How Does the New Dyson Hair Tool Compare With the AirWrap?

Anyone who’s tried the Dyson AirWrap will blabber on about how it’s one of the most revolutionary haircare tools. And for good reason: The hair-dryer-meets-curling-iron delivers salon-like blowouts and bouncy curls without using extreme heat (or causing hair damage)—which is certainly more than we can say for our sizzling curling wands. Now, if you happen to be thinking “if only there could be a hair-dryer-meets-flat-iron that could straighten hair without extreme heat,” then, you’d be thinking like inventor James Dyson.

In May 2023, Dyson released the Airstrait, the fourth tool in the brand’s haircare lineup (including Dyson’s Supersonic hairdryer and Corrale hair straightener), which were all designed to use the least amount of heat possible to reduce hair damage. The Airstrait is basically a combination of the Supersonic and Corrale, as it straightens hair like the latter, but does so with just air like the former. It can turn even the curliest and coiliest locks into smooth and straight ones—and do so without extreme heat. And when it’s sopping wet.

Image: Dyson

Here’s everything you need to know about the Dyson Airstrait.

What does it do exactly?

The Airstrait is the first straightener designed to work on wet hair—and we mean wet wet, like fresh-out-of-the-shower wet—to simplify your beauty routine. It uses air (instead of hot plates) to straighten hair as it dries it, so it doesn’t cause heat damage like a conventional flat iron might.

How does it work?

The machine’s two arms hug a tress of hair and release angled high-pressure airflow downwards and into it. As you glide the machine down the tress, it dries and straightens it, while taming frizz and flyaways.

But isn’t styling hair when it’s wet bad for it?

Because the Airstrait uses just air to dry and straighten, it’s perfectly safe to use on wet hair. Plus, it’s made with glass bead thermistors that measure the temperature of the airflow to prevent the air from getting too hot and damaging hair.

Does it only work on wet hair?

It works on dry hair, too. The Airstrait has two styling modes: one for wet hair, and one for dry. Each mode offers different levels of air pressure and heat. The wet mode has three heat settings and the dry mode has two.

The Airstrait also has a cool mode, which delivers a cold shot of air to set the style, a top-up mode, designed for refreshing your style the day after, and a root drying mode.

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What else can the Airstrait do?

It also functions as a typical hairdryer. Just lock its arms together, turn it on its side and use as you would any other hairdryer. You’ll want to use it this way if you’re working with wet hair, in order to dry your roots—just for a minute or two—before drying/straightening your locks.

Is it only for people who want to straighten their hair?

The Airstrait can straighten wavy, curly and coily hair, and do so in mere minutes. It was actually engineered for all hair types, so that includes those with already straight hair, too—and no, it won’t cause flatness. Styling hair with air, instead of heat, helps create more volume and body, so you’ll find yourself with silky locks that have plenty of movement.

The Dyson Airstrait is available in Canada for $700 at dysoncanada.ca and sephora.com.

Next: The Best Ways to Care for Grey Hair