Do Travel-Size Hair Tools Actually Work? I Took Sutra’s Jetsetter Trio on the Road to Find Out
It should be stated up top that I am a sucker for small products. Make anything travel-size and I want it, so it’s not all that surprising that Sutra’s Jetsetter Trio of compact hair tools immediately caught my attention. With an impending trip to Iceland on the horizon and my no checked bags policy, I decided it was a good time to put the tiny tools to the test.
The trio includes a petite hair dryer, a dual-voltage curling iron and a straightener, all enrobed in lavender and housed in a holographic pouch that has enough space remaining to toss in a few hair clips and a scrunchie or two.
Jenny Jin for PureWow
As you can see, each tool is small, with none exceeding the length of a moderately-sized banana. (I’m not smirking, you are.)
I don’t typically use a flat iron, but for the sake of this review, I tested it out on my bangs and a few of the longer face-framing pieces that tend to fly every which way. For touching up smaller sections of hair, I thought the straightener did a solid job, but if you’re trying to straighten all your hair and/or you have hair that’s thick or longer than a lob, I’d warn that this will be a time-consuming endeavor.
Jenny Jin for PureWow
Personally, I was most curious about the mini curling iron. I have very thick and naturally wavy hair that I often have to finesse into neater ribbons using a large curling iron. Seeing the smaller barrel on this mini, I was skeptical that it could work on my mountain of hair, but I was proven wrong. It curled my hair exceptionally well—almost too well, in fact.
The smaller barrel meant I ended up with tighter curls that were a bit too defined for my liking. Thankfully, once I brushed out the curls and let them fall a little, they settled into the looser waves I usually go for.
Jenny Jin for PureWow
All in all, the small tools pack a considerable amount of styling power, but I was particularly blown away—pun intended—by the dryer, which was just as swift at drying my bangs as any full-size tool. And unlike most blow dryers you find at hotels, this one also came with a detachable nozzle and cute lil’ diffuser for more directed air flow.
Sutra JetSetter Trio
At $100 for three travel-size tools—a hair dryer, curling iron and flat iron—I’d say the trio is reasonably priced and does a pretty good job at styling your hair. However, when compared to my standby full-size curling iron (T3), I’m just not as impressed with the results.
To be clear, it’s not apples to apples here. My T3 is double the size of the mini iron in the trio; it has a much larger barrel and a wider range of customizable heat settings. I also have very thick, long and coarse hair that requires some manipulation to get it to a less chaotic state. If this isn’t an issue for you, I’d say the tools in this set should work just fine. (Also note that you can grab each individual tool for $40, in which case, I’d grab the blow dryer.)
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