Eleanor Vousden
The Dyson Airwrap has caused quite the stir since its launch 2018. You only have to open TikTok to see its popularity, and no matter what your algorithm has pulled up, you've more than likely seen this magical hair styling tool in action to create bouncy blow-dries and salon-worthy shine on your for you page. As a result, the hairstyler has achieved sold-out status, and has been near impossible to get hold of in recent months.
So, when Dyson called a secret briefing a couple of weeks ago to unveil a surprise to the beauty press, we had an inkling that there might be a shiny new Dyson Airwrap on the horizon. And in mid-March, the brand launched just that. So, how does it compare to the original Dyson Airwrap?
The Dyson Airwrap
This time, the attachments are new and improved. Dyson's signature Coanda effect (a science-y form of airflow around the styling barrels and attachments) means you can achieve even better results. It also comes with more attachment options. This includes a new flyaway smoothing tool, a wide toothed comb designed for coily and curly hair, as well as new barrels that can curl the hair in both a clockwise and counter-clockwise direction (the previous model required you to change the barrels if you wanted to swap the direction of the curl, which was a bit of a faff.) New brushes are also included in both firm and soft bristles, helping to achieve greater control when smoothing the hair. This time around, Dyson is really catering to all hair types and we love to see it.
If you managed to get your hands on the original Airwrap, you might be reassured to know that the new attachments can be used on the original styler, and you can upgrade to the new attachments for £149.99 if you already own the original model. If you're planning to buy the new Airwrap, it will set you back a steep £479.99. However, if you go to get your hair blow-dried regularly, this may well be a smart investment to recreate the look at home, without any heat damage. What's more, you can tailor the attachments to the kit that you buy, so you won't end up with styling attachments that you won't use for your hair type.
The styling tool is still out of stock across most retailers, including Dyson's website. However, if you're planning a purchase and want to find out how the OG Dyson Airwrap fairs, Who What Wear contributor Giselle La Pompe-Moore has the low-down.
"If there ever comes a time when you find yourself underneath my bed, you'll find two hair tool boxes. One filled to the brim with tongs that couldn't hold a curl, rogue hair brush drying tools and hairdryers purchased on a whim that never lived up to my expectations. Then there's the other box that now only contains the Dyson Airwrap Complete Hair Styler, and this is the only box I've been going into," she says.
"Let's talk attachments. In the complete set there's 30mm barrels, 40mm barrels, firm smoothing brush, soft smoothing brush, round volumising brush and a pre-styling dryer," says Giselle. "I started by washing and towel-drying my hair before using the pre-styling dryer to dry it out more until it was slightly damp. The round volumising brushes are honestly a dream come true for someone who has always wanted to replicate a pro blow-dry at home with zero effort. It's easy to use and gave my hair so much life."
"Onto the barrels, this is really where the magic begins. There's two barrels in each set, one clockwise and one anticlockwise (genius, I know) and you place the ends of your hair on the printed arrows and it attracts to the barrel and kind of sucks it around the barrel. All I had to do was roll the styler up to the roots and then before you know it, I was left with a perfect curl. There's a cool shot to set any style you do and it saved me from using hairspray," she says.
Giselle adds that the smoothing brushes are also neat. "The smoothing brushes are great on my natural hair too, and add plenty of volume as again the air allows the hair to attract to the brush and smooth it all out, cue plenty of bounce. As the styler uses air, you don't have to wait for it to heat up, as it works in a similar way to a hairdryer," she says. "Sure, it's way more expensive than your usual high-street tong, but in terms of the results, you can't beat it. I love that I can now create any style from smooth to curly without worrying about damaging my hair. Honestly, it's an investment buy you won't regret and this is from someone who's all about a £20 curling wand."
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