Ghd Chronos Curve Classic Tong review: The last word in lasting curls, if you can afford it

Since it launched its first hair straighteners in 2001, Ghd has gained a reputation for developing high-end hair stylers that deliver salon-worthy results. Its tools have earned a place in most professional’s kits and if they aren’t already in beauty fanatic’s daily routines, they’re almost certainly on their wish lists.

I’ve tested 20 hair curlers in my time as a beauty reviewer, and the Chronos Curve Classic Tong is the first I tried from Ghd. Its 26mm barrel promised to deliver defined waves and long-lasting curls with no frizz or ‘extreme’ heat damage. However, it certainly isn’t cheap, so I was keen to find out if it could live up to its lofty promises, or if I’d be sticking to my old trusty curling tong.

Price and availability

The Ghd Chronos Curve Classic tong has an RRP of £189, but is currently available for £149 at Ghd, Boots and John Lewis.

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If you discount air-powered multi-stylers like the Dyson Airwrap and Shark Glam, that makes this one of the most expensive hair curlers you can buy.

Design and features

In terms of design, the Chronos offers exactly what you’d hope for at this price point. Its anodised matte black finish is effortlessly stylish, and there was nothing about this tong’s design I thought felt cheap or poorly considered.

The tong I tested is 26mm in diameter and designed to create defined curls and waves, but there is also a 32mm size available if bigger, voluminous curls are more your style.

Mastering the twisting and turning technique for curling tongs can be tricky, so I was glad to see the curler’s barrel is topped with a generous cool touch tip. This is especially useful for beginners, who can benefit from a little extra support while wrapping each section of hair and navigating the clamp mechanism.

That said, at 11.5 cm in length, the barrel is marginally shorter than average. This isn’t a problem when you know how to use the tong mechanism properly; I have long hair and it curls my hair with no problems, but if you can’t fathom using the clamp, there’s limited space to wrap your hair.

Like all heated Ghd stylers, the Chronos curler styles hair at a set 185°C. The brand claims this is the optimum temperature for fast styling and lasting results on all hair types. While I agree that this temperature is suitable for most hair types and textures, other hair styles I’ve tested have proven that lower temperatures can be just as effective at creating lasting styles. Any range of temperatures would have made this tool far better suited to styling fine, bleached or damaged hair, and it’s a shame that this isn’t an option in a tool as expensive as this.

The Chronos Curve tong also has a built-in heat stand and an automatic shutoff for safety, which switches the curler off after 20 minutes of inactivity. Its 2.7-metre cable is plenty long enough for home and salon use, and it is universal voltage, so perfect for travel.

Performance

Part of this curler’s charm is in its simplicity. Since there’s only one temperature option, all you need to do is flick a switch to turn the curler on. It heats up in a blisteringly quick 25 seconds (just enough time to spritz some heat protection into my hair) and lets you know it’s reached its target temperature with a reassuring bleep.

During use, the clamp hinge felt sturdy. I was particularly glad that there wasn’t anywhere for my hair to get caught or snag at the bottom of the clamp mechanism – a common problem among cheaper curling tongs with longer barrels, which renders the bottom few inches of space useless. I’d far rather a shorter barrel I can use without fear of ripping my hair out, like this one.

Regardless of if I used small inch-wide sections, or tried my luck with larger ones, the clamp provided good tension on the hair. This helped to smooth out texture and create a lasting style. And each time I turned the tong, the swivel cord meant I was never tangled up in wires.

I can’t say my results were hugely shiny, though. The anodised coating isn’t as silky smooth as in other ceramic curlers, which meant the hair appeared slightly duller than I was used to.

However, I can’t fault the styler on longevity. I have long, thick hair that’s very prone to dryness on the ends. I tested this curler on three occasions, and each time the curls lasted flawlessly on the first day, dropping to softer blown-out waves on days two and three. Despite the heat, my hair felt healthy to the touch, and I was grateful that I didn’t feel the need to re-style my hair on subsequent days.

Verdict

The Ghd Chronos Curve Classic tong is, hands down, the best hair curler I’ve tested for curl longevity. If you’re tired of curls dropping out too quickly and are willing to throw money at the problem, this is well worth the investment.

It styled my thick head of hair in under twenty minutes, and its premium finishes and sensible design features make the process simple enough for tong-shy beginners to learn the art of using a clamp. Throw in the fact that this curler has universal voltage, and you’ve got a curler that’s pretty hard to fault.

The only word of warning I can offer is that if your hair is fine, bleached or damaged, you’d be better off opting for something that has more varied heat options, as the 185°C temperatures can still be pretty vicious.

Alternatives to consider

If you want to achieve lasting curls on more delicate hair types, Cloud Nine’s The Curling Wand is an easy recommendation. Its tourmaline-ceramic barrel gives effortless shiny results, its wand shape is foolproof for beginners and, crucially, it has three styling temperatures ranging from 125°C to 175°C.

Or, if you struggle to curl your hair with a traditional wand or tong, the Babyliss Style Secret Air automatic hair curler is another easy recommendation. Simply feed a section of hair into the curler’s central channel, press a button, and this will wrap, heat and cool the hair. It has three temperature options and is great at creating uniform curls with ease.