BaByliss Deep Waves review: Long-lasting beach waves in a flash

If you’re looking for a hair waver that can effortlessly style your hair without any complicated bells and whistles, then the Babyliss Deep Waves hair waver is a fantastic option. Its clamp-shaped design gives the longest-lasting waves of any hair waver we’ve tested, providing deep, beachy waves with minimal effort.

That’s hardly surprising, of course. Babyliss has been producing hair products since the 1960s, and is one of the first brands that spring to mind when we talk about trusted hair styling tools. It’s good news, then, that the Babyliss Deep Waves hair waver lives up to the brand’s reputation for quality and thoughtful design, with an affordable price to match.

But how does it measure up to its competitors and is it worth the investment over using a simple straightener or overnight plaits to wave your hair? In my testing, it proved to be intuitive and remarkably quick to use, but it wasn’t completely flawless, however.

BaByliss Deep Waves review: What do you get for the money?

While some hair wavers incorporate a triple-barrel design in order to create “S” shape waves, others use a clamp-like design that presses the hair into an exaggerated wave shape. The Babyliss Deep Waves hair waver uses the latter of the two methods, with a curved ceramic heated plate on one side of the waver that pushes the hair between two barrels on the other side. This is how the waver achieves such exaggerated, deep and long-lasting waves.

There are three temperature settings, starting at 160°C with a middle temperature of 180°C and the highest setting of 200°C. That means it’s suitable for a wide range of hair types, with the lowest heat being used for damaged or fine hair, 180°C for the vast majority of hair types, and the highest temperature reserved for those with thicker hair. Thanks to a handy, easy to read LED indicator light, it’s clear when the waver is up to temperature.

Each temperature setting is labelled on the waver with vertical lines. A single line represents the lowest setting, with two and three lines for the higher temperatures. While this is clear enough to understand, I would have preferred a more obvious indicator of the selected temperature, as it would be good to know how much heat I was using on my hair. There’s also no option to change the temperature in smaller increments like you can on the Mermade Hair Pro Waver.

Small grievances aside, the waver comes with a few handy extras. First off, it has an automatic safety shut-off that switches the waver off after a certain time in case you forget to turn it off when you’re done using it. It doesn’t have a locking system for storing the waver in a closed position, but it does have a storage case that doubles as a heat mat to protect your surfaces from potential burns.

Buy now from John Lewis

BaByliss Deep Waves review: What’s it like to use?

This waver heats up to 180°C in one minute, which is just enough time to prep the hair with heat protection spray and other styling products. During testing, I protected my hair from heat damage using the Tresemmé heat defence spray, which is our favourite budget option. To make sure I was testing the waver’s styling power alone, I didn’t use any hairspray or mousse to help keep the waves in place for longer.

In terms of controls, there’s an on/off button and a sliding temperature switch on the side of the waver, with three heat options. The waver’s hinge system has a similar amount of resistance to the average pair of hair straighteners, which means it’s easy to hold and use with one hand.

The black plastic body is lightweight and there are plastic toppers on the end of the heated barrels that are safe to touch during styling for added stability and control. There’s also a swivel cord that makes it easier to manoeuvre the waver around your head.

During styling, I found the process quick and straightforward, with the waver providing plenty of space for me to style large sections of my hair at once. For reference, I have long, straight, relatively thick hair that normally takes at least half an hour to style from dry. In testing, I worked layer by layer around my head using 12 different sections, clamping down the length of the hair and holding it for 10 seconds each time. I found that it styled a full head of hair in around 20 minutes, which is much faster than what I’m used to.

The results were fantastic too, especially since styling was so quick and simple. The Babyliss Deep Waves hair waver does exactly what it says on the tin, providing deep, dramatic waves that looked shiny and sleek. Despite using no styling products, the waves lasted three days, which is longer than other hair wavers I’ve tested using the same heat settings.

READ NEXT: Best hair waver

BaByliss Deep Waves review: Should you buy it?

If you’re looking to get effortless beachy waves that last for days and don’t take heaps of effort, then the BaByliss deep waves hair waver is a brilliant no-frills option. Its small design flaws are inconsequential when it comes to sheer styling power, and at £55 full price it won’t break the bank either. And while it doesn’t come with any fancy adjustable features or huge range of temperatures within the 160-200°C range, the BaByliss Deep Waves hair styler will give you uniform results every single time.

Buy now from John Lewis