This is some serious money we’re talking here, so it goes without saying that this is the price range where you should rightfully expect perfection. And I think some of these babies come “dangerously” close to it – especially one of my all time favorites – the ISA Victorya.
With the price range growing, so do the options, and I have to admit that I enjoy more working on the guides for the most luxurious hair straighteners. It’s just more fun. If you ever worked in the industry, you can probably understand what I’m talking about.
It is in this price range where the compromises stop and the companies can’t play any games but can only deliver highest quality (if they mean business that is).
Ladies, I’m presenting the list of winners in the category of $100-200 hair irons
FYI, I keep my lists regularly updated (bi-monthly), so you can always be sure that the information presented is relevant.
Looking “under the hoodâ€
Let’s get a bit more personal with these hair straighteners by dissecting each of them in their respective digest reviews.
Victorya 1 Step Hair Straightener
By ISA Professional
Let’s see some basic product information directly from the manufacturer:
- Automatic SMART heat adjustment
- Ceramic tourmaline pivoting plates
- Universal voltage
- Safe and fast straightening, waves, curls
- 360 degree swivel cord
- Ambidextrous design
- 2-year warranty
You can get even more “make it or break it” user-reviews on Amazon:
See what they’re saying about this Victorya >>
I know for a fact that there’s more to this ISA than what meets the eye, so let’s jump right into the user-reviews.
Here are some good experiences the customers shared:
- This is the best hair straightener out there for sure! It’s so easy to use, and the temperature just gets set according to my hair type without me having to do anything. Crazy good!
- It heats up so fast, and it really dishes out a serious temperature needed for my thick and coarse hair to get perfectly straight! The best part of the story is that it remains bone straight until I wash it, without startling to rebel merely hours after I’ve straighten it
- The plates are like nothing I’ve seen so far! They glide through my hair with such ease, and you can forget about pulling and tugging of any kind. The whole process just got soooo much easier for both me and my hair
- I’ve read so many hair straightener reviews I didn’t know which way was left. I’ve almost given up; when I saw this weird blend of everything I ever wanted in a flat iron. It’s just an amazing piece of hairstyling equipment, and I recommend it to everyone with hair as problematic as mine
- There is absolutely no heat damage after I’m done! It also doesn’t leave me with that awful “I just did my hair†burnt smell
- It’s so well shaped and ergonomic! Using it is simply a breeze, and I like how they put all of the buttons on the inside, so you can use it comfortably even if you’re a lefty
Let’s go over some of the CONs:
- People seem to be crazy for this kind of button placement, but I like the buttons right under my fingertips!
- The only downside would be the price, I suppose. It left a sizeable dent in my budget, but I guess you get what you pay for so…
Final thoughts
This is the one items on this list that I personally would pay more. I can say of the gates that this ISA is one of the few hair straighteners I ever worked with and it’s one of my 3 all time favorites.
Overall rating 4.9, with 4.5 stars in the price category. I would give this product a perfect 5, but the method of rating is statistical and I’ve seen one to many reviews where people say it’s to steep for their pocket, hence the half star deducted.
This is as close to salon quality tools as you can possibly get within this price range. It features several revolutionary options, paired with some oldies but goodies. Users went nuts for this ISA gem, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised if you decide to check out why.
OnePass Flat Iron
By Bio Ionic
Final overall rating of this iron is the same as that of the ISA Victorya, but this product is more for those of you ladies out there that prefer classic design, classic functions and above all SPEED.
Let’s see what the manufacturer claims about the OnePass:
- Silicone Speed Strips offer increased shine and faster straightening
- Insta heating up to 400F and insta recovery
- Cushion plates infused with Nano ionic minerals
- Far infrared heating and high volume of negative ions provides conditioned and silky smooth hair
- 5-second bio ceramic heaters
If you’re a grade-heavy person like me and think numbers never lie you can see more ratings and reviews on Amazon.com >>
Here’s what the customers especially liked:
- These silicone strips are just amazing! I can literally feel them gripping my hair, and providing for one smooth pass
- The cord is finally something I can work with! It’s very long, and you can forget about any tangling issues you might’ve had before
- I like how customizable the overall temperature is. It really puts you in the driver’s seat, so I can use higher settings on my hair, but lower the heat for my daughter’s very fine hair. It’s the best hair straightener out there for us, and we recommend it wholeheartedly
- It is just amazing how much faster I get my whole hair done than with any of my previous flat irons. This little guy gets the job done, and wastes no time while doing it
- It leaves my hair perfectly straight, but also very shiny, and silky to the touch like never before
- It’s very easy to use, which you’d never say judging by the results. It’s well designed and made, feels great in hand, and doesn’t get hot near my hands
- If you want to kill that frizz once and for all, this is your best bet! I’ve read soooo many hair straightener reviews my head is overflowing with info, plus a couple of friends also recommended it
Here are some negative experiences:
- It took me a while to get used to the controls, but it wads a smooth sailing once I did
- It’s great, but that price sure stings. It’s worth the money so far, but I’ll post a few updates pretty soon
Overall ratings of the One Pass
As I mentioned, what defines this hair straightener is its lightning speed. And we know a flat iron has to have a full range of qualities in order to do its job this quickly. The OnePass passes all those tests with flying colors and stands out with an increased negative ion output – the very thing that gets the job done.
Final Overall Grade of 4.9/5 for the Bio Ionic OnePass.
It’s envisioned as a high-quality time saver, and that’s exactly what it is, giving you the close to perfect straightening in the shortest time possible. The pricing issue is something we got used to by now and don’t really consider it a CON per se. It’s intuitive that these types of complaints will appear more and more as we climb up the price range hill.
The Aphrodite Hair Straightener
By Onassis Style
The basic fact sheet:
- 10-year warranty
- High-quality manufacturing standards and rigorous process of quality control
- Revolutionary technology. 1 inch tourmaline ceramic heating plates (bacteria and scratch resistant)
- Protects your cuticles from heat damage
- Very fast heating up, and stable and consistent temperature
- Luxury packaging and design
- Digital heat control via LED display
For elaborated specification and extra user-ratings you can check it out on Amazon:
All of that plus more pictures of the product here >>>
This is a somewhat shortened version of a very extensive sheet. I’ve filtered out the marketing, and we’re left with just the solid facts. How solid? Let’s ask the customers.
Here are some of the PROs:
- It is surprisingly easy to use considering how the whole thing looks, and the functions it has. The instructions are very clear and just a breeze to follow to the letter
- It heats up in a flash! There’s a red light that indicated it’s on, and it goes off once the iron reaches the desired temperature
- It took me like an hour to straighten my hair with my old Chi! Now I’ve cut that time in less than 20 minutes. My hair is very long, so there’s a lot of pulling potential, but this iron just glides through it, leaving it smoother and silkier than ever before
- Best hair straightener, hands down! The thing I like the most if that it can be used without any additional hair product whatsoever
- Well made! The overall design is really something, as it makes it very nimble in hand, which is ideal if you’re also using it as a curler
- I like how steady the temperature is, once the iron reaches it. The plates are something else also! There are no cold spots, and they clamp my hair perfectly
- It doesn’t require my hair to be blow-dried before it can actually show some results
Let us take a look at some of the less pleasant experiences:
- The temperature indicator is way to small for me, so I have to use my glasses in order to be sure what it says
- I’ve realized my hair needs to be completely dry in order to get optimal results with this flat iron
How it’s rated
There is little I can add to the mix once the manufacturer offers a “no questions asked†10-year warranty. That’s the best indicator of how much they truly believe in the quality of their product. And, according to the customers, that’s not just blind fingers-crossed faith.
Overall Quality Rating 4.6/5.
You might have to put on your glasses in order to be sure about the temperature, but it’s a smooth sail from there.
Titanium Ultra-Thin Hair Straightener
By BaBylissPRO
From my experience, this should be good. Let’s hear it from the manufacturer:
- Nano-titanium heat plates
- Optimal far-infrared style of heating and negative ions emission for gentle and fast straightening without any hair damage
- 450F of heat with an LED temperature control for easier and faster curling or straightening
- No pulling, glides through hair
- Ultra-lightweight and ultra-thin
Read what people who own it had to share on Amazon >>
Titanium irons have a very specific “market following”. I think the user reviews for this flat iron should be very interesting.
Let’s take a look at some of the positive ones:
- This is the best hair straightener with the best set of plates ever! I’m a daily user, and never did the plates glide through my hair this way. Yes, I’ve gone through miles of hair straightener reviews, but they’ve led me to this little gem, so no time wasted
- It’s so gentle against my fine and fragile hair. It gives me a perfect control over the temperature of the plates, which is by far the most important thing when your hair can go out in a puff of smoke just like that
- It’s very user-friendly, and it gets the job done so much faster than my old flat iron. I got a recommendation form my hairstylist since he uses it since forever, and it’s by far the best professional hair straightener this kind of money can buy
- It makes the most gorgeous curls you ever saw! You’ll need a bit of practice if you’re not used to it, but once you get in the hang of it…
- Best hair straightener without a doubt! It’s not just how perfectly straight my hair is after I’m done with it, it’s also shinier and softer to the touch than ever before. I love my new little gadget and recommend it to everyone!
- I’m in love with this little guy! After using a 20 bucks flat iron and being called Mufasa (yeah, harsh), saving some cash and getting this one opened a whole new different world for my hair. It really pays off giving a few extra dollars for this kind of quality
Here are some CONs:
- Whatever you do, BE SURE TO GET AN AUTHENTIC PRODUCT!!! I got what appeared to be a fake, I called and the Babyliss representative really made me feel like the company cares about the customers’ safety, and they’re working to stop the counterfeit businesses.
- I almost gave this product a one star, but then I realized that I bought one from a shady company, not from Babyliss directly. It did cost more, but was definitely worth it…
The rating
When we get into this price range and see well over a thousand 5-star user reviews on Amazon is an indisputable testament of quality. Overall quality rating 4.5/5.
Not much I can add to what we “heard” from the users.
Professional Hair Straightener
By 6th Sense Styling Technology
Let’s take a peek at the manufacturer’s product specification:
- 1 pass for a silky smooth hair
- Straightens your hair until the next wash
- No pulling, snagging, or pinching
- Makes excellent curls also
- No heat damage. Heating element is microchip controlled
- Prevents frizz and breakage
Owners usually say far more than I’m able to present here. You can read all of their reviews (and there are a lot of lengthy ones) by visiting the Amazon page for this model:
Well, looks like we won’t have to put our 6th sense to work with this eye-candy. Not when we have our trusty customers who battle-tested this product in real life.
The PROs users shared:
- Finally! A flat iron that does what it’s supposed to, and very quickly at that. It can also double as a curler, and the results are as great as in the straightening department
- Like going through silk with my fingers after I’m done with my hair. It’s the best hair straightener I’ve ever had! It saves me time, and the results are just a blessing
- I love everything about it! The packaging is terrific, it looks super cute, and it works great! It gets my hair right where I want I want it, with some extra smoothness to top it all off. All in all, it’s a great buy, and I can’t recommend it enough
- The customer service is out of this world!
- It heats up really fast, and it keeps the temperature very steady. The heat is well and evenly distributed across the plates, without any cold spots. Most importantly, I can control the temperature completely, which assures me there will be no burning damage whatsoever
- These plates are just magic! They glide through my hair without much effort on my part, and leave it wonderful. No pulling or tugging of any kind
- I like how easy to use it is and how it feels in my hand while I’m doing my thing. It’s the best hair straightener so far, and I’m sure glad I decided to spend some extra cash
Some the CONs:
- My hair is really fie and fragile, so I need a sense of control at all times when it comes to my hair straightener. The control buttons here are placed somewhat inconveniently, so sometimes I get stressed out about whether my temperature settings are ok
This is a product that’s all about fun and youthful hairstyling, but with a lot of substance to back it up. It features some unique additional bling, and the customers seem to understand and the concept. in my book, the price is very affordable for what’s offered.
Overall quality rating 4.8/5 with one star deducted for the quality of the materials.
Again, this is by far the most luxurious-looking model on the list and one that will invite the most comments from your girlfriends.
Conclusions
It would have to be bad luck for you to get a bad hair straightener when you dig this deep into your pocket.
And if you do, the bad luck thing is far less likely to happen with the products listed on this page.
Remember, I keep these guides updated and the information presented is always fresh and sensitive to any market changes.
Like always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below or shoot me an email if you prefer.
Choose wisely,