At $550 to $600 a pop, the Dyson Airwrap can be easy to call both overpriced and overhyped. However, it shouldn’t be categorized as just another big-brand premium product — it’s an impressive piece of tech that can significantly streamline your morning hair routine, especially if you usually curl you hair with straighteners. In fact, the Airwrap is so popular that it can be difficult to find (here's our guide on where to buy the Dyson Airwrap, and if all else fails, here are some Dyson Airwrap alternatives).
Still, this is a sizable investment to make for a hair styler, especially as one thing is missing from the set. I’ve been using the Dyson Airwrap for over a year now, and based on how much dust has settled on my old curling irons since I’ve bought it, you can safely assume that I’m a fan.
If you're curious if the Dyson Airwrap is worth the premium, I'll tell you how the Airwrap differs from traditional curling irons/straighteners/driers, what my own experience has been using it, as well as whether or not you should try it for yourself.
If you want to hear more, here's 5 things I’ve learned from using the Dyson Airwrap. We've also tried the super-popular Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer to see why that's so popular at the moment.
It's also just been announced that the Dyson Airwrap is getting a big upgrade.
Dyson Airwrap — how it works
The Dyson Airwrap’s main selling point is that it uses air rather than heat to dry and style your hair. Unlike more traditional styling tools that maintain a temperature of over 400° Fahrenheit (200° Celsius), the Airwrap constantly monitors the heat of its airflow to ensure that it never exceeds 302° Fahrenheit (150° Celsius). This helps prevent the Airwrap from exposing your hair to too much direct heat and damaging it.
However, something that this multifunctional styler is especially famous for are its curling barrels, which use a continuous airflow to gently wrap your hair around the curler on its own. In short, this takes away most of the effort needed to style your hair in the morning — though I imagine I’d need an engineering degree to understand exactly how Dyson achieved this.
The Dyson Airwrap comes in two different sets, both dependent on your hair type: Complete and Complete Long. Since my hair is on the longer side, I opted for the latter. It’s the same price as the standard Complete set; the only difference is that one of the two sets of curling barrels is slightly longer.
In addition to the curling barrels, each Airwrap set comes with a pre-styling dryer, two smoothing brushes, and one round volumizing brush. Don’t be overwhelmed by the amount of accessories that are included though — you’ll likely find yourself using some of them more than others, all depending on whether you prefer to straighten or curl your hair on a regular basis.
Each accessory is fairly straightforward to use, though unlike with other hair stylers, Dyson recommends that you curl or straighten your hair when it’s still slightly damp as opposed to when it’s fully dry in order to achieve the best results.
The Airwrap also arrives neatly packaged in its own tan storage case, fitted with a non-slip mat and a round cleaning brush that you’ll need to use every now and then to rid the styler’s filter of dust and lint.
Dyson Airwrap — is it worth the money?
Like most people, I initially gawked at the Dyson Airwrap’s price tag when I first heard about it. Yet the more I researched the product, the more tempted I was to test it for myself. As soon as I tried the Dyson Airwrap for the first time, I immediately understood what all the hype was about.
Overall, the Airwrap works well, using what feels like a miniature version of Dyson’s vacuum motors to power the styler. One of the biggest benefits I’ve noticed after replacing my entire collection of traditional stylers with the Dyson Airwrap is the way it curls, dries and waves my hair without damaging it or creating split ends needlessly. I was also able to easily maneuver it with one hand too, which was a real time-saver.
In the past year, I’ve grown out my hair quite a bit, and I believe that using the Airwrap helped me keep it healthier than it would’ve been if I had stuck with curling irons. The Airwrap certainly did a better job styling my hair than my other straighteners and curlers, but I’m not entirely confident that I can give the Dyson Airwrap all the credit. I regularly use a variety of hair-strengthening shampoos and oils that help me maintain my hair, which may have played a role in helping my curls last longer throughout the day.
From what I can tell, the Airwrap is still the only styler on the market that uses high-speed airflow to operate at a lower heat than its rivals, despite having been released back in 2018. However, the million-dollar question remains — is the Dyson Airwrap worth $550? If you’re someone who straightens or curls their hair fairly regularly, then I’d say it absolutely is.
On the other hand, if you’re simply looking for something to use every now and then or only for special occasions, then you might have a slightly harder time justifying the investment. But if you do decide to take the plunge, you can rest assured that the Airwrap’s versatile set of attachments will suit most hair types and styles.
