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Price and availability
Design and build
Whilst pink wouldn’t necessarily be my preferred colour of choice on a straightener, this shade manages to look quite classy and subtle, with a gold hinge and hints of sparkles coated over the exterior. They certainly live up to the name ‘elegance’. The overall shape is quite standard, with a slightly curved housing and straight ceramic plates, measuring 10×2.5 cm. They’re in the medium-to-small size, having enough room for the average person’s hair, and enough narrowness for precision styling and curling. The 3m swivel power cord also allows for flexibility in manoeuvring the iron around hair.
There’s a dial on the bottom to choose between three heat settings: 180°C, 200°C and 235°C. More premium straighteners offer more options on heat, but at least there is still the choice to pick what you think is most suitable. They also come with auto shut off, so you don’t need to worry about your house burning down if you accidentally leave them on (we’ve all been there). As these straighteners aren’t too bulky or heavy, they’re a great option for travelling without taking up too much room in your suitcase. The accompanying pouch – which doubles as a heatproof mat – also helps with this. There is no locking feature unfortunately, but the pouch keeps the tongs snugly wrapped.
Performance
Despite being on the lower-end of the pricing scale, the Elegance 235 will still do a decent job. I used them on the max-heat setting for the best results, as I have lots of thick hair that needs the hottest plates to get it to the sleekness that I want. In terms of longevity, my hair stayed reasonably straight throughout the day, weather permitting. I have quite untameable locks, so someone with naturally finer hair may see results last longer. In comparison to other cheaper straighteners that I’ve used in the past however, these do a good job. Though BaByliss claim that the Elegance 235 takes just 15 seconds to heat up fully, this isn’t necessarily true. It needed at least double that to get up to the maximum heat of 235°C – though sparing an extra half-minute isn’t a major hindrance for most.
They were mostly fine gliding through the hair, occasionally jerking on the odd snag. It’s definitely noticeable in comparison to more expensive straighteners like the Straight and Curl Brilliance, but nothing to worry over in the long run. The outer curved edges means that if you’re attempting to curl or wave your hair, you achieve a decent finish. It doesn’t always hit the money – typically the ends of your hair curl the best, as that’s what gets the most heat. However, once you’ve mastered the knack, you can still get a nice enough curl to switch up your style.
Verdict
You could end up spending hundreds of pounds on a pair of straighteners, but if all you want is something that will give you a sleek look for less, then the BaByliss Elegance 235 is a viable choice. It doesn’t offer any newfangled features in terms of kit, and curling isn’t as strong as some rivals, but it still produces a good final look with reasonable longevity, and is a great build for taking with you on the go. If curling is a deal-breaker for you, then we suggest forking out just a little more for something like the Straight and Curl Brilliance from BaByliss. Hannah Cowton is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor and Macworld, working across entertainment, consumer technology and lifestyle. Her interests and specialities lie in streaming services, film and television reviews and rumours, gaming, wearables and smart home products. She’s also the creator of The London Geek, a geek culture and lifestyle blog.
