Dyson Airstrait Review: ‘Life-changing’ feature dries and straightens simultaneously
The beloved Dyson Airstrait straightener has finally arrived in Australia. But does it live up to the hype?
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I often joke that when I am a rich old lady, the first thing I’m going to spend my money on is a weekly blow-dry. But sadly, I’m not quite there yet and the task of doing my hair is left to me.
I have very thick, wavy, frizzy, curly hair and styling it with a blow dryer and any other heat tool like a straightener or curling iron is normally a two-hour-plus job.
Until now.
Everyone’s favourite brand, Dyson, has finally launched the highly anticipated Airstrait straightener in Australia. It first came to market in the US in mid 2023 and more than a year later, we finally have it.
After testing it for over three weeks, these are my honest thoughts on the newly launched Dyson Airstrait.
And if you’re looking for a comparison, further below I also reviewed the very similar ghd Duet and had some serious thoughts.
1-MINUTE REVIEW: DYSON AIRSTRAIT
Dyson Airstrait, $749 at Dyson
Dyson Airstrait, $749 at Dyson
What You Need To Know
If you’re someone who normally straightens or blow-dries their hair straight every time you wash it, I would 100 per cent recommend the Dyson Airstrait.
It’s definitely expensive at $749 and I would never suggest it is something everybody needs. But in saying that, for those who always style their hair, this will seriously be a life changer. I was left with silky-smooth straight hair in only an hour, that’s half the time it usually takes me.
I also found it fairly lightweight to hold and didn’t notice any strain on my arms that I normally do by the time I’m done.
The Airstrait sets itself apart from other straighteners, including other wet-to-dry options, by ditching hot plates for air. As a result, it claims zero hair damage.
When clamped around the hair, the two arms of the straightener create a precise right-angled high-pressure blade of air and force it downward and into the hair, thereby straightening and drying all at once. That’s a hair miracle if I ever saw one.
And if the science behind this machine doesn’t convince you, then what about its ability to cut down your hair routine? A true time-saver and a lazy girl’s new best friend.
What comes in the box: Dyson Airstrait, heatproof mat and instruction manual.
HOW WE TESTED THE DYSON AIRSTRAIT
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I used the Dyson Airstrait for roughly three weeks. I used it to do my full routine by styling it from wet to dry as well as on fully dry hair.
HOW WE EVALUATED THE AIRSTRAIT
- Function and features
- Intuitive airflow
- Price: How much does the Dyson Airstrait cost?
- Verdict: Should you buy the Dyson Airstrait?
- Comparison of the ghd Duet and the Dyson Airstrait
FULL REVIEW OF THE DYSON AIRSTRAIT
At $749, the Dyson Airstrait is definitely one of, if not the, most expensive wet-to-dry straighteners on the market right now.
Read on for my full review where I’ve broken down everything you need to know about the best-selling device and why I think it’s worth it (but only for some people).
FUNCTION AND FEATURES
MULTIPLE SETTINGS
The Dyson Airstrait has multiple settings to allow you to create the perfect look. Users can choose between ‘Wet’ and ‘Dry’ styling modes as well as different temperatures once the mode is selected. In ‘Wet’ mode, you can choose between 80°C, 110°C and 140°C. While in ‘Dry’ mode, the options include 120°C or 140°C as well as an extra boost feature. Users can also choose between low and high airflow as well as a cold shot to fully set the style. And if that wasn’t enough, the two arms can be locked in place for root drying mode where users can use the Airstrait like a regular blowdryer and really get into the roots.
INTELLIGENT HEAT CONTROL
Like other Dyson hair tools including the new Dyson Supersonic Nural and the Dyson Airwrap, the Airstrait features intelligent heat control. This means that the tool is best able to prevent heat damage and protect the shine of your hair. The temperature of the airflow is measured up to 16 times a second which then works to regulate and maintain the optimum heat.
CONTROLLED AIRFLOW
When it comes to the Airstrait, the arms of the machine are where the magic happens. There are two 1.5mm spaces on each arm where the airflow is pushed through to create high-velocity blades of air. Coming out at a 45-degree angle, one jet of air is created and forced downward to straighten and dry the hair all at the same time.
Translation: this is not your ordinary straightener.
This is why it’s important to dry the roots before you go in with the straightener aspect because the air is pushed downwards and will otherwise miss the roots. When I first tried it out, I, stupidly, thought I could just swap the direction of the Airstrait.
Big mistake. Huge.
It resulted in my hair going in a million directions and many knots I consequently had to brush out. Safe to say, I learnt my lesson and from then on ensured the air was always going downwards.
INTUITIVE AIRFLOW
OK, this is potentially my favourite part of the Airstrait.
Not only does the airflow reduce once you pull it away from your head but after three seconds of inactivity when you place it down, it will automatically pause.
As anyone with long hair knows, the silence that comes after a loud blow-dry is pure heaven. Honestly, if I wasn’t already convinced by just how good my hair looked, this would be enough on its own.
PRICE: HOW MUCH DOES THE DYSON AIRSTRAIT COST?
There’s no way to sugar-coat it, at $749 the Dyson Airstrait is expensive. And while Dyson doesn’t go on sale super often throughout the year, we do normally see some price reductions during big sale events like Black Friday.
While we can’t promise a discount now, there may likely be some sort of sale if you’re willing to wait.
VERDICT: SHOULD YOU BUY THE DYSON AIRSTRAIT?
If I’m being completely honest, I seriously thought that after my review I would think the Airstrait is just not worth it. How could it be when it costs so much?
But I’m happy to admit, I was wrong.
The Airstrait is not only one of the most efficient hair tools I’ve ever used but also the easiest. I’ve always struggled to straighten my hair, especially the back, but I had no issues with the Airstrait. The first time I used it I went out to lunch with my family and my mum thought I had gone and got myself a professional blow-dry. She couldn’t believe I did it myself. (Thanks for the vote of confidence, mum).
But in all seriousness, after three weeks of use, I’m just as happy now as I was then.
Plus, the fact that it takes me an hour to blow-dry and straighten my hair compared to my usual two hours is a no-brainer.
There’s no denying that it’s expensive but if you style your hair all the time and have the money to spend, then this is seriously worth the investment. Also, not only are you saving yourself time but also better looking after your hair in the long run.
One thing to consider is the size of the plug. Measuring 71mm x 150mm x 41mm, it’s seriously big. According to Dyson, to use the super powerful wet-to-dry technology, the larger plug was necessary to make the tool safe for consumers. And while we’re all about safety, it definitely is something to consider. If your socket is close to the ground or has any sort of table below it then you’ll need some sort of extension cord to be able to plug it in.
COMPARISON OF THE GHD DUET STYLE AND THE DYSON AIRSTRAIT
The ghd Duet Style is arguably the Airstrait’s main competition when it comes to premium wet-to-dry straighteners.
Like the Airstrait, it too uses hot hair to simultaneously dry and straighten your locks. But unlike the Airstrait, the ghd actually has hot plates too. The so-called Shine Shot mode is designed to be used on only dry hair (unless you want that truly awful sizzle) and helps to really finish off your hair and get rid of any unwanted frizz.
In comparing the two, the first thing to note is that the ghd is $150 cheaper than the Dyson. At $595, it is definitely still expensive for a hair tool but still nowhere near the Airstrait.
Getting to the tool itself, unlike the Dyson, the ghd doesn’t have different temperatures or settings, only the two modes; wet and dry (Shine Shot).
The ghd is also wider than the Dyson and I did find it slightly more difficult to use as a result. It just meant that when I only wanted to grab a small section of my hair, I often ended up getting the pieces next to it too.
In terms of styling, it took me an hour and a half to do my whole head. I noticed I really had to hold the tool down on my roots for quite a while to get them dry and straight before then very slowly moving through the hair. I also had to go over each piece around five times, so a few more than the Dyson.
By the end, the results were pretty much identical to the Dyson. Not incredibly flat and pin straight, but that slightly voluminous blow-dried straight look.
If I was to choose, I would say the technology behind the Dyson is just that little bit better, especially that heavenly intuitive airflow. Also, the extra time the ghd takes didn’t bother me too much but is something else to take into account. But, if you don’t want to spend the extra $150, considering I was able to get the same results with both then the ghd is still definitely worth the money and will be a purchase you won’t regret.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DYSON AIRSTRAIT AND OTHER STRAIGHTENERS?
Unlike other straighteners, the Dyson Airstrait does not have any hot plates. It simply uses hot air to dry and straighten your hair at the same time.
By doing so, it dramatically reduces the heat damage your hair usually has to deal with from a regular straightener.
HOW LONG DOES THE AIRSTRAIT TAKE TO STRAIGHTEN YOUR HAIR?
After responses from 250 US Airstrait owners, Dyson found the Airstrait took on average 25 per cent less time than their old existing routine. For me, I would say it almost cut it down by 50 per cent. It took roughly one hour to completely do my hair with the Dyson compared to my usual two hours. I had to go over each section of my hair probably around two to three times to get it dry and straight.
I will say this is where it’s important not to believe everything you see on TikTok. Before trialling it out, I saw dozens of videos where people claimed it took them 15 minutes to get their hair from wet to straight. Either they have very thin hair that is already naturally straight or they’re straight up lying.
CAN I USE THE AIRSTRAIT ON DRY HAIR?
Yes, you can. There is a dry mode with two different heat temperatures and a boost mode to really set your style.
HOW DOES THE PRICE OF THE DYSON AIRSTRAIT COMPARE TO OTHERS ON THE MARKET?
The Dyson Airstrait costs a whopping $749. Comparatively, Dyson’s other straightener, the Corrale, costs $699.
The ghd Original Hair Straightener comes in at $270 while the more affordable Mermade Hair Straightener is $109.
To save your hard-earned cash at your favourite online brands, don’t forget to check out the news.com.au Coupons page.
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