Best hair straightener?

[#1]

My hair straightener that I got from Sally's Beauty Salon is about to die any day now. It's pretty much broken. I was checking out the Sedu line for hair straighteners because I like how big the plates are because it is able to take more hair and straighten it in half the time that a 1" plate flat iron uses. And keep in mind that I have really thick hair!! However, I do not want to spend more than $80 on a hair straightener/flat iron. Even if it's worth the money. What are some inexpensive replicas of the Sedu flat iron? I would like the plates to be an 1" and a half to 2". I'm also not a fan of purchasing something like this via internet so it would have to be in a known store like Target or Macy's or something. Any good suggestions? 

[#2]

A note about larger plates and flat irons, it's a common misconception that larger plates are made for people with longer hair, or hair more difficult to straighten. In actuality, larger plates can hinder the ability to get close to the root of the hair to provide an even and straight look to the hair from start to finish. The reason being is that the larger the plate the more space you have to put inbetween your scalp and the start of your hair, this can create a tiny bump in the hair as opposed to a standard 1 inch plate that can meet up with the start of the hair easier than a 1 1/2 or 2 inch plate.

To get the most effective use out of a flat iron, be sure to always use a thermal protector (liquid sprays for fine/thin hair, serums can work for normal to medium hair, smoothing milks, oils and creams for coarse or curl hair) to assist in preventing heat damage, and many formulas help to lock out excess moisture to prevent frizz and prolong the straightened style. Be sure to always have the right temperature too. That's a big factor in searching for a flat iron, is whether or not there is an adjustable temperature control. Generally a low to mid 200 for fine hair,  high 200 to mid 300 degrees is good for medium/normal hair, and 300 to low 400 for thick, coarse, or curly hair works.

Working in 1-2 inch sections of hair at a time with your flat iron also helps. Taking more hair between plates, regardless of size doesn't allow for even temperature distribution and you wind up having to rerun the iron through areas to do a more thurough job.

If your budget is around $80, try looking into Babyliss and T3, Babyliss offers a porceline plate flat iron for around that price point and T3 has verisons with temperature controls and tourmaline ceramic plates around the $80-$99 range. Ulta carries a few of both brands, their online store doesn't show them all, so if there's a local Ulta try looking there. Sephora carries a version of the T3 flat iron for $79, it's a little less than 1 inch, but not to a noticable degree.

Folica is a good website to browse reviews on tools, I know you wanted somthing you can get in stores, but don't neglect browsing and doing your homework online too, sometimes what's in stores may not beat the deal online.

[#3]

My favorite hair straightener is the Karmin G3 which is amazing, it has tourmaline ceramic plates that cause less damage than others, plus is great for styling the hair the way you like and leaves my hair soft, frizz less and very straight. I bought it online at safrons.com