BaByliss Curling Wand Pro Explained: A UK Buyer's Guide

The BaByliss Curling Wand Pro is a single tapered-barrel wand with a non-slip grip and heat up to around 210C, built for wrapped curls and soft waves. It is a capable, lightweight tool, but if you are upgrading because you want the effortless, undone S-wave, it is worth understanding where a wand stops and a dedicated 32mm mermaid waver takes over. This guide is written for shoppers comparing the two, not for first-timers.

Wand vs waver: what actually differs

A wand makes you the shaping tool: you wrap each section around the barrel and hold. A waver has the shape built into its plates, so you clamp and move down the strand. If you already own a BaByliss wand and your arm aches before you reach the back of your head, you are exactly the shopper this comparison is for. Upgraders usually care less about the badge and more about weight, heat-up time, and reaching the crown without a second mirror.

• Curl style: wand gives classic wrapped curls; a waver gives the repeating mermaid S-wave.
• Speed: a waver covers more hair per clamp, so a full head is quicker.
• Consistency: a wand depends on your wrapping; a waver repeats the same wave every time.

What about a 32mm curling wand?

A 32mm wand forms a wider curve than a slim barrel, so it leans towards loose curls and polished waves on medium-to-long hair; very short layers may not wrap fully. Adjustable heat and a comfortable grip matter more here than chasing the highest temperature. It is a good middle ground, but it still cannot press a true continuous S-wave, that remains the one thing only a shaped waver plate does.

Wrap Control and the safety features

The Pro wand’s Wrap Control-style barrel helps guide sections evenly and its cool tip lets you steady the end without burning a finger. Those are genuinely useful, but they solve the wand’s wrapping problem rather than removing it. Hold, honestly, comes down to prep and heat far more than the brand on the handle, a deeper bend simply survives a damp UK commute better than a soft wand curl.

Still weighing tool types? The hair waver buying guide breaks down barrels and coatings, and the triple-barrel waver walkthrough shows the clamp-and-move technique in practice.

The lighter, faster upgrade

If your upgrade wish-list is “lighter, quicker, and easier at the back”, the FrenchWave 32mm Mermaid Wave Curler is the natural step across from a wand. It presses the S-wave in one pass, heats fast, runs 160–220C, and is £40.15 (RRP £60.22) with free next-day UK delivery and a 12-month warranty.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the BaByliss Curling Wand Pro and a mermaid waver?

The wand uses a single tapered barrel you wrap sections around for classic curls. A 32mm mermaid waver presses a repeating S-wave, so it covers more hair per pass and gives the undone wave many wand owners are actually after.

Is the BaByliss Curling Wand Pro heavy to use on a full head?

Wands are light, but wrapping every section by hand takes time and can tire your arm on long hair. A clamp-style waver removes the wrapping step, which is why upgraders often find it quicker.

Can a curling wand create mermaid waves?

You can approximate them by alternating wrap direction, but the result is closer to loose curls than a true S-wave. A dedicated waver is more consistent if mermaid texture is the goal.

Does a wand or a waver give longer-lasting waves?

Hold depends more on prep and heat than on the tool. That said, the deeper bend from a waver tends to survive a UK commute better than a soft wand curl.