But how does it perform? Is the Bluetooth connectivity really necessary? And can it earn a coveted spot in our best hair straightener chart?
Price and Availability
The Glamoriser Blue has an RRP of £129.99 and is available from Currys at full cost. It has however seen a price drop to £79.99 directly on the Glamoriser site.
Design and build
The Glamoriser Blue boasts the sleek look and feel of a premium salon-quality tool. The slim body features a roughly 1in barrel and a smooth all-over silicone finish for grip. The barrel can be used to effortlessly style curls as well.
The temperature can be controlled via the Glamoriser app or directly on the straightener, which is a welcome option to those who don’t want to rely on the app alone. The device glides through each section of hair effortlessly and does not take too many passes to straighten. The Glamoriser glides even more smoothly than the GHD Gold, which we also reviewed. The Glamoriser Blue is comfortable to hold and does not feel heavy. The 3m cord swivels at the connection point allowing flexibility and mobility. We particularly liked the design of the temperature controls on the device. You only need to drag your finger up or down the flat, touch-sensitive strip and the response is immediate. The display shows the degrees climb or fall and within seconds the device beeps, letting you know it’s at the right temperature.
The Glamoriser Blue heats up fast – 2 to 3 degrees per second fast. The lowest heat setting is 80 degrees Celsius, though you can lock in the lower limit to a higher temperature (using the app – more on this below). The highest temperature the Glamoriser Blue allows is 235 degrees Celsius, but we can’t imagine anyone ever needing that much heat. The Glamoriser also comes with a silicone resting mat and guard for the tongs.
Features & app
Though you can control the temperature on the straightener itself, most of the added functionality and features come through the Glamoriser app (available for free for iOS and Android). The Glamoriser app can be used to set the upper and lower limits of the temperature so that it never goes beyond (or below) the range that works for you. Once you save the heat settings, the Glamoriser immediately starts heating up or cooling down to suit your desired temperature. This approach to heat customization is unlike the GHD Platinum+ ( recommended as well), which GHD similarly claims is the world’s first “smart” straightener – but this has more to do with the Platinum+’s intelligent sensors in the heating plates that adapt the temperature to how you style your hair.
You can use the app to set how long it takes until the device turns off too. What you can’t do, however, is turn off the device remotely (within Bluetooth range). 5 minutes is the shortest auto-shut off period while 20 minutes is the longest. In the future, if the Glamoriser Blue becomes smarter with Wi-Fi connectivity, a remote shut off option would be great to see. Most usefully, the app allows you to create a profile that calculates the ideal temperature for your hair. Choose thickness, treatment types, and how often you straighten your hair and let the app generate your ideal heat setting.
If you save that number, the Glamoriser will automatically heat up to that temperature when you turn it on next – and will adjust to that temperature if the device is already on. The app has a social option too that leads to a menu with links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and a blog – but this is more so to connect users with Glamoriser’s social feeds than it is for users to directly upload their hair looks online, which seems like a missed opportunity. The app also lets you sync your calendar so you can see all your upcoming social events at a glance. We suppose this might save you from having to switch out to the existing calendar app on your phone, though we’re not fully convinced how useful this feature is. We initially had trouble pairing our phones to the device too, where the app would not recognise the device despite being in range. After some troubleshooting and communication with the company’s tech support, we solved the issue by going into app’s Permissions and enabling Location.
Verdict
Overall the Glamoriser Blue is a winner. It styles hair effortlessly and leaves it feeling smooth and healthy. The Bluetooth connectivity is just an added bonus. The app on the whole seems unnecessary and looks dated. The design doesn’t match the premium quality of the device itself. Yet, if we must have an app, we hope future updates hone in on its most useful aspects, the temperature control and hair profile features, to make these even more comprehensive. If the app could assess hair damage, or log how frequently the user exposes heat to his or her hair, or if the app could alert users to the straightener being clamped for too long (before the scent of burnt hair emerges), we could perhaps more easily justify the Glamoriser’s app connectivity. At this stage it seems somewhat preliminary, but we’re excited to see where it goes. Despite the shortcoming of the app, we are thoroughly impressed with the Glamoriser Blue on its own. It produces professional-quality results and its broad temperature range and controls makes it versatile enough for all hair types. We’d certainly expect a price tag in the £200 to £300 range – yet it’s available for less than £60 (at the time of writing), making it a steal for anyone. Somrata researches and writes about the best tech deals to help readers make smart, informed buying decisions. She’s an expert on accessories and also reviews laptops, phones, audio and other devices.
