Sit down for this one. Dyson has just brought into India its Corale hair straightener and it costs ₹36,900. Innovation is often a luxury.
Considering you can get a straightening iron for ₹3,000, the Corale’s price is shocking. But Dyson products always hover around that point and beyond and they do this because of the years of hard work their scientists and engineers do in their top secret labs. Their previous two hair products, the Supersonic hair dryer famous for keeping the heat in control and the AirWrap, the hair styler that uses the interesting Coanda Effect to wrap hair around its curling barrels, are similarly priced and run out of stock.
And now we have the Dyson Corale which is a straightener iron with a difference.
The first thing you’ll notice when you take the Corale out of its box is that it’s downright heavy. Much more so than any hot iron I’ve come across. But this turns out to be because there’s a big lithium ion battery pack inside it. Charge that fully and you can use the Corale cordless for 30 to 45 minutes. More than that you shouldn’t need because the whole idea of this straightener is to minimise exposure to heat.
Charging stand
The Corale also looks unlike any other straightening iron. Our fascia and black review unit screams luxury and looks quite slick. It comes with a charging stand which you can use or not, as you like. It’s nice to do so, however, because it’s a good place to park the device while you’re handling your hair.
Immediately noticeable are a number of buttons on one side. One of them is a sort of latch which closes the two plates together for a slimmer footprint. There’s a very nice heat resistant pouch with this gadget so you can carry it wherever you like — travelling, to the office, on a weekend out etc. The other buttons turn on the device or switch it off, and a plus and minus to select temperature, which is 165, 185 and 210 degrees Centigrade.
The Corale pings prettily when it’s turned on and again when it reaches the temperature you want, which it does in a matter of seconds. A tiny screen shows you the battery status and the temperature level when you press the plus minus.
One other gizmo it has is a little thingy (the best it can be described) which fits into pins between the bottom of the plates. When removed, the Corale disconnects the battery altogether. This is the device’s Airplane Mode for extra safety on a flight. All the same, there are some countries where the Corale isn’t permitted on board at all.
The differentiator
Coming to the main differentiator for the Corale: it’s a set of broad plates made of a mix of five metals that flex and grip the hair in an even tension. Hold a segment of hair within those plates and make one slow pass — and your hair will straighten out. This is the big reason Dyson says it’s better than any other. You need a maximum of two passes and the straightening is so fast you don’t need to expose your hair to heat any longer. That, Dyson says, is worth it because it isn’t quite that bad.
The Corale’s hair straightening is about as good as that with any other straightener. The more heat you apply, the more it’ll straighten, and the more it will be damaged from the root and elsewhere. Unfortunately, it takes intense heat or various assistive products to force one’s hair into forms that aren’t natural for it. The difference with this product is that it works fast — even one slow pass will do.
And because it’s cordless, you can refresh your hair if you take the device with you somewhere. Interestingly, you stop feeling the weight of the iron after a while because it’s well balanced, though it can get a bit tricky when you tackle the back of your hair. That’s when you also truly appreciate its cordless state.
Everyone’s hair type is different so some will find they get several hours of straightness out of the Corale and some will find their hair returning to normal after a few hours. Interestingly, you can also use the iron to curl your hair though this takes some expertise and practice and again, their staying power depends on your hair, the amount of heat, etc.
So is the Corale worth your money? It’s difficult to say for someone else. It depends on how much money you set aside for tech toys. It depends on your hair type and how well it takes to being moulded this way and that. And it depends on how often you need to use these things. If it works for you, you certainly can get very quick results with it and be ready to set out all neat, in minutes.
Price: ₹36,900
Pros: Cordless, takes just one pass to straighten, luxurious and smart design, magnetic charging cable, stand or dock provided, carry case provided, innovative
Cons: Extremely expensive, curls or straightness doesn’t last long for all, somewhat heavy