Overview

Dyson released their $550 styling tool in 2018. The Dyson Airwrap is unique because it uses the Coanda (Coandă (/ˈkwɑːndə/ or /ˈkwæ-/)) effect to curl, wave, and smooth, which creates an air vortex around the curler, which catches your hair and styles it. Since the Dyson Airwrap uses warm air to style, it causes less damage to hair than traditional hot tools. Additionally, it has an intelligent heat control system that checks the air temperature around 40 times a second to regulate and keep the heat at a suitable temperature. The base of the styling machine has two settings for perfect styling; airflow and heat. There are three options for both settings. You can also opt to use the cold shot setting, which locks in and sets your curl. There are several different Dyson Airwrap packages you can choose from, but you can also customize your styler. If you decide to do the latter, you will be prompted to answer four questions about your hair to get the best attachments for you. However, I bought the complete set from QVC. The Airwrap typically goes for $549.99, but it can vary depending on what site you buy from. Despite the name, this package does not come with every attachment; however, there are no packages currently selling all attachments. The complete set has a pre-styling dryer, two 1.2” Airwrap barrels, two 1.6” Airwrap barrels, a firm smoothing brush, a soft smoothing brush, and a round volumizing brush. The Dyson Airwrap also comes packaged in a brown leather box which doubles as storage. 

After seeing several videos on the styler, I was fascinated by how easy it was to use and how it worked. The Coanda effect sounded extraordinary, and I knew I had to try it. Another thing that drew me in was that it causes less damage to hair than traditional hot tools. Of course, all hot tools will damage hair, but this one uses significantly less heat. I used to flat iron my hair almost every day for school, which caused immense damage, and about a year ago, I dyed my hair which caused it to become even more damaged. Recently, I have been using less heat on my hair and deep conditioning more in hopes of restoring my hair’s health. Once I came across the Airwrap, I was delighted because it meant that I could still style my hair and not cause severe damage. Also, as someone who has rarely ever curled their hair, it seemed even more desirable because of how easy it was to use. 

Attachments 

Pre-Styling Dryer

When using the Airwrap, it is recommended to start with wet hair. Before using the curlers or other attachments, you are supposed to use the pre-styling dryer. With this dryer, you are only supposed to dry your hair until it is 50-60% dry, and once it is, you can begin using the other attachments. When I first tested mine out, I washed my hair, put some oil in for moisture, heat protecting spray, and then dried it using the pre-styling dryer. This dryer was quieter than other dryers I have used, which is something I appreciate. It also dried quickly even though I only had the airflow on setting one and the heat on setting two. I also love how it was light and less bulky than traditional hair dryers. The design of this dryer is perfect, and even though it is meant to be used before styling, I will be using it regularly to dry my hair. 

Firm Smoothing Brush

The firm smoothing brush attachment is used to get rid of frizziness and create straighter hair. It has firm bristles to help style and shape.

After using the pre-styling dryer, I decided to use the firm smoothing brush. This brush reduces frizz as well as straightens and smooths hair. It took me a little while to get my hair straight, but overall it was easy to use. I will be incorporating this brush into my hairstyling routine.

Soft Smoothing Brush

The soft smoothing brush attachment is used to get a smoother look. It has soft bristles, which are supposed to be gentler on the scalp. This tool is recommended for people who have thin hair. The final look is supposed to resemble that of a blow-dry.

I used this brush on my mother’s hair while it was damp, and it did an excellent job of smoothing and straightening. Like the firm smoothing brush, this attachment was easy to use and gave the results it claimed to. It was great at taming frizzy hair and still keeping a natural look. 

1.6” Airwrap Barrels

This attachment creates looser, bigger curls or waves. Dyson recommends curling your hair in around four to six sections on one side or eight to twelve for your whole head. 

To experiment and see what works best for my hair, I straightened the right side of my hair with the firm smoothing brush first and just left the left side the same. I did this because I wanted to see if it would make a difference in how the curl looks and holds. I found that the right side of my hair, the straightened side, looked better than the left. However, I believe that I dried my hair too much with the pre-styling dryer and then again with the firm smoothing brush, which definitely could have made a difference in the curls. While curling my hair, I thought that it was super easy to do and quite fun too. It is so cool to see the Coanda effect in action. The Airwrap does pick up your hair and curl it by itself. The only problem is that it is slightly challenging to pick up a specific section of hair; it will either leave some out or take more than you wanted it to. This can be somewhat annoying, but I have found that this gets better with practice. If I am honest, I have rarely curled my hair by myself before, so this might have also put me at a disadvantage. Despite all of that, I was pleased with the bouncy curls I was left with. They did fall out after a few hours, but that was something I had expected. 

1.2” Airwrap Barrels

These barrels are slightly smaller than the 1.6” barrels. They create tighter, more voluminous curls or waves. Generally, I found that I could do these curls in the same amount of sections as the other barrels.

Before using the 1.2” Airwrap barrels, I applied a heat protectant, dried my hair, and then straightened it with the firm smoothing brush. Afterward, I began using the 1.2” curler attachment. This attachment works precisely as the other barrels did, so I also found that using this attachment was fun and easy. Just like with the 1.6” attachment, I found it slightly difficult to pick up my hair the first couple of times. These curls were much tighter than the 1.6”, so if you prefer tighter curls, I suggest you use this attachment. Unfortunately, these curls only lasted a couple of hours before becoming flat. I am not as fond of the results of these barrels as I am of the results using the 1.6” barrels, but I still do like the results. 

Round Volumizing Brush

This cylindrical brush has long bristles that help to direct heat flow into the hair to give it body and volume. This brush can also give hair a slight wave and make it look effortlessly beautiful.

I love the effect that using a cylindrical brush has on my hair. This attachment was one of the things that drew me to this styling tool. This brush gave my hair texture, body, and volume and still managed to make it look healthy and natural. After using this attachment, my hair also felt super soft, which is an added benefit. The round volumizing brush is one of my most favorite attachments in the whole set. 

Is the Dyson Airwrap Worth it?

I believe that the Dyson Airwrap was worth it for me. I love how easy it is to use and how it damages your hair less than traditional tools. The Coanda effect is fascinating and is fun to use. I love how easy it is to curl and style. I also love the design of the cool because it looks sleek, modern, and clean. The leather case it comes packaged in is also stylish, and I love how it doubles as storage; I can easily fit this case on a self. I feel as though I can justify the excessive cost of this styling tool because it eliminates the need for any other styler. However, many people already have several different styling tools, and $550 is a lot of money to spend. I would recommend this tool to anyone looking for an all-in-one hot tool. I picture myself using this styler often, and I cannot wait to experiment with it more!