Credit:
Reviewed / Dyson / Rachel Dube
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Dyson Airstrait
As someone with curly hair, I’m always excited to test out straightening tools that’ll help me achieve a sleek, smooth hairstyle. And as a beauty writer, I’ve tried practically every flat iron available, but none have lived up to my standards. That changed when I tried the Dyson Airstrait ($499). The wet-to-dry straightening tool took six years to create, according to Dyson, and if you ask me, it was worth the wait. Now, allow me to convince you why this is the hottest new hair product out there—personally, I can’t stop reaching for it.
What is the Dyson Airstrait?
At first glance, the Dyson Airstrait looks like a typical, V-shaped flat iron that clamps hair between two hot plates. However, rather than thermal plates, the tool uses “precise directional airflow” to simultaneously dry and straighten hair. Dyson claims that this mechanism protects your strands from heat damage and cuts down on styling time.
The tool has two airflow speeds—high and low—and has “intuitive airflow” that senses when the hair is between the two arms of the flat iron. When the arms are clamped together, the air automatically switches to high and then drops to low when released. It’ll also switch to auto-pause after three seconds of inactivity and restart when you pick it back up.
Airstrait also allows you to choose between two styling modes, which indicate to the tool whether you’re straightening wet or dry hair. Wet mode offers three air temperature settings (175°F, 230°F, and 285°F) and dry mode offers two (250°F and 285°F). For either mode, you can also use the cool shot button to set your style with cool air. The styling tool uses “intelligent heat control,” which Dyson claims measures the air’s temperature 30 times per second to “to prevent heat damage and protect hair’s natural shine.”
What I like about the Dyson Airstrait
The tool works on both wet and dry hair
My favorite aspect of the Dyson Airstrait is the ability to use it on both wet and dry hair. Typical flat irons require you to air- or blow-dry your hair before use, but this one rolls the task of drying and straightening into one. Not only that—I don’t worry about burning or crisping my hair like I do with other flat irons because it uses air up to 285°F as opposed to plates up to about 450°F.
It gives my hair plenty of volume
I’m not a fan of using a straightener unless I want my hair to be flat. The Airstrait gives me my preferred style, which involves plenty of volume. It provides results similar to a blow-dryer versus a typical straightener, and I appreciate that it can make my strands smooth but not flat.
It’s easy to use
Despite its advanced technology, the Dyson is relatively easy to use when it comes to styling. Upon powering it on, the LED screen illuminates and provides me with two options—wet or dry styling—along with three temperature choices for each setting. During styling, it’s easy for me to work with a larger section of hair without experiencing any snags or knots during the process.
What I dislike about the Dyson Airstrait
It requires multiple passes for thicker hair types
Dyson states that, depending on your hair type, you’ll need one to three passes over a section of hair to adequately dry and straighten it, and that’s accurate to my experience styling my curly hair. I was able to get my desired results with multiple passes, but I think this tool is better suited for straight or wavy hair types versus curly, particularly if you’re wanting to use this tool to cut down on the amount of time you need for styling.
Is the Dyson Airstrait worth it?
Yes, if you’re looking for a tool to touch up or straighten your hair
The Dyson Airstrait is a great tool for touching up or straightening hair. I love how simple it is to use this tool, and unlike traditional straightening hair tools, it didn’t crisp or singe my wet hair. No matter how many times I use it, I’m continuously amazed by how efficiently and quickly it can style my hair—despite the multiple passes over each section. I’ll be reaching for the Airstrait over my other straightening hair tools.
If you don’t exclusively wear your hair straight and you want a tool that can do more, I still stand by my beloved Dyson Airwrap for giving my hair curls or a blowout. It’s even pricier than the $500 Airstrait at about $100 more, but you get multiple tools in one, making it more versatile.
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