Review (4/5): Works well overall - but "bristles" vary in length year to year, become brittle and break off too easily.
It is difficult to find a large barreled curling iron/brush. HELEN OF TROY offers a broad range of assorted sizes, and they work well. This is my third or fourth purchase of this same model in about 10 years. Even though I purchase the same model, I find that the hard plastic "bristles" vary in height from year to year. The short "bristles" sometimes place the hot barrel too close to my skin, especially when the "bristles" break off (which is fairly easy and common, possibly due to overexposure to heat). The models that arrived with longer "bristles" are more suited for longer hair, however they sometimes "tangle" in the hair -- and THEY, too break off all too easily. (I have recommended to the manufacturer that they add something slightly more flexible to the "bristles" to keep them from getting brittle and breaking, or perhaps design the barrels so that new sets of bristles can be installed, however -- why would they take my suggestion when consumers can simply replace the entire unit with a new one?) The heating elements in these units have never failed; only the "bristles" are problematic.
Overall, I like this model, but I find that I need to replace it after about 12-18 months of use due to loss of "bristles".