GHD Chronos hair straightener review: does it live up to the hype?

Price: £289 in black or white, higher prices for special edition colours

Our rating: 8 out of 10

We like: 

• Creates very sleek, shiny ‘dos
• Heat protection science 
• Quicker straightening process

We don’t like: 

• No option to change the styling temperature – it’s set at 185ºC 
• Expensive 
• Frizz still crept in (post Chronos-styling) when I went outside in humidity 

What is the GHD Chronos?

GHD has been the hair straightener brand to reckon with for decades. I remember coveting its straightening wands as a teenager, desperate for Noughties poker-straight hair. Hair trends have come and gone (and come back again), but GHD (it stands for ‘good hair day’) remains an industry titan, used by top hairdressers and amateurs lock-tamers alike. 

GHD’s latest model, the Chronos, only came to market this year and is one of the best hair straighteners you can buy. It’s also, at almost £300, one of the most expensive available. GHD calls it the “holy grail of hair styling”, a device which straightens and smooths in just one stroke, rather than the two, three or even four repetitions that some smoothing gadgets require. 

It also claims it gives tresses 85 per cent more shine, half the frizz and more breakage protection. But all those comparisons are against GHD’s original model, which came out way back in 2001. So we’ve taken a look at how the Chronos performs against some of its newest competitors, such as Cloud 9’s Original Iron and Wide Iron, and Diva’s Pro Styling wand. 

There are a lot of appealing claims to the Chronos – and (spoiler alert) we found it a really impressive hair tool, that can give such a sleek and shiny look you can fake a trip to the hairdresser’s. At current salon blow-dry rates, regular users will find the Chronos can earn its keep pretty speedily. But we weren’t so sold on whether the Chronos’s new innovations are worth upgrading for, if you’ve already got a slightly-older model of straightening wand at home. 

How we test hair straighteners 

We put the GHD Chronos through some serious hair tests, looking at five main factors to really work out how good a gadget it is. Whilst I used the Chronos for over a month at home on my own fine, mid-length hair, I also quizzed celebrity hair stylist Moe Harb, at Beauty Club London, who has put the Chronos to the test on lots of different hair types, from tight and springy ‘4C’ curls through to thick and wavy textures. 

We rated the GHD Chronos on its results – that is, how straight and glossy the hair was after use, and how long its sleek straightening power worked for. We also looked at the styler’s usability – how clear the instructions and videos were, and how easy the controls were to use. 

Another aspect we considered was how much effort was involved in using the Chronos, because no one wants to feel like they’ve just got through ‘arms day’ when they’ve just tried to straighten their hair. Does it really take just one pass to straighten and smooth locks, as GHD claims? 

We also considered safety, including both how well the straightener keeps you, the user, safe, and how seriously it protects hair from excess heat. Last but not least, we thought about design: the look of the hair tool, its durability and quality, and its accessories.

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Quality of results when using a GHD Chronos: 9/10

I’ve never been able to achieve a salon-like effect by doing a DIY blow-dry at home, despite using one of the most-recommended hairdryers on the market. But with the GHD Chronos, I was wowed at how easy it was to get smooth, shiny hair, which was poker straight if I wanted it to be, or with a soft under curl if styled that way. 

I definitely noticed a difference with how glossy my hair looked after using this straightener – a few people asked if I’d had my hair done – when compared to cheaper GHD models. 

“What sets the Chronos apart is its enhanced temperature control,” says Moe. “This adjusts in real-time to prevent overheating – making it beneficial for preventing damage, especially on fragile or chemically treated hair. 

The Chronos handles thicker, coarser textures like type 4C hair better due to its faster heat recovery. The floating plates glide smoothly, and the ionic technology is more noticeable in reducing frizz, leaving a shinier, sleeker finish.”

Usability: 7/10 

At first, I thought the Chronos didn’t come with an instruction booklet, just a safety guide, but with a single round button to turn on the hair straightener, it wasn’t at all hard to control. After switching on the Chronos, it played a few musical sounds within 20 seconds to show it was at full heat, and then I would simply insert about three centimetres’ width of hair into the device horizontally glide straight down from roots to the tips. Later I found the instructions hiding under the bulk of the packaging – but it goes to show how simple the process was that I didn’t need them at first. 

The Chronos was very easy to use as a straightener, but I did find myself heading to YouTube to watch videos about how to make a perfect wave when I wanted to use styling tool to create more of a curly look. 

Overall, I’d say the Chronos is really easy to use straight out of the box, but it’s worth spending some time down a YouTube tutorial hole to wield its full potential. 

Ease of use: 10/10

On my fine hair, the most noticeable difference between the Chronos and cheaper brands’ straighteners, was that the Chronos did make life a lot easier on my arms: it is light, and really does need only one or, at a maximum, two passes along the hair. That meant it was much quicker to use – the total straightening time was about five minutes for my whole head, although it did take longer to curl.

Another major improvement in the Chronos is its rounded barrel shape – it made it super-easy to curl under or over the ends of my hair, as well as creating strong curls and looser waves without the styler ‘catching’ on the edges of my hair as other straighteners have done when I’ve tried to use them to curl. 

We also tested the Chronos out on other hair types. “It’s versatile,” Moe says. “Its slightly rounded plates make it easy to switch between straightening and creating waves or curls. This flexibility is great for everyday use or more creative styling. Whether you have fine, straight hair or tight, coiled textures, the GHD Chronos adapts, offering both performance and hair protection.”

Safety: 9/10

One of the main ways that GHD has upgraded the Chronos from its predecessor, the £239 Platinum+ model, is what it calls its ‘HD motion-responsive technology’. It means that instead of having heating plates where the heat would mainly be distributed in one or two areas, it has sensors that react to how the plate is being used, in order to make sure that the heat is constantly evenly spread out and maintained at 185 degrees. 

That’s the crucial number which GHD’s research shows is ideal. When styling lower than 185 degrees, they say, the style won’t hold. But any hotter can cause “irreversible damage”. Without having laboratory heat-testing equipment, it’s hard to say whether GHD’s heat upgrade is fail-safe, but I definitely did find that the Chronos felt like it was emanating heat from all over its ceramic plates and that it worked faster and more efficiently at styling than other straighteners. So it seems to be effective.

The Chronos also automatically turns off after 10 minutes of inactivity, which is a safety feature that I really appreciated. Who hasn’t had that sinking feeling they’ve left their straighteners on? It’s also good news for energy efficiency. Its predecessor, the Platinum+, switched off after being unused for 30 minutes. 

“Titanium-plated straighteners from other brands might heat up faster and work well on thicker hair,” Moe says, “but they lack the same level of automatic heat regulation that the Chronos provides. On 4C hair, for example, this feature is crucial, as it allows for high heat without risking damage or dryness.”

Design: 9 / 10

Considering its price, I had hoped the Chronos would come with a dinky carry case or other accessories – but inside the (chic white) packaging, the hair straightener’s only extra was a rubber cover to protect the straighteners when not being used. 

The styler itself is a sleek white (or black, it’s also available in other colours but at a price premium) wand, which looks as professional as it acts. It has a really long cable (2.7m) so you can use the Chronos quite a distance away from a plug point if there’s no nearby mirror. 

As a long-term GHD user, I’ve only needed two in more than 15 years, so I do find it a really durable brand where you get what you pay for – a long-lasting straightener albeit with a high initial investment.

Technical specifications

Telegraph verdict: 8 out of 10

I really fell in love with the impact this hair straightener had on my styling – it makes it very quick and simple to get sleek, straight locks. The smooth barrel also cut down on breakages which happen on other straightening irons, and once I’d got the hang of using the Chronos correctly, I genuinely found it could straighten and smooth out my locks in just one, maximum two, passes.

Do I think it’s worth GHD Platinum+ owners upgrading to the Chronos? Probably not, if you’ve got fine or wavy hair. But Moe thinks it’s worth it for 4C hair, because of the Chronos’ adroitness bringing in high heat without risking damage to the hair itself, or drying it out. 

My previous GHD straightener lasted more than a decade, and this solid, hard-working styler will hopefully be doing the same – it’s certainly become my number one hair tool.

FAQs 

How long does it take for GHD Chronos to heat up?

It takes 30 seconds.

Will the Chronos damage my hair?

Any heat application to hair can cause breakages, but the Chronos is designed to keep damage to a minimum, by maintaining a consistent temperature of 185°C. The Chronos also uses motion-responsive technology to adjust heat and prevent it from overheating. 

“ I always recommend investing in a high-quality straightener with built-in heat protectant technology to ensure you’re protecting your hair’s health while achieving that smooth, polished look,” says hairstylist Moe Harb.

What should I look for in a hair straightener?

“For versatility, opt for a straightener with slightly rounded plates,” says Moe, such as the Chronos. “This allows you to create waves and curls, making it a multi-purpose tool. And for convenience, a fast heat-up time and auto shut-off feature are essential for daily use. Investing in a high-quality straightener with protective technology ensures not only the best results but also maintains the long-term health of your hair.”