GHD Unplugged | Review

This has been a looong time coming! 

GHD, the undisputed OG of the hair straightener universe has just released Unplugged, it's cordless styler. 

Probably prompted by the Dyson Corrale snapping at its heels, it was time to innovate and do the thing a lot of us have been waiting for by finally getting rid of that pesky trailing power cord.

GHD Unplugged offers all the sleek design, power and performance of the brand's corded models, with the freedom of being untethered. 

Cast your mind back to the Millennium. The charts were ruled by shiny pop bands and going 'out out' meant downing WKD Blues and ironing your hair to a flat, mirror like finish. GHDs were the game changers. I remember the first time I tried a pair and realising what a different league they were in to the metal-plated BabyLiss straighteners I had at the time. 

So began a long-term love affair. Ever since then, my GHDs have been a daily companion in my life, from taming my frizz and styling my 'curtain bangs' to learning how to curl and beach wave. There aren't many days I don't reach for them. 

Now, not only do you have the freedom of movement to style your hair even more easily (I can confirm curls are a lot easier without the power cord getting in the way) but you have all the technology and heavyweight styling power of your GHDs in a portable format. 

GHD Unplugged is small enough to pop in your bag, making it a must for gym visits, after work drinks touch-ups and mobile fighting of bad hair days. 

They handily charge using a standard USB-C connector, which is the same as my phone, so you don't even have to remember a separate charger lead for them and they can be recharged from your laptop if needed. 

Side by side with my corded GHD Platinum+ stylers, you can see that the Unplugged model is a little shorter, with a slightly wider body. They also seem to be lighter, but without sacrificing the quality components that make GHDs so beloved. 

Cutting the bulk means that the new model is a truly portable option, and they come complete with a sleek, heatproof carry case that is also pleasingly slimline so you can literally chuck them in your bag and run. 

Despite their smaller size, the plates on the GHD Unplugged model are the same as the Platinum +, with the extra dimension being taken out of the handle instead. 

They're just 22cm long and weigh only 10.5 ounces, so when flying is less of a nightmare they won't make you worry for your baggage allowance. 

They're still incredibly easy to use and have lost none of their finesse with the smaller design. The build finish is the same as on the Platinum+, with a smooth matte plastic casing (available currently in either black or white), metal detailing and overall quality feel.

On the front you get a slider switch to turn them on and off, rather than the usual push button - this feature makes it harder to accidentally switch them on in your bag. 

There's also a white LED indicator light to let you know how much charge is left. And similar to the corded stylers, when switched on you hear a noise to show you they're on and a second one when they reach optimal temperature. Thankfully, you can use these while they're charging as well. 

Unplugged features an auto shut off function after three minutes of inactivity to better preserve battery life (corded GHDs have this after 30 minutes). 

Creating curls and S-bend waves is actually a lot easier with the cordless model. I'm quite a basic bitch when it comes to styling my hair and struggle to do anything fancy, but these are foolproof enough for me. Being able to move your arms freely without getting tangled up is a real plus that makes these even easier to style with. 

GHD Dual Zone Technology keeps the tool at the optimum styling temperature to be effective without damaging the hair cuticle. 

Any minus points? 

The battery life gives you about 20 minutes of use. That's enough for me but it's not amazing considering. That means you'll be recharging these quite often, although at least they do operate while charging. A full recharge takes over an hour, which also seems a bit painful. 

If this were truly new groundbreaking technology it would perhaps be a bit more forgivable, but the fact is that cordless straighteners have been around for a while now. As a late entrant to the game, it feels like GHD could have gotten these details a little better. 

There's also the steep price tag. At £299, the Unplugged model is considerably more spenny than regular GHDs. 

On the plus side, they work well - delivering all the styling power you could want, looking really sleek and the standard charger is so much more helpful than some weird custom one like the one on the Dyson which means you always have to carry that particular charger with you. For me, it means I can travel with a single cord that works for my phone, wireless headphones and straighteners which is most definitely a win. 

A sleek, compact rechargeable version of your beloved GHDs is something you may not want to pass on, especially if you commute, travel a lot or just like the huge convenience of not having to be attached to a plug socket to style your tresses. 

Nicely done, GHD.