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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask if there's a better straightener than GHD Platinum+, and if so what is it?

41 replies

CaragianettE · 17/01/2026 21:05

Was very happy with my GHD Platinum + straighteners - thought they were quick and produced good long-lasting results without too much sacrifice of shine and health. The only thing I didn't like was I was still left with the occasional 'bumpy bit' in my fairly curly hair, particularly at the back - but I think that's probably just due to me being hasty. If I straightened more thoroughly, pinning sections up in clips and working from the bottom of the hair to the top, I expect it wouldn't be the case.

However, I've unfortunately lost these great straighteners on holiday, and so I'm wondering whether to just replace them or try something else? The only one I've tried previously was the GHD original and I was much less happy with them than the platinum +, they made my hair pretty dry, thin and brittle looking.

Would anyone recommend anything as better than the GHD Platinum +? I've got quite tightly curly but also fairly fine hair. I'm open to trying anything, including more expensive options like an AirWrap. But one thing I do value about the GHDs is that the straightness tends to hold even in damp weather - important for me in an English climate, as I've got the type of hair that would quite easily frizz back up again. That makes me hesitant about an AirWrap, as from what I understand they don't make hair as smoothly straight as GHDs to begin with, so I'm guessing the straightness might not hold as well either. I've never tried Cloud 9s, though I know some people prefer them to GHD.

Hit me with your recommendations mumsnetters!

YABU - there's a better straightener than GHD Platinum +, and here's the name
YANBU - GHD Platinum + are the best, you should just replace them

OP posts:
ThatsWhatIGoToSchool · 18/01/2026 09:24

Ditto on the cheap ones. Honestly,if all these cloud 9 people have never tried a £20 pair of Remingtons, do it. They aren't like the cheap ones of the 1990s...we are almost in 2030!
OP spend the £20 and see how you get on. I have curly hair and swear by my cheapo straighteners, having only ever owned ghds since I was a teenager, prior to this.
The technology has come on leaps and bounds and I have the Remington pearl ones like pp above. I was going to get cloud 9, but thought I'd save the money and try cheap first ... I never looked back.
I promise you, you won't be disappointed!!

AffableBill · 18/01/2026 09:32

Another vote for cheap straighteners. Mine were £20 and i can't fault them.

21ZIGGY · 18/01/2026 09:35

Slightly off topic, but the k18 heat protection is amazing. I use the ghd platinums+ as well on my thick curly hair and really rate them

CaragianettE · 18/01/2026 17:01

Thanks for all the replies! Intrigued by people suggesting I just get cheap Remington or Babyliss ones and they will work as well. In theory I love this idea, but I guess it's just that for me, I felt like there was a really noticeable difference when I upgraded from GHD original to GHD platinum (which are about twice the price) - so I guess at least in my limited experience, price did seem to matter? I wonder if the people for whom the cheap ones work just as well have healthier or less easily damageable hair than mine... but it could be worth a go...

For those who are recommending Cloud 9 - which model would you recommend as best? What's the equivalent to GHD platinum (if anyone has tried both)?

Interesting that no one so far has recommended any of the Shark or Dyson AirWrap...

OP posts:
ohyesido · 18/01/2026 17:02

Cloud 9 forest green touch irons. I’ve had them 9 years and I don’t know what I’ll do when they give up the ghost…

SaulHudsonDavidJones · 18/01/2026 17:07

PeachyKoala · 18/01/2026 07:21

I had my original GHDs for years and tried replacing them a couple of years ago but the brand has changed and are not longer as good. The newer ones feel cheaply made and don't work as well.

I read somewhere that the original creator of GHD left the company and set up cloud nine so I asked for a pair for Christmas and they're great, on par with the quality of the original GHDs when they came out.

Interesting. My GHDs are on year 16 and still going strong. Might need to look elsewhere for a replacement if the quality has changed.

blankcanvas3 · 18/01/2026 17:47

I do think you can tell the difference between cloud 9s/ghds compared to remington and the like. I have GHD Chronos and I love them, but I do also think my air wrap is the best thing since sliced bread. I only use my straighteners when I want ultra straight hair, Air wrap the rest of the time as it’s for more of a blow dry effect

CaragianettE · 18/01/2026 18:08

blankcanvas3 · 18/01/2026 17:47

I do think you can tell the difference between cloud 9s/ghds compared to remington and the like. I have GHD Chronos and I love them, but I do also think my air wrap is the best thing since sliced bread. I only use my straighteners when I want ultra straight hair, Air wrap the rest of the time as it’s for more of a blow dry effect

Thanks for the reply. Do you find your hair frizzes up more easily after using the AirWrap than the straighteners? That's my concern about the AirWrap really: I love the blow dry look, and I did actually used to blow dry my hair straight with a round brush for an hour back in the days when I could be bothered (and before AirWrap was a thing), but my hair would then frizz up really quickly at the first sign of any moisture in the air. Stick straight hair doesn't suit me as well as a bouncy blow dry, but I've gravitated towards straighteners as a) it's so much quicker and b) the hair actually stays straight afterwards until I want to wash it again.

OP posts:
MTOandMe · 18/01/2026 18:15

Cloud 9s. I’ve had cheap Remingtons, old GHDs, GHD Platinums and both wide and slim cloud 9s.

The cloud 9s are just utterly superior they are what GHD were in the very early noughties!

CaragianettE · 18/01/2026 18:26

MTOandMe · 18/01/2026 18:15

Cloud 9s. I’ve had cheap Remingtons, old GHDs, GHD Platinums and both wide and slim cloud 9s.

The cloud 9s are just utterly superior they are what GHD were in the very early noughties!

Thanks for your reply. Which is your favourite model of Cloud 9s?

OP posts:
rainandshine38 · 18/01/2026 18:35

Cloud nine is a better brand but more expensive.

Sorrynotsorry2 · 18/01/2026 18:38

Cloud9 really good. Better than Ghd's

ByPeachPeer · 18/01/2026 18:39

I don't use mine often but I've had my cloud 9 for about 10 years and they are in great condition and do my hair so quick and keep it in nice condition

FighterOfTheNightMan11 · 18/01/2026 18:46

Another vote for cloud 9! So much better then GHD

hellsbells99 · 18/01/2026 18:46

I have the cloud9 wide plates - they keep my very thick curly/frizzy hair under control

MTOandMe · 18/01/2026 19:29

CaragianettE · 18/01/2026 18:26

Thanks for your reply. Which is your favourite model of Cloud 9s?

I have the ‘wide’ iron and the ‘slim’ iron! Until the middle of December I had wide ones for total straightening and the slim ones to curl but I had all my hair waist length hair chopped off into a pixie with No 1 undercut just before Christmas so only use the slims now! I have extremely thick hair and the GHDs just don’t touch it. The clouds however are amazing, I like the vibrating plates they have for freshening it up on day 2/3. They really are better than GHDs by a stretch. They often have offers on too for freebies etc

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