T3 Lucea ID
Buy now £199.99
- Plate material: Ceramic
- Variable temperature control: Yes
- Corded/cordless: Corded
- Cable length: 2.7m
- Weight: 390g
Design
If you’re looking for a straightener that takes hair tech to the next level, this is the one for you but, before we get onto what’s inside, let’s talk about its looks. At first glance, the tool doesn’t differ too much from its competitors, it’s a sleek white and rose gold wand that’s finished with 25mm glossy ceramic plates and a swivel cord prevents cord from getting tangled or twisted. But on closer inspection you’ll notice that the Lucea ID doesn’t have any buttons, so how does it work?
Unlike any other tool we’ve seen before, the wand illuminates a bit like a lightsabre when it’s turned on, with a series of settings appearing via a touch interface on the device’s pearlised outer casing. As well as a power button, you’ll find symbols representing hair length (short, medium or long), texture (fine, medium or coarse) and colour treatment (on or off), which you can toggle between with a gentle tap. This is the brand’s “heat ID” function which, depending on your selection, calculates the perfect heat setting for your hair from a choice of nine, meaning your locks aren’t exposed to unnecessarily high temperatures.
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The tech doesn’t stop there though as the straightener also comes with a “refresh” mode, which is specifically designed for second-day styling. When activated, this mode automatically reduces the temperature setting of your usual “heat ID” as the brand claims that less heat is required to retouch your style when your hair is on its second day.
Performance
Because there’s so much technology packed inside this wand, it does take a little while to set up, so be prepared to spend a few minutes reading through the tool’s user-friendly manual before getting started. Once plugged in, an LED power button appears on the outside of the device and to turn it on you simply press down on this switch for three seconds before a notification noise and vibration let your know it’s ready to go.
Then comes the fun part as it’s time to tap the symbols we mentioned earlier to pick the settings that best describe your hair length, condition and thickness. While we found this super-easy to navigate, the manual can help you with your selection if you’re unsure and, if it really proves a bit much to get your head around, there is a manual mode if you’d rather just choose the heat yourself.
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When it came to straightening our hair, we found that the glossy plates slid over our locks with ease, leaving it sleek, smooth and noticeably shinier than before with just a single pass required on each section. We used it to create waves and tighter curls, too, and were seriously impressed not only with the bounciness – which we put down to the rounded design of the barrel – but also the longevity, as the style stayed for a whole day and didn’t look to shabby after a good night’s sleep either.
Speaking of day two hair, we put the Lucea ID’s “refresh mode” to the test and found that the whole process felt even easier. While the tool remembers your “heat ID” every time it’s turned on, a single click of a green button kicks off this new setting which uses a lower temperature for top-ups. Despite being dubious about whether or not less heat could deliver the same results, we found that it smoothed any bumps caused by tossing and turning in bed and we felt pleasingly smug knowing that we were helping the condition of our hair in the long run.
The verdict: T3 Lucea ID hair straightener
While the initial set-up of the Lucea ID is more complex than most others, the impressive technology and standout results more than made up for it. We experienced zero snagging from the plates, enjoyed sleek and noticeably less frizzy hair, and felt relieved knowing that we were using the least amount of heat possible. If you love a high-tech gadget or use straighteners daily and want to reduce the amount of heat on your hair, this is definitely a tool to consider.