Have you been wondering which straightener is better – Cloud Nine or ghd?
I have fond memories of my first ever straighteners, the ghd IV Styler. I remember dashing to the nearest department store to buy a pair, no thought of the price tag. I wasn’t disappointed. They tamed my out of control hair and meant I could start wearing my hair down more often than up.
But Are ghd Really The Best Hair Straighteners?
In the early days, ghd pretty much led the way. If you wanted frizz-free days, ghd was your hair straightener of choice.
Even if the £100+ price tag seemed like a hefty sum.
It soon became apparent however that it was a worthy investment that would provide you with shiny and straight locks that previously only your hairdresser had the power to achieve. These days other brands (Cloud 9 is one of them) have caught up and given ghd some solid competition.
Cloud 9 Hair Straighteners Compared to ghd
Cloud 9 was set up by one of the original founders of ghd, Robert Powls.
In 2010, Cloud 9 launched their rival hair straightener to the ghd IV Styler with the The Cloud Nine Original Iron. It was quite a blaze of publicity as Cloud 9 got their straighteners into the high street salons. What better recommendation than from your own hair dresser?
Many reviewers have reported that Cloud 9 straighteners are a very worthy contender to ghd, with a lot of people going as far to say they prefer them.
So, why, how and could Cloud 9 possibly be better than the much loved and marketed ghds?
Cloud Nine use unique black plates with special mineral within them. According to the manufacturers;
The ultra-smooth, mineral-infused ceramic surfaces of our irons allow you to achieve incredible styling results at much lower, hair-friendly temperatures. Floating plates on our style & straight irons also cushion the impact throughout each section of your hair, minimizing dragging or pinches.
Cloud Nine
What else do Cloud 9 offer?
Cloud 9 straighteners come with a protective heat cover and pouch so there is no need to purchase these separately.
I think where Cloud 9 really come out on top are with their adjustable temperature that you can change from 100 to 220 degrees Celsius. The LED panel shows you what temperature the straighteners are set at allowing you to easily and quickly adjust it up or down according to your needs.
For fine hair straightening with a lower temperature is much better and certainly won’t damage your hair as much as having it up really high.
Cloud Nine are currently more expensive than ghds, but not by very much.
On launch, feedback from stylists and customers reported that Cloud Nine straighteners are easier to use when curling and flicking your hair.
The little extras count too, like the plastic heat guard that fits over the top to keep the straighteners shut when they are not being used.
But the proof is in the results.
Put To The Test
Perhaps not an entirely fair comparison as I am using Cloud Nine Wide Straighteners against ghd IV Stylers, the latter being the straighteners for all hair types, whereas the Cloud 9 Wide are for thick and curly hair.
However, the ghd IV Stylers really stood up to the test and performed incredibly well. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them.
So who comes out on top, Cloud Nine or ghd?
That isn’t an easy answer. Sorry to sit on the fence. The thing is, they are both really high-quality straighteners that come from trusted brands.
What it boils down to is the difference in price (Cloud Nine being slightly more expensive) but for that you get the adjustable temperature control and a heat resistant mat…I’ve got to admit, I’m tempted to switch! There I said it.
UPDATE: I am now a regular user of Cloud 9 – check out my Cloud Nine Wide Straightener Review >>
I should point out that I do still own and use my ghd IV Stylers and I can’t quite bring myself to part with them. They still work well on my hair and are perfect for fringes, layers and curling, as well as general straighenting. As you can see from the above pictures they still perform really well!