Trial & Error: Is the 'Insta famous' ghd glide actually any good?

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You've probably seen it promoted on social media, in magazines, or just heard about an influencer being #shook by the magic that is the ghd glide.

Well, our ethos here at Trial & Error is to not simply believe the hype and fork out our precious dollars for an item that hasn't gone through an objective review process.

So we borrowed a glide and put the sold out $240 straightening brush to the test on two drastically different hair types.

From super thick and difficult to style, to curly, thin and whispy, we were determined to see what this "magic" tool could really do.

The ghd glide. Photo / ghd

The test

Right off the bat, Jenni and Silke noticed the impressive speed at which the ghd glide worked. It transformed Jenni's thick mane, complete with hair-tie kink, into sleek, straight hair in seconds.

The tool was heavy, but otherwise just as easy to use as a hairbrush. With its heated bristiles, Silke was concerned it might burn her scalp if she tried to get close to the roots. But it didn't at all.

Silke was also curious about the glide's ability to tackle "baby hairs" around her face and ears. She deemed regular straightening tongs still the better option for this.

However, she couldn't fault how the glide made most of her hair sleek, shiny and straight in record time.

Our testers also discovered this new-fangle tool was nicer to use than a regular straightener because there was no pull on the hair.

And despite reaching a whopping heat of 185 degrees, it didn't feel like it was damaging their hair.

The verdict

Overall Jenni and Silke thought the ghd glide worked in record time, cutting an ordinary styling routine by at least a quarter and doing a pretty good job of it.

For Jenni's hair type she noted this would be a great daily tool to remove kinks and make touch-ups. But for a super sleek look for a special occasion, she'd likely still reach for her trusty ghd tongs.

Silke loved the speed of the glide, but found for her curly locks - and those pesky baby hairs - it was harder to grasp the roots.

For those looking for a quick, easy straighten for hair types that aren't overly curly, team Trial & Error gave the ghd glide a massive thumbs up.