InStyler is a hair styling tool that uses a rotating heat cylinder and brush bristles to do multiple functions, such as straightening, polishing, curling, and adding volume, lift, and shine. It supposedly uses less heat than a flat iron, and it claims to prevent the smashed, baked look that happens when using other hair straighteners.
It can also be used on dry hair to both straighten and style it. Our test panel found the tool easy to use, with simple controls and clear instructions. It also produced big, voluminous curls that one tester said she hadn't been able to achieve before. Another tester loved the cool tip that held the ends of her hair, which prevented burnt fingers. And the cord's 360-degree swivel meant it never got twisted during use.
However, the InStyler was expensive at $100 or more if buying through TV infomercials and QVC. And it took much longer than the infomercial shows to finish the hair. It is bulky and takes up a lot of space. Its instructions say to separate the hair into 1-3'' sections and move it slowly down the length of the hair to let it do its "magic".
InStyler claims that the brush bristles sort and separate your hair strands, which allows the rotary heat cylinder to polish and straighten each strand separately instead of as a clump of melted, fried mess. And it also claims that the rotating cylinder is more gentle than a flat iron, so it won't damage your hair as much.
