About my hair: I have a roughly chin-length, modified bob that is angled toward the front, and stacked/textured in the back. My hair is straight, fine textured and medium+ thickness. Due to color processing and other abuses, I must blow dry and style my hair or I look like one of those before commercials that you think can't be for real. I use a flat iron most days to finish my styling and achieve a smooth, glossy look. For my type of hair, the Revlon RVST2082 works very well.
This flat iron looks and feels well made and is comfortable in the hand. The on/off switch and temperature control are on the top of the iron and designed so that you cant accidentally change the temperature setting or turn of the unit without meaning to. It has five, pre-set temperatures: 230, 280, 330, 380 and 430. There is a digital display on the top of the iron that is very clear and easy to read. It shows whether the unit is on or off, what temp setting you've selected and indicates when the unit has reached it's temp. I haven't timed it but it seems to reach the selected temp faster than the 30 seconds indicated by the mfr.
The mfr. specs say the plates are tourmaline ceramic; they glide very smoothly over my hair and I haven't had any problems with grabbing or snagging. I have some very short hair at the base of my neck and I can feel the warmth of the iron when I use it to smooth/straighten those sections, but I have not had any problems at all with burning myself. If you hold the iron at it's base, near the cord, you may find the plates don't clamp together correctly (they may slip a little). This is easily eliminated by holding the iron closer to the plates. There are three raised lines on the outer side of both the top and bottom arm of the iron; you can clearly see them just above the digital window. If you hold the iron at that point, it will clamp perfectly every time and you're not at risk of accidentally touching the plates.
There's a little dial on the side of the iron, all the way at the base, near the cord, which allows you to lock the iron closed (clamped) for storage or travel, which is nice. A couple of things to note: the plug is a standard, small wall plug, not one those large, square safety plus with the test and reset buttons that you often see on hair appliances. Also, this is not a dual voltage unit so if you plan to travel to Europe you'll need a different iron or the necessary adapter/converters.
This Revlon flat iron is replacing a very expensive, so-called professional iron purchased at a salon, that had a disappointing lifespan and didn't perform all that well. Like some other reviewers, I'm really starting to wonder if some of the high-end units are really worth the price. Overall, I think this is a very good iron at an extremely reasonable price. If you have fine to medium texture and/or thin to medium thickness hair, I think you'll find this iron could work well for you and I'd recommend trying it. I followed the mfr. temp recommendation for my type of hair (330 degrees), and I'm getting excellent results. My hair looks smooth and shiny, and already feels less dry/frizzy since I'm now using a much lower temp than I was with my "pro" iron.
This is about the 6th hair straightener I've tried. I liked a friends WET to DRY one too, but it was too wide. I happened across this in a local WALGREENS when I was just looking to replace one that just died. I grabbed this one because it wasnt the most expensive and it had temp control.
I paid about $20 bucks for it and I am FLABBERGASTED at how well it works on my 43 year old, naturally wavy, ALWAYS FRIZZY, bra strap length hair. I use it daily on my bangs, and occasionally to straighten or spin the length. The next to highest setting works like a charm for my daily use.
WARNING the highest setting is VERY high (I think its 400 degrees).
I worry that it might be too hot, but the bottom line is that after trying just about everything out there and doing TONS of research on different products I bought this on a whim and got WICKED LUCKY by far the BEST straightener I've ever used because IT WORKS on my hard to manage hair.
Buy Revlon Rvst2082 Tourmaline Ceramic Digital Straightener, 1 Inch, Black Now
Very reliable flat iron. I used this on my 6 week trip across Europe, and it worked wonders. All you need is a plug adapter. No complaints whatsoever. Excellent product for trips or everyday use.
