To help us provide you with free impartial advice, we may earn a commission if you buy through links on our site. Learn more
- Smooth, glossy results
- Fast heat-up and styling
- Intuitive, versatile digital controls
- Only one colour option
Revamp probably isn’t the first name that comes to mind when you think of hair straightening. However, the brand has quietly been making quality products that give great results at reasonable prices, such as the Touch Digital straightener reviewed here, for many years. Until now, Revamp’s calling card has been its Progloss formula – a blend of keratin, coconut and argan oils infused into the styling plates for extra softness and shine.
The new Revamp Touch Digital hair straightener adds digital controls that make it incredibly easy to select the right temperature for your hair. This temperature ranges from 80°C, suitable for artificial extensions or wigs, to 235°C for very thick and hard-to-style hair. I tested the Revamp Touch Digital on my medium-length, fine-textured curly hair. And having put it through its paces, I can confidently recommend it to anyone looking to buy a versatile, well-built straightener for any hair type and texture.
What do you get for the money?
Out of the box, the Revamp Touch Digital hair straightener looks sleek and chic with its long shape and matte black finish. It features ionised ceramic floating plates infused with strengthening keratin and moisturising coconut and argan oils, which Revamp calls its “Progloss formula”. Revamp says this helps reduce frizz and retain moisture and shine in the hair while straightening.
It also has an unusually wide range of temperature settings: the coolest setting is a very low 80°C, while the highest is 235°C. The lowest temperature setting means you can use the Touch Digital to style artificial hair, which is very handy if you like to use wigs, extensions and hairpieces to change up your look. I don’t have extensions, but I tried the Touch Digital on a synthetic bobbed wig – see below to find out how I got on.
The touch controls on the handle make it very easy to select your preferred heat setting, since the + and – buttons increase and decrease the temperature in 5°C increments. Once set, the straightener gives a short beep and the LCD screen glows to show the temperature range you’ve selected – yellow for lower temperatures, orange for medium and red for the higher heat settings. This makes it easy to check if the straightener is ready to use or if you’re using the right setting for your hair type. There are also three preset settings for fine, medium and thick hair types so you can easily select a temperature suitable for your hair texture. Simply press the “Hair Mode” button next to the main heating controls on the handle.
The other main selling point of the Touch Digital is its ultra-fast heat-up time and, in my tests, it consistently heated up to my preferred temperature of 180°C in under 20 seconds. Once it’s ready to use, the display lights up, and the intelligent heat sensor constantly checks the temperature to ensure there’s no overheating. Additionally, it has a 3-metre swivel cord, and there’s a heatproof mat in the box to rest the straightener on when you aren’t holding it.
What it’s like to use?
Firstly, I liked the Revamp Touch Digital’s simple and clear controls. Its power button is on the inside of the straightener, and the temperature control settings are clearly marked with + and – buttons on the top of the handle. I found it easy to change temperature when styling if I wanted to go cooler for my delicate front section or warmer for the tricky bit at the crown. The coloured LED display also made it very easy to see if I had the right temperature selected for my medium-fine texture hair, since it’s very clearly visible while styling.
A nice thing about the Touch Digital in comparison to similarly priced straighteners is that the styling plates come close to the edge of the tool. This makes it easy to straighten close to the root, which on my mid-length curly hair really makes a difference when styling. The irons are shaped with rounded edges that make it easy to add straightener curls by twisting the tool, and in my tests I found I could add a flick to the end or a ringlet with no trouble at all. The swivel cord is a good length, which makes it easy to move the Touch Digital around when styling.
Generally, my hair straightened well in just one pass. Some sections needed a second go to fully straighten, especially near the crown, but my hair is a stubborn type 3 curl to begin with. I would expect the Touch Digital to work in one pass on wavy hair but if your hair is coilier than mine and you prefer to avoid the hottest temperature setting, you might find you need two strokes to fully straighten your hair.
I tried the very lowest temperature setting on a synthetic wig and found I could refresh the wig style easily with the Touch Digital. While I don’t have extensions myself, I can see how this low heat setting should make it easy to style synthetic extensions and hairpieces – something that most straighteners can’t do.
I tried the Touch Digital in the morning on both freshly-washed and day-old hair, and found that my chosen style (straight with a soft flick at the end) held well throughout the day on both occasions. Admittedly, it lasted slightly better on the day-old hair, which is usual for me. My hair felt soft and looked shiny after straightening, with maybe just a touch of dryness on the ends, if I’m being picky.
Are there any downsides?
Especially when taking the price into account, the Revamp Touch Digital has very few drawbacks. There are higher-priced straighteners that give a glossier finish – GHD’s Platinum Plus and Chronos come to mind – but for under £100 the Touch Digital’s results are excellent. There are also cheaper straighteners that will do the job, but with a trade-off on the speed of styling and the softness and shine of the finished style.
The Touch Digital only comes in one colour option, which is a quite stylish matte black. If you like to match your heat styler to your bedroom décor, you might prefer one of Dyson’s more colourful offerings. But if that doesn’t bother you, however, this is a great styling tool at a good price.
Should you buy the Revamp Touch Digital?
As I said, I really liked using the Revamp Touch Digital to straighten or add straightener curls to my hair. The biggest draw is its wide range of customisable heat settings – these are easy to select and use, and there are also hair type preset options available if you’re in a hurry or overwhelmed by the precise temperature selection. The oil-infused plates definitely glide over the hair easily, and I found the Touch Digital styled my hair quickly and smoothly.
There are a few heat styling options available at this price point – not least Revamp’s own Hydroshield and Liberate straighteners at a very similar price – but for ease of use, a wide range of heat settings and healthy-looking results I certainly recommend the Touch Digital.
