Izunami Izunami 450 Tourmaline Ionic Ceramic Flat Iron, 1 Inch

I bought this Izunami flat iron after becoming incredibly frustrated with my crappy Remington flat iron. I hated how rough and damaged my hair felt and looked after using it and how long it was taking for my hair to grow out (because I had to keep cutting it to get rid of the damage).I don't have much experience with flat irons (this is my second one) but I know I won't use any other brand. Despite the fact that I've been using this iron at 375 degrees (with only a little Jane Carter Solution Nourish and Shine as protectant), my hair feels so healthy and smooth. It's been three months since I had my hair relaxed and cut and I have no split ends (for the first time in a LONG time) and my relaxer has lasted much better. Usually by now, I'm ready to pull my hair out but this flat iron keeps it super straight and smooth, even at the roots. Also, I've noticed that my hair doesn't revolt as badly to humidity.It used to take me about 45 minutes to flat iron my thick, medium length hair and I dreaded it. Now it takes about 20 minutes and it goes by quickly because I don't have to keep going over the same piece of hair five times. The iron heats up quickly (and beeps to let you know it's ready) and the heat stays consistent. For serious curls, I rely on a curling iron but for little curls and flips, this works well.My only gripe is that I wish the flat iron had a clamp lock so the clamps would stay together when it wasn't being used (a feature my old flat iron had). Otherwise, I'm very pleased with this flat iron.Update (12/19/11) - I wanted to update to say that I've started using this iron for defined curls (rather than slight bends) and it does a very nice job. I have to do smaller sections of hair than I would with a curling iron but the curls can be comparable to curls from a curling iron if you bend the iron enough. Still thoroughly pleased with my purchase.

I've had this straightener now for roughly three months, and it's perfect. My hair is long and naturally pretty straight, but a little wavy and frizzy. When used with the right styling products (For me, small amounts of: a heat protection spray, mousse and anti-frizz serum) and, on good hair days, without, the Izunami creates a professional looking, sleek, smooth and long-lasting hair style. It also works fantastically as a hair-curling tool; even better than a curling iron, in my opinion. My curls don't fall flat or get frizzy, problems I've had with previous styling tools.Now, because my hair isn't the most un-manageable there, I'd also like to say that this worked just as well for a friend of mine with very long, thick, curly and frizzy hair. It was the first time she had ever had her hair straightened, and she fell in love with the look. Her hair came out smooth, pin-straight and stayed that way for the rest of the night.All in all, I would highly recommend this straightener for all types of hair. I've used CHI straighteners and a number of smaller, cheaper brands and I can say with the utmost certainty that the Izunami 450 Tourmaline trumps them all.

I've used a lot of flat irons over the years. My best, up until now, was an Izunami I purchased in early 2011, to replace a Chi I burned out. That izunami lasted me two good years until it was sadly stolen from a hotel room. :(Since that fateful day in February, I have been hunting a new flat iron. I did not order a replacement Izunami because of too many reports of fakes, defectives, etc. I tried a T3 (which arrived in two pieces with wires exposed), a Chi (which barely got hot enough to straighten) and a Babyliss (which got hotter than the Chi but constantly pulled my hair and left me with a million broken ends.)Randomly, I happen upon the KTX450. It has great reviews, and I give it a whirl based on my prior amazing Izunami experience.A-MAZ-ING. One pass to totally straight hair. Even on thick, curly hair like mine. It did not lose heat while I was straightening, at least not to any noticeable degree, nor did I have to stop straightening to let it heat back up, like I did with the Babyliss. I have hair to my mid-back and I was done in 5 minutes flat. Possibly less. My hair is smooth, shiny, and perfection. No hair pulls, snags, or breaks -- I was so excited, I went online and immediately ordered a second one to keep at my boyfriends.For reference, I ordered from Beauty Fulfillment, which is fulfilled by Amazon - and I received what I believe to be an authentic product. That being said, my warranty will not be upheld as I purchased through Amazon(it is expressly written in the warranty that you cannot purchased through amazon) , but my prior experience with the brand makes me feel ok about that.

I've had my iron for a while and use it every so often. Suddenly it started to blink on and off. I think the cord connection in the base of the iron has a short in it. I've been real gentle with this iron and it seems to have crapped out a lot sooner than it should.

This iron only lasted a little over a year before it burned out. I'm not sure if it was the chord that became dysfunctional or the iron itself. The iron worked very well on my hair while it worked. Much better iron than CHIs. But, now when I turn on the Izunami iron, it just beeps and does not get hot. I bought the 1/2 inch Izunami as well and the same thing happened to it. Maybe I purchased a fake but either way...very disappointed that the irons no longer work.