Best ghd straighteners: Jump menu
1. Best overall: ghd Platinum+
2. The bestselling one: ghd Original IV
3. Best for travel: ghd Unplugged Cordless
4. Best for curling and waving: ghd Gold
5. Best for thick or long hair: ghd Max
6. Best for short hair and bangs: ghd Mini
7. Best for drying and styling: ghd Duet Style 2-in-1
Thinking of investing in one of the best ghd straighteners but don't know which styler is best for you? Our beauty editors are huge fans of the cult brand and have tried and tested them all.
Ghd is known for having some of the best straighteners since the launch of the Original Styler 23 years ago. The brand has even won a plethora of awards over the years and has the flat iron of choice for top stylists. And now, with five additional straighteners for every hair type and look, it may be difficult to decide on a ghd styler that's right for you.
"I've had a ghd styler in my kit bag forever," says leading hairdresser Adam Reed, the brand's global ambassador. "I remember the first time I used one and being blown away by what it could do. I still get the 'OMG effect' every time I use it to create something new."
From the best wide plate stylers for curly hairstyles to cordless straighteners for travelling, we've rounded up the best ghd straighteners we've tried and deemed worthy.
The quick list
The best ghd straightener overall
If you're looking for a sleek, straight finish with minimal damage and an easy-to-use design, this is our standout pick. The Platinum+ also has predictive technology, which adapts to the hair's density and thickness.
The bestselling ghd straightener
The Original styler from ghd is the one we probably all bought as our very first hair straightener, and this upgraded version continues to be the bestselling hair tool from the brand. We still love how easy it is to use, and it's one of the best for anyone new to straightening their locks.
The best ghd straightener for travel
This lightweight, cordless styler is one to pop in your bag for trips away, and its nifty shape makes it perfect for quick styling top-ups as well as for using around the crown or any other areas which are trickier to get to.
The best ghd straightener for curling and waving hair
This was our favourite ghd tool for not only straightening the hair but also creating gorgeous curls and waves. It's lightweight, heats up very quickly, and can be easily manoeuvred to create curly styles that won't do too much damage to the hair.
The best ghd straightener for thick or long hair
The plates on the Max are double the width of the standard ghd plates, so if you have particularly thick and/or curly hair that takes a while to style straight, this is the option for you. We loved how smooth our hair looked after using the tool, with minimal damage and frizz.
The best ghd straightener for short hair and bangs
This miniature ghd straightener has a plate width of half an inch and is the perfect styler for short hair, bangs or baby hair touch-ups. And although it's small in size, it works just as great as the ghd Platinum+.
The best ghd straighteners, tested by our beauty experts
Why you can trust Woman & Home Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
The best ghd straightener overall
ghd's most premium straightener is often pitted against the Dyson Corrale – so if you're weighing up the Dyson Corrale vs ghd Platinum+, there are a few things to consider. The Platinum+ features predictive heat technology, intelligently adapting to hair's thickness and density – meaning more control, less damage, and fewer split ends. We loved the speedy heat-up time, a tiny 15 seconds, while the wishbone hinge made styling feel easier than some of the older models.
Thanks to the smooth plates, we could straighten and wave hair in record time, which meant less time exposed to damaging heat. (Do bear in mind that less damage still means you need to take care with heat, especially if your hair is brittle or colour-treated. There is no such thing as a damage-free straightener.) Another plus about Platinum+ is that, in case your model misbehaves, it comes with a three-year warranty, while all other ghd hair straighteners come with two.
"ghd Platinum+ is a one-stroke wonder. It gives the best results and incredible shine in just one stroke," Reed says. "The thing I love most about it is that it has made things so easy. The wishbone hinge takes all the effort out of styling as it keeps the hair perfectly in place, and the finish it gives is spot on for today – beautifully smooth while retaining volume and movement. No matter whether a client has super thick hair or incredibly fine hair, I know that by using the Platinum+ I will get a consistent result and a beautifully smooth finish across every hair type.”
See our full ghd Platinum+ hair straightener review
The bestselling ghd straightener
"The ghd styler is the original and the best. In fact, it’s fair to say it’s genius," says Adam – and we have to agree with this high praise. Can you believe it was 21 years ago when the ghd Original Styler first landed on shelves? A total game-changer, the hot tool quickly became world-famous; now, two million are sold every year across the globe. While it remains a bestseller, the team at ghd has decided to give the original styler an upgrade, using the latest technological advancements.
On testing, we found there was something pleasingly familiar about this, while also offering a sense of 'newness' with its souped-up features. The difference is that the plates now boast a gloss coating, and we did notice even sleeker smoother results. The ceramic heat technology is as effective as it ever was but now ensures there’s no extreme heat, using the optimum styling temperature of 185°C. Design-wise, it retains its classic sleek look with slim plates, which made curling, waving, and straightening our strands super easy.
This was the most simple and straightforward styler we tested, and it would be almost impossible to go wrong with this hot tool. It does take a little longer to cover the entire head when compared to the Max or Platinum+ models, but the slimmer handle allowed us to get right into the hairline when styling. The new version also features single-zone technology so that the heat is evenly distributed across both ceramic plates to help effortlessly style your hair. "ghd original is the perfect tool for those starting out on their ghd journey and wanting to create beautiful simple styles with shine and smoothness," Igor Rago, ghd Italy's art director explains.
See our full ghd Original IV hair straightener review
The best ghd straightener for travel
ghd Unplugged joins the latest wave of cordless stylers to hit the market, including the Dyson Corrale Hair Straightener and Babyliss 9000 Cordless Hair Straightener, and it brings plenty of useful features to the party. At first, we thought it had a slightly chunky appearance, but this styler is actually extremely lightweight considering that it's a completely cordless option. Weighing in at 35% less than the Platinum+, and measuring just under nine inches across, it did feel noticeably compact and was easy to manoeuvre when we put it to the test. It still features the standard ghd specs, too, such as dual-zone heaters and ceramic plates, as well as the smooth styling experience we’d expect.
Now, about that battery life. A full charge lasted us 20 minutes – which takes about two hours to power up. If you have fine hair like our tester, this is probably sufficient, but if you have thick curly hair, or lots of it, you'd probably use Unplugged as a topping-up tool instead of your main styler. That said, this styler does make charging easy thanks to its USB port, which we easily plugged into our laptop and could charge in the car too, to give it a boost. Overall, this is a great pick for travel and touch-ups.
ghd Unplugged is naturally a favorite with professional stylists, thanks to how easy it makes styling on the go. “ghd Unplugged offers a new level of flexibility and creativity for styling " says Manuele Mameli, hair stylist to mega-influencer Chiara Ferragni. "Whether it’s styling touch-ups at a photo shoot or a quick style transformation in the back of a taxi during long days at fashion week, Unplugged is my sleek-styling essential.”
The best ghd straightener for curling and waving hair
The Gold is a great pick for anyone who likes to change up how they style their hair. With a curved design and rounded barrel, we found we could create curls and waves at a quicker rate than with any other pair of ghds. Top tip? Leave the ends of your hair free of the styler to create undone beach hair waves. If you'd rather go smooth and sleek, the floating mechanism on the plates helps it to move easily down the hair shaft without snags.
Heat-wise, to us these straighteners felt quick to warm up, probably about 25 seconds, and are pleasingly lightweight and easy to manoeuvre. You can expect an even temperature without hot spots due to the highly intelligent heat sensors in each plate. This allowed us to enjoy highly controlled styling without the need for repeat passing through the hair – a big tick in our book. If you’re after styling versatility with a nod to heat protection, the Gold should suit your needs. Reed explains, "The ghd Gold styler glides through the hair, delivering a constant safer-for-hair heat of 185 degrees to ensure hair is perfectly styled but is not damaged."
There’s no ionic technology here to keep static at bay, so they may not suit those with particularly frizzy hair – but we still achieved a smooth, sheeny look with this tool. ghd Platinum+ vs ghd Gold is a common quandary, and we found that both are great stylers for regular use. While we recommend the Platinum+ for those concerned about the drying effects of heat-styling on delicate or damaged hair, this hits the gold standard if your goal is to learn how to curl hair with straighteners perfectly.
The best ghd straightener for thick or long hair
If you have thick hair, a curly hairstyle or a natural hairstyle that you’d like to smooth out every now and then, the ghd Max is undoubtedly one of the best straighteners for curly hair out there. With broader-than-standard plates that are double the width of other ghd models (two inches vs. the usual one inch), we were able to hold and smooth out larger sections of hair in one go, which significantly cut down the overall styling time.
These generous proportions also allowed our tester's hair to be styled at a consistent 185ºC, which is a godsend for anyone who worries about having to repeatedly pass over and frazzle individual sections. For us, this also sets it apart from other brands’ irons that are designed for thick hair, as many rely on styling at a higher heat, which can cause damage over time.
Of course, the downside of having larger plates – which we experienced first-hand – is that they do take slightly longer to heat up than other ghd stylers. But that said, the time you’ll save during styling thanks to its bigger design will more than make up for it. We would also point out that we found it harder to create curls with this tool due to the plate size, though it does create a very loose, undone wave look. But if your main hair straightener uses are to smooth and straighten, this is the one for you!
See our full ghd Max hair straightener review
The best ghd straightener for short hair and bangs
Our first impression on testing this miniature straightener was, how very cute! With a plate width of just half an inch, this pocket rocket of a hot tool allows for precision styling that lends itself particularly well to both bangs hairstyles and pixie haircuts. Despite its minute size, the ghd Mini still offers the same styling power as other ghd models, including the Gold and Platinum+.
Due to its smaller size, we did find that the Mini feels a little fragile in the hand, though we didn't once experience any issues while using it and the two-year warranty set our mind at ease. It has simple controls and features ghd's signature temperature of 365ºF/185ºC, which takes away any of the guesswork, while the floating plates gave us a smooth, snag-free straightening experience.
If you have shorter air and find that it has a tendency to stick out at weird angles when using conventional-sized straighteners, or that larger tools often leave a dent in the top of your hair, then you’ll likely fall in love with the ghd Mini. Styling every section did take a little longer when we tested, but the seamless results made that worth it in the end.
It's typical, you wait years for a new ghd straightener and two come along at once. Well, to be completely accurate, a two-in-one has come along. And seeing as ghd is excellent at creating both hair dryers and straighteners, we had high hopes for this. Shall we start with the good? The Duet styler is clearly a very advanced piece of kit. It combines targeted airflow with four slimline plates on either side of the central air vents and does a pretty great job of drying and smoothing hair in one fell swoop.
Our thick-haired tester found it took only a few passes on each section of rough-dried hair to achieve the same result she would with a separate dryer and straightener. It also doesn't knock every inch of texture from the hair as flat irons sometimes can, rather it smoothes and styles. The main benefit here is convenience. Only using one tool is less hassle in itself, and you'll spend less time styling. It also benefits hair health, as the dryer gets up to 150ºC and the plates 120ºC (both lower than ghd's standard 185ºC temperature) Although if you do rely on high heat to get a sleek finish, you can use Shine Shot mode to do so.
And the not-so-good? It's larger than other ghd straighteners, although you have to factor in that this is a hair dryer as well, in which case you could actually say it's quite small. It's also a little noisy at first, although we found it quietened down with use. You will also need to practice a few times to get the knack, as is the case for any new technology. And that's what this is, something completely new and quite exciting that brings another option to the very well-stocked ghd stable.
See our full ghd Duet Style Review
How we tested the best ghd straighteners
Some of the best ghd straighteners we tested for this feature (top to bottom): Unplugged, Platinum+, and Max Stylers
When you’re considering paying three figures for a hair tool, it needs to tick all the boxes. To that end, we analysed everything from size and weight to ease and speed of styling, as well as each styler's price tag. Hair type also plays a role, as the best ghd straighteners for curly, thick, or long hair will not be the same as for fine hair or particularly travel-friendly, and we assessed how well each works on different hair types. Our testers thought about the following factors when trialling each ghd styler:
- How easy it was to use
- Whether it worked on all hair or was more suited to specific types
- How smooth of a finish it created
- Any additional technology
- Price
We've taken every one of these considerations into account to create this guide to the best ghd straighteners so that you can make the best choice (and investment) for your hair type and styling needs.
Your ghd straightener FAQs, answered
How to choose the best ghd straighteners for you
- Hair type: This should be your basic starting point. If you have curly or very thick hair, the wide plates of the ghd Max will be a godsend. Whereas for fine-haired types something slimline and simple like the Original IV styler is a more sensible choice. Cut is crucial too, as very short hair needs narrow plates to get right into the roots, such as the ghd Mini, while those with very long hair may appreciate the damage-protection benefits the Platinum+ can offer. Or, for hair that lacks volume, the Glide hot brush may be a better fit than a classic iron, offering smoothing without a complete flattening.
- Styling behaviour: Knowing what you want to do with the straighteners is the second most important consideration. Every model on this list is designed to straighten hair, but do you also want to curl and wave it? If so picking a model with a curved barrel such as the ghd Gold would be a smart choice. Think about how often you straighten, if it's daily then it makes sense to spend a little more on a model that reduces damage. If you are only an occasional user of heated tools then a more basic model without hair health bells and whistles will likely suffice.
- Budget: ghd is a premium brand and none of these stylers come at bargain basement prices. However as with any technology, the newer the model, the higher the price you pay. If you are on a budget, consider one of the older devices such as the Original IV, or Gold. Both are still high-performance tools but as they aren't the brand's latest, tend to come at better-value prices. This is particularly true around shopping events such as ghd Black Friday where slightly older models are always on the most generous discounts.
Do ghd straighteners turn off automatically?
It’s that agonizing question we all ask ourselves after leaving the house in a hurry: “did I forget to turn my hair straighteners off?” You rack your brain back to that very moment you put them down but cannot remember if you turned them off or not, making your journey to work or an evening social engagement less-than-stress-free.
Do not fret when it comes to these tools, as all ghd hair straighteners are programmed to switch themselves off automatically after 30-minutes (with the exception of the Glide which is 60 minutes). Phew!
How hot do ghds get?
All ghd tools reach an optimum temperature of 185°C/365°F. This number has been specially chosen because, according to the brand, it is scientifically proven to produce a long-lasting style with minimal resulting damage to individual strands.
The research also found that anything above this optimum temperature can actually cause structural damage to your hair. Yikes!
How long do ghds last?
Most ghd straighteners come with a warranty of two years, sometimes three, to give you that peace of mind when making such an investment. However, many users have claimed that their styler has lasted upwards of five years. The trick is to take good care of your tool, cleaning it between uses (once cooled down, of course) and storing them in a heat-resistant bag.
If your hair straighteners aren't maintaining an even heat, or are taking longer to style your tresses, it could be that they're past their best. Some experts recommend replacing them after four years.
How to heat protect hair when using ghds
“One of the best hair care tips, which is very often ignored, is using a heat-protective spray on your hair before using any heated tools," says Charlotte Mensah, ghd global ambassador and hairstylist. "If you do, you’ll love how your hair looks even after the styling wears off! Follow this commandment, and your hair will really thank you for it.”
Below are the key ingredients to look out for when it comes to heat protection for hair.
- Humectants: Humectants act as water magnets that help hair draw in and retain more moisture. Glycerin, panthenol, and propylene are all types of humectants that can often be found in heat protectant sprays to deliver hydrated, healthy hair results.
- Amino acids: Amino acids work as strengthening and conditioning agents, but in the world of haircare, their main function is to supply nourishing antioxidants to repair surface damage. For example, keratin is a structural protein that helps strengthen strands, restoring and repairing heat and colour damage.
- Natural oils: Natural oils seal and protect the hair cuticle while locking in moisture. They work especially well for thicker, curly, or natural hair, as these types can take on a heavier product without getting weighed down. In terms of superhero ingredients, coconut oil repairs split ends and shields your hair against the effects of heat-styling tools, and a little goes a long way.
Best ghd hair care products to use with straighteners
Make further savings on your next purchase with the latest ghd discount codes.
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