From Brains To Beauty: BaByliss Pro - Porcelain Plate Ceramic Flat Iron 1" Review

I had promised a review and a tutorial, but I have been having issues getting the right lighting to video my hair in our master bathroom, so I gave up on that for now. That being said, I didn't want to hold out for the review I promised.

BaByliss Pro - Porcelain Plate Ceramic Flat Iron 1"

Why This Flat Iron?

If you've seen my hair "Wavy Curls Hair Tutorial" video and blog post, you know I already own a BaByliss Pro styling tool. I originally discovered this brand from my favorite YouTubers. They had one of the tourmaline curling irons, but I didn't feel it was necessary to pay $150 for a curling iron so I stayed with the same brand, but bought a lesser expensive collection (again, on Amazon.com).

I fell in love with it immediately. The BEST curling iron I've ever used. I've used quite a few from Chi to Hot Tools to Conair; some I owned, others I've borrowed from friends. This was the first curling iron I'd had that didn't singe my hair on the highest heat setting, and actually made curls that lasted throughout the day. Of course, without hair spray, it would fall as the day went on, but even slept on, my hair would still have waves and curls from the previous morning. Very impressive, considering my hair would have fallen completely flat with any other iron. Not only that, but my hair would remain shiny and soft! Something I could not say was the same with any other iron.

Long story short, I felt that if their curling iron could do this, and their flat irons are also as highly recommended, why not try the same line and the same brand.

Flat Iron Design

This flat iron has a very simple power button along the side. It takes about 5 minutes to completely heat up. A little red light illuminates when it is on, so you know if its on or not. *I have mistakenly thought I turned it on, and realized I had not after I noticed the light was off* Like many other flat irons, this flat iron has multiple heat settings. The temperature selection on this mirror those on the curling iron. Minimum setting starts at 235 degrees, and the maximum at 450 degrees.

I used my curling iron at its highest setting, but for the flat iron, I only use it at 320 degrees, and for my bangs, I use it at 245. Because a flat iron provides more direct heat than a curling iron, I don't need it as high.

This flat iron has an 8-foot cord and swivels very nicely. As you can see in the picture below, there is a good clearance between the end of the flat iron and the rubber cord, allowing it to swivel with little to no friction. I have yet to have any issues of tangling or twisting of the cord.

The plates themselves are 4" in length and 1" in width. They do offer this flat iron in 1.5" and 2". I prefer the smaller width as it allows me to create tighter curls when I choose to curl with this. Since my hair has issues with curling, I prefer to curl with tighter curls, as they will fall and loosen throughout the day. The plates are also flush within the framing, which helps prevent snags. Another benefit of the plates are the rounded edges, which allows for easy gliding through your hair, which is critical for curling with a flat iron.

Overall Opinion

Of all the flat irons I've owned, and those that I've borrowed, I LOVE this flat iron. It keeps my hair shiny and healthy without damaging my hair. The wide range of heat settings provides so many more options, which many flat irons do not heat up that high. It was affordable and of a high quality brand, versus spending $30 on a drug store brand. The design is sleek, and very well quality. It has a very sturdy feel compared to many of the drug store brands, which can feel poorly put together. It heats up very quickly and does not require a lot of pressure to close the plates over your hair.

The ONE Flaw

There is one flaw though.... this flaw is not uncommon among many of the less expensive flat irons, but I've even seen this issue in expensive brands. Either way, it is still a flaw that I want to point out.

When clamped, there is a slight gap in between the plates. For me, this isn't a big deal since I tend to flat iron large sections of hair at a time, and during the curling, the angle at which my hair is being pulled through the flat iron is not impacted by this. However, if you flat iron very small sections of hair at a time, it may slide through without touching the plates unless you grasp the flat iron really firmly to create a tight seal, but that can get tiring after a while.

So, I hope this review helped and provided some insight into this flat iron. This flat iron has gotten a lot of positive reviews on Amazon.com and I can definitely see why!

Eventually, after I find some free time, and get the lighting situation figured out, I will do a tutorial on how I curl my hair using this flat iron.

If I missed something, or if you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I love seeing comments and questions. You can post them here, Facebook, Twitter, or even via email. I'm all ears!