For the past year or so, you may have noticed that my hairstyle has changed just a little bit from this. I usually see-saw between short and long hair, and at the moment, I’m trying to grow it out longer than it’s ever been. I love the long loose curls I’ve been seeing on the internet and decided that I could do that too. This past Thanksgiving, I scored a Black Friday deal on a new 1″ CHI flat iron (similar to these). I love using straighteners for curling hair (thanks to Shannon!). I think they give a really natural wave since the curls never look “perfect.” Not long after buying my CHI, Misikko asked if I would review their 1.5″ Hana Flat Iron. Since I had just purchased a CHI, I thought it would be great to share my own pros/cons for the two in case you’re on the look out for one too. The curls below are from this Hana Flat Iron, but you can see some from this CHI Flat Iron in this post.
The Hana Flat Iron has titanium plates with tourmaline, and the CHI has tourmaline ceramic plates. I couldn’t tell a difference between the materials in practice, but based on the research I’ve done, titanium is supposed to help straighten hair faster and tourmaline is known for its smoothing properties. Since my hair is naturally pretty straight, both worked fine for me!
Both brands come in various widths, but I prefer the 1″ width. My hair has a hard time holding curl, so making a tighter curl with the 1″ flat iron tends to leave more room for my hair to relax into the style without going flat.
I prefer the grip and ergonomics on the Hana in comparison to the sleek CHI. I knew just where to hold it, and actually, I felt like the Hana actually held onto my hair better too. Not that it was getting caught on my hair, just that it didn’t slide so easily through the blades, which makes it easier to turn the flat iron and create the curls.
The Hana allows for adjustable temperature, which I love. Yeesh, those things get hot! I’m a bit of a klutz when it’s comes to curling my hair, so by lowering the temperature, it allows me to go a little slower without searing my hair.
You’re going to laugh at me for this one, but the Hana came with a rubber mat and travel case, which allows the paranoid me to stop worrying that my flat iron is going to burn my counter top. It’s the simple things, right?
The two have similar retail price points, but since I got the CHI at a Black Friday deal for almost half off, it’s hard to compete with that.
{LOFT Pants-similar, J.Crew Chambray Shirt-similar, Urban Outfitters Tee, Target Wedges-similar}
What’s your favorite flat iron? Do you use it for curling, straightening, or both?
