Cloud NineThe Original Hair Straightener Gift Set | Variable Temperature Control Ceramic Floating Plates 360° Swivel Cord | Perfect for Everyday Straightening | Strong Shiny Sleek Results

I have naturally curly hair and have worn it curly for many years. I decided to try a straight style recently and borrowed my friend's ghds, which are a few years old, to straighten it. I decided to buy my own set once I decided to keep styling my hair, and was originally going to buy the closest current version of ghds to the pair she has, but then I read a lot of reviews on various sites that said Cloud Nines were the way to go, and that ghds are not as good as they used to be. I looked into the specs of this Cloud Nine set, and was very impressed. I particularly liked the variable temperature setting, as although my curly hair needs a high temperature to straighten, I wanted to see whether I could achieve the same finish with a lower temperature to reduce heat damage to my hair.I took the plunge and ordered these instead of ghds. They were £30 more expensive than the ghd model I was originally going to buy. I have used them twice now to straighten my hair and I am really impressed. I use the heat setting one lower than the maximum setting, and they do a good job. I think it takes a little longer than it would do if I used the higher setting, but I am conscious of heat damage.In terms of aesthetics, these straighteners are really nice to use. They fit nicely in my hand and they are light. The on/off switch and the temperature setting panel are easy to use and clear. The buttons feel solid and of good quality, like the straighteners have been built to a high standard (it shows in the little things!).The "floating" plates means the plates have some give, and move into the iron slightly. I guess this is to reduce pressure on the hair.In terms of the finish on my hair, I will firstly say that I wash and straighten my hair every five/six days, and in that time my hair stays completely straight, with only a little bend at the bottom. I would say this is due to the natural style of my hair though, and not the irons. I have used straighteners before that made a wave come back in two or three days, and back then my hair wasn't as curly as it is now (back then it was quite wavy, but now it's essentially ringlets!). More praise for the lasting power of the straightness is that, a few days ago, I had a bath and put my hair up into a tight bun. My hair had only a slight kink in in after a few hours or being tied up, as expected, but I slept on it and in the morning it had dropped right out and my hair was completely straight again. I was very impressed!My hair feels really soft, too - softer than my friend's ghds left it. I didn't really understand what other reviewers said about ghds "pulling" on their hair and Cloud Nines not pulling until I used these. They glide through your hair and the first few strokes had me going over the hair again, not believing that it was now straight as I hadn't felt a thing. Then I understood! Perhaps this is where the floating plates shine.The straighteners heat up phenomenally fast, and the case they come with is well padded and so can actually be used when travelling! I've just done a ten day trip around the country and haven't had to worry about them getting damaged. The heatproof guard is a wonderful feature for packing them away, as it makes the irons a more convenient shape without me using my old method of keeping the plates together by wrapping the cord around them, which of course damages the cord! The instructions seem to imply that you can turn the straighteners off and then straightaway put the guard on and put away, but I haven't tried this as I'm not sure it would be safe.In conclusion, I would recommend these straighteners to anyone looking to buy a pair. If you are just trying out the straight style on the odd occasion, maybe these would be too expensive for you, but if you're looking to style like this for a long time, then I already believe, having had mine for a few weeks, that these would be a great investment. I have only used these to straighten my hair, not to curl it, so I can only speak for the straightening side of things.I am happy that I chose these over ghds, and I think the extra money is worth it to have these instead of ghds. If you're still not convinced that they're better than ghds, search the Amazon reviews for this product for "ghd" (as I did when making my decision), and see how many reviewers have swapped to this brand from ghd because they believe Cloud Nines are superior!I hope this review has been helpful.

Wow. I took delivery of this less than an hour ago and wanted to write a review straight off. My old straighteners, a very much cheaper but well known brand, gave up the ghost a few days ago after a few years of service and so I immediately set to work researching and reading various reviews on various websites about all the various kinds of hair straighteners that we 'consumers' can buy. I needed a replacement and fast, but not that fast that I just wanted any old straightener. Another well-reputed and expensive straightener that often came out top in many reviews was also said, on one website by many reviewers, to go faulty quite quickly. So, Cloud Nine, a top ranker, was my choice.These aren't just any old straighteners. I took possession of them less than an hour ago (I was actually soaked through in the shower when the Amazon guy arrived with them so it must have been a nice surprise for him seeing someone looking like a drowned rat wrapped in a red towel answer the door) and I was so pleased to get them. I blew my hair dry, as usual, and then used these Cloud Nine 'The Original Hair Straightener'. What a difference a brand can make. There was no snagging, the mineral-coated ceramic plates (you can see it in the image I posted) just glided through my hair and I didn't need a hot setting. I always use a relatively low setting because I don't want my hair to melt! The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) states "the melting temperature of the alpha-form crystallites in human hair varies with moisture content from 205 degrees C for dry hair to 155 degrees C for the hair sample with moisture content of 23%". So, I don't use straighteners on my hair when it is bone dry.The straighteners feel light and sleek, and easy to handle. They have a lovely balance to them. There is an on/off switch which is more than my now defunct straighteners had. The temperature selector goes up in increments on 25 degrees starting at, presumably 75 and going up to, presumably, 225. I used 175 on mine and it was hot enough to do the job well. My hair is coarse, wilful, and thick. These straighteners left my hair smooth. I experimented by using the straighteners to put a curl in my hair, and it did that job perfectly too.I love the packaging the appliance came in. How very smart if you are buying for a gift and the fancy bag with the turquoise trim is roomy. Cloud Nine advertise that the bag is free with the product and worth £25. I would not pay £25 for it, but it is good quality.NOTE: I don't know if this is a permanent offer but mine came with a 2 year guarantee if I register the product online, which I shall do. The clear turquoise protector is the icing on the cake. (see image).

I've had my current GHDs for about 6 years now and they are still going strong. However they have always struggled to get my hair to stop flicking out at the ends (it's very strong willed!). The cloud 9 hair straightners were recoomended by my hairdresser and I really like the idea of the variable heat settings. I straighten my hair every day and I think it's been suffering with the excesive heat from the GHDs, which reallly isn't healping the frizz! I decided to treat myself with some birthday money and buy the cloud 9s.So far I ahve used them 4 times and they are vey good. They do heat up very quickly and glide through my hair well. I don't think they are vastly better than the GHDs but they fell like they are treating my hair better and achevie a good straight result without being at such a high temperature. My hair definitely feels smoother and I'm hoping in the long term this will help keep my hair in good condition. The straightner also comes with a heat proof mat and little storage bag which is a nice little extra.

After being a GHD girl I decided to upgrade to these and I am glad I did. They are lightweight and heat up very quickly. They glide through my hair and leaves it very straight , they are definitely worth the extra £££s . Would definitely recommend these straighteners for straight hair and they are also excellent for curls