HOT TOOLSPro Artist 24K Gold Extra Long Curling Iron/Wand | Long Lasting Defined Curls, (1-1/4 in)

Product Review: Hot Tools Professional Spring Curling Iron (1’’) – HT1181Product’s Ideal UserThe Hot Tools Professional Spring Curling Iron (1’’) – HT1181 is the ideal product for at home and professional use. This product is perfect for achieving loose curls that last all day.Evaluation CriteriaThis product evaluation is based off of the following criteria:1. Price. This curling iron compares to others that cost less than $100.2. Heats quickly. Curling irons should be convenient to use and require little time to heat.3. Produces long lasting curls. A good curling iron should be one that produces long-lasting curls.Overall AssessmentI have used my Hot Tools Professional Spring Curling Iron (1’’) for a few weeks now and each time I have use it I been even more pleased with it than the last. I chose to purchase this curling iron after doing some research online and finding many articles had rated this curling iron as the best. At $31.80, this curling iron seemed like a steal since it was ranked better than curling irons triple the price.This curling iron does what it says it will in the product description. It heats up quickly and produces curls that will last all day. There are variable heat settings you can choose from. The directions included with the curling iron recommend three different heat settings depending on whether you have fine, regular, or thick hair. The highest setting is 430 degrees, which is the one I use for my thick hair. It heats to temperature in under five minutes, making it convenient to use during your morning routine.One drawback of this curling iron is that it does not have an automatic shut off timer, but if you are careful about shutting it off and unplugging it after use, then this shouldn’t be a problem.Curling your hair is quick and easy with this curling iron. Within minutes, you can change straight, boring hair into beautiful loose curls with volume. The curls are soft and shiny, not frizzy. They will last all day and sometimes into the next if you use hairspray the day before.For the cost of this product, I feel you get a tremendous value. So far, it seems very durable and like it will last for years. I love my Hot Tools Professional Spring Curling Iron and will recommend it to anyone looking for the curling iron with the best value on the market.

I'm the kind of girl who has no problem dropping a load of cash on a hair appliance if I think it's what will work best for my very long, very thick, very coarse hair. I've used all the top brands, from Chi to GDH - everything, and my most expensive curling iron was over $150. So I feel like a bit of an idiot to discover that this Hot Tools XL is less that $40 (including tax and delivery), considering it's the best curling iron I've ever used. Yes, dramatic statement, but there's no way to understate the greatness of this curling iron for women with hair like mine. It no longer takes two tries to make one curl (with regular length barrels, my hair was too long to curl the entire length at once). The extra length is amazing, and because I bought the 1.5 inch, my curls are always loose and bouncy, never tight.I do have a few tips, however, for anyone considering purchasing this:1. It gets very hot if you turn it up to maximum heat. Even if you're confident that your hair can handle it, start with less heat the first few curls to get a sense of how it really is for you. This might be the hottest curling iron I've ever used. That being said, my hair likes the maximum heat, but it took a few curls before I learned how much hair I liked per curl, and how long to hold the hair in the iron. Better to be safe than sorry.2. Another reviewer complained about the clip not going all the way up the barrel, and she gave the curling iron a 1-star because of this. My question is, why do you need the clip to go all the way up? If your technique is correct, you only need a clip at the bottom of the iron to hold the ends of your hair in place. As you wind the curling iron up your hair, your hair should lie flat against the iron, and you should be pulling the iron away from your head a little to give your hair a very gentle stretch. No full length clip is needed - and with the length of this barrel, a full clip would be really long, super clunky, and you'd risk burning your face with it. I mean, think about it. Even when I've used irons that had full length clips, my hair was wrapped around the OUTSIDE of the majority of the clip anyway, secured only at the ends.3. For the best, most long-lasting curls, remember that you can technically use a curling iron as a flat iron, too. That's how I used to do it back in the day before they made flat irons! The best curls happen when you straighten AS you curl (which is why curls made with actual flat irons last forever). Here's what I mean: Take the section of hair you intend to curl, and starting near the top (closer to the roots), use the curling iron like a flat iron to smooth the section of hair from top to bottom. When you reach the bottom, clip the ends and then spiral the iron to make a curl like you normally would. Because you straightened it first, your hair should be extra flat and smooth as it's wrapped around the iron. Hold for however long you need, and then release. I find that smoothing the hair shaft first from top to bottom and then making a curl keeps the curls extra smooth, extra shiny, and they last all day - without any hairspray. (If you're a newbie to this technique, try it first without any heat - but this technique is a game changer).

This is my third purchase of this exact curling iron. I use my iron at least four times per week so after a couple of years, they burn out which I would expect the heating element to go out at some point. The length of this one is perfect for both tight and loose curls and the overall quality of this is superb. My fave brand for hair tools.