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Most things that look effortless are anything but. That perfect cup of coffee? Practiced percolated precision. Those who can carry on a conversation while jogging? Many miles logged under their feet. Wavy, I-just-woke-up-like-this hair before the advent of the three-barrel waver? An art fine-tuned in beauty school.
The three-barrel waver changed the way many people heat-styled their hair. This tool “creates an S-wave shape as opposed to a curl,” says hairstylist Devin Toth, who is based in New York City. “It's a softer, more natural version of a crimping iron.”
But I had a few gripes with these wavers: Some could be clunky and awkward to maneuver around my head; with others, my hair got snagged in the tool’s many crevices, or it left creases in places I didn’t want them. Hair-tool brand GHD sought to address these concerns with the new Wave, which I put to the test, fell in love with, and convinced our team to honor as this month’s One to Watch.
About the Design
The all-black, super-sleek Wave took 19 months to develop, says Meredith Kirkland, GHD senior national education manager. Like the brand’s other hot tools, the Wave was constructed with temperature sensors that help ensure your hair is consistently styled at 365 degrees Fahrenheit. Hairstylist Cherin Choi previously told Allure that this temperature creates a lasting look “that is less damaging to the hair.”
That was the goal, says Rob Milner, GHD’s head of research and development. “So many beach wavers and curlers claim no damage but don't get the hair hot enough, so the curls don't last,” he says. “GHD has proven in all our research that 365 degrees is the optimal temperature for styling hair—hot enough so the curl holds, cool enough so it doesn't damage the hair strand—we needed to find a way to maintain that styling temperature across all three barrels.”
Adds Kirkland, the Wave was designed to be “ergonomic without being top-heavy.” (This is a green flag for me, as I’ve had my share of burns from wielding heavy-ish hot tools near my neck and ears.) This tool weighs in at 1.24 lbs, which feels light after becoming accustomed to using wavers that are close to 2.5 lbs. This model also features “soft, curved edges that remove unused barrel area to reduce weight and improve control and performance,” says Kirkland, which tester and fellow Allure editor Sarah Han and I found to be true.
At its base, the Wave also has rubber stoppers that keep it from slipping off your counter as you style your hair. (Awesome! Because how many of us actually have a rubber mat to keep our tools from sliding off our vanities?)
And, Kirkland notes, this tool can be used on all hair types. Her recommendation for tighter hair types is to blow it out with a comb and hair dryer.
My Honest Thoughts
I am not a hairstylist. As a teen in the early aughts, I burned my hair with a one-inch curling wand trying to get my favorite singers’ effortlessly cool, wavy hair (and I always ended up with tight, crunchy prom curls I’d brush out aggressively). When a flurry of three-barrel wavers hit shelves a few years ago, I was thrilled to have something that could give me a similar effect, but I didn’t love reaching for them because they felt big and clunky.
With the launch of the Wave, I asked Toth for some tips on how to use a three-barrel waver correctly. He suggested starting with smoothed hair doused in a heat protectant. Because my medium-coarse hair is long and frizzy with an inconsistent wave pattern, I spritzed on Moroccanoil Perfect Defense Heat Protectant Spray and lightly straightened it with a flatiron. Then I sectioned my hair so that I could heat style from the bottom to the top of my head.
To use the tool, Toth advises clamping the base of the section through the barrels for three to five seconds, then removing the clamp and repeating the process down the shaft of hair. And that’s what I (sort of) did: I positioned the Wave close to my scalp and released the spring-loaded crimper around the two-inch section I was working with. I kept it in place for about five or six seconds. It wasn’t bulky or awkward (I wasn’t scared I’d burn my face or neck) and left behind a shiny, intact wave, without any smell of singed strands.
I finished each section by misting it with Oribe Superfine Hair Spray because I didn’t want the look to fall. My whole head took about 12 minutes to do, and I’m thrilled with the results. The look is more Rihanna than it is Ashlee Simpson (though Toth says Simpson’s look is possible with this waver) and undeniably cool. My only (very mild) complaint is that the tool is a little too large for my curtain bangs, so I do have to reach for another option to style them (that or some hair clips to pull them back).
More Allure Reviews
The majority of the time, my hair isn’t styled. Time commitment aside, even the simplest of curling irons confuse me. I’ve tried multibarrel hair waves in the past, which cut down on some of the guesswork (or instruction reading) I face with most tools. All I have to do with the Wave is clamp and unclamp as I move down each section of hair, and it’s set at one temperature, so even less to think about!
The GHD device itself is more lightweight than I expected, so my arms (thankfully) didn’t hurt 15 minutes later. Some sections of my hair responded better than others, and I suspect that might be because my hair is very damaged from a double bleach-and-color process.
All in all, I’m impressed at the subtle, mermaid-esque waves I wrangled out of this tool—I can definitely see myself using it regularly to zhuzh up my hair.
You can shop the GHD Wave for $199 at ghdhair.com.
Even more hair news:
- Spring’s Biggest Hair Trends Offer Maximum Impact With Minimal Upkeep
- The “Butterfly Cut” Is the Throwback Hairstyle Everyone’s Talking About
- Allure Best of Beauty: The Hair Winners
Now, watch Gracie Abrams' 10-minute skin routine.
