Dyson is a household name for its innovative designs in homeware technology, from the bladeless fan to the bagless vacuum cleaner. A pioneer in everyday solutions, the brand emerged again, with a selection of hair care products, starting with the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer for quick, bladeless drying, post shower.
Not long after, came the Dyson Airwrap, a beauty guru’s dream – essentially a hair styler which curls locks without as abrasive heat used as some other curling products do. So with plenty of speculation and reviews surrounding the 2018-launched product, we put it to the test – is the Dyson Airwrap as effective at what it does as the brand’s other products?
What does it do?
The purpose of the Dyson Airwrap was essentially to create curls, waves, and smooth blow dries without the need for extreme heat found in many other tools in the market. After using many curling tools aided in my beauty regimes, it’s safe to say that the Dyson Airwrap was certainly much less impactful (heat-wise) on my hair. There was no direct 200 degree plus metal iron slicking my strands to force my do to form a curl.
Instead, the Dyson beauty styler uses jets of air to achieve the look I want – quite successfully like a salon blow dry finish, except, at home. Tangled hair and heat damage was at the core of the problem Dyson found in existing hair products, so the solution was a radical one: the brand harnessed Dyson’s signature digital motor to create a phenomenon named the Coanda effect, a process where a high-speed jet of air goes across a surface, and as a result of the differences in pressure, the air attaches itself to the surface. Thus, the styler only uses air with heat to obtain the curls.
What does the Dyson Airwrap include?
The Dyson Airwrap came in a sleek, tan-toned storage box, with each tool placed in a compartment within accessible reach. As the box is a bit too large for my bathroom storing, it’s very stylish so I actually use it now to store valuables – whilst the Dyson Airwrap is in my cabinet.
The parcel came with the following
● Pre-styling dryer: Prepares hair for styling using a fast but diffused airflow. Engineered for all hair types, it’s designed to dry hair to the ideal moisture level (damp to touch) before using the curling barrels.
● Soft smoothing brush: Engineered to add body and volume to limp, flat hair while creating a smooth, blow dry finish. Ball-tipped bristles allow for increased tension to help keep hair aligned to the brush.
● 40mm Airwrap barrel: To create loose curls or waves for thicker, coarser hair that has some shape.
● 30mm Airwrap barrel: To create voluminous curls or waves for most hair types. Achieve voluminous curls for those with limp, finer or straighter hair. Get tighter curls for those with thicker, coarser hair with some shape.
● Firm smoothing brush: To create a straighter style with less frizz. Engineered to tame and smooth unruly, thicker, coarser hair, with firm straight bristles to help create tension and reduce tangling.
● Round volumizing brush: To create volume and shape. Ideal for creating tension to shape finer, thinner and straighter hair. Each has its own function and didn’t take too long to learn the gist of their functions and how it works for my hair.
We tried…
After watching several tutorials on the Dyson website and on YouTube, I was ready to give it a try. At first, it may take a while to grasp where to hold the styler, and where to aim it from—completely normal, but it definitely looked easier on video. Several tries later, I got it correct, and the result was very satisfying. I followed the recommended steps to get there: first, I washed my hair, then took out the pre-styling dryer, and for about five minutes (my hair is very long and thick) let it dry under the soft heat. I then used the soft brush to comb out any tangles, whilst the heat continues to dry my hair.
And finally, for the natural curl style which is usually my go-to at salons, I took out the much-acclaimed main tool – the curling barrel. As there are four to choose from, it takes a while to learn which style you like the best. It also, of course, depends on hair type and style. I used the 40mm barrel to bring out the curls and volume in my locks. What was previously rather dull and limp, pre shower, was now much more lively and bouncy after using the Airwrap.
The verdict
Dyson has done it again. Stepping into the beauty market was a bold move, yet with the brand’s expertise in technology and innovation, has succeeded so. Although the Airwrap has faced criticism for its upscale cost, the product creates a finish which is nearly as impressive as a hair salon blow dry – or if you master the tool, perhaps levels up. I’ve been wanting to find a one-stop solution to battle frizz in humidity without having to use overheating flat irons which cause my split ends and dry hair, and the Dyson was the answer. What’s also unique is that the styler can be used on damp hair, meaning you don’t have to wait for thirty minutes for your hair to dry before curling.
It’s also versatile in that you can cater your preferences based on smooth hair or curls. I tend to go for waves and curls but the brushes which go with the heat ultimately polish hair down straight as well, without leaving it flat. The Airwrap also has a built-in intelligent heat control tool which uses a glass bead thermistor to measure temperature up to 40 times a second to regulate the heat so it’s never too hot on your hair. Although I don’t have the Dyson Supersonic, the pre-styling dryer is actually very effective and dries my hair pretty quickly, and is included in the set. The Airwrap Complete is ideal for those looking for a variety of styles, based on volume, shape, smoothing and control.