Perhaps you want to straighten those locks, curl your wavy hair, or pull out a nice hairstyle you saw on Instagram. A flat iron becomes very essential to help you mesh that out fast every time. The best CHI flat iron is a reliable hot tool to get you there. With the best chi hair straightener, you can be assured of a few things: safety when styling your hair, great quality and precision to remove the fuzziness in your hair, and reliability with warranties set by the manufacturer against any defects that may occur while using the straightener.
In this article, we have reviewed the best CHI flat irons, what you should consider when purchasing one, and answered some frequently asked questions from other buyers looking for the CHI flat iron.
What is a flat iron?
A flat iron is a hair styling tool or device that uses either ceramic or metallic heated plates to smoothen and straighten your hair. It is also called a straightening iron or a hair straightener.
Why get a CHI flat iron instead of all other hair straightener brands?
There are many reasons why CHI flat irons are sought after and in high demand. CHI flat irons are comparatively better than majority of the flat irons in the market for the reasons below:
- They are designed to produce a high number of negative ions, which lessens the static electricity going into your hair therefore minimizing hair damage.
- CHI flat irons are also designed with customizable heat and temperature settings. You can set the amount of heat you need, and you can test out different heat levels in the beginning to find your hair’s ideal heat settings.
- CHI straighteners also come with quick heat-up feature, so you can power the tool up and start straightening your hair almost instantly in a few seconds. Other flat iron brands take some minutes to heat up to the right levels.
- Most CHI flat irons are designed with floating plates. This means that flat iron has some spring on it that allows you to straighten your hair with more flexibility at various angles without snagging or tangling.
- Some CHI flat irons come with an automatic shut off feature for safety. This ensures that if the flat iron stays powered on but unused for 30 minutes to an hour, it automatically powers down as a safety precaution.
How Can I Get The Original CHI flat iron?
One of the questions we have seen people grapple with when it comes to buying the best CHI flat iron is how they can avoid fake products. It is important to know that Amazon is a verified and accepted reseller of CHI products including the CHI flat irons.
However, when purchasing these CHI flat irons, some people select other buying options – usually available under the item description – and then end up buying from individual sellers (not CHI) on Amazon.
So what should you do? Before proceeding with the purchase make sure that the product is being sold by the CHI Store here. Alternatively, we have made sure that all the linked products in our article below are original and supplied by the CHI store. That way, you can be sure that the product is coming right from the original CHI manufacturer.
The Best CHI Flat Iron: CHI G2 Ceramic and Titanium 1 1/4″ Straightening Hairstyling Iron, Black
This 1.25” ceramic and titanium infused flat iron heats up in 40 seconds and works your hair smoothly leaving it with an incredible shine. The quality is great and with an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 on Amazon, it speaks to the endorsement prior buyers have given this product.
This is definitely the best CHI flat iron we have reviewed. It comes with an all-digital display to help you check the temperature. It has heat setting allowing you to set up to a maximum of 218°C. The Swivel cord is 10ft long with a Velcro wrap around it. Thanks to its dual voltage, it is a good option for international travel. The mode button has preset temperatures to help you quickly get started styling your hair.
What we like: The build quality is great, heats up really fast and gets rid of frizzes and unnecessary hair tangles. Its 2-year limited warranty is great for reassurance against manufacturer defects.
What we dislike: The cord is quite long and you might need to wrap the extra length using the Velcro cord while in use.
The 2nd Best CHI Flat Iron: CHI PRO G2 Digital Titanium Infused Ceramic 1″ Straightening Hairstyling Iron
The CHI PRO G2 is more advanced with a digital titanium-infused ceramic plate that evenly distributes heat, protects your hair and lasts for very long, with a lot of users saying they have used it for more than 5-6 years. It is very good for straightening out either fine, wavy, or course hair.
It has a mode button with an LCD screen that has preset temperatures to help you quickly set the temperature you need and get started styling your hair. The maximum temperature of this flat iron is 218°C. It heats up to the temperature you want within 40 seconds – which is incredibly fast.
What we love: This tool heats up fast, is smooth on your hair and comes with preset temperatures to help you quickly set up. It has an 11-foot electrical cord and automatically shuts off if you haven’t used it for 1 hour. Thanks to its dual voltage, you can travel with it and use it anywhere in the world. This CHI flat iron comes with a limited 2-year warranty for your assurance.
What we dislike: The long cord can create a mess around you while you using the iron. Make sure to wrap the extra length if you dislike this too.
Other Great CHI Flat Irons You Can Consider
3. CHI Expert Classic Tourmaline Ceramic Flat Iron
This is one of the best CHI flat irons we reviewed. It does not have any complications. Very easy to use because it heats up very fast, and the heat is distributed evenly across the ceramic material. You can use it for hair styling of any kind from straightening, smoothing, curling, waving, flipping, spiraling and bending. You can pack it up and use it anywhere around the world thanks to its dual voltage system.
What to love: This is a reliable and sturdy CHI flat iron that you can use for many years without any issues. The flat iron distributes heat evenly and doesn’t pull your hair, unlike other brands we have reviewed before. It comes with a 9ft cord allowing you to conveniently connect to an electricity source with a wider distance. It makes the hair shinier and heats up very fast too.
What not to like: The temperature control button is placed near where you hold the CHI which makes it very risky to accidentally increase the temperature when you don’t want to. Also, the cord is quite long and you might need to wrap some of it if you don’t like the mess long electric cords create around you.
4. CHI Original Flat Hair Straightening Ceramic Iron 1 Inch Plates – for Styling, Professional Black
Another one among the best CHI flat irons is this CHI Original made from ceramic iron plates for using to flip, curl or style your hair whichever way you want. The iron gets your hair a silky look and feel almost instantly.
It can heat up to a maximum of 202°C. It also has an 11-foot cord for easy connection to an electric source. Pack it up and travel with it thanks to the dual voltage it comes with.
What we like: It heats up very fast and has a 2-year warranty to boot.
What we dislike: It has one heat setting – on or off. This means you don’t know what temperatures you’re working with and cannot customize it for your particular hair needs.
5. CHI Expert Classic Tourmaline Ceramic 1″ Flat Iron in Onyx Black
This CHI flat iron is made from ceramic iron plates, heats up very fast as well. It can achieve a maximum temperature of 410°C. The minimum temperature for this seems to be 180 degrees from our experience. However, that is still quite good considering you might need more than 180°C for fine hair anyway, and even more for wavy or coarse hair.
What we like: You can use it for any hairstyling from straightening, curling, bending, flipping and every other way you need. It comes with dual voltage hence can be used anywhere in the world if you are traveling. The 9-foot cord is also very sufficient for convenient usage around your home or salon. Additionally, it does have more than 1 heat setting allowing you to customize those temperatures to your needs. It also comes with a 2-year limited warranty.
What we dislike: A lot of customers have complained about the reliability and build quality of this CHI flat iron.
6. CHI Tech 3/4″ Travel Ceramic Hairstyling Iron for On-the-go Styling (Best CHI Flat Iron For Traveling)
If you are looking for the best CHI flat iron to add to the daily accessories that you have in your daily bag, this ¾” hairstyling iron is the perfect fit. It is quite small, so definitely fits in a small handbag. This is great if you want something to take to work, or need to work on small sections of fine or wavy hair.
Due to its size, you cannot use it for a lot of hair mainly because you have to work on small sections of hair to get them styled out properly. This is ideal if you want to complement your bigger flat iron. It can help you straighten the hair in places where the bigger iron won’t reach.
What we like: It has a 6.5ft cord that is small enough to fit in your bag, and big enough for the convenience of a travel flat iron. It heats up fast in 30 seconds and can only achieve a maximum of 200°C in temperature. It’s the best fit to tame the frizz that happens to your hair on the go due to its mini size.
What we dislike: It doesn’t have a heat control button which makes it very hard to style course hair, or customize temperatures to your hair’s needs. We don’t recommend this as your main flat iron, but as a complimentary iron to work together with a bigger flat iron.
7. CHI Onyx Euroshine 1″ Straightening Hairstyling Iron With 4″ Extended Plates, Black
This CHI Onyx flat iron is another flat iron with round extended 4” ceramic plates to evenly straighten your hair. It has an LED neon light bar that displays the current temperature of the iron, making it easier to know the temperatures you are using.
It does come with a thermal mat to place your CHI flat iron on when you are not using it which is a really cool addition. It also has a 1-hour automatic shut-off for safety purposes. The maximum temperature you can achieve with this CHI flat iron is 232°C which is quite good for course hair styling. Moreover, dual voltage makes it great for travel.
What we like: It has a 2-year limited warranty to cushion you against any manufacturer defects. In addition, the Swivel cord is sufficiently long – at 11ft it covers enough distance to make it convenient for use at home or in a salon. The heat setting is great, and it heats up quite fast. The generated ions produce incredible shine leaving your hair smooth, silky and stylish. The 4” extended rounded plates offer you great styling versatility to achieve any style that you need.
What we dislike: When you turn it on, there is a smell on some models. This smell does not transfer to the hair, but it feels like something is burning even though everything is fine.
8. CHI Tourmaline Ceramic Hairstyling Iron 1″ in Fire Red
This fire red CHI flat iron is a great option for users who need a flat iron that is not black. It looks fantastic in red and feels bold. It comes with a dial for adjusting and setting heat temperature. The maximum temperature it can produce is 210°C – which might be insufficient for styling really coarse hair. Nonetheless, for wavy and fine hair, it works great.
The Swivel cord is 9ft long, giving it a balance between convenience and the length of the electrical cord. The 1-hour auto shut-off comes in handy for safety. Additionally, the 1” curved plates are made in a floating manner to give it good grip and versatility when styling your hair.
You can take this CHI flat iron anywhere thanks to the dual voltage system. The LED indicator light tells you if your styling iron is on or off.
What we like: It heats up in 30 seconds. Thanks to the ions produced, it leaves your hair feeling silky and smooth with a nice shine. The colour is a good addition to an industry plagued by black flat irons.
What we dislike: The build quality is not so good and some buyers have complained that it can easily pull your hair.
What to consider before buying the CHI flat iron
1. Usage
Some CHI flat irons are perfect for home use, not a professional salon. This is because they can wear and tear very fast if being used for the wrong purposes. Commercial settings need flat irons for commercial settings. Some CHI flat irons are made for commercial purposes but it is good to know how you want to use it before buying one.
Additionally, all the best CHI flat irons reviewed above are great for use even when traveling internationally. This is important to note because it dictates how and where you intend to use it. In some cases, however, you will need to buy an adapter for them even when dual voltage is assured.
2. Type of hair
The type of hair you have will dictate what the best CHI flat iron for you will be. For instance, fine hair will need around 180°C heat, while coarse hair will need 210°C and above. The type of hair also determines what maximum temperature you need your flat iron to have.
3. Cost
The prices of the best CHI flat irons we reviewed are very varied. Consider the features you need, and how much you are comfortable spending on the flat iron. CHI flat irons are generally very affordable. But we know that affordability is very relative depending on your pocket.
4. Durability
Look towards buying a durable CHI flat iron. Most CHI flat irons are very durable. However, the material it is made with matters as well. The best CHI flat iron we have recommended has titanium infused plates and is perfect for durability. Why? Because titanium is almost indestructible – literally. That makes it very long lasting. Ceramic plates need you to handle with care because they can easily break if mishandled. Even so, if well handled, ceramic CHI flat irons can last for a long time.
5. Features
Some CHI flat irons are just very basic and great for beginners who need a plug and play flat iron because they don’t want to handle many features. On the other hand, the best CHI flat iron has more than basic functionality like an LED display to track temperatures and a heat setting button. Depending on your budget and preference, the features you want are something to consider.
Frequently Asked Questions About the best CHI flat iron
1. Which CHI is better between the Titanium and Ceramic plates?
Generally, Titanium infused plates are better than Ceramic ones. This is because titanium heats up much faster and distributes heat more evenly to ensure that your hair receives uniform styling. Especially if you have wavy or coarse hair, the titanium plates would suit you best.
2. Is the CHI flat iron good for straightening hair extensions?
Yes. The best CHI flat iron will heat up fast enough to straighten your hair extensions without causing any issues. In this case, titanium-infused plates would also be recommended.
