From time to time we like to test products which are not exactly hair steamers, but which perform a similar job. One such product are steam hair setters, and today we are going to look at the Caruso Ionic set to see how well they work to curl your hair. Obviously they don’t provide all the same benefits of a hair steamer, but they do offer some steam related benefits which we feel are worthy of consideration. So lets take a look at the set below.
Product Features:
There are two different varieties of the older Molecular model model for sale and that includes the 30 pack and the 14 pack travelers kit. The 30 pack for example comes with 5 groups of different sizes including 6 x jumbo, 6 x large, 6 x medium, 6 x small, and 6 x petite. The newer Ionic model comes with 30 rollers, and this is what we will be taking a look at today. Extra rollers are readily available for purchase if you want more of a certain size. Also included with this is a nice little carrier bag, which is a great idea for when you need to travel with this machine.
The standard Molecular models only generate ordinary steam, while the Ionic models generate Ionic infused steam. Ionic steam prevents hair frizz and static buildup, as the negatively charged ions help to increase the volume of steam created. This in turn makes your hair stronger, and adds more volume to it.
The design of the unit is quite eye catching in our opinion. The rollers are red in color, and are covered in foam in the center. The main unit has a black base, which features the Caruso model in Red with the model name below that in white. The lid is a silver color, and it has the roller dock and the three settings for off/steam/ionic.
Operating the machine is fairly simple to do. Once you fill up the water tank, it generally takes around 2-3 minutes before it starts producing steam. Once you see it is producing steam, then you can get to work. Like most hair steamers, we recommend you only use distilled water with this to keep this the Caruso steamer in the best shape. The rollers must be individually heated, which does sound like quite a pain at first. However once you get into the hang of popping each roller onto the steam spout for a few seconds, it becomes very fast and easy to do. Generally the best way to do it is to put the roller on the top, and then get your area of hair combed and ready. When the roller is heated up (after around 10 seconds), you then remove it and put the roller cap onto the steamer sprout. By the time you have finished rolling that particular hair strand, the roller cap should be ready to use and you simply put it over the roller and it will click into place. Rinse and repeat this technique, and you should have your entire head done in a few minutes. The rollers are generally ready to use in about 5 seconds for the smaller ones, and about 15 seconds for the jumbo sized ones. Take car not to leave them on for too long, otherwise they will get soggy which is not what you want.
When the steamer is in ionic mode, it tends to make a clicking noise to let you know this. Some people think this is a design fault, but it has been designed this way as it is stated in the user manual. Preheating times seem more or less the same on both steam and ionic settings, so if you are in a rush there is no real advantage of one mode over another. We tested both modes a few times, but there wasn’t really a massive difference between the two. In both cases our hair curls were quite impressive when we pulled the rollers out, and they lasted quite well throughout the day. Our hair certainly felt softer thanks to the steam treatment, and avoiding the harsh dry heat has its advantages when it comes to curling your hair. We hesitate to say it, but our hair may have felt slightly softer after using the ionic setting. We can’t say this for certain though, as our testing was done a few days apart so don’t take this as concrete evidence. Either way we were happy with the results from both modes, and if you are serious about curling your hair then this is definitely a model to consider.
The Caruso Ionic Steam Setter may not have all the benefits of a traditional hair steamer, but it does do a good job of curling your hair. With a retail price of around $40 it is affordable, and should be a less damaging way to curl your hair. It comes standard with a one year warranty.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Looks nice, comes with handy travel bag
- Lots of different size rollers
- Can buy more rollers if necessary
- Easy to use with a bit of practice
- Can choose between normal or ionic infused steam
Cons:
- Clicking noise when using ionic mode
Summary:
The Caruso steam setter is a affordable way to curl your hair without using damaging dry heat. It comes with many different rollers so you can experiment with different sized curls, and has a handy travel bad. For less than $40, it is something worth considering if you like to curl your hair. You can see some of the many user reviews and check the current price on Amazon right here.
| Our Rating: |
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| 4 |