When Dyson launched into haircare, it probably came as a shock to some. The brand is renowned for vacuum cleaners and fans but at the time of the Supersonic hairdryer launch in 2016, it was no GHD.
That changed pretty quickly and by the time the Airwrap arrived in 2018, it was clear the company’s expertise in engineering came in particularly handy for hair stylers.
And so my love story with the Dyson Airwrap began. It was back then – and remains – one of the best products I’ve tested in my 11 years in technology journalism. This is what it does well, what it could better and why it is worth that high price tag.
The Disconnekt Downlow
Pros
+ Superb attachments
+ Great curling abilities
+ Coanda tech great for frizz
Cons
– So expensive
– Brushes could be better
– Doesn’t work on holiday
The Dyson Airwrap is a hair styler I have no hesitation in recommending time and time again. Six years on and I continue to be surprised by the results it can deliver and while it takes time to learn the technique to master the Airwrap art, the results it can produce are worth every second of the practice time. There is no getting away from its cost, and I do think the brush attachments in the Complete model could benefit from some extra features, but for a hair styler that’s supremely versatile, looks fantastic and can also deliver the goods when it comes to results, the Dyson Airwrap is exceptional in my experience.
The reasons you should choose the Dyson Airwrap
When the Dyson Airwrap first launched, it was a slightly different product to the one you buy now. Back in 2018, you had to switch between the curling barrels for each side of your head, taking one off and locking the other one in just so you didn’t need to twist your hand awkwardly to get the right angle and ideal airflow.
That’s no longer the case after Dyson announced re-engineered attachments (which are compatible with the older model) in 2022. The curling barrels – whether using the 30mm or 40mm option – are just one barrel each rather than two, with a twistable element at the top that will change the vents and consequently the direction of the airflow. This enables you to do both sides and the back of your hair without having to switch attachments halfway through.
IMAGE CREDIT: THE DISCONNEKT
The barrel uses what Dyson calls the Coanda airflow effect to wrap your hair around it, smooth it out and give it a gorgeous bounce. It’s honestly some sort of magic as it needs very little input from you once you’ve sectioned your hair and held the Airwrap up to it. There is a technique that requires a slight learning curve but once you nail it, you won’t look back.
It’s not the only attachment available however and it’s really the attachments that are the holy grail of this product, offering versatility you just don’t get on a standard hair styler. Of course you need the power that’s inside the Airwrap’s wand to make them work – and that’s an engineering feat in itself – but the attachments are what makes the Airwrap special, catering to a range of hair style options.
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The barrel uses what Dyson calls the Coanda airflow effect to wrap your hair around it, smooth it out and give it a gorgeous bounce. It’s honestly some sort of magic.
When the Airwrap first launched, it was basically the first of its kind. It now has some competition from the likes of Shark’s FlexStyle, but it’s still a marvel and its results are still exceptional (on my hair anyway).
There are six attachments in total on the Airwrap Complete Long model that I have, all of which come with the Airwrap in the fabulous leather box that you’ll probably never use once you’ve got it out, as figuring out where the attachments go back in is like a cryptic crossword in The Daily Telegraph. There’s also a velvet carry case too, which is much easier to find a home for.
Alongside the 30mm and 40mm curling barrels, there’s a Coanda smoothing dryer attachment and three brushes – two of which also use the Coanda effect. I must say I’ve yet to get on as well with the Coanda smoothing dryer attachment as Supersonic’s Flyaway version and so I default to the Supersonic and the Flyaway attachment for post-styling smoothing, but there is no doubt an art to the Airwrap’s variant as there is with the curling barrel.
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The Coanda smoothing dryer attachment means you don’t need a Supersonic as well as the Airwrap – which is handy given the price of both – but you will need to make sure you reduce the wetness of your hair before you begin with the curling barrels. The Airwrap needs a specific wetness to get the best results and it takes a little bit of time to learn the sweet spot between wet and dry. Go for damp if you’re unsure to start with.
The brushes I’ll come to in a second, but as mentioned, two of them use the same Coanda effect to allow for blow drying and shaping, while the other acts as a volumising hot brush.
What Dyson Airwrap could do better
It’s in fact the brushes where I personally believe the Airwrap could improve. I think it has absolutely nailed the curling element, but the Airwrap’s brushes miss a couple of features that I’ve found useful when testing other hair stylers like the Shark SmoothStyle Hot Brush.
The two brush attachments that use the Coanda smoothing airflow don’t have bristles on both sides, meaning it’s harder to get the tension as the hair doesn’t twist as easily around the brush.
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The bristles are also quite hard on both the firm and soft brush options which makes for a different styling experience to the Shark SmoothStyle Hot Brush and they don’t have a knob at the top to hold onto, which again makes getting the tension needed for a smooth finish difficult.
Now, everyone will style their hair differently and use their own techniques so while the brush attachments aren’t my favourite element of the Airwrap, I do know people who swear by them so it comes down to preference. It’s also important to mention that the Coanda airflow effect helps with some of the smoothing out so tension isn’t as important with the Airwrap as it would be with a traditional hairdryer.
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The other thing that is important to mention is that if you buy the Airwrap in the UK, you might find it doesn’t work on holiday. I took mine to the US but as the voltage is different over there, I would have needed an Airwrap bought in the US for it to work so keep that in mind before you take up valuable luggage space.
What are the Dyson Airwrap results like and how long do they last?
Overall, I achieve some fabulous results using Dyson’s Airwrap and if I am ever trying to achieve the “just stepped out of the salon” look, it’s the Airwrap I will choose to achieve it.
I mentioned you need to learn the technique and I believe this applies for all the attachments. There is a knack to this styler but if you can master it, there’s a good chance you’ll never pay for a blow dry again.
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Dyson has a number of Airwrap tutorials on its YouTube channel, and some tips that I highly recommend watching. The way I use it when curling is to allow it to wrap my hair and then I move it up and down the section of hair to smooth it out at the bottom and top, but you might find a way that works better for your hair. I’ve also been known to go over the top with the Supersonic’s Flyaway attachment as I mentioned – and I sometimes do this at the same time – but you can of course use the attachment that comes with Airwrap separately for this once you’ve added your bounce.
How long the results last will very much depend on your hair type. If I use the brushes alone with no curl, my hair has volume and shape for several days but I will need to smooth out the frizz daily. Curls last a couple of days if I spin my hair up when I sleep and pop it on top of my head but everyone is different. I always use the cool shot setting for every section and I have my Airwrap set to full power out of the three options and full heat out of the three settings.
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Should you buy the Dyson Airwrap?
The Dyson Airwrap is a hair styler I have no hesitation in recommending, and I will time and time again. I continue to be surprised by the results it can deliver and while it takes time to learn the technique to master the Airwrap art I keep talking about, the results it can produce are worth the practice.
There is no getting away from its cost, which is of course considerably higher than other stylers, including the Shark FlexStyle, and I do think the brush attachments could benefit from some extra features. But the Airwrap’s performance is still superb.
For a hair styler that’s supremely versatile, looks fantastic and can also deliver the goods when it comes to results, the Dyson Airwrap is exceptional in my experience.
IMAGE CREDIT: THE DISCONNEKT
FAQs
Yes, there are a couple of different models. There is the Airwrap Origin multi-styler and dryer that comes with three attachments, including one 30mm curling barrel, the Coanda smoothing dryer attachment and the round volumising brush.
You then have the Airwrap multi-styler and dryer Complete Long, which is designed for longer hair. It has six attachments, like the model in this review, with the Coanda smoothing dryer attachment, round volumising brush, firm smoothing brush, soft smoothing brush, 30mm long barrel and a larger 40mm barrel.
Similar to Dyson’s vacuum cleaners, you should clean out the filter at the bottom from time to time. This will ensure your Airwrap continues to deliver good performance. A filter brush comes with the Airwrap so you can use that and make sure you follow the instructions that come with it.
Dyson claims the Airwrap is engineered for multiple hair types, and I have used it on my own, along with many friends who all have various different lengths and types of hair. I have thick, naturally wavy hair that’s around waist length and my hair is naturally quite frizzy, which the Airwrap tames. If your hair type sounds quite different to mine, I would recommend reading some other reviews from those that have hair similar to yours to check how they have found it. You could also head into a Dyson Store and book a demo.
