Dyson Airstrait review: It’s completely changed how I style my hair
DYSON Airstrait is here, and boy, was it worth the wait.
Dyson's latest launch promises to cut time styling your hair, and revolutionise your mornings with their wet-to-dry styler - so we put it to the test.
Dyson Airstrait, £499.99
Dyson's reputation usually precedes it, and as a result, shoppers expect big things from their hair styling tools.
After all, with price tags nearing the £500 mark, it's not surprising shoppers want to make sure they are making a worthy investment.
Their latest tool, the takes things from where the Airwrap left off, and you guessed it, uses air to dry and straighten your hair in one go.
The new Airstrait straightener uses powerful focused airflow to dry and straighten your hair simultaneously from wet.
Following years of research and development, the new promises sleek, smooth hair in a flash - but was it all it said it would be?
I've been testing the Airstrait over the last month, and I have to say, I'm pretty impressed.
Pros:
- Quick; dries hair in one/two strokes
- The lock mechanism converts to a dryer for roots
- Hair feels sleek and soft
- Can alternate between dry and wet hair modes easily
- Light to use
- Hair feels less damaged
Cons:
- Expensive
- Large Plug
- Need to section hair
- Hair can get very hot
Rating: 4.5/5
How we tested
I tested the Dyson Airstrait over a month, intending to use it over a traditional hair dryer (turns out we didn't take much convincing).
The Dyson Airstrait can be used on wet hair, to dry and style it in one fell swoop, or on dry hair as a finishing touch.
I tested it on both, using it from start to finish, and both separately to dry and to just style.
However, it's worth noting that you need to section your hair to make the most of the Airstrait, otherwise, it's just too much hair and is too thick for the device, so you are left with wet hair.
Dyson Airstrait Review: First impressions
I've been waiting to get my hands on this for a while.
After attending a product briefing last year, I'd been eagerly waiting for Dyson to release the tool in the UK.
Having launched in the US in the summer of 2023, the Dyson Airstrait finally dropped in February 2024, and I had been eagerly waiting to try it out.
The Airstrait's design is similar to that of a straightener, which is not too surprising when you consider the intended use of the tool.
It's larger than your usual straightening tool (but is still smaller than the GHD Duet) but is surprisingly light.
Having asked one of Dyson's team how they managed this, they explained to me that the majority of the tech is packed into the plug (I may be over-simplifying this), which is, to be fair, quite big.
At first, I thought this would bother me as it would make it harder to travel with, but in hindsight, I prefer it as it means the tool is lighter in my hand.
Turning it on and off is easy. First it 'cleans' before every use, and then you can choose between wet, dry, cold and different speed settings on the side of the tool - there's a small display with buttons underneath.
Dyson Airstrait, £499.99
Beauty fans can swap between hot, and cold, airflow speeds, wet and dry, and on and off.
The Airstrait while looking slightly cumbersome at first, is very light and easy to use, you simply then pull through your hair as you would a straightener, and you can hear a noticeable difference as the Airstrait gets to work.
Speaking about noise, the will also shut off if you stop using it, or putting it down, reducing unnecessary noise and energy - and you're less likely to damage anything, although it does come with a heat protective mat.
It's also pretty quiet while in use, unlike traditional hair dryers, I could still hold a conversation as I used it.
The Airstrait uses similar technology to the famous Dyson Airwrap to straighten your hair, Dyson's famous Coanda effect.
Described as a " precisely angled high-pressure blade of air is forced downwards and into the hair, both simultaneously drying and straight styling, with one machine".
The arms of the machine create two high-velocity downward blades of air, which are projected at a 45-degree angle, and this in turn creates one focus jet of air and a downward force to straighten your hair as it dries and aligns hair strands.
The result is less pressure on your hair, and ultimately less damage - although I noticed that my hair would still feel hot after use.
All these mod-cons seem simple enough, but in their simplicity is where the genius comes in.
Some of these features are new, and some are classics, but they work together to make the Airstrait easy to use, and wondering what you ever used before.
Dyson Airstrait Review: Performance
But all this tech means nothing if the doesn't do the job.
The Airstrait has two styling modes, ‘Wet’ and ‘Dry’ styling modes, and a ‘Cool’ mode to set the style.
In Wet mode, beauty fans can choose between, three heat settings of 80°C, 110°C and 140°C, and in ‘Dry’ mode, choose between 120°C, or 140°C, or a top-up “boost” - as well as two airflow controls, low and high.
It uses intelligent heat sensors, to measure the temperature of airflow 30 times per second to prevent heat damage and protect hair's natural shine.
In action, this meant the Airstrait could dry my hair in one stroke, and it looked pretty straight on one pull.
However, I found two to be the perfect amount (as long as I didn't rush it).
The size of the arms means it's tricky to reach the root of your hair, however, Dyson had foreseen this - you can lock the two arms together and this creates a more standard hair dryer shape to dry the roots.
As previously mentioned, for best results I would recommend sectioning your hair; I found three to be enough, but you could quickly and easily dry it this way.
However, the real magic for me was when I combined it with the dry hair function.
My hair while not poker straight, was impressively straight, soft and sleek and no flyaways.
This was perfect for an everyday straight look, it's straight but still has movement - all I needed was a little amount of product, such as serum and texture powder and I was good to go.
I tend to wash my hair in the evenings because of the drying time (the Airstrait has also given me my mornings back), and in the past haven't bothered to do that much styling - it's going to look messy after I've slept on it anyway.
However, I found that the Airstrait would ensure it was smooth enough to withstand a night's sleep, and made for super-quick styling and refresh in the morning.
It gives your hair a swishy, just-out-of-the-salon finish, and honestly, I am obsessed.
Previously at the briefing for the launch of the tool, they advised you could also use it similarly to a straighter for a curled, blown-out finish, and this was great for giving the front of my hair flicked out swooshy look, however, I wouldn't say it's made for curls.
I'd also note that if you want poker straight hair or curls you are going to have more precision and control with a straightener.
The Airstrait is one of the best tools I've used in a long time and leaves my hair with that salon-fresh, blow-dried feeling, it speeds styling time up by almost half as you don't have to blow dry and then straighten or style your hair.
With expensive price tags, it can be easy to be dubious of Dyson hair tools' performance, and ultimately you're looking for a tool that makes your life easier.
Thedoes just that. It's completely revolutionised my morning routine.
I have fine hair but a lot of it, and it's naturally straight so I am looking for a powerful tool that will tame it, with a style that lasts.
Having previously tested the Airwrap, which I enjoyed, I found the Airstrait had more sticking power.
Dyson Airstrait review: final verdict
Ok, let's not beat around the bush, the is expensive, but similarly priced to Dyson's other hair tools.
It all comes down to your hair type, and what the intended use are.
For me, I usually wear my hair straight, so the Airstrait has quickly become my go-to tool, as it combines steps, speeding up the process, and leaving me with a gorgeous finish at the same time.
I love the Airwrap, but found that the curls would drop out of my hair (probably due to the weight of it), and mainly used it for adding volume and lift.
I can do all this and more with the Airstrait, and as you use it just like a straightener, it's so simple to use.
This means the barrier to use is low, you don't need to have any special skills or patience to use it and is perfect if you (like me) have never been able to master the blow manoeuvre that creates that effortless, sleek, salon look.
Although I found for a poker straight look I would sometimes use a straightener as well, but you don't need to.
It's taken time out of my morning routine, and my hair has never looked better for it.
The main sticking point is the cost, as at £449.99 it's not cheap, and multiple tools can do the job - but would you find them combined and to this standard? Probably not.
It's a similar issue to the Airwrap, it's cutting-edge tech and that's what you're paying for.
It will save you time, and it is better for your hair, but if you want to buy the Airstait or Airwrap it's worth thinking about your natural hair texture (although all Dyson products work on all) and how you style your hair.
If you wear your hair straight, then the is probably the right product for you, while those with curly hair will prefer the Airwrap.
Where to buy the Dyson Airstrait?
The Dyson Airstrait is priced at £449.99 in the UK.
You can buy it from Dyson UK, John Lewis, Boots, Currys and more.
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