Hot Tools Digital Nanoceramic 1" Flat Iron/ Hair Straightener Review

I've never tried a Hot Tools product before, so I decided to buy it on my trip to Ulta, since it was on sale.

FEATURES/PROS:

• NanoCeramic ultra smooth surface
• Patented pulse technology (I'm not sure what that is...)
• Variable heat settings, up to 430° F, using digital display and buttons 
• SUPER FAST heat up time (around 10 seconds)
• New State of the Art design. I suppose it does look cool and technological.
• Soft grip handle. I love it!
• Rounded plate edges to curl ends in or flip them out
• 1” Solid NanoCeramic plates perfect for styles of every length. Apparently the NanoCeramic plates are the newest technology in flat irons.
• 10 hour auto shut off
• On/off switch
• 8 ft. tangle-free swivel cord
• One-year warranty 

CONS: 

• The buttons are really annoying when you are curling your hair. I keep accidentally pressing them, which changes the temperature setting. and I can't find a good place to hold it.  Even though you CAN lock the temperature setting, so that the heat won't change when you accidentally press the buttons, I still find it annoying when I do.
• ONCE AGAIN, I got a defective iron. It's plates aren't parallel. Gah!
• I followed the Hot Tools temperature setting guide, and decided to set it to 370 degrees. (The guide suggests 280-330 for fine, thin hair; 330-380 for wavy, medium-textured hair; 380-430 for thick hair) Unfortunately, my curls did not even last me HALF a school day! Disappointing...
• As this flat iron heats up, not only can you smell it (though it doesn't smell as burnt as the Biosilk one), but you can also hear it. It's very strange- there are cracking sounds that let you know it's getting hotter. Weird.
• Snags hair sometimes between the plates.

I decided to give this flat iron a second chance before I returned it. I straightened my hair at 380 degrees, and it stayed the entire day, but got a tad bit messy after I took a nap. I recall very clearly that the Fahrenheit flat iron kept my hair stick straight even after I slept overnight... and then another night.

Overall, if you want to buy a flat iron, I recommend buying a non-digital one, because the only difference is that these are more annoying. It's fine for straightening, but I wouldn't go anywhere especially to buy this one. 3 out of 5 stars!