I cut my hair quite short a few months ago, and I needed a new narrower straightener, as my old one was too wide to get close to the scalp or around my ears and face. Since I was also blowing out my hair more often, I took the opportunity to look into cordless straighteners so I wouldn't have so many cords cluttering up the bathroom counter. After reading mixed reviews online, I found two in pharmacies that looked interesting, and since I couldn't tell why the Braun model cost $60 and the Conair model only $30 (on sale for $20), I bought the latter to try out. And it's good. It draws power from a butane cartridge, which takes a little getting used to. The on switch ignites a little pilot, much like a barbeque, and it actually emits an audible hissing sound that is a bit alarming at first. But you let it warm up for a couple of minutes, and the straightening power is very good, as it heats to four hundred degrees farenheit. It comes with two butane cartridges, and I'm only finishing the first one now. It does mean keeping a few extra cartridges in the house, which is an extended cost, but they cost about $5 each and last for awhile. It probably wouldn't straighten a full head of long curly hair as well as an expensive electric model, but for straightish hair it works great, and you can throw it in your bag when you're on the go. And the rounded plates make it easy to use as a curling iron - I curled my entire head for New Year's, which saves on another hair tool.