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Chi Flat Iron

Updated on March 3, 2011

Chi Flat Irons - All you need to know before you make a purchase.

What makes the CHI flat iron so special? Why are so many women (and a few men) so interested in styling their hair with a CHI hair straightener?

Is it the best ceramic flat iron on the market or are there other models that are better? Where is the cheapest place to buy a CHI flat iron online?

All these questions and more will be answered (hopefully) by this page.

History of the CHI

The CHI straightener is manufactured by a company named Farouk Systems Inc. The owner and chairman of this company is Farouk Shami. His company specializes in making high quality professional hair care products for professionals and consumers alike. They are headquartered in Houston TX.

The darling of the CHI brand is their ceramic hair straightener, but CHI also sells hair dryers, curling irons, brushes, and other hair care products. Many people think that CHI is short for 'ceramic hot iron' or 'ceramic heat iron' but that is not true. CHI actually stands for 'Catonic Hydration Interlink' which is a registered trademark.

All about CHI Flat Irons

There are 5 different types of the CHI ceramic flat iron available. They are:

1. The Original CHI (1") that operates at a fixed temperature (350 degrees F).

2. The new CHI Turbo (1/2", 1" and 2") has a variable temperature (between 175 and 350 degrees F)

3. The CHI Nano (1" and 1.25" models) that actually sterilizes itself and kills bacteria on the handle. The temperature can be set between 300 and 350 degrees F. Some CHI Nano models have a digital control to tell you precisely what the temperature of the iron is.

4. The mini CHI, aka, the wee CHI (1/2"). Same as the original CHI but in a 1/2" format.

5. The wet to dry CHI (1"). This iron allows you to style damp hair (must be at least 90% dry).

Of course, there are some limited edition models available too. Namely the pink CHI, the red CHI, the CHI with hearts, the blue CHI and the stars and stripes CHI.

Features common to all CHI flat irons:

  • the power cord is ten feet in length and swivels 360 degrees so you have lots of room to reach the back of your head
  • they only take at most 1 minute to heat up
  • the ceramic plates distribute heat evenly which means you get better results with only one pass
  • they only use a maximum of 25 watts of power

How do you select the right CHI for your hair?

The length and thickness of your hair normally dictates how wide a model you should buy. If you have short hair, then most likely a 1/2" to 1" model will suit you best. If you have longer hair or thick (ethnic) hair, then you will most likely need one from 1" to 2" in size. Lastly, remember that a thinner CHI flat iron is more easy to twist so if you are into doing funky hair styling tricks (flips, waves, etc) then a thinner flat iron may be what you need to buy.

Some models, like the Original CHI, have a fixed temperature. This can be an issue if you have fine or delicate hair. If that describes your hair, than you should look to using a newer model like the CHI Turbo or Nano which come with a variable temperature. That means you can lower or increase the temperature at which the iron operates. For fine hair, try a lower heat setting and for thick hair try a higher heat setting. If you have normal hair than the Original CHI will most likely be an excellent choice.

Where to get your CHI flat iron?

The best place that I have found to buy a CHI hair straightener online is Folica.com. They will give you free shipping with the purchase of a CHI flat iron and some models include a free $20 heat proof mat/travel pouch. I have one of these and they are really great. I place my flat iron on the mat while it heats up. When I am done, I let it cool down on the mat. When I put it away, I gently fold up the cord and place the flat iron inside the mat and put it in a drawer.

Folica.com also has a place where customers can comment on their purchases. If you visit Folica.com, you can read all the comments for the original CHI. The last time I checked it out there were 1087 reviews and the average vote was 4.15 out of 5.

Some positive comments - you will be surprised to know that there are customers that had their CHI for over 3 years or 5 years and it is still working. Some people get super fast results (30 mins instead of 2 hours with the cheap drug store models). Many people are impressed at how hot it gets and how fast it heats up. They also talk about getting smooth and shiny hair with the CHI. That's just some of the hundreds of 5 star comments about the Original model. And remember, the Turbo and Nano models also have positive reviews too.

More Information

You can find out more information at these sites:

Need more info: CHI Flat Irons (more details about the CHI flat iron models)

Fake CHI Flat Iron bust

Ok, so I thought this counterfeiting of CHI flat irons was something that happened in Asia (mostly because of the inexpensive manufacturing). Well, this is bound to make you take notice ...

Apparently the Canadian federal police (RCMP) in Quebec broke up a flat iron counterfeit ring. They seized 3,500 units of the CHI and 1,000 GHD hair straighteners. Amazing.

So, please make sure you buy from an authorized dealer. I personally use Folica as I stated above. Remember, if the price seems too good to be true, perhaps it is not worth the risk.

Please note: The Yahoo News page that reported this story has been archived (ie, taked down) so I removed the link to it. 

A 6 min demo of how to use the CHI hair straightener - Hubpages is having troubles embedding videos ... I will add the video once it is fixed

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