(Virgin reviewer) Okay… let’s get this straight (pardon the pun)… I’ve had this product for a couple of weeks (bought as a birthday present, by my wuvely partner) and I have some opinions that I’d like to share.
Braun Cordless Independent Steam & Straight
The name says it all.
Bought at Boots for £17.99 Replacement energy cells also available at boots.
Dimensions and ergonomics (Gnome philosophy): Good: It fits fine in my hand and feels light. Not the smallest portable straighteners, fits okay in a medium sized handbag.
Not so good: I’ve noticed that the on/off switch rubs and digs into the inside of my index finger when I’m using the straighteners. I needed to use two fingers to open the plates and my finger joints felt stiff after.
Assembly and operation: Good: Easy-to-follow instructions. Easy assembly. Nice little styling guide with step-by-step pictures. Tiny water reservoir was still half full by the time I’d finished, (my hair is thick, naturally curly and down to my armpits). It took less than 10 minutes to straighten the lot (and I’m naff with these things). Plates themselves were slick, well and evenly heated with a great steam design. They took less than 4 minutes to heat up. So really good when your on the go or in a hurry. The heated plates are safely encased, so you don’t have to worry about putting the straighteners down and burning stuff. Fairly robust, I dropped them twice and still working fine.
Not so good: The heated plates aren’t very long, so you have less width of hair to work with. The heated plates don’t run the full length of the straighteners and errant strands of hair can snap and get snagged between the end plate and the water reservoir. The ‘steam on demand’ triggers can be tricky at first to master (I can recommend only perseverance).
I’m extremely happy with the result. My hair is dead straight and exactly the way I wanted it to look.
My top tip: Smooth a teeny bit of serum through the last quarter of your hair before you start. It helps the hair glide even slicker through the plates and gives your hair a wicked shine.
Updated 16.02.2004 They heat up in closer to two minutes now, guess they just needed breaking in. Still using the original energy cell!
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£17.99
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