ghd
ghd Platinum+
$319
Released 2018
Best Hair Straighteners · head-to-head
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Bio Ionic 10X Pro Styling Iron 1" is cheaper at $262. Every spec and price links to its source.
ghd
$319
Released 2018
Bio Ionic
$262Cheaper
Released 2025
On the specs we track, they're closely matched. The Bio Ionic 10X Pro Styling Iron 1" is the cheaper at $262.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices verified at capture; live price may differ.
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | | |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $319 | $262 Retail, bioionic.com and Ulta |
| Brand | ghd | Bio Ionic |
| Released | 2018 | 2025 |
| Plate material | Ceramic-coated aluminum | Volcanic mineral-infused BioCeramic |
| Plate width (in) | 1 | 1 |
| Max temp f | 365 | 450 |
| Cordless | No | No |
| Dual voltage | Yes | Yes |
| Heat settings | 1 | — |
| Auto shutoff | Yes | Yes |
| Release | 2018 | 2025 |
Sources — ghd Platinum+: ghdhair.com (verified 2026-06-15). Bio Ionic 10X Pro Styling Iron 1": bioionic.com (verified 2026-06-15).
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (2 of 7). Matching specs are omitted.
Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.
Both whitelisted sources tested the ghd Platinum+ hands-on and survived verification: Real Homes (qualitative, 2020) and TechRadar (measured, within a 2024 Chronos comparison). Both praise shiny, smooth, flawlessly straight results and easy, versatile use, and both call it expensive. TechRadar's measurements flag hair-pulling, a slow-snapping hinge, and a three-to-four-hour style hold (far short of the claimed 24h). No RTINGS or independent lab data available. (2 sourced reviews, 2 lab-tested.)
Praised: Leaves hair shiny, smooth and flawlessly straight; Easy to use and versatile for both straightening and curling; Well-built, holds up over years / still excellent despite age.
Flagged: Expensive relative to other GHD models and to results delivered; Plates tug/pull on the hair; Hinge doesn't snap the arms back into place quickly.
Only one whitelisted tester, Wirecutter, hands-on panel-tested this exact model. It landed as an also-ran alternative: praised for precise, root-reaching tapered plates and a comfortable barrel, but flagged as expensive (about $200 over its budget winner) with a fingerprint-prone matte finish. Reviewed covered a different Bio Ionic and did not test it; Real Homes omitted it. (1 sourced review, 1 lab-tested.)
Praised: Tapered, angled 1-inch ceramic plates straighten precisely and reach into the roots while still gripping larger sections; Thin barrel is comfortable to hold and the matte casing feels luxe with a bit more heat protection than rivals; Vibration mode let several testers finish in far fewer passes without any snagging or grabbing.
Flagged: Expensive; testers doubted the extras justified roughly $200 over the budget winner; Matte finish is prone to stubborn greasy fingerprints after use with styling products; Vibration mode is unintuitive and initially confused panel testers.