GHD Platinum Plus Styler Review: The Best Hair Straighteners Just Got Better

Forget what you know about hair straighteners: with the GHD Platinum Plus styler, the brand changes the game yet again, as it did with the launch of its first model 20 years ago.

Gone are the off-yellow plates of its Original range. Gone are the single sensor and ceramic technology. Gone is the snapping hinge. The GHD Platinum Plus styler is the smartest, sleekest, and safest set of GHD straighteners (and hair straighteners in general) I’ve ever used. It’s just a shame that the high price means that not everyone will be able to experience just how good of a hair styler it is.

GHD Platinum Plus styler review: What you need to know

Released in September 2018, the GHD Platinum Plus styler is the company’s flagship model, touted as the world’s first “smart” pair of straighteners. Fitted with so-called “ultra-zone” and “predictive” technology, sensors built into the floating plates monitor heat 250 times a second. GHD claims these sensors can determine the thickness of your hair and the speed at which you’re styling, so that the power delivered is adjusted accordingly for better results.

The two-piece hinge seen on previous GHD models has been replaced on the Platinum Plus styler by a wishbone hinge with a single curve. The brand says this brings improved handling, while also preventing hair from becoming caught, a common issue with older models of GHD and its rivals. The physical switch of the Original range has been replaced with a flat button and the flashing red LED that lets you know when the straighteners are hot enough to use has been ditched for a circular white light on the button and a softer audio alert. The Platinum Plus is available in black and white.

GHD Platinum Plus styler review: Price and competition

There are six models of GHD straightener in total, with each model having done away with the variable heat settings and controls of many rival models. Instead, GHD has opted to maintain the temperature at 365°F – a temperature the brand’s research team has found to be the optimum for styling and protection. Each model also has a safety feature that automatically turns off the styler after 30 minutes of inactivity.

This tech doesn’t come cheap, however. Prices start at around $200 for the Original, rising to $279 for the GHD Platinum Plus styler, although you will sometimes see offers on Amazon or on GHD’s own site.

Sadly, few other rival hair straighteners come close to the finish, design, and versatility of GHD’s range. The closest I’ve found is the Amika The Confidante hair straighteners ($150) which heat to 450°F and have curved edges for styling and curling.

GHD Platinum Plus styler review: Design and key features

Those who have only ever used a GHD Original styler might find the design and handling of the GHD Platinum Plus a little jarring at first. There’s something reassuring about the hard spring in the Original’s hinge that indicates the plates are fully open. Not only that, but the flick switch can easily be operated one-handed, and the LED and gentle double beep instantly let you know that the straighteners are ready for use. It’s a tried-and-tested design that works very well.

However, the Platinum Plus feels so different that you could be forgiven for thinking the styler has been made by a different manufacturer. Its wishbone hinge, for instance, makes the opening and closing of the straighteners smoother, and a little bouncier. As such, when moving from one section of my hair to another, I had to keep checking to make sure the barrel was open wide enough – and it was, every time.

This new style of hinge delivers a sleeker design overall, and the less-abrupt movement of the mechanism adds a feeling of luxury. In terms of styling hair, it also makes it much easier to twist and curl long hair around the plates without fear of getting strands caught.

In place of the switch and LED on the Original, the Platinum Plus has a single button that sits flush against the inside of the shaft. When pressed, a soft sound is played from a speaker next to the button and a light around the edge of the button pulses white. When the plates reach 365°F, a second, longer sound is emitted, and the white light stops flashing.

It’s difficult to switch the Platinum Plus on or off one-handed from where your hand naturally sits for styling hair. Depending on your viewpoint, that could be a good or a bad thing. However, the upside is that you can’t accidentally knock the switch mid-style, and you’re more likely to remember if you’ve turned off the Platinum Plus styler because it’s a more deliberate, separate movement.

The round, smooth barrel and metal curve of the Platinum Plus, as well as the smart black plates, do at least look premium, going some way to justify that high price. The Original’s yellow-plate design always made the styler look a little dirty, even fresh out of the box. Yes, like the red sole of a Louboutin, this made the styler instantly recognizable as a GHD; but unlike the designer’s shoes, the GHD Original could look cheap when inspected more closely. Galling when you consider they’re far from it.

Elsewhere, the design of the shaft and the styler’s smart technology mean that the outer shell of the Platinum Plus doesn’t get as hot as previous GHD models; instead, this heat and power is concentrated on the hair. Straightening the wispy, baby hairs along my hairline never resulted in burning the skin on my forehead, as I have with the GHD Original.

If you’ve been using non-GHD straighteners, the design and handling of the Platinum Plus will feel less jarring. Many stylers on the market already offer the round barrel, flat buttons, and the muted, yet stylish, look of the Platinum Plus. None do it as successfully or with the next-level technology hair protection on offer here, however.

GHD Platinum Plus styler review: Performance

To warrant the higher price tag, GHD markets the Platinum Plus styler as being faster than its siblings and rivals at styling, while making your hair “70% stronger, 20% shinier, and with twice the color protection”.

These strength and color protection claims follow GHD testing the Platinum Plus against a pair of straighteners that style hair at 445°F, so it wasn’t a like-for-like comparison. Similarly, the claims about extra shine resulted from tests in which the hair was dried naturally versus being straightened. I’d expect any styler worth its salt to make hair appear smoother than when it has just been left to dry.

While it’s very difficult to replicate such tests, I can confirm my hair was shinier than when I let it dry naturally, and certainly felt less brittle compared to when I straightened it with both the GHD Gold and the BaByliss Pro Ceramic at 445°F. Indeed, over the course of a fortnight when the GHD Platinum Plus styler was the only tool I had used, I noticed my hair felt in better condition overall. Where some straighteners, by their very nature, can make my hair look lank and lacking volume, this was less of an issue with the Platinum Plus.

Once I’d gotten over the need to check the plates were fully open between each section, I glided through my morning routine with ease. Where straightening my hair with the Original would take a little short of four minutes, this time was halved with the Platinum Plus. In just two minutes, I went from a rough blow-dry to straight hair.

Curling my hair didn’t see such drastic time savings, however, taking seven minutes with the Platinum Plus compared to nine with the Original. However, the smart technology seemingly helped to avoid going over sections of hair more than once – I achieved the desired shine, smooth appearance or curl first time, almost every time.

Speaking of curling, the rounded edges of the Platinum (and the Gold) make adding waves and curls an absolute doddle. The grip of the plates isn’t as strong as on the Original styler, which again took some getting used to – I often dropped hair from the plates by accident at the start – but this also reduced the drag. This is key when curling your hair because it not only stops the plates from becoming stuck, which can cause jagged edges to your look, but also gives the curls shine and bounce in a fraction of the time.

GHD Platinum Plus styler review: Verdict

At first glance, the GHD Platinum Plus styler looks like any other pair of regular hair straighteners, which makes it hard to justify spending such a vast sum. However, after using the stylers for some time, the distinctions became obvious and I found it difficult going back to the Original, or indeed any other styler I’d used before.

The Platinum Plus’ superior performance and usability made my morning hair routine effortless and enjoyable. Plus, GHD straightening products really do go the distance, so while it may feel like a hefty investment, the money you’ll save replacing cheaper rival models – or on haircuts and products to treat your damaged hair – can make the $279 price tag feel a little less painful.