One-minute review
Hot Tools is a relative newcomer to the hair care market, launching first in the US around 30 years ago, before reaching the UK and Europe in mid-2021. Initially aimed at salons, just like GHD, the brand has since expanded into the consumer market to offer an array of hair care appliances including hair dryers, hair straighteners and Dyson Airwrap alternatives.
The Hot Tools Pro Signature Digital Straightener, which is known as the Hot Tools Titanium 1 inch Digital Salon Flat Iron in the US (this model doesn’t have gold-coated plates), features 2.5cm / 1-inch titanium plates. Unlike ceramic plates that use infrared technology to heat the strands of hair from the inside out, titanium plates heat hair from the outside in. So while this straightener is lighter and more affordable than stylers with ceramic plates, it leaves the hair more vulnerable to heat damage. To guard against this, the use of a heat protection spray is a must with this model.
According to Hot Tools, the gold coating enhances the aesthetic of the straightener. The hair styler also comes with ‘pulse technology’, which Hot Tools claims ensures the temperature of the plates is maintained throughout styling, to achieve consistent results.
On test, we found the hair straightener glided through hair easily, and was sufficiently lightweight to make it easy to manipulate whether straightening or curling hair. However, this model lacks some of the features found on other units on the market, such as a lock to keep plates together for easy storage. But given the relatively affordable price of £59.99 / $80, we think the Pro Signature Digital Straightener is worth considering, especially if your budget is tight.
Hot Tools Pro Signature Digital Straightener price and availability
- List price: £59.99 / $80
The Hot Tools Pro Signature Digital Straightener, or Hot Tools Titanium 1 inch Digital Salon Flat Iron in the US, will set you back £59.99 / $80. It’s available from Hot Tools directly or from online retailers including Amazon. Currently, it isn’t on sale in Australia.
Hot Tools also offers a top-of-the-range titanium hair straightener known as the Black Gold Evolve, which sports a sleek design, a longer 3m / 9.8ft cable, and comes with a choice of two plate widths. It cost £165 / $131.99 / AU$209.
Design
- Titanium gold-coated plates
- Can heat up to 230ºC / 455ºF
- Lacks a lock for plates
The Hot Tools Pro Signature Digital Straightener fuses a purple rubberised body with black accents. With the UK model at least, you’ll find a gold coating on the 2.5cm / 1-inch wide and 8cm / 3.14-inch long titanium plates. Hot Tools says the use of titanium plates makes the straightener lighter and more affordable than models with ceramic plates. Measuring 2.75 x 10.6 x 1.96 inches / 7 x 27 x 5cm (h x w x d) and weighing 400g / 0.88lb, this is one of the more compact mains-powered hair straighteners we’ve tested.
The Hot Tools Pro Signature Digital Straightener offers 14 different temperature settings, ranging from 100ºC / 212ºF to 230ºC / 445ºF, which can be adjusted using the buttons on the left side of the styler, below the power button. The 2.3cm / 0.9-inch screen displays the selected temperature and glows blue during heat-up, switching to green when the temperature has been reached. However, this straightener lacks a lock to keep the plates together when the unit is being stored.
The mains-powered Pro Signature Digital Straightener has a 2m / 6.6ft cable, which is shorter than most hair straighteners on the market. Compatible with both 110 and 240V, the hair straightener can also be used anywhere in the world, and it will also automatically switch off after 120 minutes of being on.
Performance
- Quick to heat up
- One pass was sufficient to smooth hair
- Temperature needs to be reset every time
The Hot Tools Pro Signature Digital Straightener was a pleasure to use. Not only did the unit heat up quickly – between 10 seconds and 31 seconds, depending upon the temperature selected – we also found that the actual temperature of the plates matched the heat we’d selected on checking with a temperature probe.
Lightweight compared to other hair straighteners we’ve tested, we found the Hot Tools styler glided through hair relatively smoothly, both while straightening and curling. In addition, its rubberized finish certainly made twisting the straighteners to curl hair more manageable.
The rounded tip of the styler means we were able to clamp the plates extremely close to the roots of the hair, and we found one pass at a time was sufficient to smooth any kinks out of fine hair.
The temperature of the Hot Tools Pro Signature Digital Straightener is displayed on the LCD screen. However, we did feel that the solid green color it illuminated to when the desired temperature had been reached gave the straighteners a less than premium feel. This was true of the flashing blue display when the styler has been switched off but not removed from the electrical outlet, too. We were also disappointed to find that there was no audible notification to alert you to the fact that the straightener has reached temperature.
We’d have preferred the hair straighteners to store the temperature at which they were last used, just like the Revlon Pro Collection Salon Straight Copper Smooth Extra Long Styler. It would mean the user wouldn’t have needed to reset it each time. However, the fact that straighteners can be used in any country in the world as a result of the dual voltage support is a nice touch.
Should I buy the Hot Tools Pro Signature Digital Straightener?
Buy it if...
You travel abroad frequently
Dual voltage support ensures the Hot Tools Pro Signature Digital Straightener can be used no matter where in the world you are, making it great for regular travellers.
You want a lightweight styler
Weighing just 400g / 0.88lb, the Hot Tools Pro Signature Digital Straightener is one of the lightest stylers we’ve tested. For those with lots of hair to style, this straightener’s low weight means you won’t suffer from arm ache.
You want easy-to-grip straighteners
A good grip on your hair styler is necessary, especially when curling hair. The rubberized finish of this styler offers just that, and is better for grip than the glossy finish of some models.
Don't buy it if...
You’re forgetful
If you’re someone who regularly forgets to turn off their straightener, then consider stylers with an auto-off feature that kicks in quicker than after 120 minutes – which is much longer than other stylers on the market.
You have fragile hair
The titanium plates on the Hot Tools Pro Signature Digital Straightener heat strands of hair from the shaft, which means they’re more prone to damage. If you already have fragile hair, this is one styler to avoid.
You only use one temperature setting
Unlike the Revlon Pro Collection Salon Straight Copper Smooth Extra Long Styler, this hair straightener won’t store your last-used temperature setting. Instead, you’ll need to reset it every time you switch on the styler, which could become annoying.
First reviewed: January 2022
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