deal-breaker for some.

3. You might find they’re too hot for your hair

Sticking with the hot topic (sorry) of temperature, if your hair is very fine or fragile, you may find that the set temperature of 185°C is too searing for your strands. Mine is neither of those things (it’s actually very thick and coarse) but when I’ve been using my Cloud Nine The Wide Iron Pro straighteners (which do have adjustable heat settings of between 100 and 200°C) and then come back to my ghds, I’m always shocked by how hot my hair feels when it comes out of the plates.

Sometimes, I like the satisfaction of lots of heat, but when my hair is already feeling frazzled that extra heat feels more guilt-inducing than enjoyable – even with a generous coating of my best heat protect spray. 

4. …Or not hot enough

On the flip side, I was chatting to our Digital Beauty Editor (and a fellow straightener obsessive), Aleesha Badkar, recently about ghds, who told me that that she feels they’re not hot enough to effectively straighten her frizz-prone hair.

She prefers the Dyson Corrale for this very reason, as you can crank them up to a fiery 210°C.

5. It’s worth spending more to get the Platinum+

Not all straighteners are created equal, and in my opinion, the ghd platinum+ is the creme de la creme of the ghd range.

At £229 they are considerably more expensive than the original styler and the gold version, which are £129 and £179 respectively, but if you can stretch (especially with the help of a little Black Friday discount) then I think it’s well worth it.

The biggest USP is that the smart plates recognise the thickness of your hair and the speed at which you style at and adjust the heat accordingly so you get smooth, sleek and shiny results in one pass. Built-in sensors also monitor the temperature across the plates a mind-blowing 260 times per second, so there are no hot spots. Plus, the slightly curved shape means they’re great for adding waves and curls if poker-straight hair isn’t your bag.

6. They work well on thick, curly hair

If I had to liken the texture of my hair to something it would be part horse mane (thick, coarse, difficult to brush) and part brillo pad (wiry and curly), which really isn’t a recipe for the kind of smooth, silky finish that I covet. As a result, I rely heavily on straighteners to keep my hair under control, and ghds always rise to the challenge.

I find that I can style decent-sized sections at once, so I don’t need to go over the same area lots of times, and my hair always comes out of the plates straight and glossy.

7. The warranty period is generous

As you’ve probably gathered by now, I straighten my hair a lot, so any tool that ends up on my dressing table has to work harder than most. Because of this, I’ve ended up with a fair number of broken (presumably through sheer exhaustion) ghds over the years.

Every time I’ve contacted customer service within warranty (and once or twice outside) they have been extremely helpful and replaced my straighteners speedily, so I haven’t ever been stuck with enforced curls for too long. The current warranty period for the platinum+ straighteners is three years, and two years for all their other straighteners. 

8. There is now an option for a two-in-one

If (like me) you straighten your hair after every wash, then it may make more financial sense (and save you space) to invest in a two-in-one hairdryer and straightener like the ghd Duet Style rather than having one of each tool.

It doesn’t save a huge amount of time compared to using a hairdryer followed by straighteners, but the big pro for me is the lack of damage. ghd has got some excellent user trial results which show that in a study of 142 women, the Duet Style caused no damage at all to the hair, which will be a selling point for any self-confessed heat addicts who want to preserve the health of their hair. 

9. They come in more than one size

As well as your standard straightener size, ghd also offers wide and mini plate options.

The first is great for very thick or very long hairstyles, while the second is perfect for short hairstyles like a pixie haircut or for tackling a particularly stubborn fringe into smooth submission. Specs-wise, neither are as fancy as the platinum+, but they still do the trick. 

10. You can go cordless

If you’re the kind of person who likes to style on the go, or the kind of person who finds that they end up tangled in the cord like a fly in a web the minute they start trying to curl their hair with straighteners, then the ghd Unplugged Cordless Hair Straightener is a good shout.

The battery life isn’t amazing (two hours of charge will reward you with 20 minutes of wire-free styling) but it’s a brilliant tool for smoothing over hair when the weather has been against you or refreshing your style between washes. 

11. They turn off automatically

As someone who’s been known to take photos of their unplugged straighteners for peace of mind before leaving the house, what I love about my ghds is that they automatically switch themselves off if not used for 30 minutes.

No more rushing back upstairs or a camera roll that features more pictures of my straighteners than it does my family – and breathe. 

12. They don’t last as long as they used to

Forgive me, because this is when I launch into the kind of ‘in my day’ speech that will make plenty of you roll their eyes, but in my opinion, ghds just don’t last as long as they used to anymore. I have friends who still have the same pair of original ghds that they got for Christmas fifteen years ago, but I can’t seem to manage more than two or three before mine go kaput.

As I’ve already mentioned, ghd’s warranties are generous and their customer service department incredibly helpful, but if you’re someone who’s replacing an old, much-loved pair and hoping for another ten or so years out of your next pair, I think you might end up disappointed. 

13. They can be used anywhere in the world

Most of us are far too excited about getting ready for a holiday to think about checking if our straighteners will work abroad – but annoyingly lots of tools aren’t compatible with international voltages.

Luckily, ghd is, with a universal voltage across all straighteners in the range. Just don’t forget to pack your travel adaptors.