Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

CHI manufactures this 2" size, and 1" and 0.7" widths in the same line also. My first inclination was to buy the 2" size - that would make the process faster, right? Well, I was advised and found out to be true that bigger is not better in this situation, for reasons stated below. So while I highly recommend the CHI Turbo straightener, I would recommend the smaller widths unless you know for a fact that you prefer the larger plates. The following section is my review for the 0.7" (which is mistakenly advertised as 0.07"), which I think is helpful even if you decide on the 2" model, so forgive my copy-and-paste. I was suspect of the need for "ceramic ions" and "far infrared technology", but this iron was highly recommended by salon personnel, so I decided to dish out the money and try it. You don't need to believe the hype to realize that this is a top quality product. This was a case of "you get what you pay for"! It is lightweight and ergonomic, heats up almost immediately, has a slider bar for varying heat from 176-356F (80-180C), and velvety felt that protects you from burns (also allows me to get closer to my ears and scalp without getting burned). The latter feature is worth the money to me alone, and the the ceramic feels much gentler to my hair (I have baby fine hair very prone to breakage). Two other things to keep in mind when choosing a straightener: 1) size matters - smaller size is better - it's more maneuverable, and doing smaller sections at a time will produce better results. 2) not all ceramic is created equal - there are solid ceramic plates or plates COATED with ceramic that are cheaper. the ceramic layer on the coated plates can peel off and is supposedly damaging to your hair (not to mention your product is ruined). So yes, this iron is more expensive, but hopefully it will last for years of top-notch straightening.