An in-depth look at the all-time favorite straightening brush with extraordinary performance and superior detangling capacity
4.4 out of 5
Model name/ number: B1C002
RRP: $209.00
Temperature settings: pre-set to 365°F
Auto shut-off: 60 mins
Weight: 11.7oz
Cord length: 9ft
Universal voltage: yes
Warranty: 2 year
Added extras: ionizer, large a combination of high-density short and long bristles for effective detangling, a large coverage area for faster styling
Best for: normal to thick hair, medium to long hair texture
Pros: great detangler, eliminating frizz, high-quality material, can style larger sections of hair at once, gets hot pretty fast
Cons: no heat control, overpriced, heavier
How it stands out: its larger brush styles large sections of hair faster while detangling, just like a normal brush
Straightening brushes are great everyday tools and people choose them for reasons such as ease of use, gentleness, and durability. ghd Glide ticks all these boxes and it’s our favorite this season. With its densely placed short and long bristles which provide great grip, it’s the best detangler on our list.
It’s a luxury product made of sturdy and long-lasting material. It basically gives you everything that a straightening brush has to offer, including frizz-free volume to your strands. It comes with a cost though ($209), which is an investment worth considering. It does come with a couple of flaws such as overheating and below you can find our experiences with ghd Glide Smoothing Hot Brush. If you’re curious about the competition, check out the article about Best Hair Straightening Brushes.
Shape And Size
Straightening brushes are mostly paddle shaped and ghd is no different. This shape is preferred for its gentleness and natural-looking results. While its paddle shape is quite ordinary, it still is a unique straightening brush with an extraordinarily large head.
Its heater plate is 2.5″ wide and 5″ long, which is by far the largest on our list. With its large paddle brush, it can cover a large area in one go, which makes it great for a speedy session as well as longer hair. Its rounded corners provide more stretch and tension for the curly and unruly hair. While the large size is very efficient with longer hair, it makes it more difficult to come close to the roots, making it an unsuitable option for short hair.
Bristles
Bristles may not sound important, but it will affect the quality of your session immensely. ghd Glide Smoothing Hot Brush is called “glide” for a reason and is known for being able to glide effortlessly through hair. It does this with its densely placed short and long detangler bristles both inside (4/8”) and outside (5.5”) It’s the only straightening brush on our list with both, providing great grip and control to loosen stubborn knots without snagging.
The length of the heated bristles, on the other hand, are 0.32”, which is a relatively short number. This means it’s a gentler product that is on the safer side when it comes to heating the scalp.
Heat And Variable Settings
Measuring the temperatures of straightening brushes is generally quite disappointing since they almost never reach the levels that they promise. ghd Glide is the only tool that actually goes above the number written on the box. The promised number is constant 365°F, but after 10 minutes of use, it overheats up to 390°F. We know that this sounds confusing. Let’s put it this way; straightener brushes are quite gentle tools that are fit for everyday use and they’re much gentler than flat irons. 390°F is not a very high number and frankly, we appreciate a tool with this level of heat, especially if you have thicker strands. If you have fine hair on the other hand, we recommend getting a tool with variable heat settings, such as Drybar. ghd Glide doesn’t offer this, which is disappointing since most tools come with it, yet it’s still a quality tool that heats faster (95 seconds) than most straightening brushes. It also comes with an automatic sleep mode that shuts off after 60 minutes of non-use, which brings peace of mind to busy bees.
The handle temperature is 87°F max, which is a very reasonable number compared to most.
Performance And Durability
ghd Glide is a capable and reliable straightening brush that has all the qualities that a luxury brand offers. The tool is very sturdy and durable, which means no breakage and a long-lasting product. Its ceramic coating is designed to bring a faster session and eliminate frizz. It’s not very budget-friendly with $169 but you can feel its quality when you hold it in your hand. Its wattage is 50 W, which is above average. It overheats more than it promises. This may not be a great aspect but it also indicates high performance. As mentioned above, the only downside in terms of performance is the fact that it doesn’t have variable heat settings. It’s something to consider if you have fine hair since its temperature is quite high.
Ergonomics
Straightening brushes are not very heavy tools but if your session is long-lasting or if you don’t have very strong arms, it might get frustrating. ghd Glide is the heaviest option on our list with 11.7 oz. It’s worth mentioning for the ones who want to avoid arm fatigue. There are other options in the market such as Babylisspro Nano Titanium Ionic Thermal Paddle Brush which is similarly shaped but much lighter with only 8.1 oz.
The handle of ghd Glide is quite slim at 3.25” and it fits even the smallest hands. It’s an ergonomically designed tool but there’s a small issue of the on/off button getting in the way. But this is not really a problem since you have to hold it down to turn the tool off anyway.
The cord of ghd Glide is swivel and 9ft which is an average number that fits most people’s needs.
Price and Guarantee
With a cost of $169, ghd Glide is not for every budget and it’s definitely an investment. We recommend this tool because it brings the highest performance and has the best material quality in the market, but there’s many others that will satisfy your needs for a better price. Babyliss is a good example of a much more affordable straightening brush ($70) that brings extraordinary results.
ghd Glide has a 2-year limited guarantee which is the average number in the market.
Competition
Drybar The Brush Crush is the biggest competitor of ghd Glide. It was a hard decision to determine the best straightening brush of 2023 since these two are both almost equally efficient. Drybar is better priced at $111 yet still a luxury product with great material quality. While Drybar has the capacity to heat up more, ghd has more special bristles with great detangling capacity. The truth is that both are satisfying products that won’t disappoint you.
CHI Tourmaline Ceramic Hot Brush is the more affordable competitor of ghd Glide. It heats up to higher temperatures and has the same shape. It may not be as sturdy nor durable as ghd Glide but this is a fair compromise if you prefer a more budget-friendly product.
