If you’re lacking a plug near your bathroom mirror or perhaps you’re wanting to touch-up your locks whilst on the go, we’ve got the answer for you and it arrives in the form of the BaByliss 9000 Cordless Hair Straightener…
When it comes to hair innovation, we’ve seen an array of tech-driven tools launch in recent years, yet some of the best hair straighteners are still bound to cables and plugs. But, there is one notable exception and that is the BaByliss 9000, a cordless tool that promises quality results whenever and wherever you are.
So, of course, we had to put it to the test and see how the tool lives up to the plugged-in options on the market. We just can’t believe it’s taken us so long to adopt this wire-free styler into our hair routine…
Our Beauty Expert’s Review the Babyliss 9000 Cordless Hair Straightener
We're big fans of some of the best cordless straighteners, thanks to their lightweight and portable nature. So, of course, we had to put the popular BaByliss 9000 option to the test, reviewing its design, how well it smooths and straightens, plus how long its battery life lasts - whilst also noting its all-round ability to curl our locks too. Without revealing too much too soon, we must say, it certainly impressed us...
Our first impressions of the Babyliss 9000 Cordless Hair Straightener design
Upon immediate first impressions, the BaByliss 9000 Cordless looks exactly how you’d expect a typical hair straightener to look - minus a cord and plug, of course. Speaking of its appearance, this tool boasts a sleek, black design with slim plates, which make for a comfortable hold that feels somewhat premium.
As we picked up the straighteners, our attention was grabbed by its slightly heavier weight compared to your average hair iron. But, while its weighty feel is noticeable, it doesn’t impact the styling process or require any extra effort - well, not so much that it will leave you with one bicep bigger than the other. Plus, the fact that it’s cord-free gives you extra freedom of movement, which seems like a fair trade for its weight.
Babyliss 9000 Cordless Hair Straightener technology
In terms of the tech aspects, the Babyliss 9000 Cordless Hair Straightener has a lot going for it. You might expect a noticeable difference in its performance when going wire-free, but this tool excels at its hair benefits, from its smoothing ability and even heat distribution to reduce damage.
Its three heat settings to choose from, 160°C, 180°C, and 200°C, means you can tailor your styling routine to suit your hair’s needs. Like other ceramic straighteners, the plates on this tool boast a micro heating matrix, which essentially means that the iron heats up quickly yet evenly across the plates, recovering any lost heat and maintaining a consistent temperature throughout the entire styling process (which offers a maximum of 30 minutes cordless use with one full charge). It's also worth noting that the plates are also floating, so they won’t clamp onto your strands which will help avoid any damage to your locks, such as frizz and split ends. For those new to stylers with floating plates, they may feel a bit wobbly when pressed together, but that’s the, doing exactly the job they’re meant to do.
Not only has the wire disappeared on this hair straightener, but it also has a lack of buttons and switches, instead, the tool is controlled through one large circular button at its base. It offers a variety of different coloured light signals which show how much battery charge the device has remaining; for example, red shows less than 30%, orange means 30-49%, and so on until a solid green ring indicates 100% battery life. On this circle you can adjust the temperature and find the on button, which you press for two seconds until you hear the ‘ding’ noise - an incredibly helpful alert for those nervous about the straightener turning itself on whilst carrying them in your bag, despite its handy case and silicone sleeve.
How well does the Babyliss 9000 Cordless Hair Straightener perform?
As with any cordless hair tools, before you can get stuck into styling with this hair straightener, they require a full charge using the clever magnetic lead. Unfortunately, you can’t just pop them on charge for a quick 10 minutes, and blast your hair with the best hairdryer, before using them, this tool needs a full three hours on charge in order to unlock 30 minutes of cordless styling time. Obviously, you can still use them with less charge (thanks to the helpful colourful light indication), but it’s ideal to start with the maximum battery to avoid it running out of battery before you’ve finished styling. We have to note, you can still use the stylers whilst they’re on charge, making it just like any normal hair straighteners, but the cord is particularly short and does defeat the object of splashing out on one of the best cordless hair straighteners.
The tool quickly heats up to its default temperature of 160°C, however it also offers two higher heat settings for those who prefer hotter styling temperatures. When it came to using the tool on my own hair, a single pass did just the trick to transform my air-dried flyaway locks into smooth and glossy strands - however, that is the case with most straighteners on my fine hair. To give this cordless hair straightener a fair shot, our naturally curly and thick-haired Beauty Editor tested the device on her strands. Although she opted for a slightly higher heat setting, and required slightly more tension, she was still impressed with the results - especially for a cordless tool.
We both noticed an occasional clicking sound from the device, which we can only assume were the floating plates adjusting to our hair thickness. Whilst it’s noticeable, it’s not overly irritating – especially as you can feel that the hair isn’t snagging or dragging. Overall, we’d say we had a smooth styling experience.
We couldn’t just stop at straightening our hair, we had to test the BaByliss 9000’s full potential at attempting to curl hair with a straightener. If you find this technique a little tricky (you’re not alone), you’ll be pleased to know that it is incredibly easier than when you’re trying to manoeuvre the tool alongside a web of wires. For those who find their curls drop out throughout the day, and often need a touch-up by midday, this portable tool will become your best friend.
If you have a particularly forgetful mind, the Babyliss 9000 turns itself down to 120° when it hasn't been used for five minutes, before switching itself off completely after another five minutes. What’s more, it also arrives with a heat-protecting roll-up mat and various cases to help avoid singeing carpets or handbags.
The downsides of Babyliss 9000 Cordless Hair Straightener
The ability to use this hair straightener whilst out and about is a major positive, essentially giving you the opportunity to style your locks wherever and whenever you like. However, its limited battery life is a slight downside, as you have to keep on top of charging to ensure you can style a whole head of hair before it runs out. Of course, you could also carry the charger around too, but it defeats the object of how lightweight and portable this tool is.
It's also wise to keep an eye out for is its magnetic charging connector detaching itself, as we found that we kept accidentally knocking it out of place, which meant we lost a fair bit of precious charging time.
Babyliss 9000 Cordless Hair Straightener: Our verdict
If you're someone who is conscious of how the daily weather forecast may impact what kind of hair day you may have, the BaByliss 9000 is a must-try tool. It allows you to touch-up and tame unruly locks anywhere, from your commute to work to public toilets, without the stress of trying to find a plug - making them some of best straighteners for curly hair and best hair straighteners for thick hair, that we've tried.
That's without mentioning that they're incredibly handy when you're travelling, whether you're camping in a tent or restricted to just a cabin bag. Plus, they offer a solution if the plug sockets in your house are nowhere near the best mirrors and lighting, or if you want to style your hair while keeping one eye on something else (the TV, your children). If any of the above applies then the cost and charging time trade-off could be well worth it. If you’re only use your straighteners every now and then, and someone who doesn’t tend to touch their hair throughout the day, possibly not, but the overall performance really is up there to rival the best.
