Babyliss offers something different with its marcel curling iron, featuring a manually closing clamp for precise curls, a favorite among professionals
Model name/number: BP75MUC (3/4″), BP100MUC (1″)
Price: $50
Shape: marcel spring iron
Available Sizes: 0.75”, 1”
Best For: all hair types and lengths
What We Like: great for a fine finish, even heat distribution with porcelain barrel
What We Don’t Like: difficult to master
How It Stands Out: provides great control with its manual holding clamp and appeals to professionals
Rating: 4.8/5.0
Babyliss is not joking about providing for specific needs. What really stands out with this curling iron is its shape. The marcel spring irons basically close manually to provide the highest levels of precision and the you can really see it in the results. The curls that it creates have an old-style glamourous feeling to them and the finish is very precise. This shape is mostly preferred by professionals, as it’s quite difficult to master. But once you get a hold of it, it may be quite addictive. This tool also has a unique material of porcelain ceramic. While the usual ceramic barrels bring gentleness to the session and appeal to fine strands, porcelain adds even heat distribution to the picture. So, shout out to fine-haired home stylists, this tool is perfect for you, not only because of its material but also thanks to its low heat setting of 230°F. That said, its highest temperature is satisfying as well, with 430°F, which makes this tool very versatile. It’s a very affordable tool and while not being the fastest tool in the market, its material quality makes this tool more than worth its price. One disappointing point of this product is the fact at it doesn’t have a cool tip, which makes it harder to handle and easier to burn the hands. So, if you’re a beginner with home styling, this tool may not be the right choice for you.
Whether you’re seeking the best curling iron for short hair, long hair, or looking to style your fine strands, rest assured, the Babylisspro Porcelain Ceramic Marcel Curling Iron has you covered.
Below we share our experiences with “Babylisspro Porcelain Ceramic Marcel Curling Iron”.
Shape
When it comes to shape, this tool has a lot to offer. It’s very rare that we come across a marcel shaped spring iron and we can confidently say that it’s a unique quality. Marcel curling irons also come with a clamp like the traditional ones. The different is in the closing mechanism. While the traditional ones close automatically and open manually, this tools clamp closes manually. Now, there is good reason why most people prefer traditional spring irons instead, first one being its ease of use. We have to admit; marcel irons are not the easiest to master and if you’re thinking of buying this tool, you better be prepared for a little challenge in the beginning. But once you get a hold of it, it actually provides a much greater control over your tool, hence much greater precision. But if you’re a beginner home stylist and want to be on the safer side, you may want to consider another curling iron such as GHD Curve Classic Curling Iron, with a traditional automatically closing clamp. Marcel spring irons are mostly preferred by professionals, as it allows them to really control the pressure and tension they can put on the clamp and finish their session with a much more polished touch. This tool’s specialty is old-style glamourous curls yet it can also create the usual look that the traditional spring iron provides. We won’t lie, it’s a niche product that is not for everyone’s cup of tea but worth considering if you like what you’re reading.
Size
We find this tool to be conveniently versatile when it comes to size, offering three different barrel widths that appeal to different needs. The 0.5” option is short hair’s best friend and frankly, we’re delighted to see this number available, as it’s very rare with marcel irons. This size is perfect if you have shorter than shoulder-length hair and looking for tight spirally curls. Another size option is the 0.75”, which also is considered to be a small-sized barrel, yet more versatile than the 0.5” one. Its curls are also pretty tight, but you can aim for more voluminous retro-style curls with it. It also is best for shoulder-length strands or a bit longer. The largest option of 1” is not really very large either, as it’s the most common size in the market and is considered medium-sized. This size basically is extremely versatile and can create large range of styles while appealing to different hair types and lengths.
Another aspect when it comes to size is the length of the barrel which is 6” in this tool. We can say that it has a quite long barrel, much longer than the average anyways. It means that this tool can cover a larger than usual area at one go, providing satisfying results on longer strands. It can also heat more with its larger surface, something to consider in case your stands are thick.
Heat and Variable Settings
Babylisspro Porcelain Ceramic Curling Iron has an impressive number of variable heat settings, 30 to be exact. Its range is also very wide, starting as low as 230°F and reaching up till 430°F. If you have fine strands the minimum temperature of 230°F is more than gentle enough to provide you with a session without heat damage. On the other hand, the maximum heat setting of 430°F is more than enough to tame stubborn hair types that need very high temperatures. This tool is clearly as versatile as it gets in terms of heat and you don’t need to be worried as there will be a perfect setting for your needs.
Material and Performance
As you can guess from its name, this tool comes with a porcelain ceramic barrel, which means it holds the qualities of both. Ceramic is a very common material amongst hair tools and is known to provide a gentle session for your strands. It heats up slowly which makes this tool beginner-friendly as it leaves more room for mistakes. Porcelain, on the other hand, is a unique material that we don’t come across very often, and it’s added to provide even heat distribution. So, it eliminates the hot and cold pockets from your tool and the results are with greater precision. While these materials appeal to fine hair, it’s not the fastest option and if speed is your priority, a titanium barrel may be worth considering. Babyliss Nano Titanium Spring Iron provides very fast results on even the thickest strands.
While speed is not this tool’s strong suit, its price vs performance is still great as it has very durable material. It also is very sturdy to hold and considering its very affordable price, it’s a no brainer to choose if it fits your needs.
Features
It doesn’t surprise us that this tool doesn’t offer the usual auto shut-off feature, as very few Babyliss hair tools do. They leave it out for professionals that want to leave their tools on for long periods of time, and it’s a good think if this is your case. But this feature, in our opinion, is very useful, providing protection from heat as these tools can be fire hazards.
Another very important feature is ionic technology, and we are pleasantly surprised that Babylisspro Porcelain Ceramic Marcel Curling Iron offers it. Ionic technology basically eliminates frizz from your strands, and it really makes a difference in frizzy hair.
This tool has dual voltage to make sure that you can travel it without worrying about if it will work in different countries.
Ergonomics
We can say that it’s average when it comes to bulkiness and has a pretty slim handle. The 0.98” diameter is quite elegant and will fit even the smallest hands.
Sadly, it doesn’t have any digital display or temperature control While this is not a very big problem, it may make things a bit complicated if you’re a beginner.
It comes with an integrated counterrest to make sure that your heated tool doesn’t touch surfaces.
On big drawback of this tool is the fact that it doesn’t have a cool touch finger grip. This is basically the part at the tip of your tool that remains cool and makes the tool much easier to handle and maneuver. Other than that, this tool is quite ergonomically designed, but if you’re a beginner home stylist, you may want to reconsider another option such as Drybar The Wrap Party, which is one of the most beginner-friendly curling irons on our list.
It comes with a 8ft swivel cord which is average-sized and handy to have, but doesn’t come with a velcro tape to keep it tidy.
Price & Warranty
Marcel Irons are usually pretty expensive and the very affordable price of this tool is very pleasing. Considering the high-quality material of this tool, $50 is almost suspiciously cheap. We think it’s great value for money and there is no reason for second thoughts in terms of its price. It also comes with a 3-year warranty which is above average and puts minds at ease. But anyway, we can say that it’s a highly durable tool and you probably won’t have much of an issue on this department.
Competition
Competing with a marcel iron is a complicated matter. We have only one more marcel-shaped curling iron on our list that we think is worth checking out, an it’s called Hot Tools Pro Artist 24K Gold Marcel Iron/Wand. As you may imagine from its name, this tool doubles as a curling wand as well as a spring iron, meaning you can use it with or without its clamp. Babyliss is better in material quality. But if you prefer versatility over durability, Hot Tools may be just what you need, especially considering the fact that they’re exactly the same price.
