kvivi

If you want a professional flat iron and you are ok with spending around $140 I would highly recommend the Karmin G3 Salon Pro, it heats up to 450f with temperature control, dual voltage, tourmaline ceramic plates with rounded edges which makes it great for also curling your hair. Also has a 3 year warranty. If you are in the US you can buy from http://www.myhairstylingtools.com/, they are also giving away a free heat matt/carrying case and some heat serum that works really well. If you are in Canada you can buy at http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/. If you do look at other irons make sure to stay away from irons with painted plates (colored plates) these can damage your hair. A little about plate quality:* Aluminum ? 90?s and low quality, will stick to your hair and terrible results. * Colored Plates ? Stay away from these, they may look nice but they are for show and they are not good for your hair.* Ceramic Plates ? White or Yellowish color plate ? These plates are good but they are older technology from around 2002. Many companies still use these as it is cheaper to manufacture than a tourmaline ceramic plate. * Titanium Plates ? Gun Metal Grey color ? These are great plates and provide great results. These and Tourmaline Ceramic plates are about the same in quality but work different with different hair types. You would need to try both to see which one provides the best results for your hair type. * Tourmaline Ceramic ? Gun Metal Grey in color ? These are currently the best plates on the market. currently I only see Karmin and Sedu using these plates. It appears all the other brands are focused on cutting costs by using the cheaper plates. Some features you should look for:* Variable Temperature Control (If you have thick hair make sure it heats up to at least 420F)* Swivel Cord* At least a 3 year warranty (most hair straighteners will die in the first year or two)* If you travel then make sure its dual voltageYou can also check reviews at http://flatironsreviews.com/ to see their ranking of the top 10 flat irons. Good luck and I hope this helps.Owner of 5 salons with 12 years of experience.