An Honest Review of GHD's New Chronos Flat Iron

A little over a month ago, I left my beloved GHD flat iron behind in a hotel room on vacation, and despite numerous calls and attempts to get it mailed back to me, it couldn't be located. I use my flat iron for a lot of different purposes: if I want a sleek, straight look; if I want curly hair; if I want beach waves; and even if I blow it out using another styler, I typically go in with a flat iron to help cut down on frizz. All this to say, I use my flat iron a lot, and the couple of days I was without it were not some of my best hair days. I was planning on replacing it with the same exact model, but when I heard about the new GHD Chronos Flat Iron ($329) from one of my editor friends, I was intrigued.

GHD Chronos Flat Iron

From

$329

$329 at Sephora

The brand has quite a hefty lineup of hair tools (including straighteners), but this one has some pretty bold claims behind it, including faster results and more shine. How? Well, it features fancy-sounding HD motion-response technology that adapts to your movements, so you're able to get your desired style with just one stroke. I've been testing it for almost a full month, and I have to admit — after just one time using it, I was sold. Was I happy I left my flat iron behind in a hotel room on that fateful day? Honestly, kind of.

Keep scrolling to read my full review of the new GHD Chronos Flat Iron.

Honestly, where do I begin? One of my favorite tech features of any GHD hair tool is that they turn themselves off after inactivity, which is something I'm desperately in need of. I'm constantly forgetting to turn off my hot tools (and blow out my candles) before I leave the house, so that feature makes sure I won't burn down my apartment, which both my landlord and I approve of.

I also love how quickly the flat iron heats up. It only takes 20 seconds, and I'm perpetually running late, so I love that I can turn it on, and by the time I've finished sectioning my hair off, it's ready for me to use.

I also love that the barrel is rounded, because it means I can use the flat iron for straightening my hair as well as curling it, and I won't get any annoying creases, which typically happens when I try to curl my hair with a flat iron that doesn't have a rounded barrel.

I also have frizzy hair, and I've found that using this to go over my hair, even if I've curled it using a different styler, greatly helps to cut down on excess frizz. It's also easy to use: it glides through my hair like butter, and it leaves my hair with a sleek, glossy finish.

The brand recommends starting with a heat protectant spray, then parting hair into one-inch sections. If you're looking to straighten your hair, they say you should place the styler at the root and glide down each section. If you want a wavy or curly look, they recommend starting with the styler at the root, then rotating it 180 degrees, then gliding down each section.

I only wash my hair once or twice a week, so I usually start out with clean hair, and then I blow-dry everything completely. From there I go in with the flat iron. If I'm going for a straight look, I follow the brand's directions. However, if I want waves, I usually opt for S waves, which I get by feeding the hair in an S shape into the flat iron.

I have fine, long hair, so this size flat iron is perfect for me. However, if you have very thick, long, or curly hair, I'd suggest looking into one of the brand's larger flat irons, like the GHD Max, which is a wide-plate two-inch styler. I think a larger flat iron would work better if you're looking to cover more surface area.

Additionally, I think it's important to note that on this flat iron, you cannot control the heat setting. It's set to 365 degrees for optimal styling, but it's something to consider if you're used to using lower or higher heat when doing your hair.

At $329, this hair tool is not cheap. However, if you're in the market for a new flat iron, I can't recommend this one, or this brand, enough. This is the second GHD flat iron I've owned, and the first one I had for over six years with absolutely zero issues. If I hadn't left it behind while traveling, I'd still be using it. The brand's products are long-lasting and, in my opinion, totally worth the price point.

The GHD Chronos Flat Iron is available directly on the brand's website as well as Sephora.

Rating:

★★★★★

Renee Rodriguez is a staff writer and social producer for POPSUGAR. She writes across all verticals, but her main areas of expertise focus on fashion and beauty content with an emphasis on reviews and editor experiments. She also produces social content for POPSUGAR's TikTok and Instagram accounts.