Are expensive hair straighteners worth it?

[OhioOhioOhio]

Mine were about £30. I've never been very impressed with that but now that my hair is so much longer it's starting to get on my nerves. Are fancy straighteners really worth it?

My GHDs are 16 years old - I’m curious about those saying theirs are “on their last legs” or “on the way out”. What happens in those declining years? Mine are still good as new!

I went from GHD to Cloud 9 and the latter are much better. Both are very good though.

GHDs were a waste of money for me. I only get good results from blow drying my hair or putting in plastic curlers for a few hours.

Yup. Bought my £100 GHDs with my first "proper" pay check 17 years ago, and they are still going strong. They work really well on my long thick hair!

I got my first pair of GHD's about 6 months ago. They're fine and good but nothing amazing. They're flimsier than I was expecting.
I've had loads of brands over the years, most are much of a muchness. I don't personally rate Remington at all they've always been the worst of the lot for me with poor performance, hair snagging and one pair blew up the first time I used them.
My Glamoriser ones from Argos were very good and I would say the closest cheaper alternative to GHD's.

I've been using GHDs for 16 years and I'd never swap brands.

Cloud 9 every time. I would never go back.

I was given a Steam Pod for my birthday - I actually love it.
I have thick, fine wavy hair - it would take me about an hour to dry and straighten it - with the Steam Pod it takes me about 5 minutes to straighten my hair now.

From the sounds of it new GHDs not as good as the older ones. So when mine conk I will have to look into some cloud nines. Thanks for the tip everyone!

Omg. So many replies. Will catch up with this later. Thank you everyone.

I bought my first GHDs over 10 years ago, and replaced them with a few newer models. I don’t think the newer models are a downgrade honestly.

So it would be cloud 9s. Dyson for £400? Eek. Wonder what justifies the price. Think I might get the cloud 9s. Mine are awful.

My ghds still work great nearly ten years on so I'd say it's worth the extra money.

I used GHD for years. I use Cloud 9 now. So much better.

I bought my ghds in 2004. Still going strong.

Cloud 9s are amazing! As PPs have said.

I prefer them to GHD as you can change the temperature, lower setting if I'm just doing my fringe for example. Definitely worth the money!

I've had my GHD's 14 years- they were £250 but are still going strong. I have really thick long hair.

GHDs aren't what they used to be. I replaced mine (that I'd had for 10 years) and they were really disappointing, not nearly as good as my old pair.
Apparently Cloud Nines are supposed to be really good, that's what I'll be buying when these ones die.

We have both GHD and cloud 9's; original GHD and the wider cloud 9's. Both DD and I have fine wavy hair and lots of it. How I wish they'd had them in the 80's; I used to go to bed with an old lady's hair net on to prevent curl and then later on with rollers in! Glad those days are gone 😊
I would definitely recommend them over cheaper straighteners. The GHD hairdryer is amazing too!

Which cloud 9s? I'm guessing the wider ones are best?

I think it depends on the kind of hair you have. Although we are mixed race, my sister has “straighter” hair. Mine is very curly and thick. For the same result, my sister just needs any normal straightener but mine needs a GHD.

I had ghds, they lasted less than a year, it's the kind they deliberatedly don't have repair parts for so couldn't be repaired. Customer service were rubbish. never again. Been happy with my babyliss ones since then.

Always had GHDs until I borrowed a friends Cloud straighteners - now a convert. Used money I received for xmas towards them. Didn’t find any deals to get them cheaper but a few shops did some free gifts

I have had mine probably 10 years. They should have be £80 I think but got them half price (actually half price offer had ended but as promotion was still being advertised Boots honoured it). I have to say they are so much better than all the cheap pairs I ever had.

I buy reconditioned GhD on Ebay. Wd consider cloud 9 though.