Pretty nice. The curling option isn't like you straighten your hair and out pops a curl - it's a technique that you have to spend some time to master, but once you get it, it's very easy to do. The time it takes to curl a whole head of hair with this straightener is not nearly as long as with a conventional curling iron, but it does take time (more time than with hot rollers, for example). This is a great device for travelling because it's small and can curl and straighten. The reason I only gave it 4 stars is just because for thick hair like mine, straightening can take a little longer since it's so little. But really, I've used it almost everyday since I bought it and I love it. It glides over hair nicely - no pulling - and makes my hair look really shiny.