Review: Remington S3500 230 Ceramic Slim Hair Straightener

‘I have very curly hair and I straighten it every day – it takes maybe two minutes. I can’t imagine anyone having a bigger challenge than I do in the kinkiness that is my crazy ‘fro.’ – Ginnifer Goodwin

Firstly I’d like to start by giving a shout out to Ang, Steph and Dave who have been there for me and helped me through what’s been a very difficult and traumatic weekend. It’s taken me a good 24 hours to be able to even pull myself round to talk about the event of yesterday but i’ll give it a go. Yesterday every girl’s worse nightmare happened. My hair straighteners went on the fritz mid straighten.

RIP C9’s. Bless ye and all who’s head ye touched.

Thankfully, I was 2/3 of the way through and after throwing a mild (ok, moderate….ok severe) tantrum, I quickly finished off before they cooled down and was ready to go out. I’d had these straighteners (Cloud Nine wide plates) for over 3 years with no problems. I’d always rated Cloud Nine over GHD mainly because you can adjust the temperature so they didn’t fry my fringe as much. For the first 3 years they were champion, however in March this year they started throwing a hissy fit, beeping uncontrollably and refusing to heat up past 150 degree. So I called Cloud Nine and they said I could send them off to be fixed for £30, and if they were unfixable, they would send me a brand new pair. Seeing as they cost £120 new, I thought this was a good deal so sent them away and 5 days later they came back working perfectly again. Happy Days.

So, imagine my consternation a mere 5 months later they break again. My face was not a happy one. However, I’ve always been a person that (post strop) likes solutions not problems, so before I’m able to unleash holy hell on Cloud Nine on Monday morning, I needed a solution. A quick and cheap solution. And because I’m incredibly vain (as the unstraightened picture below will quantify) I needed an immediate replacement.

Off to my local boots I went and was torn between the Babyliss Pro Straight 230 (exclusive to boots – £16.99) and the Remington S3500 (£19.99). They both had similar reviews (4.5 out of 5) I was obviously attracted to the cheaper price of the babyliss but the plates on the Remington were wider, so figured that was worth the extra £3.

Here’s what the box tells you:

The Remington 230 Ceramic Slim Straightener has antistatic Ceramic coated plates giving your hair 4 times more protection and delivering sleek and smooth hair with every effortless stroke. Incredibly fast-working, reaching a top heat of 230ºC in a super quick 15 seconds, helping you to achieve silky, shiny hair in an instant.
Remington 230 Ceramic Slim Straightener features:

• The premium Ceramic plates ensure the heat distributes evenly throughout the straightener, keeping it at the temperature selected with no hot spots.
• It creates an easy and effortless glide during straightening with no snagging, flattening your hair cuticles for silky, smooth and shiny results. And it ensures long-life plate wear, protecting the plates against styling products and scratching.
• The Ceramic Slim’s ergonomic design makes it oh so easy to use. They measure a slender 110 mm in length meaning you can straighten more of your hair in one stroke, right from the roots. Plus they fit neatly in your hand without feeling uncomfortable and chunky. What’s more, the innovative floating plates cushion your hair whilst straightening leaving it perfectly smooth and indent free.
• The temperate wheel allows you to choose from the diverse 30 variable heat settings – so you can keep it cool for fine, coloured hair or turn up the temperate for thicker hair to ensure it stays straight all day. Plus the clever plate lock function means they can be stored away easily and compactly.
• The Ceramic Slim 230 has worldwide voltage, so there’s no need to skimp on your style routine wherever you are in the world. It also boasts a 1.8m swivel cord for maneuverability and longer reach and comes with a three year guarantee.

Here’s how I found them:
Well, it’s only £20 but based on the reviews I had high expectations. I have to say I’m impressed. Aesthetically, they look great. Very sleek and stylish and are light so your hand doesn’t get sore using them for long periods of time. But let’s be honest, it’s not Cloud Nine or GHD quality, but neither is it over £100. It heats up to 230 degrees but as the plates are quite slim, it still takes a good few times going over the same area to get it as straight as I like but it’s not scratchy and doesn’t snag your hair like some cheap straighteners do. They don’t feel as robust as others I’ve used in the past; I’m not sure they would survive many drops or being stood on or tripped over. The on/off button is loose; I worry I’m going to inadvertently switch them off while I’m using them (I haven’t as yet though). They have an auto switch off after an hour which is handy, as is the heat proof mat it comes with; who doesn’t forget to turn their straighteners off from time to time?! As you can see from the pictures below, they certainly work, and although I don’t think the straightness stays perfect all day (as well as C9s or GHDs) but as an every day straightener or if you have short hair that keeps it’s shape well anyway, they work great.

I’m still going to pursue getting my Cloud Nine’s fixed or replaced as I do believe they’re an all round higher quality product however these Remington ones provide a more that suitable alternative or emergency pair should you need them. There isn’t much you can get for less than £20 these days, so they are exceptional quality for the price. They come with a 3 year guarantee as well (as long as you keep your receipt) so if the unthinkable occurs and they do happen to break, once you get other the trauma, you’re covered. The warranty doesn’t cover anything you smash in a broken straightener related tantrum though sadly.

Before and after pictures: