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I needed a new flat iron. Badly.
If I’m being honest, hair is just not my thing. I’d much rather spend the money on new makeup, but there’s just no getting around it if I want to have half-decent looking hair. I’d post a picture of what I’m working with here, but let’s be honest, that’d be way too embarrassing.
I’ve always had wild, unruly hair, and therefore I’ve burned through countless flat irons in my years attempting to tame it. None worked very well at all.
I can’t be the only girl with this problem, right?
Unless you’re one of the lucky ones born with silky, smooth hair, (in which case I seriously envy you,) flat ironing is a necessary evil only made worse by a crummy appliance.
Following a hair cut that hacked off roughly 75% of my total hair volume, I was ready for a change. I itched for a flat iron that transformed my wiry, multicultural hair into a silky wave of shininess.
But I didn’t want to spend a ton of money. Because like I said, I don’t like styling my hair that much anyway.
After some serious research, I purchased the HSI Professional Flat Iron off of Amazon.
And today, I’m going to tell you if I regret that decision.
The usual flat iron gripes
I’ve gone through more flat irons in my lifetime than I can count, and they’ve all given me basically the same problems.
None of them succeeded in getting my hair as straight as the time I had a friend bust out her mom’s iron and while I did a backbend over the ironing board as she literally ironed my hair. I know, I know, bad idea, but those were the three best hair-days of my life. Bottom line is that none of my previous flat irons could get my hair completely flat. It always looked somewhat crinkly.
Now, if any of those had succeeded in adequately taming my hair, I may have forgiven this. But since they failed at their most basic task, I’m not being so kind.
I don’t know if it’s my hair or what, but I could never slide the flat iron smoothly down my hair. My hair constantly snagged somehow, and I’d end up pulling my hair out and breaking them. If you’ve ever experienced this while already hot ant icky from the heat, you know how annoying it is.
I can go on and on with the complaints, but I’ll reel it in here.
HSI Professional Flat Iron >> Purchase on Amazon
Selecting the HSI Flat Iron
So, on to the HSI flat iron.
I wanted something good, but I was not willing to spend a whole lot of money on it. My budget stood at $100 tops, preferably less.
I wanted to avoid the brands you typically find in the drugstore, i.e. Conair, Remington, etc. if at all possible. I’ve been burned by them too many times, (literally, & pun intended,) to waste any more of my life dealing with those.
Since I basically live in the middle of the Pacific, my shopping options are quite limited. Which is why I turn to Amazon for basically everything. And so the Amazon scavenging began.
Easy to find and easy to buy
I found the HSI Professional Flat Iron for $39.99. I believe this is an older model which is why the price is greatly marked down, (list price is $199.00, according to Amazon,) but that is not a big deal to me.
UPDATE 11/11/16: The model of HSI flat iron being sold has been updated since I first wrote this review. The price remains the same, as it is still a past model being sold. Unless having the newest model is important to you, this is irrelevant.
If you’re interested, you can find the specific HSI flat iron on Amazon HERE, and linked in a few other places throughout this post.
What’s in the box
In addition to the HSI flat iron itself, the box also includes a few small extras. You receive a mini Argan oil hair treatment, a satin travel bag, and a heat protection glove. I forgot to photograph those, (apologies,) but trust me, they do exist.
I have not yet tried out the Argan oil because I have other hair products that I am currently working through. When I do give it a try, I’ll update this post.
UPDATE 11/11/16: I tried the Argan oil, and whoa is it transformative! So good that I continue to repurchase it. Read my full thoughts the stuff here >> Argan oil benefits + clever uses for when you’re on the go.
Moving on, after wearing the glove for about three strands worth of straightening, I peeled it off and flew it out of the bathroom. My hands are small, and the fingers are so long, they prevented me from properly picking up and separating strands of hair. If you have larger hands the glove may work for you, but for me it just felt ill-proportioned.
The bag feels nicely padded and looks a beautiful shade of shiny red. I like it. Though screwing up a bag should be rather difficult.
Heavy duty body feels well made
While the accessories I can live without, the flat iron itself feels very well made.
It is heavy enough so that it feels sturdy in my hand. But not so heavy that my arm cries a little every time I pick it up.
However, it lacks a latch of some sort to keep the flat iron closed when not in use. As it is, the only option is wrapping the cord around the body and sticking it in the bag. I wish the HSI flat iron included switch that keeps the plates together so that don’t put unnecessary pressure on the travel bag. Some thing as simple as the mechanism that keeps your kitchen tongs closed would be sufficient. But oh well.
Long cord is great for “bathroom dancers” like me
On another note, the power cord on the HSI flat iron is about eight feet long. It’s very nice when you want to straighten your hair somewhere other than the bathroom sink.
Many other flat irons featured cords only four feet long, giving you very little freedom of movement. With this cord, I can straighten my hair sitting on the couch looking out the window. I like having options.
Temperatures get up to inferno levels
The temperature on the HSI flat iron range from 140°F to 410°F. The perhaps matters to some delicate-haired folks, but all I really see when I look at this picture is 410°F. If the device goes that high, you had better believe I’m going to crank it up for maximum straightening efficiency.
UPDATE 11/11/16: Looking at photos of the newer model, it seems that the inferno has gotten hotter and now goes up to 450°F. Even better.
The critical first impressions
The moment I slid my new HSI flat iron down the first strand of hair, I wondered what temperatures my previous flat irons achieved. From the looks of my first strand, they didn’t get very hot at all. The HSI flat iron creates a smooth strand of hair within one solid pass. (By solid, I mean moving down at a reasonably slow pace.) I no longer have to make 8 or 9 passes over the same section just to get it kinda flat but not really straight.
The HSI flat iron also claims to be able to curl your hair. I totally believe it’s possible. The rounded edges and larger circumference (in a way, although it’s a square,) look like they’ll create some nicely sized curls and waves.
When I tried, I ended up with a L-shaped kink in my hair. However I can’t blame the appliance for my lack of skill. I will keep trying.
Do I recommend it?
I can’t say I’m completely surprised at how easily the HSI straightens my difficult hair. Honestly, I totally expected it would very well and I would have been quite disappointed if it didn’t.
There is not that much to say about this one other than that it works well. If you are in need of a good flat iron and the ones at the drugstore just aren’t cutting it, definitely give this one a shot. It’s heaps better for basically the same price.
I think it is well worth the (small) investment!
To check out the HSI Professional Flat Iron for yourself, click here!
That’s all for today!
Like this post on my HSI flat iron? You’re sure to love this post for your hair too >> Argan oil benefits + clever uses for when you’re on the go
If you find this post interesting, informative, or just plain entertaining, tell me about it in the comments below! And don’t forget, sharing is caring. Share this post!
Till next time. ♥︎
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FTC- This post is not sponsored by any brands mentioned. I purchased all products myself. All opinions are my own. Some links may be affiliated.
Elisa Brown says
This straightener is incredible! It’s basically the same price as the garbage you buy at the drugstore, but it is so much better. It straightens fast and doesn’t snag my hair like so many other ones do. I convinced all my friends to switch I love it so much!!
xx Elisa
Kay says
I’m glad to hear you love it, Elisa! Thanks for reading 🙂 xo
Raina says
For $40 you can’t go wrong. Your review and all the reviews on Amazon are right on point. -Raina
Kay says
I totally agree! Thanks for your comment 🙂 xo
Sasha Ann says
I am always skeptical when I see something this cheap and everyone claims it works like the expensive version. I guess it’s not too big of a deal to try for that price though. Just my thoughts 🙂
Kay says
I know where you’re coming from, but we’re totally serious about this thing! It really is amazing 🙂 xo
Sandra says
Hi my name is Sandra and I just wanted to say that I have this flat iron too. It’s ok for me, but I don’t think it’s really special. It gets the job done, but its not really exciting to use. It’s not bad though.
Kay says
Hi Sandra, thanks for telling me your thoughts! For me, I don’t like doing my hair, so no flat iron is ever exciting for me to use. But for the price, it gets the job done pretty well. Thanks so much for reading and commenting! 🙂 xo