Pros: Glides smoothly, minimal damage, heats up quickly, straightens & curls effectively, pretty & shiny!
Cons: Manual switch & temp control, no stated automatic safety shut-off feature, exterior can get hot
This is a good quality, high performance flat iron that is AFFORDABLE!
I have been searching for a good quality ceramic-tourmaline flat iron that minimizes damage to my hair as I heat style on a regular basis.
I had already ruled out the Chi because I did not like the way it performs after trying it (scratchy, etc) and also found negative reviews on-line and from my hair stylist. For some time, it seemed like the only good option was the very expensive GHD.
But then I came across this gem! After talking to a friend that has both this and the GHD flat iron, I was told that they perform equally! The TI Cruise Chrome retail price is $130 - $145 but it can be found for as little as $79 on some sites (with additional 20% off coupons!)and for about 40-50% less with coupon codes that are easily found on sites such as ti-style.com, mysalonlooks.com and beautychoice.com. I got mine for under $70 after using a coupong code!
About the Product:
The TI Cruise Chrome edition styling iron is an extra long flat iron, with black tourmaline-ceramic floating plates and is available in fun colors like black, silver, hot pink and purple. The exterior of the straightener has a shiny chrome finish and does not have any edges or gaps that can potentially tug or snag hair (unlike some other flat irons I have used).
Although I can not find anywhere it explicitly states this, I believe the plates are 1 inch thick. It has a manual on-off switch, a dial to set the temperature (140 - 430 F) - this dial that controls the temperature is referred to as their 'cruise control' feature. The iron lights up with a red light when switched on that starts blinking when it is fully warmed up (about 30 secs) and continues to blink until turned off. It has a long swivel cord that allows you to easily twist the iron when curling hair.
The iron comes with a heat resistant, leather finish carrying case that can be zipped up into a cylindrical shape or flattened out to act as a mat for the iron when using. Included in the box is also a cleaning cloth to keep the surface shiny.
My Experience:
I have already noticed a considerable improvement in my hair's condition after straightening with this flat iron (as opposed to be previous Conair ceramic-tourmaline straightener). After straightening with this my hair feels INCREDIBLY SOFT and I have minimal damage using this coupled with a heat protectant spray. Although the width of this iron is about 1 inch, I find that I am able to style my hair very quickly with it (faster than some wider irons I've used).
This flat iron also curls very well! It is probably the easiest 'curling with a flat iron' experience I have ever had. As this is marketed as a 'creative styling iron' it is obvious that it was constructed with curling in mind. The edges are are curved and make it very easy to 'curl, flick, straighten or wave' as listed in the product's description. The iron glides very smoothly through hair whether you're running it straight through or twisting completely to curl.
I find the cleaning cloth useful for keeping the iron clean and free of product build-up. If doubled up the cloth can be used to wipe down the plates after turning the switch off and the plates are still hot/warm. You obviously have to be very careful when doing this to not burn yourself but it is the best time to remove any residue caused by either natural oils from hair, heat protectants or any other leave-in conditioners/products.
Some Possible Improvements:
This flat iron is marketed as a very high-tech product so I was shocked to see that it comes with a manual switch and manual temperature control dial rather than digital.
I have read the accompanying manual/booklet that came with the iron in it's entirety (mainly to be able to do a thorough/accurate review!) and did not read anything about it automatically turning off after a certain period of time. All my other flat and curling irons I have purchased recently come with this feature and it is comforting know that nothing will burn IF I ever accidentally leave it on! The booklet does say under safety instructions to be sure to switch it off after use (Nooo really?!). I would prefer if it had an auto-shut off feature or if it does have this feature - for it to be explicitly stated.
The exterior of the iron tends to get pretty hot. This is not a problem unless you like to hold the tip of the plates together to get a tighter grasp. I don't normally feel the need to do this when straightening and only sometimes when curling so it is not a serious problem for me. But I would prefer a cool-touch exterior. They should consider including a heat resistant glove with the package.
I am also somewhat concerned about the chrome finish exterior getting scratched in the future but I plan on using the heat resistant case/mat to prevent this. My friend has had hers for some time and it does not show any damage.
Back to the Positive...
To conclude, I have to reiterate how happy I am with the TI Cruise Chrom flat iron.
If you are looking for a good quality straightener that is easy to use and minimizes heat damage (there is no such thing as no heat damage!), do your wallet a favor and look into this as an option!
Bottom Line: I am glad I found it instead of spending a lot more money on a similar product
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This limited edition version of hair straighteners in the range of TI Creative electrical styling aids is also known as The Cruise Collection. It earns the name Cruise because it doesn't have a selection of pre-programmed heat settings like most other straighteners on the market; It instead has a dial which you can set anywhere from 60.c to 210.c and a thirty second heat up time.

Now, let's get the fancy talk out of the way; "Tourmaline has been crushed and infused into our bespoke black ceramic floating plates, allowing the natural negative ionic power to shatter the molecules in your hair into smaller particles, helping your hair absorb all the minerals and vitamins safely". Now that means nothing at all to me, nor does describing the straighteners as having a 'negative ion sensor'. Whilst we're talking about it, putting the words 'black Tourmaline' in front of ceramic to describe the plates also means absolutely nothing to me. It sounded impressive sure, but ultimately went over my head, so it didn't sway me towards buying them (the fact they were shiny and purple was all that was needed to do that). However I can honestly say that I do feel a difference in my hair since I began using them - there is noticeably less of that pulling sensation during straightening and/or styling and my hair is always shiny and doesn't frizz anywhere near as much as it used to.
These aren't the cheapest straighteners on the market but the slim plates have a rounded edge, making them great for adding flicks, curls or waves to your hair. So one tool gives you four different looks - no need to buy curling tongs or similar.

Having a dial which you can set according to your needs makes it really easy to pick the right temperature for your hair type: Such a simple idea. I don't know why most other brands use it, instead of using automatic settings.
My hair is coarse, below shoulder length and permed but it only takes around ten minutes to straighten my hair. It used to take around fifteen minutes to straighten my hair using my old go-to brand of Babyliss Pro230, so not a huge difference in time, but when you are in a rush every second counts.
They are very easy to use; it's lightweight, comes with a long swivel cord [three metres] to make it easier to style the back of your hair, they're easy to grip and yet the chrome finish means that they don't drag through your hair. Plus, although it has no bearing on the product's function I love the cheerful colour.
I'm pretty lazy when it comes to styling my hair; straightening my hair and the odd ponytail is as far as I go, but I've been making an effort to try the promised flicks, waves and curls. It's easy for me to achieve flicks and to slightly wave my hair and whilst curls are beyond my I wouldn't say the product is hard to use - it's down to my length of hair and lack of patience. So if you have longer hair consider these rather then buying at least two separate styling tools.

I think the CHROME CRUISE would make a great gift as not only is the quality great, but it is also pleasing to the eye. I'm lead to believe that the colours available in the range change throughout the year, so if you like shiny, pretty things [like I do] it's worth checking out.

The straighteners in The Cruise Collection are currently available in a choice of purple, pink, black or silver.