Customer Reviews

CHI Turbo Microchip Ceramic Hairstyling Iron 1"

5 star:		(322)
4 star:		(68)
3 star:		(36)
2 star:		(24)
1 star:		(80)

 

 

I was suspect of the need for "ceramic ions" and "far infrared technology", but this iron was highly recommended by salon personnel, so I decided to dish out the money and try it. You don't need to believe the hype to realize that this is a top quality product. This was a case of "you get what you pay for"! It is lightweight and ergonomic, heats up almost immediately, has a slider bar for varying heat from 176-356F (80-180C), and velvety felt that protects you from burns (also allows me to get closer to my ears and scalp without getting burned). The latter feature is worth the money to me alone, and the the ceramic feels much gentler to my hair (I have baby fine hair very prone to breakage). Two other things to keep in mind when choosing a straightener:

1) size matters - smaller size is better - it's more maneuverable, and doing smaller sections at a time will produce better results. for superfine hair, I recommend the 0.7" (mistakenly advertised as 0.07")

2) not all ceramic is created equal - there are solid ceramic plates or plates COATED with ceramic that are cheaper. the ceramic layer on the coated plates can peel off and is supposedly damaging to your hair (not to mention your product is ruined).

so yes, this iron is more expensive, but hopefully it will last for years of top-notch straightening.

After reading numerous online raves about the CHI Flat Iron I ordered a CHI Turbo Flat Iron. I have no complaints with the product as of yet, I've only had it a few days.

***BUT*** the few complaints I read online dealt with customer service from Farouk the manufacturer of CHI products and warranty problems. Before buying the product, I went to the Farouk website and noted that they had a 1-year warranty, no problem so I thought. I went back to the site today with a nagging thought, why would people who had spent so much money on a hair iron have problems with customer service? Upon reading the fine print I found out. The following was copied and pasted from the Farouk website:

ATTENTION INTERNET SHOPPERS: Any product manufactured by Farouk Systems, Inc. will lose its warranty if purchased from an internet distributor of any sort. Farouk Systems can not guarantee the quality of the products that are sold over the internet. Besides that, It is against company policy for internet distributors to sell our products. Any CHI appliance or Top Blade products are only under warranty if purchased from a Professional Salon.

BOTTOM LINE: If this product is ordered online by comparison shopping you can potentially save a lot of money but you will NOT have a manufacturer's warranty. The manufacturer's warranty is only valid if you buy through a professional salon.

CHI manufactures this 2" size, and 1" and 0.7" widths in the same line also. My first inclination was to buy the 2" size - that would make the process faster, right? Well, I was advised and found out to be true that bigger is not better in this situation, for reasons stated below. So while I highly recommend the CHI Turbo straightener, I would recommend the smaller widths unless you know for a fact that you prefer the larger plates. The following section is my review for the 0.7" (which is mistakenly advertised as 0.07"), which I think is helpful even if you decide on the 2" model, so forgive my copy-and-paste.

I was suspect of the need for "ceramic ions" and "far infrared technology", but this iron was highly recommended by salon personnel, so I decided to dish out the money and try it. You don't need to believe the hype to realize that this is a top quality product. This was a case of "you get what you pay for"! It is lightweight and ergonomic, heats up almost immediately, has a slider bar for varying heat from 176-356F (80-180C), and velvety felt that protects you from burns (also allows me to get closer to my ears and scalp without getting burned). The latter feature is worth the money to me alone, and the the ceramic feels much gentler to my hair (I have baby fine hair very prone to breakage). Two other things to keep in mind when choosing a straightener:

1) size matters - smaller size is better - it's more maneuverable, and doing smaller sections at a time will produce better results.

2) not all ceramic is created equal - there are solid ceramic plates or plates COATED with ceramic that are cheaper. the ceramic layer on the coated plates can peel off and is supposedly damaging to your hair (not to mention your product is ruined).

So yes, this iron is more expensive, but hopefully it will last for years of top-notch straightening.

My hair is an absolute mess when It hasn't been ironed. An absolute, curly, frizzy, tangly, mess. I have used many irons in the past - including the original Chi (which I love(d)) but NOTHING is comparable to this product.

I have gone through so many flat ironed. From steel plated ones, to cheap ceramic ones (that worked, but not like this), to the original Chi. The original Chi was the only flat iron that I've ever used that has gotten my hair straight. I have hair just past my shoulders so the ends are the first to flip when humidity hits. And they never actually get 'straight' with other irons (minus the original Chi).

I bought my Chi Turbo from Ulta at a price of $169.95 plus tax. I got it home, showered, and plugged it in.

What I like:

~It heats up in less then fifteen seconds.
~The variable heat control even though I always have it on high.
~The cute little LED light that flickers when I know my iron is good to go.
~The feel of this product in my hand.
~The felt on ends.
~And the heavy duty plug in with surge protection.

What I don't like:

~What is there not to like about this product?!

The original Chi is great if you have straight hair that needs to be straighter or slightly curly hair that you want board straight. But the Turbo is the one you want if your hair is an absolute labryinth like mine after it dries from a recent shower.

I noticed it heats up faster than the original Chi, it irons quicker than the original Chi, and darn it..It just looks cooler.

What used to take me thirty minutes with the original Chi now takes me fifteen minutes.

I put my hair up into about five different layers. The first layer being the bottom. After I finish a layer I tie it back with a hair tie and get another section ready. When this one section is straight I add it to the other section of straight hair and so on and so forth.

This product is my prized possession. My hair comes out as straight as imaginably possible. It's sleek, It's shiny. I can run my fingers through it. It doesn't instantly go back to my natural curl when I hit humidity. It really only goes back to normal when your hair gets wet.

Please, please, please...If you have crazy hair and need it managable and straight buy this product. It is worth every single penny.

Kodee.

The chi is an amazing straightener. I live in humid Florida, and this straightener gets my curly hair pin straight and it stays straight until I wash it. Unfortunatly, my first one just stopped working and farouk refused to take it back because "Amazon in not an authorized dealer so your warranty is void". Luckily, Amazon replaced my straighter at no charge and I didn't even have to pay for shipping. This is a great straightener and its worth its weight in gold (when it works), but at $120 dollars you are taking an expensive risk.

I have long hair (about three inches below my shoulders) and I debated as to whether I should get the 1" or 2" CHI and whether I should purchase the original or turbo.

I finally ended up ordering the 2" Turbo CHI and I'm glad I did. The "Turbo" CHI allows you to adjust the heat temperature, while the original CHI does not---the original has a standard heat setting. The 2" CHI is easy to maneuver and straightens my hair in bigger batches. The 1" CHI would have taken much longer to pass through all of my hair.

This one's a keeper.

First off, both my wife and daughter LOVE this product. However, after about 1 month of use, it broke. I called the manufacturer and they responded to me that Farouk products are NOT sold over the internet, ONLY through "CERTIFIED" salons. Therefore, because I purchased this from Amazon, they could not, and would not, honor the warranty. It really sounds like a scam to me, and as such, I will probably NEVER buy another Farouk product ever. However, the woman I spoke with at Amazon (who was unaware of Farouk's policy) was extremely helpful and shipped me a new product out immediately (and I received it in 3 days).

My conclusion is, if you can deal with the warranty issues, this is probably the best hair straightener you can get. HUGE Kudos to Amazon, and two thumbs down for Farouk. They came off as pompous, even insinuating that they were unaware that Amazon carried their products (as if Amazon was some nickel and dime outfit). Shame on them!

Anyhow, I hope this was useful!

My wife purchased one of these to use at home , she was so happy with the results from it she bought one for my daughter , after about 9 months both of them starting having problems not heating up. I took both of them apart and the power cords were bad ,To a handy-man this might not sound like a big deal but it is, The cords are special and you can not purchase them separately , I have called several places and Looked on the internet and no body sells them ,You can send the unit in for repair but with the repair cost and shipping you will pay over $40 minimum to replace the cord, While looking on the internet for a cord ,I found a lot of people complaining about the cords going bad so quickly.

I have been battling with my hair for years. It is VERY thick and wavy an never seems to cooperate. In previous years I had bought a Conair and a Revlon flat iron, which basically did nothing for me. It would look as if I hadn't even attempted to straighten it. So, I literally went for years wearing nothing but a pony tail. The initial shock of the cost of the Chi flat iron made me put off buying it for a year, but I realized that I was just wasting money buying these cheaper products and that I should invest in something that would actually work (believe me that was a big deal because I am literally the cheapest person I know). My hairdresser had used the iron on my hair before so I was positive it would work.

As soon as I decided to buy this product there was a nationwide backorder and no web site I could find had any in stock. This was the only place that had any or was receiving any in a reasonable amount of time. Overall I was extremely satisfied with the product and the supplier. It arrived in a orderly fashion and the very first time I used the iron I had salon perfect hair.

I recommend this product to ANYONE with rebellious hair. It works and it is worth the money. Don't waste you time on cheaper products. Life's short and you should be happy with the way you look

I first bought the original CHI iron and it did a great job on my hair and I loved it. However, after about a year, it shorted out and would not heat up. I then bought the CHI Turbo thinking it might have a sturdier power cord. It only lasted 4 months before it too shorted out. I know several others who have had the same problem - this product is too unreliable for the high price and it seems like a problem that the manufacturer could easily correct. I am now purchasing the Sedu - we'll see if it lasts longer.