Dyson Airwrap review: Is it worth it?
Costing significantly less than the Dyson Airwrap, this blow-dry brush has gotten rave reviews from shoppers. But how does it compare?
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When Dyson first released its Airwrap back in 2018, its ambassador and hairdresser to the stars Jen Atkin predicted it would “break the internet” — and how right she was.
The revolutionary hair styling tool, which blow dries, curls and straightens your hair (just to name a few options), has a cult following and frequently sells out nearly four years since it first launched.
The Airwrap sparked a fresh frenzy on TikTok late last year, with the hashtag #dysonairwrap racking up an insane 2.3 billion views and shoppers labelled it a real hair game changer.
Now, Dyson has released its next generation Airwrap which has a range of new features and updated technology designed to make styling your hair even easier.
I was lucky enough to try out the new Airwrap before it was released and, I’ll have to be honest, was a little intimidated by its six attachments (there’s 13 in total you can purchase).
I would describe my hair styling ability as basic — at best. I have fine, straight hair with a slight wave that’s prone to dryness, meaning I usually steer clear of heat styling to avoid it becoming further damaged.
But I was intrigued by Dyson’s use of Enhanced Coanda airflow to style hair, which means no extreme heat and the damage that comes with it.
Plus all those TikTok videos made it seem easy enough to use, how hard could it be?
Read on for our guide to using the Dyson Airwrap, plus we compare it to a blow-dry brush.
In this article
- What are the new Dyson Airwrap Features?
- How to prepare your hair for using the Dyson Airwrap
- How do you use the Dyson Airwrap?
- Verdict on the Dyson Airwrap
- Is the Dyson Airwrap worth it?
- How does the Airwrap compare to a $109 blow-dry brush?
RELATED: How to make your Airwrap curls last
Dyson Airwrap (next generation), $699 (down from $949) at THE ICONIC
WHAT ARE THE NEW DYSON AIRWRAP FEATURES?
The new generation Dyson Airwrap comes with all the same features as the original, but with added attachments and tweaks to make styling that bit easier.
Dyson’s lead design engineer for haircare Yuchen Yang told news.com.au the new generation Airwrap was created based on “relentless research, user trials and advancements in computational fluid dynamics”.
“We’ve re-engineered nearly all of our Dyson Airwrap attachments to harness Enhanced Coanda airflow for more control when styling,” she said.
“The Airwrap barrels now include a rotating cool tip to change the direction of the airflow. “This means you can create both clockwise and anticlockwise curls using a single attachment making it faster and easier to achieve curls and waves.”
The Airwrap’s smoothing brushes have also been redesigned to give more style control, again using Enhanced Coanda airflow “to attract and align hair for a straight style”, Ms Yang said.
There’s also the addition of the Coanda smoothing dryer attachment which is similar to the Flyaway attachment that was released for the Supersonic hair dryer last year.
“Combining two attachments in one, the Coanda smoothing dryer has two modes,” Ms Yang said.
“Smoothing mode hides flyaways and improves alignment in a single pass, with no extreme heat to give owners shine and a finished look.
“With the flick of a switch, it transforms into drying mode, as a powerful dryer.”
Existing Airwap owners will be able to purchase the new attachments as they are compatible with both Airwraps.
The new Airwrap also has a wide-tooth comb for styling curly and coily hair, firm and soft brushes.
HOW TO PREPARE YOUR HAIR FOR USING THE DYSON AIRWRAP
The Airwrap is designed to be used on wet hair and since I was aiming for a big and bouncy look, I focused on products that would add volume.
I began by washing my hair with the Christophe Robin Cleansing Volumising Paste (Adore Beauty, $68), a root lifting clay to foam shampoo designed to add body to your hair.
I followed that up with REDKEN’s Acidic Bonding Concentrate Lotion (THE ICONIC, $47), a leave in conditioner that strengthens hair, prevents frizz and offers heat protection. I brushed my hair out with my trusty Tangle Teezer Hairbrush (THE ICONIC, $36.30) (IYKYK).
Your hair needs to be 80 per cent dry (which is when hair looks dry, but is cool to the touch) before you can begin styling, so my first step was using the Coanda smoothing dryer attachment on drying mode.
While Dyson stresses it is not as powerful as its Supersonic hair dryer, I was pleasantly surprised at just how quickly it dried my hair.
Once 80 per cent dry, I gave my hair a generous spray of evo’s root canal volumising spray (Adore Beauty, $38) focusing on the roots (which my hairdresser best friend swears is the best volumising spray she’s ever used).
HOW DO YOU USE THE DYSON AIRWRAP?
When it comes to styling your hair with the DysonAirwrap there is no limit to what you can do, and Dyson’s YouTube channel has plenty of helpful tutorials on how to achieve your desired style.
But one of the most popular features has got to be its curling barrels, which unlike a traditional curl heat styler don’t require you to manually twist your hair around the barrel.
To curl your hair using the Airwrap, get your hair to “damp-to-touch” dryness by using the Coanda smoothing dryer on drying mode with the high speed, high heat option, Ms Yang explained.
Next, divide your hair into sections and attach either the 30mm or 40mm barrel depending on hair type and curl you’re after.
Dyson Detangling Comb, Dyson, $19
“Set airflow direction to curl away from the left side of your face and start on the left sections of your hair,” Ms Yang said.
“Use high heat and airflow then wrap a small piece of hair around the barrel about 10cm from the tips.”
Hold each curl for 15 seconds or when hair feels dry and turn the power off. Next (and this is crucial if you want your style to hold) set the curl with the Airwrap’s cool shot switch for five to 10 seconds and then slowly release the curl.
“Change airflow direction and repeat on the right sections of your hair,” Ms Yang said.
“Separate curls with Dyson Detangling comb.”
MY VERDICT ON THE DYSON AIRWRAP
I decided to trial the Airwrap’s most popular feature, its curling barrels, in an attempt to give myself just-stepped-out-of-the-salon waves.
After getting my hair to nearly dry I switched the Coanda smoothing dryer attachment to smoothing mode — and was shocked to see it tame my tresses straight and smooth, with barely a hair out of place.
Now with my almost dry hair silky smooth I attached the 30mm curling barrel, which is recommended for tighter curls and fine hair, so I would have more precision.
But I’m not going to lie, the curling mechanism does take a fair bit of trial and error at first (I may have had to watch a few video tutorials).
It took me a while to work out how much hair delivered the best curls (less is definitely more) and a few times bits of my hair that were already styled accidentally got sucked up into the Airwrap.
But when I moved from my left to my right side (switching air direction as I changed) I began feeling more confident with my curls.
It became oddly satisfying to see pieces of hair get sucked around the barrel and emerge as perfect curls.
The best bit was how well it added movement to my curtain bangs, which I usually struggle to style with a hairdryer and brush.
It also took much less time than traditional styling, my hair went from wet to dry and curled in under 30 minutes.
After brushing out the curls, I was pretty satisfied with my first attempt — was I suddenly good at doing my own hair?
IS THE DYSON AIRWRAP WORTH IT?
Look, there is no avoiding that for most of us mere mortals the next generation Airwrap’s $899 price tag makes it a significant investment.
But it’s 100 per cent worth it — while my first styling attempt may have been challenging at times, I can definitely see it getting easier with practice.
Plus, just the mere fact that the Airwrap can replace a blow dryer, straightening iron and curling tongs makes it worth purchasing, especially if you’re someone who styles their hair frequently.
What sells the next generation Airwrap for me is the new Coanda smoothing dryer attachment, which hides flyaways and smooths out hair for a shiny finish.
It’s a feature I can see myself using a lot as it’s a real game changer for getting rid of frizz for a simple, polished look.
HOW DOES THE DYSON AIRWRAP COMPARE TO A BLOWDRY BRUSH?
While TikTok is responsible for much of the hype around the Airwrap, if you’ve spent any time on #hairtok you’ve probably also seen just as many videos raving about blow dry brushes — with some even going as far to say they’re better than the Dyson hair tool.
Better than the Airwrap and a fraction of the price? I knew I had to put one of them to the test.
I decided to try out the Mermade Hair Blowdry Brush because at $109 it’s one of the most affordable versions of the hair tool available in Australia right now.
It’s made by Mermade Hair, an Australian company behind the Mermade Hair Waver that’s loved by celebrities like Rita Ora, Sophie Monk and Khloe Kardashian.
The first thing I notice about the Mermade Hair Blowdry Brush (apart from its aesthetically pleasing pink colour) is how light it is. At 300g, it barely feels heavier than a regular hairbrush.
Features include three different heat settings — cool (low heat, high power), gen (high heat, low power) and hot (high heat, high power). I used the hot setting before finishing with a few seconds of the cool when styling my hair.
With flexible bristles that glide through your hair, the Mermade Hair Blowdry Brush uses ionic technology to deliver a shiny blow-dry.
To make the comparison as fair as possible, I washed my hair and blow dried with a regular hairdryer it until it was about 80 per cent dry, then I sectioned my hair and got to work.
Full disclosure, I had intended to create the same bouncy curls that I had with the Airwrap but about a third of the way through I had to abandon this plan. My hair was simply not co-operating and I’m not sure if it’s just the fact that it is super fine or my lack of skill (but I’m going to guess the latter).
After abandoning my original plan I decided to curl sections of hair around the brush and hold at the root, before slowing pulling it through the brush, which gave my ends a lovely Cindy Crawford-style flick at the ends.
While I wasn’t able to get the look I had originally aimed for, it didn’t mean I wasn’t happy with the results. In fact, the finished look felt a lot more “me” than the Airwrap had, just a more polished version.
My hair looked shiny and sleek, with body at the roots and my curtain bangs nicely styled. For $109 I was impressed with how well it had performed, although I wouldn’t say it compares to the Airwrap in terms of variety of styles you can do with it.
Mermade Hair Blowdry Brush, $87.20 (down from $109) at Adore Beauty
DYSON AIRWRAP VS MERMADE HAIR BLOWDRY BRUSH
PROS
•Dyson Airwrap: Where do I begin? So many styling options, ease of use, quiet to use and the fact that it doesn’t damage hair. I could easily go on …
•Mermade Hair Blowdry Brush: How affordable it is, the slim handle, light feel and flexible bristles that didn’t get tangled in my knot-prone hair.
CONS
•Dyson Airwrap: The price — at $899 it’s a very big investment. Also, the styles don’t last longer than an evening for me due to my fine hair.
•Mermade Hair Blowdry Brush: It’s not idiot proof like the Airwrap, which means you need some hairstyling skill if you want to try more complex styles — skill that I am severely lacking in.
EASE OF USE
•Dyson Airwrap: Once you understand the ‘rules’ of the Airwrap (like how their curling barrels work) it’s extremely easy to use.
•Mermade Hair Blowdry Brush: If you just want to give yourself a regular sleek blow-dry it’s easy to use, especially because it is so light. But again, more complicated styles you need to practice and learn how to do.
TIME
•Dyson Airwrap: Super fast, 30 minutes to go from wet hair to curled tresses and I would say only about 15-20 minutes to curl an entire head of long hair.
•Mermade Hair Blowdry Brush: This took longer, I would say close to 30 minutes just using the brush on my head and 45 minutes all up if you consider the time it took me to blow-dry my hair to 80 per cent dry.
OVERALL VERDICT
•Dyson Airwrap: A great investment if you style your hair frequently and like variety. The flyaways attachment is incredible.
•Mermade Hair Blowdry Brush: This brush is amazing value for money. It’s a good option if you only style your hair occasionally and want to do a fool proof classic blow-dry.
Want more hair content? Check out our heatless curls guide that Abbie Chatfield is obsessed with, as well as the $69 hair straightener that “beats my GHD”.
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