In this review we are going to have a look at the Cortex Professional Curling Wand. This is a higher grade curling wand, and is aimed at creating a variety of different curling styles. It isn’t uncommon to see these being used in hair salons, so they should be a good investment for anyone who likes to curl their hair on a regular basis. Does this particular set deliver the goods, or is it all talk and no performance? Find out more below.
Product Features:
Cortex is a well known brand in the realm of hair care products, and were one of the first manufacturers to begin producing the new clipless style curling wands. The 4-in-1 is their latest venture and most refined curling wand, and comes with several notable and handy features. As the name implies, the Cortex wand comes with four interchangeable barrels. These come in sizes of 1/2-1 inch, 3/4 inch, 1.25 inch & 1.5 inch barrels. This allows you to experiment with a range of curling styles to figure out what best suits your look. Want Taylor Swift style curls? Simple fit the smallest barrel and you will be on your way to creating those trademark curls.
The barrels themselves are ceramic coated which helps with heat distribution. This model also makes use of “Far-infrared technology”, which supposedly helps aid the ceramic in further distributing the heat. Ceramic alone is a very good distributor of heat, so we’re not sure how much benefit this claimed infrared technology really brings to the table. Judging by how fast the unit heats up, we can at least say it certainly isn’t causing any performance loss.
Another interesting bit of technology this Cortex curling wand claims to support is the production of negative ions. When you say “negative ions” aloud, it certainly sounds like a bad thing, but this is far from the truth. Negative ions help your hair to retain moisture when you are curling it, as they lock the moisture in place. I’m not 100% sure how much of these negative ions the curling wand actually produces, and how beneficial they really are. From my testing of the unit I have gotten some really good curls, and my hair does seem quite shiny, so it is quite hard to say if this is really down to the claimed technology or my experience with using curling wands.
Helping you achieve the curls is the heating element which only takes a few seconds to get fully heated. Compared to some of the cheaper models we have tested, the difference in start-up time is very noticeable with the Cortex Professional wand. Since this is classified as a professional product it makes sense that it needs to be ready to use in a few seconds, and this is obviously very beneficial if you curl your hair quite often.
The handle is ergonomically designed for extended usage sessions, and remains very comfortable to use. The handle itself has a non slip design which is excellent for beginners who are still getting used to the motion of curling with wands. This model heats up to 430F, so can be quite dangerous if you aren’t experienced in using one. For the safety conscious, the unit comes with a heat proof glove which we strongly recommend you use if you have never used a wand before. It also comes with a programmable shut off timer for those times you forget to switch it off.
There are only three buttons on the handle, one to power it on and two buttons to adjust the temperature and set the auto-shutoff feature. The buttons themselves are quite nicely designed, as you can’t really press them when you are actually holding the unit as they are slightly receded into the handle. There are two other buttons where the barrel connects to the handle, one at the front and one underneath. To remove the barrel you need to press the two buttons at the same time, then the barrel will release. For safety reasons we must mention that you need to take care to ensure it has cooled down before changing the barrel!
The unit itself is very light, so you won’t get tired of holding it. Most of the weight is centered around where the barrel connects to the handle, however this isn’t really noticeable at all when you are using the wand.
Something else worth mentioning is the cord, which is quite lengthy. The length looks to be roughly 12 feet which is much longer than a standard cable, and is perfect for those of you don’t have power outlets near your ideal curling location! The cord is a heat proof swivel design, so won’t get tangled up or in the way at any point.
Lastly we should mention that the Cortex curling wand comes with a limited lifetime warranty for peace of mind. Most curling wands only have a one or two year warranty, so Cortex obviously believe in this product to be able to provide such a generous warranty.
Pros:
- Has 4 interchangeable heads to create a variety of styles
- Heats up in seconds unlike cheaper models
- Has a long swivel cord
- Ergonomic design and non slip handle
- Limited lifetime warranty
Cons:
- A little on the pricey side
Summary:
With a full set of features, there isn’t much you can’t do with this wonderful wand. It provides everything you need to create whatever style of curls you want in a jiffy. This model is a bit on the pricey side unfortunately. The retail price is over $100, but at the time of writing Amazon has a really good deal on the Cortex 4-in-1 so grab it while you can.
2018 Update
It looks like this model has been phased out, and replaced with a newer model.
| Our Rating: |
|---|
| 4.5 |
