ghd Duet Style

Should you buy the ghd Duet Style?

The ghd Duet Style is for someone with straight or fine hair who wants to go from towel-dried to smooth in one pass. It ranks #9 of 12 hair styling tools at $429 list, though it is often 50 percent off. The idea is a wet-to-dry styler that combines airflow with four heated plates, so you skip the dryer step entirely. If your hair is thick or curly, a conventional dryer plus a flat iron like the BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium is faster and cheaper. If you mostly want a great iron for dry hair, the ghd Platinum+ is the better ghd.

Where it earns its score

• Wet-to-dry in one pass. Four smart heated plates with infinity sensors dry and straighten simultaneously at a lower optimized temperature.
• Shine Shot mode. On dry hair it becomes a conventional styler at a fixed 365 F, so you are not buying a wet-only tool.
• Strong build. Quality and Features both score 88, backed by universal voltage, a swivel cord and auto sleep.

What to know first

• Warranty is the weakest ViperScore factor. Coverage scores 66, and Value at 68 is the lowest in the category at list price.
• Heavier than a flat iron. The airflow hardware adds weight, and long sessions on thick hair get tiring.
• Best on straight or fine hair. ghd's own guidance and reviewer experience agree that thick or textured hair does not get the same one-pass result.
• Buy it on sale. The score is set at the $429 list price; at 50 percent off the value math changes completely.

Questions buyers ask