Chi Essentials Travel Kit Review

The Chi essentials Travel Kit consists of an electric brush, a blow dryer and a that we set out to review for the heat tools category and to be honest we were pretty stoked about getting the opportunity to try it out. We do let them keep the items after review but our home and salon testers are always candid and say it as they find it. Our editorial team puts together the prevailing evidence of the performance and claimed features and helps you make the most informed purchase decision.

If you are always on the move or you sometimes forget to pack all the right items for a trip, then the CHI essentials travel kit was made for you. Shopping for a travel size everything can be a daunting task and sometimes downright frustrating. Some of the items you get will not be as effective as you would like and they are not exactly compatible with everything else in your makeup bag. Well, with the CHI essentials travel kit you can say goodbye to all of that drama because you get an entourage of styling and hair care products together with a travel bag to carry them in.

With this arrangement, you can entrust your welfare to a brand you have come to respect, trust and love and also you are double sure that every tool compliments every other one, plus you get all the recommended products for your hair. You can enjoy this bag as a fail safe for when you cannot make it to the salon because of your busy schedule at the office or at home. Even if you are not thinking about travelling soon, this can save you in the nick of time.

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Complete Review of Chi Essentials Travel Kit

Design

When you want to cut down on travel baggage by stripping your makeup bag down to the very core essentials then you are the customer that CHI had in mind when developing this kit. So rather than offering just one item, they give five for the price of one!

CHI wanted a value pack for their customers and that is what they claim to have delivered in this kit. We were super excited to see whether the synergy of these unique hair tools is able to get an edge over the competition.

CHI is a cherished air tools brand with a full range of products for hair to meet all styling needs for all hair types. They have made a good name for themselves in the beauty niche and are some of the best known brands for styling tools online. But before we could swear by the kit we remind ourselves of the duty to review every brand candidly for the benefit of our readership. Not all CHI items are worthwhile at least not for everyone. So we set out to test and review this kit so that you can catch a glimpse of what you about to receive for a decent amount of hard are earned cash.

These hair tools are made in the USA by a Houston based manufacturer and we therefore hold them to a high regard. We would not expect anything less of top notch performance and where they let down, we will not hesitate to point out.

Heating Process

We tried the bag from CHI Essentials and the reactions were mixed in the sense that there were some pleasant finds and no so pleasant discoveries as well. The much hyped flat iron from the kit is impressive but not all the way. It will do some cool styles very well especially if you are not relying on its ability to tame curly hair. On the other hand, the blow dryer is a total loss because it doesn’t do anything special. There is no functionality you can get from this blow dryer that a cheap $10 blow dryer will not give you.

Performance

One feature that actually works with the kit other than the flat iron is the bag. It gives you that professional vibe like you mean business plus it is always nice to have a nice little compartment in your luggage dedicated to your hair tools.

The 44 Iron guard styler and stay is a worthwhile free gift in the pack and the compact paddle brush comes in handy for straightening your hair a little to allow the flat iron to go through. The flat iron and the brush just as the blow dryer are miniaturized versions for the “travel Size “ and that only works to the advantage of the flat iron for being able to reach hard to get to areas near the roots.

The plate size is ¾” which is pretty slim even though the picture is deceiving when viewed online. But again this is meant for an emergency kit to travel kit and not professional salon work and we ought to cut them some slack.

Hair Damage

The items in the kit with active heat i.e. the brush, flat iron and blow dryer seem to feature the same reliable protection mechanisms you find in the larger sized CHI heat tools. We did not experience a situation where hair or the user’s hand was hurt by the devices and so the kit passed with flying colors to that end. The blow dryer barely gets hot and furious enough to get 90% of the water out if you have thick wavy hair and is no real threat to hair. The brush is also safe and the flat iron is relatively hotter and should be handled with caution.

Battery Life

Needless to say the items included in the kit are universal voltage ready and will plug and run across the continents. The hair dryer is rated at a surprising 1000W even though it does not feel like it when you put it to work. All the items are miniature versions with easy foldability to tuck them in the small travel bag which is heat resistant. None of the items has an internal battery.

Verdict

When you think about each item individually, it’s hard to see the value in this set. We think CHI made this kit to sell the flat iron with free gifts. If you want the high end flat iron for the full amount then it does not harm to get a compact travel sized version with a free brush and dryer. If you think of it this way then it makes sense to go for this kit. Again this only works well as a fail-safe for your daily routine or backup when you travel.