Can any hair straighteners beat ghds?

Is there anything out there that is just as good?

Young woman straightening her long hair

by Lily Anderson |
Updated on

I don’t remember a time without ghds, do you? As a teenager, I'd beg for the holy grail of hair straighteners. I remember feeling a great sense of injustice that I had to borrow my mum’s and wasn’t trusted with my own. First-world problems, right?

That was over 10 years ago, and when I got my first job (walking a dog) I saved up until I could finally afford a pair. Instead of clicking a few buttons and getting them delivered next day on Amazon Prime, I had to PHYSICALLY go into a salon and pick from the selection they had in the shop. No friggin' way could you imagine that now.

Fast forward to 2019 and ghds still seem to be the go-to straighteners. Flip phones have come and gone, but these bad boys seem like they're here to stay. Although I love my ghds and use them almost every day to tame my unruly fringe, I wanted to know if there was anything out there that was just as good.

READ MORE: I tried GHD’s new wet-to-dry straightener and here are my very honest thoughts

Best ghd hair straightener alternatives at a glance:

Best budget-friendly alternative

KIPOZI Professional Hair Straighteners

Best wide iron

Cloud Nine The Wide Iron Hair Straightener

Best long length, easy glide plate

BaByliss Number 235 Straightener

Best steam straightener

L'Oreal Professional Steampod 3.0

So, I set myself a mission and did what everyone does in times of shopping needs - I turned to online shopping to hopefully find a solution… And, here’s what I found:

Best budget-friendly alternative

I've seen these straighteners everywhere (and not just sponsored ads on FB). Everyone seems to be talking about these budget-friendly alternatives. With naturally thick hair that kinks easily, I thought that this wouldn't last all day and how wrong I was. They even made my hair silky smooth! It looked healthier than I'd ever seen it before. But, don't just take my word for it, see the results for yourself.

Best wide iron

If you have frizzy or curly hair, then these straighteners will be worth every single penny. Even after a night out or an intense workout at the gym, your hair will remain sleek all day. Now, this is what I call hair goals.

Best long length, easy glide plate

Even if you have Rapunzel-type hair (or not) this cool pair of straighteners will allow you to rock the sleek look. Plus, they heat up ultra-fast and have a long length, easy glide plate.

Best steam straightener

If you're wondering WTF a Steampod is, then don't worry I got you. A steampod basically is a hair straighter that uses steam. The first thing you'll notice is that they're much bigger and you'll wait a little longer for them to heat up. Surprisingly though, it straightens your hair quickly and you won't have to go over it again and again.

Still want the ghd? 😳😳😳

Best mini styler

If you're still a die-hard ghd fan, we're not even mad that you want to stick to this straightener. They're too hot to handle because they heat up in just 30 seconds. If this technology wasn't enough to tempt you to hit the shop button, then the fact the sleep mode activates after 30 minutes surely will.

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