I Tried the Dyson Airwrap and I’m Never Paying for a Blowout Again
Updated: Jan. 31, 2024
Years after its initial release, this all-in-one hair tool still sells out. Is it worth the hype? Or the investment?
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.
If there’s one thing I have a love/hate relationship with, it’s my hair. There’s a lot of it, but it’s thin, takes forever to blow dry and, when left to its own devices, just settles into a wavy, frizzy mess. While I would love to go about each day free from a halo of frizz or floppy top knots, I don’t have the time or patience to spend 40 minutes each morning blowing it out.
And paying for a blowout is strictly reserved for date nights or special events when I want to look like I actually know how to put myself together. I needed to find a go-to way to style my hair at home.
Turns out there are a ton of at-home hairstyling options out there. People love Revlon’s one-step hair dryer, and at around $50, it’s an affordable way to go. But when I watched my friend transform her hair with the Dyson Airwrap, I knew that it was the one beauty tool I needed to own. The space-age-looking dryer comes with multiple attachment tools that let you style your hair as it dries—for sleek, professional-looking results in a fraction of the time at a salon.
But I hesitated when I saw the price tag.
Eventually, my husband surprised me with an amazing birthday gift, and I became the proud owner of a Dyson Airwrap. That was just over a year ago. So is this hairstyling tool, which runs a cool $599, worth the hype after a year of frequent use? You bet. Reader, I’m never paying for a blowout again.
What is the Dyson Airwrap?
There’s no denying that the Airwrap is a hot commodity. And yes, Dyson is the same company that reinvented vacuums. When the Airwrap launched in 2018, it sold out almost immediately. Then there was a six-month waitlist for people who wanted to get their hands (and hair) on one.
Now, even four years after its wildly successful launch, it’s still one of these products that almost always has a waitlist. After all, who wouldn’t want a tool that dries and styles at the same time without damaging high heat?
My Airwrap arrived neatly packaged in a tan leather storage case that holds the styler and each of its eight attachments, as well as a nonslip mat. The storage case alone, which is lined with a soft black cushioned fabric and has a magnetic closure, feels fancy. Then I opened it, looked at all of the attachments and instantly wondered if it might not be a little too complex for someone who has never fully mastered using a hair-dryer diffuser.
I’ll admit: I found its selection of attachments—which include a pre-styling dryer, round volumizing brush, firm smoothing brush, soft smoothing brush, 1.2-inch curling barrels and 1.6-inch curling barrels—intimidating.
Luckily, there are tons of tutorials online. If you’re already somewhat of a pro when it comes to styling your own hair, head over to Dyson’s Airwrap page for quick step-by-step style guides. The experts show you how to get every popular hair look, from mermaid waves and casual curls to silky and straight tresses. However, if you’re more like me and find the idea of styling your own hair daunting, go to YouTube, where you’ll find tons of in-depth tutorials for all hair textures and skill levels.
How experts use the Dyson Airwrap
We spoke to Dyson Global Styling Ambassador and celebrity stylist Matthew Collins to find out how users can get the most out of their Airwrap. According to Collins, when it comes to curling your hair with the Airwrap, “The most important tip is to always begin with a little moisture in your hair.”
He recommends that hair be about 70% dry when you start using the curling attachments, since the moisture will help your hair keep some of its elasticity and ultimately make your curls last longer. Will the Airwrap still curl your hair if it’s completely dry? Yes, but Collins cautions that the curls will drop faster than they would if you curl your hair while it’s still slightly damp.
He advises further dampening your ends by adding a sea salt spray, curl setting spray or volumizing spray to each section just before curling it. That will ensure that your hair has the moisture it needs to help set your curls and prevent frizz.
We also asked Collins for his advice on achieving the perfect beachy waves. He says, “For beachy waves, you want to use the smallest curling attachment and hold the Airwrap upside down with the tip facing the floor. You want to start twisting the hair of each section around the barrel from as close to the root as possible. I suggest wrapping the hair around once, then pause for a second or two, then wrap once more and pause. Continue this until you have two inches of hair left to wrap and then hold on heat for five seconds followed by a cool shot to set. Try to make sure you are wrapping in the direction you see the arrows on the barrel go.”
I took his advice, and while it took me a minute to get comfortable holding the Airwrap upside down, I did end up with some pretty enviable waves.
Is the Dyson Airwrap worth it?
Once you get the hang of the Dyson Airwrap, you’ll be seriously impressed at how quickly and effortlessly you can style your hair. And when I say quickly, I mean quickly! Styling my hair with a traditional blow dryer and round brush took me, on average, 40 minutes. With the Airwrap, I go from soaking wet hair to a silky blowout in…wait for it…11 minutes!
If I want curls, I’m done in just under 25 minutes. Since the Airwrap uses intelligent heat control (it measures the airflow temperature over 40 times a second) to keep the temperature under 302 degrees, you can style without worrying about extreme heat damage. This hair tool is, simply put, magical. And while I have long hair, the Airwrap would work on just about any of these best hairstyles for women over 40.
Pros:
- Cuts drying and styling time down by more than half.
- Get multiple styles: glam curls, beachy waves or salon-quality blowouts
- Engineered for all hair types and textures
- Intelligent heat control minimizes heat damage
- Covered by a two-year warranty
Cons:
- The price. Even on sale, it’s going to set you back anywhere from $480 to $599.
- It takes practice to get optimal results.
- Because it’s best used on damp (not dry) hair, it isn’t for touchups between washes. Instead, I use my Dyson Corrale for touchups. It’s cordless, heats up quickly and is super easy to use as a straightener or in lieu of a traditional curling iron if you want to change your look.
FAQ
How much is a Dyson Airwrap?
The Dyson Airwrap multi-styler will set you back $599. Yes, its upfront cost is pricier than other styling tools, including hair straightener brushes, hair straightener combs and curling irons. But taking into consideration the fact that this multi-styler can replace several other tools as well as frequent trips to the salon makes the hefty price tag a bit easier to swallow.
Does the Dyson Airwrap ever go on sale?
If you’re ready to invest in the Airwrap, there’s good news and there’s bad news. The good news is that yes, the Airwrap does go on sale. The bad news is that sales are pretty elusive, so if you’re hoping to snag one at a discount, you’ll have to watch it like a hawk.
We’ve seen the Airwrap on sale for 20 percent off during Sephora’s bi-annual VIB Sales, around Black Friday and Cyber Monday and Dyson’s occasional owner rewards events. In fact, here’s a roundup of the best Dyson Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales.
Can you use the Dyson Airwrap on dry hair?
Technically yes, but for optimal results, it’s recommended that you use your Airwrap on hair that is 70 to 80% dry.
Does Dyson Airwrap damage hair?
Nope. Traditional styling tools use high heat to break the bonds in your hair and reset them in a new shape. The Airwrap combines powerful airflow and controlled heat to prevent damage.
Does hair get easily tangled in the Dyson Airwrap?
I have long hair and it has never gotten tangled in the Airwrap. The Coanda effect that the Dyson Airwrap uses actually attracts your hair and wraps it to the curling barrel or brush surface like a sort of magical magnet. When you turn the machine off, it gently releases all of your hair without snagging, pulling, or tangling.
How the Dyson Airwrap held up after one year
This styling tool is a workhorse. Because of how quickly the Airwrap allows me to style my hair, it gets a lot of use. And not only do I use it to style my own hair, but I also use it on two of my daughters who love the fact that it gives them “Rapunzel hair” in just a few minutes and doesn’t get too hot. I also pack it up and take it with me on vacations.
After a year of frequent use and travel, my Airwrap still works as well as it did when it was brand new. When it comes to maintenance, I clean my Airwrap’s filter once a month. I use the included filter cleaning brush, and the whole process takes just a few minutes to complete. If I forget, there’s a light just above the filter that lets me know it’s time to give it a quick cleaning.
My only complaint, if you can even call it that, is the fact that the storage case is bulky and hard to travel with. While you can surely pack the Airwrap and attachments without the case, I’m not willing to risk damaging such a pricey tool. And since I can’t go without my Airwrap, I’ve resorted to bringing extra luggage when I travel.
Do I need the newest Dyson Airwrap?
Earlier this year, Dyson launched a new Airwrap that has been re-engineered for even faster, easier styling. It now caters to more hair types and styles and has a host of new attachments including an all-new dual-purpose Coanda smoothing dryer, Airwrap barrels for long hair and a wide-tooth comb engineered to detangle and lengthen curly and coily hair while adding volume as it dries.
This newest model is currently the only one available for purchase. And if you purchase directly from Dyson, you can choose from three different colors or purchase their special gift edition set. It comes with the Airwrap in its stunning Vinca Blue and Rose colorway, plus 10 different attachments and accessories including a rose paddle brush, detangling comb and rose-edged travel pouch. This limited edition set is also available at retailers like Ulta or Sephora, but doesn’t include the brush or comb.
If you’re like me and already own the first-generation Airwrap, then you’re in luck. All of Dyson’s re-engineered attachments are fully compatible with every Dyson Airwrap multi-styler, so there’s no need to go out and purchase a new one. That being said, if a new machine is in your budget, then Dyson’s latest holiday color may be too pretty to pass up.
Where to buy the Dyson Airwrap
The Dyson Airwrap is sold by a host of your favorite retailers including Dyson, Sephora, Ulta, Best Buy and Nordstrom.
Other Dyson products worth shopping
Full disclosure: I am a Dyson enthusiast who has yet to meet a Dyson product that I do not absolutely love. After years of purchasing and replacing less expensive brands, I’ve found that you get what you pay for. Luckily, there are plenty of Dyson products that you can get on sale if you know when and where to shop.
Hint: you can save big on popular Dyson products during Black Friday! In fact, you can typically find discounted Dyson products during Walmart, Target, and Amazon’s Black Friday sales. Here’s what you should be on the lookout for.
Besides the Airwrap, Dyson offers their Supersonic Hair Dryer, and Corrale Straightener. Each tool is a worthy investment. You can count on the Supersonic Hair Dryer to give you a smooth, salon-quality blowout free from flyaways thanks to its flyaway attachment or a head full of perfect curls courtesy of its diffuser attachment. The Corrale Straightener, on the other hand, is perfect for smoothing and straightening as well as curling.
If you’re shopping for your home, we definitely expect to see some Black Friday/Cyber Monday vacuum sales. That’s great news considering the fact that Dyson makes some of the best vacuums for pet hair. And with winter on the way, you’ll want to consider purchasing a good humidifier to help combat things like dry skin, dry sinuses, bloody noses and allergies. Dyson offers a selection of purifying humidifier fans that serve as cool mist humidifiers, fans and air purifiers all in one.
Originally Published: June 16, 2021
