A deep look at Conair’s affordable tapered wand that creates satisfying beach waves, though it might be too harsh for fine strands
Model name/number: CD706
Price: $27
Shape: tapered wand
Size: 1.25” to 0.75”
Best for: all hair types and lengths
What we like: no-slip barrel, lightweight
What we don’t like: hair gets stuck on the cool tip if not careful
How it stands out: gentle yet effective tool with voluminous and natural-looking results
Rating: 4.2/5.0
Tapered wands are known to be the best shape to create beach waves and Conair Double Ceramic Curling Wand doesn’t disappoint. This tool is one of our favorites for curling thick and unruly strands this year. The biggest reason for that is its high-performance capacities. It’s maximum setting of 400°F is more than enough to tame unruly strands and we can confidently say that this tool gets hot. Its minimum heat of 270°F, is on the limit of being too harsh for fine strands. But its double ceramic material makes it gentler and safer. Its nonslip barrel is really helpful with holding strands next to the barrel for longer, exposing it to more heat and providing a faster styling session. It’s tapered which means that its larger at the base and narrower at the tip. Its barrel width is medium and pretty versatile, from 1.25” to 0.75”. It creates larger curls at the base of the strands and the locks get tighter by the tips. This helps boost volume and create casual-looking beach waves that looks effortless. Considering its very affordable price of $27, we can say that it has an outstanding performance, especially if you have thick hair. But its material quality is quite low and it probably won’t last as long as its luxury alternatives.
If you’re seeking the best curling iron for thick hair, rest assured, Conair Double Ceramic Tapered Curling Wand has you covered.
Below, we share our experiences with “Conair Double Ceramic Tapered Curling Wand”.
Shape
Conair Double Ceramic Curling Wand comes as a simple tapered wand. This is a shape that people usually go for to create beach waves. First of all, it’s a wand and it leaves and doesn’t have a holding clamp to keep the strands attached to the barrel. You will have to do this with your hand, which makes this tool a bit less beginner-friendly. But the style that wand aims to create are more casual and leave much more room for mistakes. So it’s quite simple to figure out and master. As the strands are roller around the barrel in a looser way, the curls that are created are s-shaped while spring irons create spirals. If you need more perfect-looking results with a finer finish though, a traditional spring iron may be a better option for you.
It’s a conic tool that is larger at the base and gets narrower by the tip. The base of the strands has larger and more voluminous waves and by the tips the curls get tighter. This creates the effect of bouncy beach waves.
Size
This tool only offers one size and as it’s a tapered wand, the width of its barrel differs from base to tip. It starts with 1.25” and you start wrapping your strands from this part of the tool. So, the curls at the base of the strands are quite large and voluminous. The narrowest part of the barrel is its tip with 0.75”, which you wrap the tips of the strands around. On this size, the locks that are formed are tighter. As you can guess, this tool provides different sized curls at different parts of the strands, to create the effect of even more casual-looking and bouncy waves. We can say that this tool successfully achieves this.
The length of its barrel is 5.5” and is above average. This quality makes it more appealing to longer strands as it can wrap a larger section of the hair at one go and help finish the styling session faster. It also protects the strands from heat damage as you would need less passes to style your hair.
Heat and Variable Settings
We love a tool that has many heat settings to choose from and Conair Double Ceramic Curling Wand doesn’t disappoint us. It comes with 30 temperatures to choose from. Its maximum heat setting of 400°F, is highly satisfying and we can confidently say that this tool heats up a lot, good news for thick strands that need taming. Its minimum heat setting is 270°F. This number may be too hot for very thin hair types that need an extraordinarily gentle tool. But considering its double ceramic material, it still is safe enough for fine hair. If you’re a beginner, make sure to use the lowest setting first and see what your hair can handle. There’s always a gentler tool in the market, some offer temperatures as low as 170°F, and worth considering if you have damaged strands.
Material and Performance
Double Ceramic is a rare material and one that we really like. It amplifies the benefits of ceramic as it has a higher content of it. It’s the usual material of choice for beginners, mainly because it heats up slowly and less, leaving much more room for mistakes than a titanium barrel would.
Speed is not the strong suit of this tool, like most ceramic tools, but it provides steady heat and its performance is surprisingly well for a highly affordable tool. We can’t say that we love its material quality. It’s not very durable and it may not last you for many years, which is expected from its price. But it is elegantly designed.
Features
First of all, It comes with the usual 60-minute auto shut-off, making the tool as fire safe as possible. We really recommend to look out for this feature in any hair tool that you get as they can be hazardous.
It doesn’t offer ionic technology. This is an important one if you have frizzy strands which you would like to eliminate. But otherwise, it’s not necessarily important.
It has a non-slip barrel which is probably the most outstanding feature of this tool. It basically keeps the strands attached to the barrel longer, providing sleeker results.
It comes with a 3-finger heat-resistant glove. As a wand-shaped tool, it’s a nice little touch to offer this accessory. But users report that it’s a bit too small for large hands.
It has dual voltage to makes sure that it works anywhere in the world, which is a very useful aspect if you want to travel with your curling iron.
It doesn’t come with digital display or temperature control. These are both very useful features, especially if you’re a beginner. But most budget tools leave them out to save from costs. But it has a light indicator to let you know when you tool is in the right temperature and ready to use.
Ergonomics
It’s a very lightweight tool with 7.2 oz considering that the average number in the market is around 8oz. This fact makes it compact and combined with its dual voltage feature; we can say that this tool is quite travel-friendly. It also means that it probably won’t give you any arm fatigue if you hold it up for longer periods of time. This is an issue which is more common that most think and it’s very refreshing to know that a curling iron is lightweight.
Its handle has a diameter of 1”, which is the average number in the market, as well as being the most convenient one. It will fit in your hands comfortably no matter how small or large they are.
It has a very comfortable cool tip that remains cold even in its highest setting. It’s very easy to handle and maneuver.
It has an integrated counterrest to make sure that your hot tool doesn’t touch surfaces, which is another great protection against heat.
Its cord is swivel which helps with manoeuvring, but it’s very short with only 5 ft. This is not a problem if your mirror is next to the plug, but if they’re not close, it may be an issue.
Price & Warranty
This tool costs only $27, a very low price for a curling iron. It’s for the ones who are on a budget but doesn’t want to sacrifice on performance. It can heat up strong, which is why we love this tool for thick strands. Its sacrifice is more on the material quality department and if this aspect is important to you, another option may be wise to consider. It comes with a 2-year warranty that helps put our minds at ease in case of breakage, which is the average number in the market. Overall, this tool has great value and it definitely is not overpriced, in our opinion.
Competition
It’s hard to compete with this tool if you want an affordable tool, but if you would rather have a luxury curling iron with the best material quality, there are many out there which will outweigh this one. As far as tapered wands go, T3 Singlepass Wave is one of the highest-quality curling irons that you can find in the market. It’s the same size as Conair, with ceramic material and similar heat settings. But its material is extremely durable and its price reflects on that with as high as $170.
Another great alternative comes from Conair itself, for those who prefer defined curls that look perfect rather than casual beach waves. The Conair Double Ceramic Straight Barrel Curling Wand has very similar qualities and price to our tool but offers a straight barrel, making it a solid choice for creating defined curls.
