Best Titanium Hair Iron
Welcome, girls. Let me present the results of the SRA statistical model in the arena of titanium hair straighteners:
Why is SRA (Statistical Review Audit) the leading model in rating hair straighteners?
Because it relies on user reviews for the ratings (when the sample is big enough) and a bit of my expertise (I am a hair stylist for over a decade now, and I was also a hair styling judge for a few years).
Here is how it all works:
- I collect all the customer reviews and use each to rate the product in 5 different categories based on each of the reviews
- I collect the reviews and find averages to finally come up with an SRA Overall Quality Rating
- I rinse and repeat the process every two months with each of the winners and at least ten of the runner-ups to make sure that the information you get here is up-do-date at all times
TOP 5 TITANIUM HAIR STRAIGHTENERS
Moving on to take a deeper look into each of our winners here. Here is how these reviews are going to look like:
- We take a look at the product’s specs as listed by the company
- We take a look at the PROs and CONs – most relevant ones from the customer reviews
- I give you an overview of how the SRA Overall Quality Rating came to be
Review of Babyliss Pro Wet to Dry Nano Titanium Ultra Thin Ultra Smooth Flat Iron
The specifications:
- plates are extra long for added convenience (1.5 inches wide)
- temp. setting are LED displayed
- patented Nano titanium technology in the hair iron yields up to 40% faster results
- convenient power cord (swivel)
- more negative ions produced compared to other hair irons = faster results and minimal damage to your hair
- Can be used on wet hair
Moving on to see what the customers had to say about it:
The PROs from the customer reviews:
- I have wavy and coarse hair and this Babyliss smoothes it with ease. The best results I’ve seen in a hair iron and I owned quite a few…
- It cuts the time I need to do your hair in hair in half because I can use it on wet hair. No more blow drying, just straight to ironing from my shower…
- Such a relief to be able to use a hair iron on a damp and wet hair. It’s just after getting this iron that I’ve realized how much of a drag it is to blow dry your hair first and then iron it…never going back to that…
- I owned 3 Chis, then a HANA, then a Remington and this product is a whole level better. It’s so much faster and easier to use…
- Minimal damage to my hair…
- My clients have noticed a difference right away…
- I don’t think that it gets any better with hair straighteners. Bone straight results in minimal time and can be used on wet hair, what more could a girl ask for…
- I was hesitant because of the price, but I made the leap when I thought about how many of the cheap irons I went through before this one. Two years in and I haven’t looked back, no issues with it, not even a glitch…
Most relevant CONs from the customer reviews:
- The pads in mine do not close all the way…
- It says wet hair, but if you use higher temperature settings you can smell your hair burning…
- If you are using it on wet hair, there’s a lot of steam coming out so make sure that the angle is right or otherwise you might get burnt…
Resume of the hair iron reviews
The best rated hair iron on the list at the moment. Let’s look at the ratings:
Click here to read more about it on Amazon >>
With an Overall Quality Rating of 48/50, it is my humble opinion that this is the best titanium hair straightener on the market today.
The two points deducted were for the price and hair protect.
The first one is obvious, it is a high-end iron built to last and that comes with a price to match. The other point deducted, as I am analyzing the spreadsheet I made for rating this iron, comes from reports of people using it on wet hair on maximal settings. So that’s one thing to always keep in mind – even if the label says, “safe for wet hair” it’s never a good idea to use it on maximum heat settings, not for this iron, or any other wet-to-dry iron for that matter.
Review of U9 1 Inch LCD Digital 450F Ionic Titanium / Tourmaline Ceramic
Fact sheet as the company reports it:
- professional quality, quality blend of titanium and tourmaline
- minimal frizzing and increased hair protection
- Instant heat adjuster 122 – 450 F
- adapter included (100V to 240V)
- Automatic shut-off for extra safety
PROs from the consumer reports:
- with my history of damaging my hair using these things, my U 9 is a God-given, I have seen almost no damage…
- my hair is long, color treated and pretty badly damaged by this point, and this iron works great for me. And if it’s good for my damaged hair, I am comfortable with recommending it to anybody…
- I took my time to do proper research and dig through reviews before getting this iron, and so far I am very pleased with the results…
- It leaves my hair silky and looking natural…
- very smooth gliding through my kinky hair, a great product and very good value for money…
Let us look at some CONs from the customer reviews:
- no good for Europe, the first time I used the adapter it started acting up to the point that I thought it was going to set on fire, I’ve never used it again…
- I took it with me for a summer outside the US and it just doesn’t work, the plates didn’t even heat up. It might be a good iron, but the “dual voltage” thing is just false advertising…
- I am a hair stylist and I know my stuff, this iron feels flimsy and like a knockoff, don’t waste your money…
My review resume of the U9 straightener
Amazon also has a rating system based on user reviews:
Overall Quality Rating of 46/50 is a solid rating, and it comes from customer reviews.
But if you ask me, I am not sure about this iron. After seeing some reviews that reported flimsy products that look and feel like knock-offs, I started digging deeper to see if there are any shady outsourcing practices here. I am currently looking into that and will report back here.
In spite of the rating, if I were in the market for a hair iron, I would stay away from this one. Just my two cents…
Review of BaByliss Pro BABNT3050 Nano Titanium Straightening Iron, 0.5 Inch
We have something a bit different here that will spice up the list – a small model that is best suited for traveling.
Let’s take a look at the specifications:
- extra smooth plates for better gliding and minimal pulling
- heats up to 430F
- ideal for traveling – fits into a small purse
PROs chosen from the customer reviews:
- it’s heats up so fast and keeps hot during use…
- it’s just a perfect piece for holidays and weekend getaways…
- I cannot believe the price of this iron, it’s just as good as my previous Remington that cost 3 times as much…
- it leaves my hair bone straight, and it’s so fast and easy to use…
- I use this iron for finishing touch ups, works great…
CONs as the customers report them:
- it’s too weak and small to be used as a primary iron, I returned this…
- not well made, it feels flimsy and poorly made and it pulls my hair…
- they say it great for trips, but I say that the few extra inches of space saved in your suitcase is not worth it, just get a regular model…
- no temperature control and my hair got scorched the first time I’ve used this…
Review Resume:
To see what a lot of owners say about it on Amazon just click here >>
Overall Quality rating of 45/50. This one is kind of relative because it’s obviously mean to be used a s a secondary straightener, and I see people rating it as their primary iron.
Having said, I’ll say that it’s a great iron to have as a sidekick and travel, but I don’t really see it meeting all your needs as your primary straightener.
And yes, let’s not forget that low, low price range. I think it compliments the Babyliss Pro wet-to-dry perfectly. Those two in your drawer and you’re set for years.
HILISS PRO Titanium Hair Tools Giraffe hair straightener review
This one doesn’t look so serious, but it seems like a great budget solution so let’s check the heat it’s packing inside.
The fact sheet:
- size: 1″ plates and 3.54 inches in length
- fast heat up (PTC heating technology)
- swivel cord – 79 inches long
- simplicity of use – on/off designed and placed for convenience of use
- floating plates – no pulling and minimal hair damage
- modern design – giraffe print
Giraffe print doesn’t exactly send the message of quality and durability, but I was pleasantly surprised when going through the customer reviews:
The PROs:
- I first saw this iron with one of those mall sales people. He said that it’s $150 down from 300. I just popped over to Amazon and grinned when I saw the price tag that was about 15% of the price at the mall. I ordered it right away and I can say that it worked just fine up to this point (6 months of use)…
- It smooths my hair in one smooth glide, and if it can do that on my kinks it can do it for almost everybody…
- it does a great job without me having to separate thin layers of hair to do it…
- the print looks so awesome…
The CONs:
- it takes a loooong time to do the job with this one…
- the plates are not as wide as advertised…
- cheap plastic, it broke the first time I dropped it, and it was on the carpet…
Review resume:
See what the girls using it all around the world had to say on Amazon >>
Overall Quality Ratings of 44/50 is the lowest rating on this list and at this time, but what I am seeing is that most the positive review are new and fresh so I am guessing they made some improvements to the product over the last year.
And at that price point, it’s a great budget solution.
Karmin Titanium Hair Straightener
Now this is serious, highest quality hair straightener. I know the company, and they do stay away from any shady outsourcing business and they stand behind their products with great customer service.
But that’s just my two cents, let’s see what the company and the users have to say:
The basic fact sheet as reported by the company:
- highest quality titanium 1 inch plates
- voltage is dual for the convenience of use outside of the US
- safety automatic shut-off
- fast heat up time – maximum of 460 F
- 3-year full warranty
The PROs as reported by the users:
- I was pleasantly surprised by the quick results with my thick, coarse hair…
- I love this new iron – my hair kept getting caught in my old one, none of that with this one so far…
- it works wonders on my kinky, frizzy hair…
- very reliable…stays hot and works absolutely the same every time, it was worth every penny…
- I was going through cheap hair straighteners like crazy until I decided to stop, do some research and spend some more money. Six months in and I have no complaints…
- very good iron, my hair keeps straight even in humid weather…
- fast shipping and the box looks great, it would make a great present…
The CONs as reported by customers:
- I still see some pulling…
Review Resume:
It’s rare to see a titanium-plates hair straightener backed with such a long full warranty. And when I see one I know that it’s a high-end product.
Overall Quality rating of 48/50 speaks for itself.
Karmin Titanium is described at length on Amazon, so head out there if you’re still unsure:
There we are girls, these are the five best titanium hair straighteners on the market right now.
The stress here is at “right now“, because as I said, I update this guide every two months to keep the information fresh and relevant.
Let’s address one final question here:
Titanium vs. Ceramic Hair Irons – is one of these “better”?
Instead of going into the nitty-gritty, let’s just make a synoptic list of advantages of the two types of irons:
Advantages of titanium plates:
- lightweight
- heats-up faster
- even distribution of heat
- higher ionic charge – meaning less time to straighten your hair
Titanium disadvantages:
- because of the fast heat up, it can cause more hair damage if not used carefully
So, it would be hard to argue that titanium is “better” – most of the time, it will yield superior results in less time.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you don’t have a healthy head of hair and if your hair is thin and fragile, you are probably better of with a gentler ceramic iron.
What’s this tourmaline stuff?
Tourmaline is a mineral that has high ionic output. That’s why it’s used as a powder to coat the plates of hair irons. It’s used both for coating the titanium and ceramic straighteners, and these irons will increase the number of ions released and make for faster and silkier results.
Final thoughts
If there are a few things to keep in mind and take away from this guide, it’s these:
- titanium irons will give you superior and faster results
- only go for titanium if your hair is not previously damages or already thin, in which case you need something gentler (check out the home page, most of the irons featured there are ceramic)
- this page will always contain up-do-date information if you decide to revisit
Let’s wrap this up, we have our winners and we have our basic facts about the reasons for choosing a titanium straightener.
I hope and even believe, that after reading this guide you are better equipped to make your calm and informed decision.
Take care of yourself.
About The Author
MilaWithley
I was a hair styling competition judge for more than 7 years. I now have my own hair styling salon. I consider it art and it's just my life-long passion. I blog about these things and from time to time I also write reviews on hair straighteners and hair styling products.