Which Cloud Nine straighteners should I buy? We weigh up the pros and cons
Want to know which Cloud Nine straighteners should I buy? Let us point you in the direction of the perfect pair.
Having launched in 2009, it’s fair to say that Cloud Nine are a well-established brand, but they haven’t quite got the same level of household name status as hair giants like ghd or Dyson. For that reason, they’ve ended up being a bit of an industry insider secret – making what those in the know consider to be some of the best hair straighteners, best curling irons and best hairdryers available now.
If you’re in the market for a new pair of straighteners, Cloud Nine definitely have you covered. But, with eight different options to choose from, it’s not immediately clear which will be best suited to your hair type and budget. They have standard-sized straighteners, wide-plate straighteners and even micro ones for shorter hair. Some can be set to lower temperatures, and some have built-in technology to reduce damage to the hair – both key selling points if you’re keen to avoid split ends. Price-wise, Cloud Nine straighteners are expensive but not eye-wateringly so – especially compared to tools like the Dyson Corrale or ghd Duet Style which will set you back upwards of £350. Prices start at £189 for The Touch Iron and rise to £299 for The 2-in-1 Contouring Iron, the brand’s latest innovative launch for creating curls, waves and sleek looks with one tool.
The 8 Cloud Nine straighteners to choose from
Suits-all straighteners
Cloud Nine The Original Iron
RRP: £199
Temperature options: 100°C to 200°C
Hot in: 20 seconds
There are some tools that promise you the world and others that just promise what you actually need from a straightening iron. The Original Iron is the latter. It’s relatively no-frills while still delivering on appearance (slick), technical features (generous) and finish (silky smooth and frizz-free). The range of temperature options is broad at 100°C to 200°C, which sets these apart from other best-selling straighteners which are set to one consistent temp. They take 20 seconds to reach even the hottest temperatures and are enhanced with predictive technology to ensure the heat is evenly spread across the plates. Still not sold? The Original Iron also features floating plates with a silky mineral coating and a 360° swivel cord that makes it a doddle to style the back of your hair.
Buy it if: You’re looking for a hardworking, standard-size straightening iron that isn’t made by ghd.
Upgrade option
Cloud Nine The Original Iron Pro
RRP: £249
Temperature options: 100°C to 200°C
Hot in: 20 seconds
The Original Iron Pro isn’t too dissimilar to The Original, but the higher price tag is justified by the chic metallic accents and the option to use the tool in what the brand calls ‘Revive Mode’. The idea is that instead of going in all guns blazing when your style needs a little tweak between washes, you should opt for lower temperatures instead. Revive Mode combines temperatures of 150° with vibrating plates, and the science and logic behind this is that it’s gentler on the hair with less chance of snagging. We have to admit it takes a minute to get used to your straighteners buzzing in your hand, but it really does work.
Buy it if: You like to touch up your style between washes but don’t want to use too much heat.
Curl crafter
Cloud Nine 2-in-1 Contouring Iron Pro
RRP: £299
Temperature options: 100-200°C
Hot in: 35 seconds
The latest Cloud Nine straighteners launch has acknowledged that that most of us do more than just straighten our hair with our tools, making them a one-stop-shop for waves and curls too. With this in mind, the Cloud Nine 2-in-1 Contouring Iron Pro has curved, rounded plates that meet in the middle in an interlocking arch shape. Because of this smooth meeting point, you’re still able to straighten the hair, but you’re also well set up for learning how to curl hair with straighteners to create curves and flicks too. Just like the Cloud Nine Pro stylers, they can also be set to ‘Revive Mode’, allowing you to refresh your style in between washes without using unnecessarily high temperatures.
Buy it if: You like to curl and wave your hair as well as straighten it.
On the go
Cloud Nine The Original Cordless Iron
RRP: £199
Temperature options: 160-200°C
Hot in: 24 seconds
Cordless straighteners will appeal to two main types of people – ones that have found themselves so desperate to smooth a bit of frizz that they’ve plugged their straighteners into a charging point on a train, and the ones that find that wires get in the way when they style, creating a tangled mess. Cloud Nine The Original Cordless Iron is great for both types of consumers, with the main downside being that the battery only lasts for 20 minutes before needing to be recharged for another 90 minutes. Fine if you’re organised enough to plan ahead, but not so good if you don’t remember to charge them. As a straightener though, they’re great, with a choice of temperature settings reached within an impressive 24 seconds – more than enough time to smooth that fringe before your date arrives.
Buy it if: You’re the sort of person who’s known to carry a pair of straighteners in their handbag.
Fringe favourite
Cloud Nine The Mini Iron
RRP: £159
Temperature options: 100°C to 200°C
Hot in: 20 seconds
Find standard straighteners too clunky? Struggle to get nice and close to your roots? Cloud Nine The Mini Iron is the precision solution. They’ve been designed with short hairstyles, like pixie haircuts and bob hairstyles in mind, as well as fringes which are notoriously tricky to straighten. Specs-wise, they’re identical to The Original Iron. The notable difference, aside from the fact they’re only available in black with silver accents and not any other colour ways, is the width of the plates, which is half an inch, rather than the one-inch width of The Original. The size of the rest of the tool is the same though, so you don’t feel like a giant using a teeny-weeny pair of straighteners.
Buy it if: You have very short or fine hair.
Thick hair time saver
Cloud Nine The Wide Iron
RRP: £209
Temperature options: 100-200°C
Hot in: 20 seconds
If wash day is an ordeal that requires you to put aside a good couple of hours to tame your very thick or very long hair, then a wide-plate straightener is a worthwhile, time-saving investment. Cloud Nine The Wide Iron is an almost exact replica of The Original Iron, except the plates are 1.5 inches wide instead of one inch. What we like the most though is that although using wider straighteners takes a little getting used to, the plates are aligned very closely to the edge so you can still get right to the root without leaving an awkward, tell-tale line of frizz around your hairline. Among the best hair straighteners for thick hair and best hair straighteners for curly hair we’ve tried.
Buy it if: You have very long, very thick or naturally curly hair that can be time-consuming to style.
Reduces damage
Cloud Nine The Wide Iron Pro
RRP: £259
Temperature: 100-200°C
Hot in: 20 seconds
The Cloud Nine The Wide Iron vs Cloud Nine The Wide Iron Pro is the same story as The Original Iron vs The Original Iron Pro. They are essentially, the same too, except the Pro looks sleeker and fancier than the original, and has the addition of ‘Revive Mode’ to make between shampoo touch-ups a cooler and smoother affair to reduce the risk of singeing and snagging. We think this added extra is especially handy on the wider irons, as those with thick, naturally coarse and curly hair are the ones who’ll be getting the most use out of the straighteners, and will therefore want to minimise damage. Team with a generous spritz of the best heat protection spray to shield your strands as much as possible.
Buy it if: You’re concerned about damage and want to keep heat to a minimum.
Fast mover
Cloud Nine The Touch Iron
RRP: £189
Temperature options: 165 and 195°C
Hot in: A second or two
Want straight hair and want it now? The Touch Iron is the tool for you, Veruca Salt. Instead of fiddling around with buttons, it works via a sort of Morse code in that when you tap the places together they move between settings. Press them together once to turn on, and they’ll speedily start making their way to 165°C. Press them twice, and the temperature will climb to 195°C. If that starts to feel warmer than necessary, press three times to lower it back to 165°C. These irons can be tapped to turn off too, but don’t stress if you forget the code, as they’ll still automatically switch off after 30 minutes of inactivity. They feature all the good stuff you’d expect from Cloud Nines too, including Tourmaline-coated plates, floating plates and predictive heat technology.
Buy it if: You’re short on time and want your straighteners to work from the moment you turn them on.
There we have it – your guide to Cloud Nine straighteners at a glance. Which pair will you choose?
