Having straight hair has never been more popular. Unfortunately, most are not blessed with perfectly straight, shiny hair so most need to use a flat iron to get the 'look'. Of the more expensive models, the Paul Mitchell is touted as being perhaps the best flat iron on the market. But, is its high price tag justified or are cheaper models just as good or better?
Paul Mitchell is a company that was founded over 20 years ago by two hair stylists. Today, it's one of the most well known companies in the hair business, selling everything from shampoo, to conditioner, hair treatments, hair dryers and hair straighteners.
If there's one thing that you can say about the company is that it wants to be seen as a supplier of premium products; you won't find its products being sold through mass distributors. Instead, its products are sold through authorized retailers who specialize in hair care.
The Paul Mitchell flat iron is at the top end of the market. Depending on the model, you can expect to pay somewhere between $100 and $170. They are marketed as being 'professional' styling tools and are used by stylists.
But how do they compare and are they worth the money?
Let's take a look at one of the mid-range models, the Paul Mitchell 'Smoothing Iron' Professional Ceramic Flat Iron 1 3/8". It retails for around $140 most places.
The iron looks nice with a satin black plastic exterior and lime green ceramic plates. The satin finish is nice as most other brands have a glossy finish but it also makes using it easier as it's non-slip.
The plates are 100% solid ceramic. Ceramic plates naturally emit negative ions that seal hair cuticles and lock in moisture thereby helping to make hair look shinier and prevent heat damage. No matter what brand you buy make sure the ceramic plates are 100% ceramic and not just coated with ceramic. You won't get as many negative ions, your hair will not look as good and the plates will chip over time which will then snag your hair.
The straightener has five temperature settings - ranging from 170 to 400 degrees and the plates will reach maximum heat in only 9 seconds.
Using it is easy and it really does straighten hair with just one pass. Compared to other, cheaper brands it works like a charm and will leave hair with that 'salon look'.
Many people often compare a Paul Mitchell flat iron to that of a CHI, saying they prefer the Paul Mitchell or the CHI. Well, here's a thing; both irons are made by Farouk. So saying one is better than the other really makes no sense. The CHI flat iron has the same build quality and even looks similar. The irons only have cosmetic differences but the guts are the same.
So, if you were thinking of buying a Paul Mitchell flat iron you should also take a look at a CHI, and vice versa. Not to compare functionality but to compare price. My advice would be to buy the cheaper of the two.
Follow the links for the
Paul Mitchell flat iron and also the
CHI flat iron and decide for your self which is the
best flat iron.
