Hot ToolsProfessionals Ribbon Styling Curling Iron with Wand (Black Gold,5/8in)

Good

I absolutely love this thing!!! Creates gorgeous curls!!!

Very easy to use, heats up really quickly, my hair holds the curl really well!

This is the first time I've used a curling iron that doesn't have the clamp that holds your hair in place, so there was a definite learning curve for me. Once I got the hang of it (and stopped burning myself even with the included heat glove!), I admit I really like the end results. The barrel of this iron is more oval than round, though it still produces perfect ribbon curls. The shape made it easier for me to keep my hair from slipping off the barrel like it does on a circular iron. The barrel stays consistently hot rather than going through a cycle of heating up and cooling down. You're able to curl all your hair without having to set the iron down between sections while you wait for it to come back up to temperature again.Probably the best part of this iron is the cord - the gloriously 9' LONG cord that is attached to a 360 swivel. No more yanking the cord out of the socket when trying to curl the hair on the back of your head. No more fighting with the cord every time you reposition the iron to do a new section of hair. It's more cord to wrap up and store, but yeesh, I'd rather deal with that than constantly battling a 3' cord. I also like the variable heat setting this offers rather than simply off or on. Thicker, coarser hair needs higher temps than thin, fine hair. You don't want to damage your hair on too high a heat setting. Most irons have the heat dial on the side, and it often gets moved up or down as you move your hand position on the handle. The handle is a distinct section that is smaller than where the cord attaches and where the heat setting dial is located. This puts the dial in a spot where it's not likely to get accidentally bumped.Like most irons, it comes with a kickstand to keep it from burning your countertop. The barrel is coated with something they call 'premium Black Gold styling surface' which reminds me a lot of a Teflon coating. If the barrel is not wiped clean after each use (if you use any kind of styling and/or heat protection product in your hair), a sticky layer of gunk can build up and impact the performance. I would have liked a storage bag included with this iron, but that definitely isn't a dealbreaker.

I bought this item twice, both times it is the wrong iron. It has a flat edge- not at all like description. It needs to be a round barrel not flat. Also the second iron that came in, looked used, its box was gross with smears of liquid on it. To make it worse, return costs were on me.