A simple and affordable straight barrel wand for creating loose waves that doesn’t compromise on performance
Model name/number: CI9527
Price: $30
Shape: straight barrel wand
Available sizes: 1”
Best for: all hair types and lengths
What we like: straightforward and beginner-friendly, versatile, gentle, comfortable cool tip
What we don’t like: poor material quality,
How it stands out: an affordable tool which creates loose waves with an undone finish
Rating: 4.2/5.0
Remington usually offers affordable tools with great performance and its straight barrel wand doesn’t disappoint. This is a simple yet very efficient tool which can tame thick strands with its 410 °F maximum heat and at the same time be very gentle on fine strands with 250 °F minimum temperature. It comes with a ceramic barrel which heats up slowly and less than its titanium alternatives. This quality leaves much more room for mistakes and makes it very beginner-friendly. That said, it’s a wand-shaped tool without a clamp. So, it takes more effort to style your strands as you have to hold them with your hand. But the results that one aims for with this tool is natural looking which is much less demanding to achieve. It has a straight barrel so the curls that it creates are pretty uniform. The 1” barrel is the most commonly found size in the market which will most likely fit your hair, no matter how long it is, as long as you’re aiming to achieve loose waves. It has a non-slip barrel and your strands will stay longer with the heated barrel instead of gliding through it, which helps with greater precision. It’s a very affordable tool with only $30, and it doesn’t have very durable material. This is a tool that you choose for high performance levels and versatility, rather than its material quality. Below we share our experiences with “REMINGTON STRAIGHT BARREL CURLING WAND”.
Shape
Remington this time offers a straight barrel wand which is a simple and straightforward shape. The fact that it’s a wand means that it doesn’t have a clamp to hold your strands in place while styling so you’ll need to do this with your second hand. This is done on purpose to provide a more undone finish which looks casual. The curls that it creates are s-shaped rather than spiral-like spring irons create, and the results have less precision. Having a straight barrel though, the curls are pretty uniform and the volume is even throughout the hair. As the waves are looser, it also creates more volume than spring irons do. Wand-shaped tools are also less beginner-friendly since you have to use both of your hands while styling your hair.
Size
It comes as the most commonly found size in the market which is 1”. This is the standard size that all curling irons offer, and the reason is its versatility. It can appeal to both shorter or the longest strands. This size is also great at creating the largest variety of hairstyles. So, unless your hair length or styling needs are very extraordinary, this size should fit you without an issue.
It’s barrel length also is an important aspect to consider. Remington has a barrel with a 5” length, and is shorter than the average number of 5.4”. Short barrel is good for easy handling, as well as being a compact tool. But it can’t cover a very large area, which is a downside for very long strands, as it may take a longer time to tame them.
Heat and Variable Settings
When it comes to heat, Remington Straight Barrel Wand is very generous. Not only it comes with 10 variable heat settings, it also has a very wide range. Its minimum temperature is 250 °F and is low enough to be gentle on your strands, even if they’re extremely fragile. You don’t need to worry about burning your strands while you’re using this tool, as long as you choose the minimum heat setting. Its maximum temperature is also impressively high with 410 °F and can tame your strands no matter how thick and unruly they are.
Material and Performance
As a curling iron with a ceramic barrel, Remington Straight Barrel Wand is gentle on the strands. It heats up slower than the titanium tools and heats less as well. This is also the most beginner-friendly material in the market as it’s not very easy to burn your strands with it. But honestly, speed is not its strong suit. If you prioritize a speedy session, this may not be the right tool for you.
As a budget tool, its material is not the highest quality and if you’re looking for the most durable curling iron in the market, we recommend you to aim a luxury tool. But if you’re looking for a gentle yet effective curling iron, Remington will not disappoint you.
Features
As a budget product, this is not a tool that offers the fancy features like its luxury alternatives. It comes with the usual auto shut off which makes sure that you don’t forget your curling iron on as these tools can be fire hazards. It leaves out ionic technology, which is a downside for the ones with frizz issues, as this is a feature that eliminates frizz.
It has a non-slip barrel which is quite rare to come across. This feature keeps your hair attached to the tool’s barrel for a longer time. This helps to provide greater precision than smooth barrels.
It comes with a heat protectant glove which we really appreciate in wand-shaped tools as they can be dangerous in terms of burning your hand.
One thing worth mentioning is the fact that it doesn’t have dual voltage, which is a bummer as it’s a compact tool and would be very travel-friendly otherwise. But without this feature, one should be careful as it may not work everywhere in the world.
Ergonomics
Remington Straight Barrel Wand is an extremely lightweight tool with only 5.8oz. It’s very easy to hold it for longer periods and if arm fatigue is something that you struggle with, this tool is worth considering. It also is very compact, combined with its short barrel.
Its handle is 1.15” and is relatively thick. This is usually not an issue unless you have very small hands.
It comes with an LED display and digital temperature control, which is very surprising for a budget tool. These features make the tool much more comfortable, especially if you’re not very experienced and would like to experiment with precise temperatures.
It has a very comfortable, cool touch finger grip, which adds to its quality of being easy to handle and maneuver.
As most tools do, it comes with an integrated counterrest that makes sure that your tool doesn’t touch the surfaces while its barrel is hot.
It has a 6ft swivel cord. This size is not the longest in the market and frankly, is not very comfortable if your mirror is far from the nearest plug. Otherwise, it’s fine for personal use.
Price & Warranty
This is one of the most budget-friendly curling irons on our list and it obviously is far from being luxurious. But it offers a simple yet very effective tool that has outstanding levels of versatility. We can’t say the same about its durability unfortunately, but it comes with a 3-year warranty that compensates for that as it’s longer than the average of 2 years. Overall, we think that it has great value.
Competition
If you want your curling iron to be as durable and sturdy as possible, and don’t mind making the extra investment, we have a great alternative for you. Bio Ionic Goldpro Styling Wand is one has one of the highest quality materials on the market and has a straight barrel wand shape like Remington. It also has a very wide range of heat settings, from 170°F to 450°F, even higher than what Remington offers.
Remington also has the tapered wand version of this tool: Remington Shine Therapy Tapered Curling Wand
