Along with Sedu and CHI, Solia flat irons are the most popular on the market today. What's especially appealing about Solia is the number of different models available and their price. They may not be the best money can buy, but you'll be buying a great styling tool at a very affordable price.

The appeal of a Solia hair straightener is the features per dollar that you get. When compared to Sedu you'll find they cost around the same but you get less features with a Sedu. When compared to a CHI flat iron you get the same features but the CHI costs a lot more.

So what exactly do you get for your money?

The Solia Tourmaline Ceramic flat iron range comes with 3/4", 1", 1 1/4", and 1 3/4" plates. Very few other brands offer you as broad a range of plate sizes; you can fine tune your choice of hair straightener to exactly match your hair type.

This tool is of great build quality. You get solid (not coated) ceramic plates that have been infused with tourmaline - tourmaline is a crystal that naturally emits 6 times more negative ions than does ceramic; negative ions seal cuticles so your hair retains moisture thereby staying straighter for longer and your hair suffers less heat damage.

You get variable heat control from between 140F and 450F - the CHI flat iron (original version) only has fixed temperature and no tourmaline plates, but is a more expensive tool. Also, this tool can be used on damp hair - most flat irons sold must be used on perfectly dry hair only. Heat up time is just seconds. Prices start at around $60.

You also have the option of buying more specialized tools like the Solia Universal Dual Voltage flat iron. It comes with 1" plates, is a little heavier than the models already discussed, weighing 2.2lbs and comes with automatic dual voltage control, allowing you to use it anywhere in the world. It comes with plug prongs that can be adapted so that it'll plug into any socket. Its portability is further underlined as it also comes with a 12 Volt car adapter so can even use it in your car. The plates are ceramic but there's no tourmaline which is a real shame. It retails for around $100, which I think is great value for such a portable tool.

Finally, we have the Solia Pink Limited Edition flat iron. It's exactly the same product as the Tourmaline Ceramic models. It costs around $70. The only downside is that it's only available with 1" plates - what about us girls with thicker, coarser, longer hair, don't we deserve a pink limited edition too?

I would buy a Solia flat iron any day over a CHI. Don't get me wrong the CHI flat iron is excellent and, in many ways, is better - check out the Nano Silver models - but they are just too expensive. You really don't need to spend around $120 or more to get perfectly straight hair.About the AuthorFollow the links for the Solia flat iron as well as the CHI flat iron and decide for yourself what is the best flat iron.Article Directory: http://www.articlerich.com