Dyson AirWrap review: A completely new way to style, curl your hair

Dyson’s AirWrap is for those who want to style their hair and curl it without the risk of burning the tresses off. AirWrap is able to do this because it relies on warm air to curl, smooth and straighten your hair, not a hot surface.

Dyson says AirWrap relies on the Coanda effect, where the “styler creates a spinning vortex of air around the barrel” that then attracts the hair to the barrel in order to style it. Like other Dyson products, the Air Wrap is expensive, and depending on the hair texture, one can choose from a variety of styling attachments.

For thinner hair, it is better to get the Volume+ Shape variant, while those with thicker, curly hair can consider the Smooth+ Control option. There’s also the option of getting the complete kit, but that is more expensive at Rs 40,900, while the other two sets are priced at Rs 34,900.

But is the Dyson Air Wrap worth the hype? I would say the product is definitely eye-catching and the leather case it comes in looks very premium.

Dyson AirWrap review

There’s no doubt that it makes styling the hair a much simpler, convenient task and I certainly enjoyed using it, even on days where I felt a little confused by the device. I am a novice when it comes to hair styling, and put efforts in straightening my hair only when the occasion demands it, and the Dyson AirWrap does have a learning curve.

I relied more on the Volume+ Shape tools since my hair texture is very fine and thin. I used the 30mm curling barrels to give some volume in the bottom part of hair, since that can look very limp, and the AirWrap did a really good job of giving me the faux curls effect. Again, I have never used a curling iron on my own before, and the Dyson Air Wrap has a lot of advantages compared to traditional ones.

The most important being that it does not get too hot, so I was never afraid that I would burn off my hair. Yes, we have all seen plenty of memes, videos of women using curling tongs and leaving them on for an extra few seconds only to find their hair burnt. With Dyson, at least I never had that fear.

One of the styling attachments can also be used to dry your hair, which is not as powerful as the SuperSonic hair dryer. But it is good enough to get the right dampness level before you use the other styling tools. Keep in mind that when using the Dyson AirWrap, your hair needs to be a little damp, not completely dry.

The different styling attachments easily lock into place, once you add them to the AirWrap machine. There are different settings for the Air Speed levels and the heat level. You can also ensure a blast of cold air after having styled each section of your hair, in fact this is recommended after each blast of hot air.

But there are some challenges with the Dyson AirWrap. One, it is heavy, and for someone with longer hair, styling with this might feel like an entire session of arm workout. And it takes time to style your hair, at least if you want that complete polished and salon-like effect.

I have mid-length hair, and it would take me at least half an hour to make it look as good as a salon given my hair gets very frizzy when I don’t put in any styling efforts. The time-consuming part meant that on some days I gave up at least with the curly bit, because I was running out of time. However, for those who are used to spending some time on styling their hair, this might not be a concern.

While the Dyson AirWrap does not get as hot as traditional straighteners or hair curling tongs, it gets hot for sure, and I would still recommend a high-quality heat protection serum for your hair. I did notice that while using the volumising or smoothing attachment, there was hair getting pulled out in some instances. My hair texture is ultra-fine, and any hair loss makes me paranoid. But that’s a risk one runs with all hair styling tools, especially if you use them on a daily basis.

I relied on the smoothing and volumising attachments the most, and they made my hair look much better than it normally would on a regular day.

So who should get the Dyson AirWrap?

I would say this is meant for those who are really into styling their hair and spend a considerable amount of time doing this. There is a learning curve to the product and I would recommend going the in-store demo wherever possible before deciding on this expensive purchase. For those who are not so much into styling their hair, except for special occasions, the Dyson AirWrap can seem like too much, at least for daily use. But the product does deliver on what it claims to offer, and I liked the fact that it comes with different attachments for the kind of styling you would want to achieve.