Dyson Corrale vs ghd Platinum+: which straighteners should you invest in?

When it comes to big players in the hair straightener space, two names are almost guaranteed to come up in conversation: the Dyson Corrale vs ghd Platinum+. Though one has been around far longer than the other, these two brands are behind some of the most innovative and impressive hairstyling technology around. But which one of these two much-talked-about stylers has the edge?

When you think of the best straighteners, you probably instinctively think of ghd, right? It's arguably the first name in hairstyling and has dominated the market since its launch in 2001. Then there’s Dyson, who started snapping at ghd's heels in 2016 a (quite unexpected) pivot from vacuums and fans to hair tools with the launch of its revolutionary Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer. The Corrale straightener was its second hair tool, designed to change the way we smooth strands with yet more innovative technology.

But is new necessarily better? Having thoroughly tested both of these high-tech tools, team woman&home knows both of their capabilities. inside out Ahead, we've analysed the pros and cons of the Dyson Corrale vs ghd Platinum+ to see which pair is best for you – and, crucially, worth the money.

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ghd Platinum+ Hair Straightener: was £239 now £167.25 at Amazon

You can currently nab ghd's Platinum+ hair straighteners, which come equipped an innovative ultra-zone™ technology that predicts the personalised styling needs of your hair for you, for over £71 less than its usual retail price. This shine-enhancing tool can create a number of hairstyles, from sleek and straight to loose waves.

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The Dyson Corrale vs ghd Platinum+ Straighteners: our beauty team's full, detailed comparison

Head-to-head

How we compared the Dyson Corrale vs GHD Platinum+ straighteners

To thoroughly judge the ghd vs Dyson debate, we ensured that the rest of our haircare routine remained the same while testing and comparing both tools. That meant using the same shampoo and conditioner, the same hair styling products and the same best hair dryer before styling. In other words, the only thing that changed was the pair of straighteners being assessed.

We straightened our hair with each styler on multiple occasions so the results through various activities and weather conditions could be examined and compared. We also judged both pairs of straightening irons on how well they straightened our hair, as well as how easy and intuitive they were to use. The overall design and technology factored in, too, as did how long the results lasted on any given day.

Specifications comparison

Dyson Corrale vs ghd Platinum+ design

Dyson Corrale design:

One of the reasons the Dyson Corrale felt so very exciting when it first launched is that it looks quite different to the average styler. Firstly, it has cordless functionality, which is a big plus in terms of where you can style. It's especially handy if you like to wave or curl your hair with straighteners, as well as for touching up your hairstyle on the go. That said, it’s also quite a chunky and weighty tool. Where most straighteners have got sleeker and more streamlined over the years, the Corrale is very much the opposite. At 561g when cordless (i.e. more than half a kilogram), it’s nearly twice as heavy as the ghd Platinum+ Styler. It looks good, though, and the magpies among us will like the super-shiny finish of the metallic accents on the sides and plates. Instead of a complete opening from the tips of the plates to the hinge, the gap is only between the plates, which allows for a screen and control pad for monitoring its battery level and adjusting its temperature settings.

ghd Platinum+ design:

The ghd Platinum+, on the other hand, looks and feels exactly as you’d expect a straightener to. It's narrow and sleek, with a gap in the middle that spans the length of the tool, while the wire sits at the end. We didn't think we’d ever be impressed by a cord, but this one is pretty cool with a 360º swivel that allows you to twist and turn the straighteners without tugging or getting tangled up in the wire. There wishbone-shaped hinge also stands out from the rest of the design and gave us more control over your style. Instead of a choice of temperatures, there’s just one button to turn the styler on and heat it to 185ºC – the temperature that ghd says inflicts less damage without compromising on results. At 302g, the Platinum+ is also nice and lightweight and the plates are narrow enough to style long hairstyles and short hairstyles alike.

Dyson Corrale vs ghd Platinum+ features

Dyson Corrale features:

As for fancy features, the Dyson Corrale leaves even the best straighteners for thick hair in the shade. It can be used plugged in, or 70 minutes of charge will yield 30 minutes of cordless styling. That won't be enough time for everyone to style their full head of hair straight, but it's enough time for a good touch-up or to smooth out areas of frizz. It’s worth noting that the Corrale is powered by a lithium battery, which have had some negative press lately (especially when used on planes), but fortunately this tool has a flight-safe mode.

The plates on the Corrale are made with flexible copper that bends and flexes around the hair to increase tension and reduce damage and frizz. This makes it one of the best straighteners for curly hair on the market. This device has an integrated heat control sensor, too, which regulates the plate temperature 100 times per second. This ensures the heat distribution remains even, so there are no hair-singeing hot spots, and that it never goes above the set temperature.

ghd Platinum+ features:

As one of the brand’s most premium stylers, now second only to the ghd Chronos, the Platinum+ boasts top-tier tech. The coated plates have sensors that monitor their temperature 250 times per second to maintain the aforementioned optimum temperature of 185ºC.

The plates also feature ultra-zone predictive technology, which recognises both the thickness of a section of hair and the speed at which you are styling to adapt the heat accordingly. This means personalised results without any additional effort on your part. The plates are floating, too, which is why you might notice a bit of bounce when you compress them. This stops them from creating too much tension or friction in the hair, no matter how hard you clamp them down. It’s a big plus for anyone who tends to be too heavy-handed with their straighteners.

Dyson Corrale vs ghd Platinum+ performance

Dyson Corrale performance:

The Dyson Corrale heats up quickly after turning it on – just ensure it’s not in flight mode, as I lost 10 minutes panicking that I’d already broken the tool on the first use. If this happens to you, simply flip the little tab on the side of the device. (You’re welcome.)

As the battery on the Corrale only lasts for up to 30 minutes, you need to start straightening as soon as it's heated up to avoid being left with one un-styled side – especially if you have a lot of hair – if you're using it wire-free. I started on the lowest temperature setting, but found it was taking around four slow passes per section to persuade my hair into a straighter, smoother finish. With the temperature turned up to the max (210°C), this was soon reduced to a couple of passes. The transition between temperatures is nice and speedy and even on the tool’s hottest setting, hair isn't left feeling super hot to the touch. All in all, I’d say it took ever so slightly longer to straighten my hair with the Dyson Corrale compared to the ghd.

There is a slightly distracting downside to the tool; our contributing beauty editor Lucy Abbersteen agrees that the corraling mechanism makes an offputting clicking sound and yields a slight "snagging" sensation that suggests your hair might be being shredded as it passes through the plates. The good news is that, of course, it isn’t doing either of those things and this is simply the flexing plates clicking as they adjust into place around the hair.

ghd Platinum+ performance:

The performance of the ghd Platinum+ is hard to fault. It’s easy to use straight from the box and starts to heat up with a single touch of one button. Just wait for the dinging sound and you’re good to go. It's design is narrow enough to get the tool close to the roots, tame fuzzy flyaways along the parting and wispy baby hairs at the hairline – but it's also effective enough to straighten quite a large chunk of hair at once. One (relatively speedy) pass through each section left my hair smooth, shiny and very straight, which is good if you’re in a rush. However, the slower you go, the better the finish.

Of course, compared to the Dyson Corrale, the fact that the ghd Platinum+ only has one setting means it comes up a little short. Conversely, hair feels hotter after using the Platinum+ (which is set at 185°C) compared to Dyson’s top temperatures of 210°C. I found the intensity of the heat is great for wrestling fluffy, just-washed hair into shape, but not so necessary for between-wash touch-ups; it would be good to have the option to turn it down.

Dyson Corrale vs ghd Platinum+ results comparison

Dyson Corrale results:

The results of the Dyson Corrale aren't dissimilar to a smooth blow dry. It definitely helps to iron out waves or curls, but leaves more volume in the hair than the ghd Platinum+ and the finish isn’t as shiny. That these irons are a bit too chunky to get very close to the roots has an impact, too. For this reason, the Corrale would suit someone who usually finds straighteners can make their hair look too flat and wants to retain some "oomph". We found the results aren’t super long-lasting and hair tends to spring back a little between washes.

ghd Platinum+ results:

If you have frizz-prone hair that has at least some movement naturally, then the ghd Platinum+ will give you the kind of results you’ve probably always hoped for from straighteners. It leaves hair super sleek, super shiny, and of course, super straight. What impressed me most is that my hair stayed this way until my next wash day. It didn’t veer into fluffy territory even on humid or rainy days, and if it did start to frizz, a quick brush through was enough to restore that glossiness.

Dyson Corrale vs ghd Platinum+: The woman&home verdict

The issue with comparing the Dyson Corrale vs ghd Platinum+ is the vast difference in price; the Dyson's price tag isn't worlds away from twice ghd's. To justify the price, then, you want it to be doubly efficient with superior results.

The Corrale does have lots of good features. It’s cordless, which is great for on the go styling, and focuses on hair health thanks to its flexing plates and adjustable temperature – an important factor for anyone who uses heat on their hair regularly. Weirdly, though it’s technically hotter than the ghd Platinum+, we found hair felt cooler coming out of the Dyson Corrale. You can read this in one of two ways: either one brand isn’t being honest about their temperatures (unlikely), or the Corrale transfers heat in a way that doesn’t feel as harsh. Either way, there’s no denying this is good news for those with hair that is already damaged or fragile.

On the other hand, the ghd Platinum+ is a more traditional straightener with a cord (plugging it in isn't optional) but the results are smoother, sleeker and longer-lasting than the Dyson's. In theory, there’s slightly more risk of hair damage, but this is tempered by the breakage-reducing floating plates and temperature-regulating features. If you want a more affordable straightener that will leave hair soft, shiny and straight until your next shampoo then go for the ghd Platinum+. But if avoiding damage is top of your agenda and you like to retain some volume along with smoothness – and you want cordless functionality – the Dyson Corrale is the one for you.