The best ghd straighteners for every hair style and type

Designed to take all the guesswork out of heat styling your hair, the platinum+ is, according to ghd, the world’s first predictive straightener, meaning it recognises the thickness of your hair via “ultra-zone” technology, to deliver the optimum amount of power required. Why? Well, the brand states all this extra tech will result in up to 70 per cent less hair breakage, 20 per cent more shine and twice the colour protection. Sounds impressive, right? The proof is, of course, in the well-groomed pudding, and while we can’t confirm if our locks have hit those exact figures, we’re pleased to report the platinum+ left our hair feeling healthy and with a visible shine every time we used it.

Our long hair took just minutes to style, whether straight or wavy, and we love the fact the impressive tech means we never need worry about causing damage or our salon-fresh colour fading. In terms of design, this model is one of the sleekest straighteners in ghd’s arsenal, and we love the introduction of the wishbone hinge, which improves handling and makes styling a whole lot easier. While the chronos trumps the platinum+ in terms of technology, this is the styler we’d recommend investing in if you style your hair every day, as it’s not only cheaper but also truly one of the best you can buy.

Read our full review of ghd’s platinum+

The one where it all started, the original IV styler is the tool that kicked off the brand’s journey to greatness and, in 2022, ghd decided it was time to give the trusty straightener a bit of an upgrade. Now with improved technology and a more contemporary look, the new model feels more streamlined than the original and comes with gloss-coated plates, while the power switch has been replaced with a single round button, to match ghd’s other tools.

The technology used has been upgraded, too. While the original IV used ceramic heat technology, which used a single sensor on just one heater plate, the new straightener uses a combined sensor system, known as single-zone, which works to control the optimum styling temperature of 185C consistently across both plates. Upon testing, we found the tool created similarly impressive results to those you get with a newer model, delivering long-lasting looks, whether we opted for a straight or wavy style. While it may lack some of the bells and whistles you’ll find in ghd’s more recent tools, we think this updated original model is a great choice for those who simply want to get the job done without blowing the budget.

Read our full review of ghd’s original straightener

Compared with the platinum+, the main difference we found with this styler is it’s not quite as speedy to use. That being said, the difference is marginal, and you’ll only really notice it if you’re particularly short on time in the mornings. If that doesn’t apply to you, it might be worth saving yourself a few pounds and opting for this gold model.

It’s a versatile option, too – it creates a straight and glossy finish in minutes, but we found it super easy to create texture using this tool, too. Whether you’re looking for loose waves or glamorous bouncy curls, the curved design of the barrel and edges of the plate made quick and simple work of it.

This styler uses two heat sensors (there’s just one in the original model), for a more evenly distributed temperature throughout the plates. This made it easy to glide through the hair without any snagging and created a smoother, sleeker finish, compared with the original, with just one stroke.

If you have super long, thick or naturally textured hair, this could be the go-to tool for you. The ghd max offers the same dual-zone tech as the gold styler, meaning it delivers brilliant even heat distribution, but the selling point here is the 1.65in wide ceramic plates, which are 70 per cent larger than the ghd original – promising to cut styling time by half.

Despite its larger size, we were pleased to find the max doesn’t feel overly bulky or weighty, and it retains many of the same design elements of the brand’s more streamlined stylers, such as glossy plates and smooth, rounded edges.

In terms of performance, the max delivered on its claims of reducing styling time – all in all, we managed to straighten our locks in about five minutes and, while our hair isn’t naturally curly, it is fairly long, and this was a definite improvement on a job that typically takes twice as much time.

Owing to its unique design, we were dubious as to whether the max could create curls but we were really impressed to discover the beautifully loose and natural-looking waves it created, thanks to the wider plates.

This styler is a great choice for anyone with unruly hair, as it will transform it into smooth and shiny strands much quicker than a smaller model, as promised.

Read our full review of ghd’s max

The smallest straightener in the ghd range has a slim barrel with half-inch floating ceramic plates and the same tech as the original. This makes it ideal for those who struggle using larger plates on shorter hairstyles, and it’s great on sections of hair that need extra attention.

If you’re looking to get to the roots, opt for these plates, as they give you the best control and are perfect for pixie cuts or must-have curtain bangs. Those with texture who like to keep their length natural but struggle with kinks or cowlicks in their fringe will love this tool, too. The slender rounded edges also make easy work of creating tighter ringlet curls.

The latest in ghd’s already impressive line-up, the chronos styler launched in February 2024 with some pretty bold claims, including that it delivers three times faster results and gives your hair up to 85 per cent more shine. So, does it live up to these promises?

On first impressions, the chronos looks fairly similar to ghd’s other tools, with a sleek, rounded barrel and single power button, which makes it incredibly easy to use. How this styler differs from the others, though, is through its technology. As well as new features such as ultra-gloss floating plates (which are designed to glide through your locks and give a shiny finish) and a re-engineered wishbone hinge, the chronos has an innovative HD motion-responsive feature, which continuously adapts to your movements while styling your hair. The benefits of this are said to include speedier styling, breakage protection, less frizz and a seriously shiny finish.

After putting the chronos to the test, we were impressed, to say the least. While we usually have to give each section of our hair two or three passes, this styler gave us sleek results with just one stroke, which cut down our styling time. Our hair, which can often appear dull and is prone to flyaways, also looked less frizzy and even had a noticeable shine. We tried curling our hair with the new tool, too and were equally as impressed by how seamlessly it passed through our tresses, with no snagging, to deliver smooth waves that lasted all day and into the next.

Read our full review of ghd’s chronos

With this launch, ghd has created a hybrid tool that combines both drying and heat technology, to help speed up your styling routine. So, if you’re fed up with having to rough dry and then style your hair using a hair dryer, followed by a straightener, this could be the one for you. The duet works by using “air-fusion” technology to channel airflow through a drying chamber, which is designed to work in combination with four smart and low-temperature styling plates that efficiently dry and straighten hair. You then finish with the shine shot mode, which turns the styler into a standard ghd straightener (working at the brand’s optimum 185C), to boost sleekness and shine.

Essentially, the tool looks like a pair of wide straighteners, only with a covert blow dryer hidden between the plates, but this extra tech means the tool is on the bulky side and can feel quite cumbersome to use. That being said, it’s incredibly user-friendly and, in our experience, delivered great results.

Designed to be used on damp hair in the same way you’d use straighteners, the tool was put to the test on our locks around 10 minutes after washing. Once turned on, the duet takes a short while to heat up and for the fans to kick in – we were pleased to discover it isn’t too noisy. Once the familiar ghd beep chimed, we clamped the styler to the top of our hair and slowly passed it down the lengths.

We did find it slightly tricky to get right to the roots, owing to the tool’s size, which could be an issue for anyone with curly or coarse tresses. It took two or three passes for our hair to feel fully dry and we then switched the tool to “shine shot” mode. We found this setting really helped give the hair more of a style – largely due to the duet’s rounded edges, which make it great for giving you a bouncy blow-dry finish.

Altogether, it took us around 25 minutes to take our hair from damp to styled, and we loved the finished look, which left our hair feeling soft and looking shinier.

It’s worth noting you can’t curl your hair with the duet, but it’s a great option for anyone who loves having straight locks and wants to simplify their hairstyling routine.

Read our full review of ghd’s duet

Following in the footsteps of Dyson, ghd launched its first cordless straightener, unplugged, in 2021. Designed to give you good hair days anywhere and anytime, the brand claims the styler is 46 per cent lighter than any competitors on the market, while also being flight-friendly and able to be charged from almost anywhere – even from your car or laptop. After putting the portable styler to the test, we were thoroughly impressed.

Unplugged is, as the brand claims, incredibly lightweight and compact, weighing just 300g, meaning it can be packed easily into your handbag. But don’t let its size fool you, as the styler still packs some punch and features the same technology seen in other ghd tools, including dual-zone heaters that ensure a consistent optimum styling temperature of 185C across both plates.

It’s really easy to use, too. Simply charge the straightener, using the provided USB-C cable and plug (this took around two hours), slide the switch on, wait around 45 seconds and you’re ready to start styling. We tested the styler on its ability to both straighten and curl hair, and we were pleased to find it delivered the same results we’d usually get from a standard ghd straightener. The battery lasted around 20 minutes, which was more than enough time for us to style our hair but this could be something worth noting for anyone with particularly thick locks.

Read our full review of ghd’s unplugged