Since I've been flat-ironing my hair every or every other day again, I've noticed it's not nearly as healthy as it was the last few months. I'm just using some cheap Conair flat-iron, and I think that's the problem. I already have a great heat protectant spray, but it can't do everything! So I'm in the market for a new flat-iron, and I want to splurge. What's the best? I've been specifically looking at CHI, Solia, Sedu, and Babyliss. I'm open for most recs though. Thanks!

Honestly, I love my Jilbere de Paris from Sally's. I bought the 1 1/2" with titanium plates. It was about $55. It straightens my hair very easily, but I think my hair is much finer and thinner than yours. It's held up well for almost two years, but I do straighten rarely (once or twice a month).

I have an Isinis Ceramic - it's the same brand my hairstylist uses, though I think mine's a different make than hers. I think it might have a 1 1/2 inch plate, maybe 2. I've had it for at least two years, and up until recently, I was using it all the time, so it's held up pretty well. I had to buy it through my hairstylist, so I assume she got it from a beauty supply store somewhere. It was about $45, but it was on sale for half off.

I bought one from my hair salon a few years ago. It's called the Pro Touch Gold. It works great and was only like $50

I bought a CHI iron about a year ago and I'm so glad I invested in it. It's what my stylist uses, and it straightens so quickly and easily and makes my hair really shiny. They're a little expensive, but since I straighten my hair everyday, it was worth the price.

I second the CHI. My fiance got me one for the holidays and my hair was SOOOO straight, smooth, and shiny! Def. worth every penny.

absolutely adoooooooooore my chi 1 inch ... the original black one, not any of the other varieties that are out. i tried the 1 1/2 inch, the turbo & the pink but they all sucked. hehe. been using the same 1 inch original since 2002.

as my hair got longer, i wanted a bigger one so i looked into sedu. i looked at all the reviews at folica.com and purchased the 1 1/2 inch. i ordered the us and the euro version. omg...i used it when i went to europe and my hair held up perfectly in paris & london humidity. my hair usually starts to curl & frizz in humidity. so i kept both.

i ordered the 1 inch sedu afterwards and liked my original chi better so i returned it. thought it was a tad too heavy for 1 inch.

all in all i like the chi original for the top layers of my hair as it doesnt over-flatten it and the 1 1/2 inch sedu for the longer parts of my hair cuz it's kinkier and gets the job done faster.

the chi does not have temp control but the sedu has a dial. i dont even use the highest setting and it's pretty darn hot. i like that i dont have to run the iron through my hair more than necessary. my long hair only takes 6-7 minutes to iron straight.

i shower everyday and use a moisturizing shampoo & heavy conditioner. i let my hair air dry and iron the next morning or let my hair air dry for an hour & blow dry it with my travel sized t3. i also use alterna heat protectant. ive found that my hair lies flatter after using the sedu but isnt damaged so it takes less time to iron with consistent use. even my hair stylist has noticed the difference in my hair. although im quite certain the products i use have added to the health of my hair, it's good to know that the heat styling isnt damaging it.

just wanted to add that my hair is the antithesis of asian hair...is not straight by any means. my hair naturally looks like its been set with curlers. when i wear it curly..yes curly, not wavy (lol), people ask if it's been permed. hahahaha. i know alotta asians who get setting perms to get wavy curls.

b4 the chi, i tried a whole bunch from sally's but while the iron were hot, my hair got snagged in the plates and/or it took me close to 30 minutes to iron.

ive also tried paul mitchell (this scorched my hair) and babyliss (clunky). i also have a solano sapphire ceramic that i got on folica.com that i take to the gym. im overly paranoid abt irons shorting out so i got this on sale. i take it with me to the gym just in case and its my main backup for travel since it's dual wattage. while it isnt as awesome as chi or sedu, i wouldnt be sad if chi & sedu went bankrupt and this was all i had left to use. kekeke. know what i mean??

whew...that was alot of blabbing =D

I have a Solia, which I absolutely adore. I've tried many flat irons over the years: Hot Tools, Babyliss, and Chi, and this is the one I love the most. I even repurchased it after I left my first Solia in Miami.

I have never owned a Chi, but my roommate used to, and I used it several times and it left my hair frizzier than the Solia. From what I understand, they use 2 different kinds of technology, Chi being ceramic and Solia being tourmaline. The Solia leaves my hair looking soft, smooth, and shiny and it can also be used on damp (note: NOT soaking wet) hair. I'll often let my hair dry naturally over night, and then flat iron it in the morning when it's just a little damp, and it actually looks better than when I iron it from bone dry.

For what it's worth, when I lived in the sorority house a couple of years ago, I let a few people borrow it and they all ended up buying one, saying they liked it better than the Chi. (Not that I'm trying to guide you against a Chi, I just know that my results have been great, and it is usually less expensive on Folica.com, too)

I think you would really like it, Erica :D

Also... wanted to add I had a Babyliss Pro which I paid about $200 bucks for, and I was not pleased with it one bit... :( Then again, I bought it about 4 years ago, so they may have changed.

Tigi just came out with hair styling tools recently and I bought their 1 and 1/4" flat iron. It heats up to 400 degrees and gets my hair very straight with very little effort. My hair is naturally curly but more on the fine side and very prone to frizz. This iron leaves no frizz in my hair which I love. Also I admit I love that it's pink and it lights up green on the sides when you turn it on. *lol* It was 60 bucks and I love it. I have had two Chi's in the past and I do honestly prefer my Tigi one. The Chi works well but I really like to be able to control the temperature, but that could just be my OCD ha.

I have a CHI Turbo & love it b/c it has heat settings - NOT using the highest one all the time (ie for touch ups) has made a huge difference to me. I had a Sedu & didn't feel like my hair stayed straight. I'm intrigued by the Solia now though ;) I've also heard many raves for the T3, but haven't tried.

I have a Sedu and absolutely love it. I have a Chi too but I don't like the Chi as much. The Sedu straightens my hair faster and better, the chi always left my hair a bit frizzy and big and poufy and took me longer to straighten it.

I have the original 1" CHI, and I loooooooove it. I got it on sale at Ulta for $99 (it's normally $149) and I guess it's a sale they do somewhat often since I've seen it several times since then.

I've never had any problems with my hair looking frizzy or dry or poofy or anything weird, it's always smooth and straight and shiny. :) According to my stylist, ceramic plates are the best, and she uses the 1" CHI on all of her clients and swears by it. My hair always looked awesome whenever she styled it, so that's the main reason I went with the CHI (well, and I'd also heard lots of good things about it from other people).

Also, when I bought mine, three of the girls working at Ulta said it was the best--it was the one I originally wanted, but I couldn't find it anywhere so I figured it was out of stock and decided on a more expensive one, but they swore it was much better than the others so they went and hunted one down for me. :p

Anyway, I'm definitely happy with my CHI. I have also heard raves about GHD, though.

I love my Chi the original black one they came out with, but the Solia that merecurly was talking about sounds great so I am going to check it out.

I bought a CHI iron about a year ago and I'm so glad I invested in it. It's what my stylist uses, and it straightens so quickly and easily and makes my hair really shiny. They're a little expensive, but since I straighten my hair everyday, it was worth the price.

Same here. I love my CHI! It has been life-changing for me. My hair is so smooth and shiny now. I have the 1", which is perfect for straightening my hair and my bangs. It never leaves my hair frizzy or poofy, and it only takes me 5 minutes to straighten my whole head. I do blowdry my hair straight first though. The products that you use also make a difference. I'm currently using all Pureology products, and they add to the straightness and shininess of my hair.

This post reminds me of an advertisement I saw in one of my magazines (either Allure or Glamour, can't remember which one) for a tiny flat-iron to use specifically for bangs. It's half the size of a regular flat-iron. I really want to look into how much it is. I forget what the brand was. Maybe I'll ask for it for my birthday this summer.

I LOVEEE my Solia! I have a pink one (of course LOL) and it was an investment at $80. However, I haven't had a single split end since I started using it! My hair is really healthy and I like that you can control the temp setting (I don't think you always can with CHIs). I don't know if this is true, but when I read reviews it said CHIs damaged hair in the long run-people didn't seem happy after having theirs for a year or two and recommended Solia.

Thanks for all the responses, y'all. :)

After reading reviews and taking what y'all had to say into consideration, I decided to go with the Solia.

Thanks for all the responses, y'all. :)

After reading reviews and taking what y'all had to say into consideration, I decided to go with the Solia.

I hope you love it! Let us know. :)

I hope you love it! Let us know. :)

Yes, definitely post a review! I've had a HAI for years and love it, but recently got the pink breast cancer CHI to keep at my bf's house. I kinda wish I had gone with the Solia instead...I like the CHI ok (I really like that I can make curls with it) but it gets almost too hot. I've thought about passing it on to my sister, who is a huge CHI fan.

I hope you like the solia!

Katie-That's what I was afraid of with the CHI! My hair is straight, I just like it smoother so I don't need high heat. I can't wait for my hair to be longer so I can make curls with it!

Erica, I'm so glad you got a Solia! I hope you love it. :D

I think you're going to love it, too, Erica :D Make sure you let us know your results...

Ok y'all... I've used my Solia a few times now, and I gotta say... I LOVE IT! :D

I've never had a more expensive flat iron, but this is definitely worth it, IMO. It gets my hair straighter than my old iron, and most sections need to be passed over once, maybe twice if it's a stubborn piece. I can easily go a second day on one straightening now since it gets my hair so straight to begin with. My hair just looks better, and most importantly, it feels better. I'd highly recommend this. :)

Yaaay! Glad you're loving it! :)

I'm glad you're loving your new flat-iron, Erica! :)

Wow, this makes me want a Solia too.:D Did you guys order them online or buy them from the store?

I bought mine online Rachel. They run about $80.

I'm glad you love it, Erica! I say the exact same things about mine.

Wow, this makes me want a Solia too.:D Did you guys order them online or buy them from the store?

I ordered mine from Folica.com. I don't think I'd heard of them before, but I found it in a Google search. Great prices, and I had a good experience with them.

I just ordered one.:D I really like the idea of it making your hair shiny and getting rid of split ends. Mine didn't seem to do that.

I hope you'll like it, Rachel! If not, they do have a 30 day guarantee.

I got it today! It's really awesome and it actually makes my hair feel smooth and it looks so shiny. I took a picture cause I was so amazed.:) This is a great flat-iron and I recommended it too.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/rayraychill/straighthair.jpg

You hair looks really smooth and shiny, Rachel! A good flat-iron can make a world of difference.

My friend mentioned how my hair always looks really shiny to her, and I wonder if it's because of the flat iron. No matter, I'll take the compliment!

Looks great, Rachel! :)

Sweet! I'm so glad you love it too! :D

OMG I am so tempted to order a Solia! Does this have temp adjustments though?

Yes, the Solia has temp adjustments. It gets up to 470 degrees (I think.... though not positive)-- I always have mine on the hottest setting, I"ll admit. I've been using it for nearly 3 years now and it's fantastic.

Katie-It get SO hot! I generally keep it somewhere in-between because my hair is already straight (I just use flat irons to smooth my hair).

I'm pretty sure its 450, Mer, at least on mine. I usually do mine on 370 though. I don't like the thought of using the highest heat setting, but I might try it sometime to see if I like it any better.

Oh... maybe it is 450. Um, I always use the highest heat setting, haha. My hair is really coarse and the lower ones don't really work as well. But it doesn't bother me, as long as I use heat protectant :D

Oh... maybe it is 450. Um, I always use the highest heat setting, haha. My hair is really coarse and the lower ones don't really work as well. But it doesn't bother me, as long as I use heat protectant :D

I have the original 1" CHI that does not have heat settings, so it is always super hot. My hair is also very coarse though so lower heat settings wouldn't work as well for me anyway. I'm sure that even if I had a flat-iron with heat settings, I'd still keep it on the highest one. I do use all Pureology products though, and they help to protect against damage.