And so it begins...
When we last spoke, I told you guys that I was on the hunt for a new flat iron. After weeks and weeks of the ends of my hair feeling kinda crunchy and not being able to remedy the situation via a variety of products, I took one last shot at a resolution. My beloved HAI flat iron that I've had for years was technically still functioning; however, the blue ceramic on the plates is starting to fade and, in fact, has totally worn away on the beveled edges, leaving the metal plate underneath completely exposed. I took a guess that this may have been the culprit... and got confirmation soon after when I bought a brand new iron. It's the BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium and I gave it a full fortnight to show me what it's got...
Well known in professional circles for its diverse array of hair styling tools, BaBylissPRO offers several different iterations of its popular Nano Titanium flat iron, including this BOGO (buy one, get one free) combo I picked up at my local Bed Bath & Beyond store.
Cased in a sleek, but angular, heat-resistant black in lieu of the brand-associated cornflower blue, these two Nanos are virtually the same except for their size: one is slightly longer than the other.
Both are equipped with swivel cords to grant more freedom and mobility during use.
Both boast pure, 1.25" titanium-plated plates, which are touted to be more durable (overall) and less prone to product build up than their ceramic counterparts. Working in cahoots with ionic technology and a ceramic heater, the mirror-like plates help create frizz-free styles while maintaining consistent, even heat throughout.
And both have an ON/OFF button as well as heat gauges that allow you to dial the iron from the lowest degree of 300 all the way up to 450.
So while the two Nano flat irons in my pack were pretty evenly matched point for point, here's where they differed. Although both seemed to be fitted with floating plates - which are plates that can move and contract in order to accommodate whatever chunk or slice of hair you want to put in between them, ensuring constant contact for optimal straightening/styling - I was able to squeeze the smaller one flush (albeit with a bit more effort than I'm used to)...
...but could not get the plates on the larger one to close tight to save my life! Perhaps it was just my model, but the plates on this barely moved at all. Even with me employing a Kung Fu grip on this - squeezing it with all my might - it would NOT budge! Needless to say, my hair slipped right through when I tried to use it, making any type of straightening or styling impossible. So, with the inherent virtue of the BOGO now gone, I flatly moved forward to style my hair with the smaller one.
The iron heated up to 340 degrees (my preferred setting) fairly quickly even though I had to basically guess its readiness since there is no indicator (at least none that I could tell) to inform you of this. My first go 'round, I used it with my CHI Iron Guard and it came out OK, but not as glossy as I'm used to. Styling was a tad cumbersome as my hair did not glide through the plates as smoothly as I had hoped and left creases along the way. The second session was a little better; I used my Paul Mitchell Skinny Serum and the iron seemed to appreciate it more. I got a little more shine than before, but it seemed to peter out after a day or so and downgrade to a normal sheen.
I know that a lot of people absolutely LOVE this iron. From the professional to the layperson, I've heard nothing but good things about it and do think it's a good iron. I really do... but it's just not the perfect fit for me and what I want. I have noticed that most use the iron on its higher settings and maybe that would have made a difference... but I'm not willing to risk that. I've been rolling with 340 since the dawn of time with no problems and I don't feel like I should have to go higher just to get the results I desire. I will also concede that perhaps I had a one-off... or one-offs. Perhaps the "unbundled" Nanos normally come with plates that close flush with barely any effort at all. But I must also say that I may be biased. Now that I've tried a metal iron again, I really think I'm partial to ceramic. There's just something about it and the way it makes my hair feel.
So there you have it. Although the flat iron didn't quite work out for me, good did come of it. My ends looked healthier and smoother after using the Nano, which proved that, alas, it is time to replace my beloved HAI. If I could, I would just buy another one and call it a day, but they discontinued my blue-plated model (of course!) and the "updated" version has been getting lukewarm reviews thus far.
And so it continues... my search for a new flat iron. I picked up another iron and will be reviewing it soon. Hopefully, this one will be THE one. *sigh* We shall see. We shall definitely see...
BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium 1.25" Straightening Iron is available at various retail outlets, including Bed Bath & Beyond, and retails for $139.99.
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