Vibrating Flat Irons

So I have had the 1" Brocato Vibrastrait for about a year now and I have been very happy with it. I purchased it after my hairstylist used it on my hair. She used it without warning me first and I heard the plates vibrating and was like, "uhh, what are you doing to my hair?!?!?!" haha but it worked really well. I have slippery very fine hair that with most flat irons I have tried I have had to clamp down really hard on my hair for it to work and then it snags on my hair and leaves weird crease lines and was just ineffective. And when I would try to curl my hair with other flat irons, it would either slide through without working or would snag from my clamping as hard as possible. The purpose of the vibrating flat iron is to allow hair to slide through effortlessly and without any kinks or creases. The Brocato Vibrastraight retails for $159.95 - $199.95 but I purchased it from ULTA on sale with a coupon. However, I have loved it and think it's worth the (sale) price. It has an auto-off feature after 50 minutes which is great because I am guilty of leaving a flat iron on before (eep I know) and the digital temperature settings allow me to perfectly customize for my hair in 10 degree increments between 190 and 450 degrees (and it automatically sets to the last temperature I used when it turns on). I also love the green tourmaline ceramic plates, I think it looks nice with the black of the iron. Oh, and if you really want, you have the option to turn the vibrating feature off.

Here is a description of the Vibrastrait from Brocato "It's unique combination of heat and vibration means hair glides through effortlessly between the plates for smoother, straighter locks. The oscillating movement removes kinks and creases, while tourmaline ceramic plates seal in moisture and keep hair silky smooth for days. With no pulling or tugging, hair damage is virtually non-existent! Variable temperature settings can be adjusted for fragile to thick, course hair. Rapid heat up and automatic safety shut-off feature make this flat iron a must have! Take hair beyond the ordinary...to the extraordinary! Perfect for all hair types & textures and for those that want to create smooth & shiny styles!" It also claims to shorten the time you spend straightening your hair by 30% which I would agree with since I don't end up going back over sections of hair to try and remove creases or smoothing my hair like with other irons. You can purchase it from ULTA both online and in stores or from Brocato directly or from sellers on Amazon as well, however you can only register the iron for the 3 year warranty if it is purchased from a certified Brocato dealer. In addition to the 1" size I have, the Vibrastrait also comes in a 1/2" and 1 3/4" size as well.

Now, this brings us to the potential dupe I recently stumbled upon while shopping at Target; the Revlon Style Expert 1" Vibrating Digital Flat Iron that is apparently a Target exclusive. This vibrating flat iron retails for $39.99 and is currently on sale for $35 at Target both online and in stores.

Now, this caught my eye because the body of the iron looks EXACTLY like the Brocato Vibrastrait, just without the signature green plates. Let's take a closer look side-by side with the Brocato.

 

So, as you can see the body style is the same. The buttons are the same. The clear plastic and silver window on the top is the same. From the manufacturer, "Revlon The Style Expert Introducing our 1st ever Vibrating Digital Straightener. This unit comes with mineral conditioning crystals that create healthy beautiful hair while ceramic generates a gentle heat, reversing the effects of damage.

1. 1" Vibrating Plates
2. Ceramic, Tourmaline, Ionic Technology
3. Precise Digital Temperature Display
4. 30 second heat up
5. Auto Off
6. On/Off Switch"

This does not have an auto shut off and has a maximum temperature of only 420 degrees (I am not sure what the minimum is). Also, I am not sure what " mineral conditioning crystals" are and what  they do/how they work on a flat iron haha. But it does claim to be tourmaline ceramic the like Vibrastrait. Now I considered picking it up for $35 to do a true comparison for you. However, I pulled up reviews on target.com on my phone in the store and saw it had a 1 star review and everyone that bought it returned it pretty much. In contrast, the Brocato Vibrastrait has a 4.7 star average review on Ulta.com. So, I think the Revlon  imposter version is not the same quality as the Brocato, despite the visual similarities.

So, if traditional flat irons just never work for you and you think a vibrating one may be the answer, I would recommend splurging for the real deal Brocato. If you decide to try the Revlon, let me know what you think in the comments. But hey, at least Target has a good return policy! I may go back and pick one up just to try and let you know how it compares; if I do I will edit this post.

Dupe status:  imposter. The Revlon looks the same, but is much lower quality than the original from Brocato.

Thanks for reading!

-Jessica