I vividly remember my first pair of GHDs. It was 2002, I was 11 years old and I was allowed to share a pair of the soon-to-be iconic straighteners with my mum and older sister. 

Fast forward 20+ years and GHDs still remain a part of my daily hair styling routine. Whether it’s the trusty Platinum+ Straighteners, the underrated Curve Curling Wand or the innovative wet-to-dry Duet Styler, I can confidently say that not a day goes by when I don’t use something from the brand.

I’ll be honest, though: when I recently had a call with the research and development team at GHD ahead of the new Chronos tool, I was left somewhat underwhelmed. Why? Because I couldn’t understand how the Chronos was really any different to the Platinum+ Straighteners. They look the same, they both operate at 185°C and they both promise sleek and smooth hair styling for all hair textures. It wasn’t until I actually tried out the Chronos for myself that I realised how much of a difference there is between the two…

If you’ve ever tried the GHD Platinum+ Straighteners, I’m guessing we can agree that they’re pretty great. They smooth, straighten and style in seconds and leave your hair feeling soft and shiny. Big ticks all round. But what’s new about the GHD Chronos is that it has in-built technology that gives you faster, longer-lasting styling – with less damage. 

While both the Platinum+ and Chronos have a temperature set at 185°C (the optimum temperature for heat styling), the Chronos has inbuilt motion-responsive technology. What does that mean? Essentially, when you use any heat styler, your hair absorbs some of the heat and energy – meaning that the tool loses some of its heat power as it’s transferred to your hair. This new motion-responsive technology basically means that the Chronos’s power instantly adjusts itself to guarantee heat accuracy from root to tip. 

GHD claims that this motion-responsive technology results in threefold faster styling, as you only need one stroke to see full results. This also results in less damage, as you’re ultimately using less heat, and the ultra-gloss-coated plates give even more shine. 

While this all sounds very impressive, it’s my job as a beauty editor to be sceptical until I visibly see results for myself. I can honestly tell you that I was shocked by how well my hair held its style the first time I used the Chronos. Ahead of a busy day in London, I used the GHD Chronos to curl my hair. I don’t have particularly thick hair; in all honesty, it’s pretty limp and I’d usually expect my hair to drop throughout the day and look fairly thin come evening. 

However, after a two-hour commute, back-to-back meetings and more than a few sweaty underground trips – I headed to dinner and was shocked at how good my hair looked. The curls I’d created 10 hours earlier were still perfectly in place and it honestly looked as though I’d had a professional blowdry (and trust me, that’s not down to my hair styling skills). 

Since then, I’ve used the Chronos each time I’ve washed my hair and have been continuously impressed with its styling ability. Whether I’m curling or straightening – my hair is left smooth and shiny with just one stroke, so I can confirm that it does indeed speed up your hair routine. 

Images: @chloeburcham, courtesy of GHD