It wasn't easy to find a hot setter that I was happy with. First, I purchased the
Conair Xtreme Instant Heat Multisized Hot Rollers, Pink from Amazon, which has gone up to $36.40 from the $22.77 I paid for it last week. One of the main reasons for that purchase was that it was and still is being advertised on here as an ionic set, which it is NOT. This problem was taken care of by Amazon to my complete satisfaction, however, in my rush to "judgement", I then ordered the
BaByliss Pro BABHS30S Ceramic Instant Heat 30-Roller Hair Set, Variedfrom Folica for $59.95 & free shipping plus a free compact curling iron. It was $10.00 more than what Amazon is charging, but without checking on the model numbers and stupidly trusting Folica (my 1st purchase with them and my last), I read their description which clearly states that this set was also ionic. WRONG. I admit that I actually liked that setter, but having an ionic setter is important to me, as it's less likely to damage the hair. Any heat appliance causes damage to the hair cuticle, and even though the manufacturers of all these technologically advanced appliances (ionic, tourmaline, etc) claim they are gentle to the hair, according to my stylist the ionic ones are the better ones to buy, especially if used on a regular basis. Thus my obsession and frustration in obtaining an ionic setter that didn't cost a fortune and also had above average customer reviews on Amazon. My old Clairol one from 20 years ago finally died and I needed a replacement.
Needless to say I wasn't too pleased to open the box from Folica to see that the Babyliss I ordered was not ionic. I emailed them immediately, wanted a refund in full, with return shipping paid for, as this was clearly false advertising on their part. Getting a refund with them was a nightmare. They did NOT want to pay for return shipping. Had to fight for it. They did not want to have UPS come to my home to pick the package up as Amazon always does. I'm disabled and had to have my son help me bring the package down to a UPS shipping center. Folica refuses to take blame for the misleading advertising and still has not changed their description, so buyer beware when shopping with them.
After returning the setter to Folica, I did some research (which I should have done before, I know) and found out that Babyliss was bought out by the Conair Corporation. So I swore I would not shell out big bucks for another Babyliss. Not if Conair offered something similar and cheaper under the Conair brand label. However, I poured through review after review on here. According to fellow customers, Remington was rated the worst, and other setters had problems with clips, or they didn't get hot enough to set the hair, the covers were chintzy and busted off, or the clips would fall right out of the hair..and on and on. I realized that all the other setters had problems I wasn't willing to deal with, so I spent the money and purchased this Babyliss one. I did a lot of comparison shopping in regard to the price. Amazon was THE least expensive out of everyone, especially since we have the Prime shipping, which meant it was free 2 Day shipping. For example, Folica (ugh) is charging $79.95 for this setter. It cost me $63.90 here at Amazon! No brainer. Other stores had similar pricing as Folica and most charged to ship it.
This setter is for me, hands down, perfect. Yes, it's pricey for me. More than I wanted to spend, but you get what you pay for I guess. This setter heats up in about 5 minutes, which is a little slower than the Conair one I had purchased, but I can wait the few more minutes. The arm that converts this set from a horizontal to a vertical one is ingenious. It saves so much space on my vanity to have this set up vertically. It's also cool looking I have to admit. The sturdy double doors open up to just a plethora of rollers. The sizes range from jumbo to small and if you have long hair, which I do, this is important. The jumbo rollers really are, jumbo. The large rollers on this set are larger than the so called large rollers on other sets. On all the other setters, I don't even use the small size rollers, as they are useless for my head of hair. It's notable to mention that the non ionic Babyliss set I purchased from Folica had a huge note plastered on the cover which stated not to use the setter with the cover closed. That means you have to open the cover on the setter before turning it on. I don't know what will happen if you forget to do that, but I wouldn't want to find out. With this setter, they direct you to keep the split cover doors closed while heating as the negative ions pour over the rollers.
Rolling my thick, coarse hair was easy with these rollers. They get HOT, and the stay cool ends are not exactly "cool" so you do have to be careful not to burn your fingers. But since I need a hot setter in order for it to curl my hair, I don't mind the fact that the ends get a bit hot. The claw clips are better than any other type of clips I've ever used. With the Conair, they always seem to fall down one complete "roll" after I've positioned the clip around the roller and my hair. Still doable, but not perfect. With this setter, they stay exactly where I put them. Not sure if they would stay in place so well if I had fine hair, but they do great for my long and coarse hair. My hair is difficult and always has been. Hard to flat iron, won't take highlights or color very well, and hard to curl. I need high temps and this set delivers. If I want more of a wave, I just leave the rollers in for a few minutes. For a soft, sexy, messy beach hair I leave them in longer and after letting the hair cool down after removing the rollers, I simply use my fingers to rake out the curls. I also use a rubber vented brush and have brushed them out. This creates less defined curls and more of a wavy look. I've found using a regular hair brush makes my newly curled hair poofy and big and I'm not really in to big hair. My only complaint with this setter is that they only give you 15 clips for a 30 roller set. I'm not sure why these manufacturers do this. Seems silly to me. I can get 3/4 of my hair done with the 15 clips, then I have to start unrolling the 1st rollers I put in so I can use those clips.
So in a nutshell-
Pros of this setter and getting it at Amazon-
From $15-$30 cheaper at Amazon than other online stores
Ionic and Ceramic
Soft Claw type Clips are one size fits all and stay in place
Dual temp switch, low, high plus off with red LED light when is use
Hot temperature setting is really hot for those of us who need it
Converts from a horizontal to a vertical hair setter
Dual split vertical cover for easy access
Can keep covers closed while on, without fear of damaging the setter
Larger roller sizes than other setters
8 jumbo, 8 large, 8 medium & 6 small rollers, suitable for ALL hair lengths
Color coded rollers make it easier to return rollers to setter after use
30 roller set is just better than the smaller 20 roller sets
Innovative design looks great on your vanity!
Uses posts to heat rollers, not the flimsy slide bars that the Conair set uses
Cloth sturdy drawstring bag provided for clips
One year warranty, they will repair or replace any unit which is defective one year from date of purchase
Cons
Needs to come with 30 clips
Cool touch ends are not exactly cool when setter is set to high
I'd prefer the soft, flocked type rollers, over the hard plastic ones (but that just takes time to get used to, still not bad though)
I give this setter 5 stars. It took me three setters, a lot of aggravation and going through and reading every single review before settling on this setter and I am very happy with it. I can't recommend this enough. Not sure if it will last 20 years like my old Clairol set did but nothing seems to last that long anymore. Hope this review helps the next person, who like me, is obsessed with hair and hair care products. I say even if you are on a budget, splurge and get yourself this professional setter. In the long run I think you will be happier. Besides this was actually only $4.00 more than the lower end 30 roller Babyliss at Folica. Enjoy!