Hot Tool’s affordable flat iron with very long plates which can tame long strands in very few passes
Price: $87
Available sizes: 1”, 1.5”
Best for: all hair types, medium to long hair
What we like: 7 year warranty, wide range of temperature options, heat memory feature
What we don’t like: gives off a strange smell when it heats up
How it stands out: affordable flat iron that can tame very thick and long strands easily
Rating: 4.2/5.0
Hot Tools offers a flat iron with plates much larger than usual, which not only is appealing for longer strands, but also thicker ones as it heats up more. Long hair benefits a lot from large plates and there are many brands in the market that offers wide options. But longer ones like this tool is hard to come across. Its plates are 5” long which is the biggest number on our list. This size can cover a very large area at one pass and makes things much faster for strands which are shoulder length or longer. Not only that, but it also offers two plate width options which are 1” and 1.5”. The 1” one is for medium-length strands, and honestly, it fits most hair types and styling needs. But the 1.5” one is designed specifically for long hair and if your strands reach lower than your armpits, you will have an extraordinarily comfortable session. While this xl size accommodates the needs of long strands, these strands can be very thin and delicate or thick and unruly. The good news is that with this tool’s very wide range of heat settings, you don’t need to worry. Its minimum temperature of 180°F is gentle enough for fine hair and the maximum heat of 455°F is more than enough to tame stubborn strands anf black hair types. As a tool with long plates, it comes with a cost of being quite long (12”) and bulky as well. That said, this is a very budget-friendly tool and its sacrifice is mostly from its material quality. But it won’t disappoint you in the performance department. Below we share our experiences with “HOT TOOLS PRO ARTIST XL DIGITAL SALON FLAT IRON”.
Shape And Size
Hot Tools Pro Artist xl Digital Salon Flat Iron, is an elegantly shaped tool and it has normally shaped straight plates. They have rounded edges to avoid snagging your hair while styling, as well as to curl your strands more efficiently. About curling your hair; while this tool is mostly created to straighten your hair, as it’s very rounded on the outside, it also successfully creates waves.
It also has multidirectional plates to keep a better contact between the tool and your hair. This allows the tool to be gentler and faster because you need less passes to smoothen your hair.
In terms of size, this tool is extraordinary. As you can guess from its name, its plates are very long with 5”, which is the biggest number on our list. This is meant to provide extra comfort for longer strands. But also, it’s more appealing for the thicker ones as it can get hotter. Its long plates affect the size of the whole tool as well and we can say that this is a long tool with 12”.
It comes in two different plate widths, which are 1” and 1.5”. The 1” one is the most commonly found size in the market and it can fit all hair lengths. It can cover a large enough area at one pass and is perfectly fit for long hair, but it also is slim enough to come close to your roots, which is helpful for short hair. It also is the most versatile one in terms of the styles that it can provide, in case you want to curl your strands. ,
The 1.5” one is the size to consider if your hair is armpit-length or longer. The plates of this option are satisfyingly large, considering that this tool has very long plates as well. We say, don’t hesitate to go for it if you have very long hair and are in the hunt for a budget tool.
Heat And Variable Settings
Hot Tools Pro Artist XL has one of the widest range of heat settings on our list. Not only that but also it has 30 different temperatures to choose from, changing in 5/10 increments. Its minimum heat is 180°F, and is very very gentle, even for the most damaged and thin hair types. Its maximum temperature of 455°F is also the highest number that we’ve ever come across in flat irons. This tool will tame even the thick, dense natural hair and unruliest strands without a problem. Overall, you don’t need to worry about heat before choosing this tool, as it fits all hair types.
What we really appreciate is that the back of its plates reaches up to temperatures such as 200°F, which is really helpful if you want to use this tool for curling your hair as well. Just remember to be careful to not touch that part as your hand will probably burn. But the maximum heat of its handle is 88°F, and cool tip is 115°F, which are both low enough to be safe from burning your hands.
Material And Performance
We like the fact that they choose ceramic as their plate material, as we appreciate gentleness on a flat iron. This tool can provide a very speedy session as it has very big plates and very high maximum temperature but doesn’t sacrifice from being heat safe, especially if you use the lover heat setting. Ceramic heats up much slower than titanium and is much more beginner-friendly.
It’s important to note that the aspect that you sacrifice when you choose this flat iron is durability. It definitely doesn’t have the highest quality material as it’s a budget tool. It’s more a tool you go for if you want great performance on long hair, but don’t want to spend too much.
Features
This is a quite simple tool and the features that it offers are not very fancy.
First of all, it has auto shut off which kicks in after 2 hours. While we appreciate this feature, this number is much longer than the average of 60 minutes, and on the edge of being a bit useless.
It has a digital display and temperature control, which both make the tool much easier to control, especially if you’re a beginner. It also has a sound indicator to let you know when it reaches its desired temperature.
It has dual voltage to make sure that you can bring your tool to anywhere in the world without worrying about whether it’ll work or not.
Ergonomics
This is a very long tool, and one would normally assume that it would be heavy as well. But our tests pleasantly surprised us, as it has a weight of below average, 9.2oz. It’s relatively pleasant to use for longer periods and less likely to cause arm fatigue than many others in the market. But we still can’t say that it’s very travel-friendly, as it’s not compact.
Its handle is really slim with 4”. This is great news for small hands but may be a bit annoying for the larger ones to hold.
It has an 8 ft cord which is longer than average and more than comfortable to use.
Price And Guarantee
As a tool that costs only $87, we think it’s a no-brainer if you’re on a tight budget. This level of performance is hard to find for this price. But it’s not very durable and not really the sturdiest either. Material quality is not its strong suit, but it comes with a 7-year warranty which puts minds at ease.
Competition
The Hot Tools Pro Artist XL stands out with its extra-long plates, the longest on the market. Another great flat iron with longer-than-average plates, measuring 4.72 inches, is the InfinitiPRO by Conair Tourmaline Ceramic Flat Iron Conair combines tourmaline with ceramic, which is excellent for taming frizzy hair and provides additional benefits.
If you like Hot Tools but find the Pro XL too pricey, consider the Hot Tools Purple Ceramic Digital Flat Iron. It costs nearly one-third of the Pro XL but has shorter plates and a narrower temperature range. If you don’t have very long or delicate hair, the Hot Tools Purple is a great budget-friendly alternative.
