It’s been a quarter century since Ghd first landed on dressing tables with its now-iconic straighteners, and in that time the brand has built a near cult-like for its hair tools. From the original tongs to newer launches like the wave and chronos max, each release still manages to generate the same level of anticipation, despite having a line-up that now spans more than 25 styling tools.
The latest additions are two updated versions of its cult glide hot brushes: the glide+ (£189, Ghdhair.com) and the glide+ max (£189, Ghdhair.com), both designed to smooth, de-frizz and add noticeable shine in a single pass. On paper, they promise to produce glossy, ‘just-left-the-salon’ hair after minutes of effortless styling. But, of course, that’s an ambitious claim.
As someone who spends more time than I’d like battling flyaways and ends that never quite behave, claims of all-day frizz control and up to 57 per cent more shine were enough to raise an eyebrow. Especially when brand marketing tends to skew heavily optimistic.
With that in mind, I tested both tools as soon as they launched to see whether they deliver on their promise in real life, and whether they’re worth adding to your styling routine before the hype catches on.
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How I tested
To test the new Ghd glide+ and glide+ max, I used both brushes on freshly washed, fully dry hair, assessing how quickly each tool could smooth, straighten and add shape to my strands. I compared the finish against my usual heated styling tools, paying close attention to shine, frizz reduction and ease of use on my fine-but-dense hair. For a fuller breakdown of the criteria used for this review, see my full testing criteria below.
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Ghd glide+ ceramic smoothing hot brush
Max heat: 185C
Weight: 540g
Cord length: 2.7m
Why we love it
- Can be used both for smoothing and loose waves
- Tackles a full head of medium thickness, chest-length hair in five-minutes or less
- Easy to frame strands around and under the face
Take note
- Can't handle tangles like a traditional hair brush
- Won't fully eliminate kinks and flicks like a straightener
I’ve long lusted after one of the Ghd glide brushes, so I was thrilled to get my hands on the new and improved glide+ devices. Admittedly, I never tried the original models, but I’ve been using the Ghd rise (£179, Ghdhair.com) heated round brush for more than a year, so I’m familiar with the feel of the brand’s hot brush collection
As much as I love my rise brush, I’ve unfortunately been subject to many a hair tangling hazard when using it, so I was definitely intrigued by Ghd’s promise of new ‘active snag-free bristles.’ To temper your expectations, these new bristles won’t be a replacement for your Tangle Teezer hair brush; however, I was able to pass a chunky wheft of hair (around 2.5cm thick) through the glide+ brush without my ‘glide’ being impeded.
If you brush slowly, taking approximately 10 seconds per section, I found – true to Ghd’s updated claims – that you can effectively smooth down the hair in just one pass. In total, it took me less than five minutes to shape every strand into a sleek, frizz-free style. Of course, my natural hair skews dull and pouffy rather than curly or wavy, so I can’t speak to all hair types.
If you follow the Ghd social channels, you might have spotted the glide brushes being use to style hair into loose curls and waves. With these tutorials in mind, I set about twisting my hair around the paddle, letting it spiral around the handle as I pulled away from my scalp. Despite my initial scepticism, I was pleased to see my hair exit the glide+ brush with a natural looking wave. Granted, the result of the curl doesn’t rival Ghd’s soft curl tong (£159, Ghdhair.com) or conical wand curler (£189, Ghdhair.com), but if you’re looking to get more from this £189 styler, you’re in luck.
Other improvements to the new glide+ device include a cooler casing on the back of the brush. The’ aerogel barrier’ made it easier to grip the paddle as I shaped my face-framing pieces out and under my jaw. It also heats up more quickly – I’d argue this is the sort of tweak that looks good on paper but, as any true Ghd user knows, wasn’t necessarily needed – the brand has always had a second-to-none heat up time to begin with!
Buy now £189, Ghdhair.com
Ghd glide+ max paddle hot brush
Max heat: 185C
Weight: 610g
Cold length: 2.7m
Why we love it
- Works quicker than the standard glide+ brush (around 2-3 minutes for a full head)
- Banishes frizz
- Smoother result accentuates natural highlights
Take note
- Quite heavy for travelling
- Hard to clean between bristles
- Not as effective for creating waves as smaller hot brushes, including the standard glide+
My hair isn’t super thick but I’ve been told on numerous occasions by hairdressers that I do, in fact, have a lot of hair. The new glide+ max brush was designed with thick heads of hair in mind and, holding it in my palm, I could certainly feel the size up from the standard glide+. It’s quite hefty and wouldn’t be my first choice of tool if travelling light (a pair of straighteners would certainly save space and precious luggage kilos), but I can’t deny the speed with which I was able to style the entirety of my hair.
Anyone prone to rushing will be well acquainted with the panic that you “left *insert styler here* plugged in!” Well, that’s no longer a worry you’ll have to contend with, given that Ghd has built sleep modes into both the glide+ and glide+ max. This means that both stylers will automatically switch off after 60-minutes of inactivity – even if they remain plugged in and powered on. Phew.
Taking my hair from freshly washed, dry and staticky to glossy and straight in three minutes, it beats the original glide+ (and every pair of straighteners I’ve owned) by a couple of minutes. For anyone managing the school run, an early morning commute or a pre-dinner tidy up, those minutes saved could be crucial, and I speak as someone who always leaves the house in a hurry. What’s more, I felt the results of the glide+ max were more akin to those of a straightener, with my strands looking pin-straight as well as sleek. By comparison, the smaller glide+ brush was better suited to smoothing than eliminating texture.
Unfortunately the glide+ max isn’t a dab hand when it comes to curling or adding dimension, and I found the sharper edges of its rectangular design prevented me from creating waves.
Thankfully, its larger paddle makes it slightly better at handling knots. Though, if you do suffer a tangle, it’s pretty hard to remove the hair from the brush afterwards, owing to the stiff, non-flexible nature of the bristles.
I can’t vouch for darker hair colours, but the shine that the glide+ max gave my strawberry blonde hair meant my natural highlights were once again on full display. Previously, my hair’s post-wash frizz had rendered my colour dull-looking and mousey, but I was pleased to see some warmth peaking through as a result of my speedy styling session.
Buy now £189, Ghdhair.com
Are the Ghd glide+ hot brushes worth the money?
If you’re someone who’s frequently short on time, then yes, you’ll undoubtedly reap the rewards of Ghd’s new glide+ and glide+ max brushes. While the glide+ is a smoothing and curling multitasker, the glide+ max is a rapid alternative to a pair of straighteners. I wouldn’t recommend either model as a standalone travel styling solution, given their size and weight, but I was undeniably wowed by how swiftly both tools brought the colour and softness back to my hair in just a few strokes.
Ultimately, these are tools for busy people who won’t be messing around with rollers and sectioning clips as part of their day-to-day – but they’ll leave your locks looking as though you put in the hours nonetheless. And isn’t that the goal?
How were the new and improved Ghd glide+ hot brushes tested
I tested both glide+ stylers on dry, freshly washed hair, using each one for sleek straight styles as well as softer bends and waves. Alongside the speed of styling, I considered the following factors:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
As one of IndyBest’s senior shopping writers, Lucy Smith has tested all manner of styling tools in her time on the team. Not only has she reviewed Ghd’s very own speed hair dryer, but she’s also put Dyson’s co-anda 2x airwrap through its paces, as well as a whole sweep of hair curlers in her dedicated guide. Lucy keeps on top of the latest beauty launches – like this one – and regularly speaks to hair stylists and trichologists to ensure new hair tech is up to standard for proper scalp care and damage prevention. What’s more, as someone who suffers frizz on the daily, she was perfectly placed to see whether Ghd’s updated glide+ brushes delivered on their promises.
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