HOT TOOLS 24K Gold Professional 1 1/2" Extended Barrel Curling Iron with Clamp for Loose Curls - 24K Gold Technology for Long-Lasting Results & Longer Barrel for Easy Styling

I have had my Hot Curls curling iron for about 10 years. We have been through a lot, and last I week I finally wiped it out with one final drop that broke it for good. It was actually being held together by tape for all the abuse I've put it through over our years together (wow, embarrasing photo...), so RIP my long time hair stylist. This may have been my longest lasting relationship ever.I have waist length thick hair, so a long barrel is absolutely necessary. When I went to replace it, I noticed there are "Extended Length" and "Extra Long". I wrongly assumed they are the same. Extended Length is about 1 -2" or so shorter than the Extra Long. So returning this beauty and getting the longest barrel, which is the Extra Long instead.Looking forward to another long and curl inducing relationship with my new stylist.

This is THE BEST Curling Iron I’ve ever purchased. Great for those with long hair, coily hair, a lot of hair, and/or hard to style hair. I’ve gone through several higher priced options this past year alone ($100-$250 each) in my never-ending quest for a curling iron that would work with my hair. Unfortunately, the pricier brands turned out to be just as ineffective as the reasonably priced brands. Until this purchase.I have A LOT of LONG “COILY” HAIR and it’s difficult to style. The standard length and diameter curling irons are a royal pain to use — it takes forever to do my hair (2-3 passes per section)!!! The standard barrels are too short, the diameters too slim, and the temperatures not high enough to handle a person with long difficult-to-style hair.And the WORST part of the previous curling irons: Even applying a heat protector prior to styling, using approved temp of only 365F, my hair would STINK for days. I couldn’t stop or even mask the smell. Plus it took forever to do my hair because standard barrels were too short and too narrow and temperatures not high enough to quickly handle thick, coily, and/or long hair.I had always loved Hot Tools reliability, so when I saw they were offering a Gold Extra Long 2” Barrel Curling Iron … I had to have it! After a few weeks of blissful use, I ordered another for my gym bag and will likely order a 3rd just for backup.This Hot Tools Gold Extra Long XL 2” Barrel Curling Iron leaves NO SMELL (even at 400F) and cuts my styling time in half — it handles more hair with each pass. The clip holds hair firmly in-place, yet the light-touch lever allows my hair to slide through smooth as silk. And my hair doesn’t get caught in the clip — not having hair ripped from my skull is good. Plus it has a wide range of temperatures, with higher temps for tough-to-style hair that are not found on other brands.After years of searching, I finally found THE perfect curling iron. I could never go back to the standard short-barrel narrow-diameter low-temp ineffective styling tools of days past.Previous Experience:Like many others who posted reviews on Amazon, I too was sent a previously opened and USED curling iron with product stains and trapped hair. HOWEVER … within 24 hours of making Seller aware of the return reason, I received a brand-new unit and it is THE BEST CURLING IRON I have ever used. I already ordered another one, and will likely order a third just for backup.NOTE TO HOT TOOLS: Puh-lease do not ever discontinue this model, as there are no comparable products Extra Long Barrel 2” Curling Irons on the market. 🙏

I’ve been using this brand 1 1/2 inch barrel for almost 30 years, since I was 14, eeek!!! Back in the nineties not all of us achieved the blowout look with a blow dryer and barrel brush. Some of us used this curling iron. My first one (I think it may have just been called Helen of Troy back then) got used every other day for 15 years. I started wearing my hair with my natural curl when I turned 30 but started straightening again a year ago and wanted to try out this curling iron again (which I use really to straighten my hair) to see if it was a good choice again! Omg, it is!!! My hair is very long, very thick, and curly (3b) and I was still able to do my whole head in 15 minutes in small sections. The first few pieces were touch and go and then it was like riding a bike again and it went super fast. For me, the trick is not pulling the iron out from the hair to hold the curl (though you could do that if you want more volume at the top), but unraveling the barrel from the hair and then releasing only at the bottom to get the look I want. I also comb flyaways into the hair around the barrel with my fingers while I’m holding it curled, for a couple of seconds before unraveling it to make sure all my hair gets straightened.I’m not sure the extra long barrel is needed if you use smaller sections like I do for curly hair, but I could see it being useful if you’re able to do large sections because you have straight hair.I did read reviews about these not lasting long and I will keep an eye out for that. My first one lasted 15 years and my second one barely got used but I got rid of it years ago when I was only styling my hair curly. The heat and slip quality are just as I remember. I actually feel like the clamp is easier to use and not as stiff as my old ones.

I've always loved HotTools, and my opinion continues to stay optimistic as of this most recent purchase. Also, I'm not one to buy hair products for myself, but I bought this during Prime Days and have already fallen in love. The heat kicks up quickly, so you don't have to wait long, and the curls are absolutely beautiful. Big, bouncy curls that fall just enough to have a little wave that's so cute.