ghd chronos max NZ: is the wide plate worth it?

Updated November 2026. Prices are our live online prices.

What is the ghd chronos max?

It's the wide-plate version of the ghd chronos. Inside it's the same tool: what ghd calls HD motion-responsive heat, which reads the hair as you move through it and adjusts in real time. ghd describes the chronos as its fastest, most advanced styler. Like the rest of the chronos range, it styles at 185°C, with dual-zone sensors and ceramic floating plates.

The difference is the plate. They're wider, so you can take a bigger section per pass. On long, thick hair that's where the time goes, so that's where you feel it. On a bob it mostly gets in the way.

We've got them in stock at the salon on Helwick Street right now, which is partly why we're writing this. Clients with long hair ask us about it a lot.

chronos max vs chronos: which one should you buy?

Here's how we'd pick for a client sitting in the chair:

• Past your shoulders, thick or coarse, and you straighten most days: chronos max.
• Shoulder length or shorter, fine to medium hair: chronos.
• You want to curl or wave with your straightener: chronos. The narrower body is easier to twist. A wide plate fights you on the turn.
• Fringe, short layers or you travel a lot: neither. Look at the ghd mini ($258.67).

The price gap between the two is $14.82 at the moment, so don't let that decide it. Let your hair decide.

ghd chronos max vs ghd max

The ghd max is the older wide-plate styler. Same idea, wide plates for long or thick hair, at 185°C with ceramic floating plates, but without the motion-responsive heat that the chronos range has. It's $317.97 with us, $74.12 less than the chronos max.

If you're straightening thick hair every morning, the chronos max is where we'd spend the extra. If you straighten a couple of times a week and want the width without the price, the max is a good tool. Plenty of our long-haired clients have had one for years.

Torn between the whole range? Our which ghd straightener guide lines up every model, and chronos vs platinum+ vs gold goes deeper on the standard-width stylers. If you're after the newest thing ghd makes, that's the ghd Sculpt ($466.21).

What does the ghd chronos max cost in NZ?

ghd's RRP is $529. Ours is $392.09, in black or white, as at 3 November 2026. That's about 26% under RRP. We're an authorised ghd stockist, so it comes with the full two-year ghd warranty, and we ship free anywhere in New Zealand on orders over $75.

ghd prices in NZ move a lot. Chains run a promo, then go back to RRP the week after. If you want to compare, our ghd price guide lists what other stockists were charging when we last checked, and the date we checked it. You can also browse every ghd straightener or all ghd at UKIYO.

Who shouldn't buy one

Short hair. Fine hair that goes straight in one pass with anything. And anyone who mainly wants curls: get a chronos, or a proper curling tool. Our ghd curling wand guide covers the tong and the wands.

Look after your hair while you use it

A ghd at 185°C is kinder than a cheap straightener cranked up to 230, but it's still heat. Use a protectant every time, only on dry hair, and don't go over the same section five times. A wider plate helps with that last one, which is half the point of it. We've written up which heat protectant to use and how to protect your hair from heat damage.

If you're in Wānaka, come in and look at the chronos and the chronos max side by side before you choose. We're at 28 Helwick Street, or you can book in and ask us about it in the chair.

ghd chronos max FAQ

Is the ghd chronos max worth it?

If your hair is long or thick and you straighten most days, yes. The wider plates take more hair per pass. If your hair is shoulder length or shorter, the standard ghd chronos ($377.27) is easier to use and does the same job.

What's the difference between the ghd chronos and the chronos max?

Plate width. Both use ghd's HD motion-responsive heat at 185°C. The chronos max has wider plates for long or thick hair; the chronos is narrower, so it's easier for curling, waving and shorter hair.

Can you curl hair with the ghd chronos max?

You can, but it's harder than with the standard chronos because the wider body is awkward to twist. If curls are the main goal, buy the chronos or a ghd curling tong.

How much is the ghd chronos max in NZ?

ghd's RRP is $529. At UKIYO it's $392.09 as at November 2026, with free NZ shipping over $75 and the two-year ghd warranty.

Should I buy the ghd max or the ghd chronos max?

Both have wide plates. The chronos max adds ghd's motion-responsive heat and costs $74.12 more. For daily straightening of thick hair, we'd buy the chronos max. For a couple of times a week, the ghd max ($317.97) is a good tool.

Can I use the ghd chronos max on wet or damp hair?

No. Like every ghd styler, it is made for dry hair only. Blow-dry fully first, with a heat protectant through damp hair, such as Sebastian Trilliant or Kérastase Nectar Thermique, then straighten.

Does the ghd chronos max turn itself off?

Yes. ghd stylers go into sleep mode if they're left untouched for 30 minutes, so a forgotten styler won't sit there heating all day. It's still worth switching it off at the wall when you're done.