Ella Bella Curling Iron Review

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I think romantic curls are always “in” no matter the season, and while curling irons are common tools to achieve the look, Ella Bella’s curling wand is one of the best I’ve used in terms of design, features, and results.

That’s saying a lot, because I’ve used many “similar” hot tools over the years. My hair is very long, and when I wear curls, I focus them on the lower half of my hair and then curl my face-framing layers all the way up to the root. 

Ella Bella’s curling iron totally rocked my hair.

What To Know About The Ella Bella Curling Iron

  • It’s a clamp-style iron with precise temperature control that ranges from 180ºF to 410ºF so you can tailor the heat based on your hair’s texture and health. There is no button on the wand; the temp is controlled by turning the bottom of the base.
  • Ceramic technology protects your hair from heat damage but also minimizes frizz when curling; the resulting curls are smooth, soft to the touch, and perfectly formed.
  • The iron is available in three barrel sizes: 1-inch, 1.25-inch, and 1.5-inch. (Mine is the 1-inch barrel.) Additionally, the tool is lightweight to prevent arm fatigue.
  • The cord swivels to prevent twisting and it’s VERY long for a tool of this type; I measured 96” (8 feet!) with a tape from the plug to the base.
  • It comes with a glove to protect your hands and a heat-resistant mat/case.

I really love this curling iron because it delivers such soft, bouncy curls, free from frizz (which is the bane of my existence) and I’ll share everything about my experience with it if you’re thinking about getting one for yourself (or someone else)!

My Experience Using The 1-Inch Curling Iron From Ella Bella

I love wearing my hair curly and I used to perm it once a year or so… at least until I started playing with highlights and bleach. (Here’s a lesson learned the hard way: Never do bleach and perming. You can google pics to get an idea if you don’t know what I’m talking about. Just… do yourself a favor and learn from my mistakes.)

So these days, whenever I wear curls, they’re delivered temporarily with hot tools and that’s why I was so excited to try Ella Bella’s curling iron.

I absolutely love the way the company’s products are packaged. Even if you’re buying this curling iron for yourself, it feels like a gift because the box is just so pretty and luxe.

I really appreciate that it’s simple to open with no “tricky” packaging to work your way through. Simply flip the box open on the side, and you can take the iron out and get to curling right away.

The first thing that really struck me about this curling iron is the length of the cord. Too many times in the past, I’ve had to use an extension cord with my hot tools because the cord just wasn’t long enough to reach from an outlet to my styling space. I hand-measured the cord on my Ella Bella curling iron and it is 96” (8 feet) long! 

That’s crazy! And awesome!

The other feature that impressed me the most is the design of the temperature control on the wand. Raise your hand if you’ve ever accidentally bumped a slider button on a curling iron and turned it off or shifted the temp without realizing it.

Yeah, me too. It’s beyond frustrating, right?

That’s one thing you won’t do with the curling iron from Ella Bella because the temperature is adjusted by twisting the base of the wand. At no point will fumbling fingers change the setting or turn it off while you’re using it. 

It’s the “little” things like this that really show how much thought actually went into the design of this iron.

The curling iron heats up pretty quickly and you can watch the temperature rise on the digital display on the handle. In no time at all, I was ready to begin curling.

I pinned the top layers of my hair up and began curling the lengths of everything I’d left down. When I curl my hair, I prefer to do the underside first because those are looser and more volume-producing along the lower half.

Once that was done, I moved to the top sections I’d pinned up and this is where I curled smaller sections to create more definition in the curl. Because my hair is long and I don’t want to shorten the length by curling too much, the majority of the curls start about half-way down my hair’s total length, and I only do curls closer to the root when they’re around my face.

My finished look was absolutely gorgeous and I was SO happy with how it turned out. The curls were soft, bouncy, beautifully formed, and frizz-free.

All in, it took me about a half hour to achieve this look, and that photo was taken without having used any product in my hair before or after. That’s how it came out, fresh from the iron.

How to use the Ella Bella curling iron:

  1. After the unit is plugged in, you’ll see “OFF” displayed on the handle. Turn the bottom of the base counter-clockwise to adjust the temperature from 180ºF to 410ºF. Max temperature is reached at one half-turn from its starting position.
  2. Take a section of hair and clamp it about ⅔ of the way up, sliding it down toward the ends to smooth and “prep” the hair for curling.
  3. When you reach the ends (or very close to them), begin curling in the direction of the clamp as far up as you’d like to go.
  4. Hold the wand in place for 10-15 seconds based on your hair’s texture.
  5. Unroll and release the clamp.

Since my hair is highlighted and color-treated, my base temp setting with this was 316ºF to 340ºF, with the iron held in place for about 12 seconds. Because my ends are heavily bleached and a bit more delicate compared to the rest of my hair, I always leave an inch or two of my ends sticking out when I roll; they aren’t held directly against the iron with the clamp.

That’s something to keep in mind when you’re using this, or any other hot styling tool, for that matter. If your ends are damaged, it’s okay to leave them out a little bit. Although the barrel is ceramic, which helps to prevent heat damage, your ends are always the part that lies closest to the barrel and spends the most time snuggled up to the heat.

You can also opt to use a heat-protectant spray beforehand, too.

Ella Bella Curling Iron Pros and Cons

After using the curling iron from Ella Bella, I can honestly say it’s the best I’ve ever tried, and there are WAY more pros than cons. 

Ella Bella Curling Iron Pros

  • There are NO buttons on the unit so no matter how you’re holding it, your thumb or fingers won’t accidentally turn it off or adjust the temperature unexpectedly during use.
  • The clamp holds your hair firmly while rolling, but doesn’t pull your hair too much while you’re sliding the barrel down the length toward the ends before rolling.
  • The curling wand is surprisingly lightweight so it isn’t difficult to wield or hold in place while you’re using it, meaning your arms won’t get tired.
  • The “kickstand” that the curling iron rests on when it’s on a table or counter is solid and immovable, so you never have to fiddle with it (unlike the hinge-style stands typically found on other hot tools).
  • The cord is exceptionally long (I measured 96” from the base to where the plug begins) and it also swivels where it attaches to the wand so it never gets tangled or twisted.
  • The curling iron includes a glove for protecting the hand that’s working with the curl barrel the most, if you prefer to use it.

Ella Bella Curling Iron Cons

  • Although it’s typical for any curling iron that has a clamp, there is no “cool shot” option available for setting the curl. This is one thing that the curling iron attachments included in Ella Bella’s 6-in-1 do better: After you’ve curled with a hot temperature, you can quickly change the air temperature to cool to set the curl before release.
  • As of this writing Ella Bella only delivers within the United States.

Closing Thoughts 

I love the results I get when using the curling iron from Ella Bella. Every curl is smooth and beautifully shaped, and my hair doesn’t feel damaged afterward. It’s soft to the touch, full of movement, and just so, so pretty.

If you love romantic curls as much as I do, the Ella Bella curling iron is one you’re going to want to get your hands on because it’s smartly designed and delivers amazing, frizz-free styles that last all day.

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