I recently tried the infrared hair straightener from Ella Bella and I was blown away by the results… and I’m still marveling over the fact that it vibrates.
Yes, you read that right. It’s a vibrating hair straightener.
My hair has a lot of wave in it, whether it dries naturally or gets into that state after I’ve slept since I always braid it before bed. As much as I love the beachy style I wake up with, sometimes I just want my hair to be as straight and sleek as humanly possible and Ella Bella’s straightener delivers that in a matter of minutes.
What To Know About The Ella Bella Infrared Hair Straightener
- Designed with advanced infrared tech, this ionic hair straightener features a vibration function that helps the heated plates to glide along the hair more smoothly, which not only makes styling faster but minimizes damage.
- The built-in ionic generator is more than just a fancy term; it reduces static electricity and frizz for a sleeker finished style.
- The heat setting is adjustable between 320ºF to 450ºF, so you can cater the temperature based on your hair’s texture, thickness, and health.
- Although the status of the straightener (OFF or a temperature) is visible right on the handle, there is an auto shut-off after 60 minutes of inactivity as a safety precaution.
- Where the base of the plates meets the handle, there is a rubber thumb grip that provides a more secure hold when you’re using it.
As a standalone hair straightener, the Ella Bella is crafted so intelligently, and every little decision made in its design serves a real purpose. This isn’t your “basic” styling tool, despite being super simple to use.
I’ll tell you everything you need to know about my experience with the infrared hair straightener, sharing plenty of pictures along the way, and I’ll also explain how to use it, the pros and cons, and all the reasons why I think the Ella Bella is worth buying.
My Experience Using Ella Bella’s Infrared Hair Straightener
The infrared hair straightener is not the first styling tool I’ve tried from Ella Bella, so I naturally expected quality when it arrived on my doorstep. As with all of their products, this one was packaged beautifully in its signature pink box.
But beyond the hair straightener, it also included a heat-resistant glove and a heavy silicone “travel bag” that doubles as a resting place for the hot tool when you need to set it down during use. This is such a nice (and honestly thoughtful) touch, especially if you do your hair and makeup at a wooden vanity or table, or if your countertops just can’t take the heat.
Speaking of thoughtful touches, this tool features rubber grips on either side, right where the plates meet the handle, which help to prevent it from slipping during use, especially if your palms get sweaty or you’ve got product on your hands.
The controls on the hair straightener are easy to use and clearly marked, and I really appreciate that they’re in a location that isn’t prone to being accidentally bumped while you’re using it. You won’t turn it off if you don’t mean to, and you won’t adjust the temperature unexpectedly. (I’ve had such an issue with that on some hot tools in the past, particularly if the button is a slider that sits right where you hold the thing… and that’s frustrating.)
The titanium plates on Ella Bella’s infrared straightener get hot quickly, so once you’ve turned it on and you set the temperature, it’s ready to go in just seconds. The digital display is right on the handle, so you can’t miss it.
Given that my hair has been highlighted throughout, bleached more heavily at the ends, and is also colored regularly (I’m never not doing something to my hair…), I opted to use a lower heat setting with this, but even at 340ºF, the straightener smoothed most sections of my hair in a single pass. There were a few areas, mostly toward the back of my head, that required a second or third pass to get them perfectly straight and smooth, but that’s typical with any hair straightener, especially when you’re using it at a lower temp.
What really amazed me the most, though, was how much the vibration function actually helped the plates to glide along my hair. I’d never used a straightener that had this type of feature before, but now that I have, I don’t think I’ll use one without it.
When other hair straighteners pull the hair taut as they slide down a section of hair, it can sometimes be uncomfortable, not to mention it puts a lot of unnecessary stress on the root. The Ella Bella Infrared Hair Straightener, however, slips along each section of hair much more easily, thanks to the subtle vibration it provides. It glides effortlessly and protects your hair along the way.
And the results?
Beautiful.
(If I look stunned in that photo, it’s because I am!)
My frizz-prone hair was sleek, straight, and moved almost like a curtain, which was exactly the look I was going for!
How to use the Ella Bella hair straightener:
- Before you set the temperature (320ºF to 450ºF), you’ll want to consider your hair’s texture and health. If your hair is fine or chemically processed, it’s best to use the straightener between 320ºF and 400ºF (at the highest end). If your hair is thick, wavy, and healthy, you’re safe to use it up to 450ºF. My personal rule of thumb? Set it lower than you think you’ll need.
- As with any straightener, you may need to do more than one pass to fully straighten your hair. Always keep the straightener moving; don’t leave it sitting in any single place for more than a second or two because you don’t want to scorch your hair.
- Press and hold the power button until you hear it beep, and then adjust the temperature setting using the “C” button.
- Once your set temp is reached, which takes a matter of seconds, you can use the straightener on sections of your hair as needed, ideally 2” wide and ¼” thick. Go slower on thick sections and faster on thin ones.
- Although it’s entirely optional, I highly recommend using the vibration function (“M” button) to allow more fluid movement of the straightening plates along each section of hair you’re working with.
On my hair, with its highlighted and colored state, I opted to use the Ella Bella straightener at 340ºF. Some sections required a couple passes, but my hair was frizz-free and straight by the end, with no visible damage.
Ella Bella Infrared Hair Straightener Pros and Cons
Even though I’m not someone who wears her hair straight daily, I really appreciate the intelligent design of Ella Bella’s straightener. The pros definitely outweigh the cons (by a mile), but I’ll share them both if you’re thinking about buying this for yourself or as a gift for someone else.
Ella Bella Hair Straightener Pros
- The entire unit is lightweight and super easy to use, especially with the grippy thumb rests on either side of the handle.
- The buttons are easy to use but NOT easy to accidentally bump while you’re straightening your hair, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally shifting the temperature or turning it off when you didn’t mean to.
- The vibration, although a first for me, is actually really innovative and seemed to make the straightening process easier and faster.
- The ionic tech minimizes static electricity and frizz along the hair shaft.
- The cord attaches to the unit in a way that spins, so it never gets tangled or twisted around no matter how you’re moving the straightener during use.
- This hair straightener comes with a heat-resistant glove and a silicone travel “case” that doubles as a “pot holder” of sorts, since you can set the straightener down during use while protecting the surface of the table or countertop it’s resting on.
Ella Bella Hair Straightener Cons
- As with most hair straighteners, the outside (around the plates) becomes VERY hot to the touch during use.
- You may need to do more than one pass along a section of hair, depending on its texture and the tool’s temperature setting, but this is also common with any other straightener.
- As of this writing, Ella Bella only delivers within the United States.
Closing Thoughts
The Ella Bella Infrared Hair Straightener is a REALLY effective hot tool that creates the sleekest hair imaginable, effortlessly. Even if you’re frizz-prone, the ionic plates will smooth everything you’ve got going on, leaving behind a straight curtain of hair that’s simply gorgeous.
Whether you straighten your hair daily or just as a once-in-a-while style, this is one hot tool you’re going to want to add to your beauty arsenal.
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