Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I've had this mini curling iron for over a year, and I'm delighted with it. It gets really hot, so I can curl my long, thick hair quickly. The curling iron AND its cord fit into its 3.5" x 8.0" carrying case. This contradicts one of the other reviews. Maybe they improved the carrying case before I got mine? In any case, when I look at the carrying case with the curling iron and cord tucked inside, I can hardly believe how small it is. I have no problems fitting my hair in between the barrel and clamp. I like loose, wavy curls, so I put largish chunks of hair in there, without problems. I only do carry-on packing for travel; I never check bags. All my stuff, other than my purse/tote, has to fit in my carry-on suitcase. As anyone who has packed shoes can attest, the irregularly shaped items are the worst for efficient packing. I would never have bought a curling iron for travel, even a short one, if the lever you press to open the clamp stuck out at an angle, the way it does with most curling irons. On this one, the lever is that small, black plastic tab you see on the blue barrel. Pressing that thing levers the clamp up. I mention this because the picture makes it look like you would slide that tab flush with the handle. I puzzled over this before I ordered. Neither the product description nor the photo explained this. I ordered it anyway, figuring there had to be a way to open that clamp. The thing that prevents the hot barrel from resting directly on the counter is a small plastic wedge on the other side of the barrel from the tab that operates the clamp. If you look at the side view, you see the tab that operates the clamp on top, and a thin black piece sticking out at the bottom. The curling iron balances on the handle and thin black plastic piece. This contradicts one of the other reviews that said the barrel rests directly on the counter surface. Perhaps my curling iron had a later improvement? The black plastic tip is small but big enough for me to prevent burning myself when maneuvering the barrel. The cord swivels 360° where it comes out of the handle. The handle bulges slightly toward the end, which helps me grip it. I do have small hands. I could imagine someone with bigger hands disliking the size of the handle, regardless of the ergonomic bulge. This is a tradeoff for travel sized goods. The curling iron is 5.6 ounces (160 grams) . The carrying case is 1.2 ounces (36 grams). I'm really into small, pretty cosmetic bags, the kind you get at department makeup counters in a gift with purchase. I'm pretty fussy about how they look. The carrying case that came with this curling iron is pretty enough I would have sought it out as a makeup GWP. It's padded, the lining is a thin, woven nylon, and the outer surface is plastic-coated, like patent leather. My curling iron's handle is red. Its carrying case has the same pattern shown in the second product photo. The background color is white, as in the photo, but the pattern is red. This is a long review for a small, inexpensive product. I'm obsessed with packing light, and I had given up on curling irons for travel until I saw this Conair. I highly recommend it if you want a travel curling iron.