Dyson Airstrait review: does the new wet-to-dry styler live up to the hype?

The electronics company has invested £500 million for 20 new devices to hit the shelves over the next few years, solving common concerns for well-coiffed consumers, and no doubt adding to the already 30 million Dyson hair tool owners.

Joining its line up of the Supersonic dryer, Airwrap multi-styler and Corrale, the Airstrait is its latest innovation.

It was created to solve two challenges detailed as the most pressing by its customers: lack of time and straightening prowess. It follows suit in the collection with its use of the V9 motor, but straightens faster and sleeker. Dyson has been working on solving this over the last four plus years and always with its signature MO to minimise and prevent damage.

So here’s the thing: there are no hot plates involved in this straightening product. It breaks away from any hot iron preconceptions, instead opting for high velocity jets of air to create the straight, natural styles. And here’s another thing, you can style from wet.

This game-changing device can be used directly on hair wash day, while still protecting fragile wet strands. There are two modes; wet-to-dry and dry to dry as well as a range of temperatures that never exceed 150^oC (the limit to prevent hair damage). The aim of this hair tool is to dry and style your locks – no matter your hair type – and do so in a far quicker time than it would take than the old hair dryer and iron combo (yes, even if you’re using the brand’s Supersonic and Corrale). Less time styling is less time damaging, but it goes beyond that to protect the locks.

How does the Airstrait work?

Dyson is once again turning traditional heated hair styling on its head, foregoing hot plates and instead harnessing the power of focused air flow – without sacrificing on speed. A precise pressured blade of air is funneled through the length of each side of the machine and directed downwards to create a smooth, sleek finish as it dries and to set the style in place.

This is achieved through the brand’s trademarked Hyperdymium motor that is powered by 13-blades spinning up to 106,000rpm and thrusting 11.9 litres of air through the device per second, creating pressure large enough to dry and straighten simulaneously, yet remaining surprisingly lightweight. There’s also Intelligent Heat Control that consistently monitors, measures and regulates the heating element so it doesn’t exceed that maximium temperature.

What are the different modes?

The five buttons that you’ll find on the Airstrait control either the Wet and Dry styling modes, offer a Cool shot and allow you to switch up the temperature. There’s also boost for when you need a little extra flow and arrows to move between the functions.

When is the Airstrait available in the UK?

The Dyson Airstrait launched in the USA, Canada and Mexico on May 11 with information regarding a UK launch to follow. We will be updating the piece as soon as we know.

Is the Airstrait worth the investment?

The first thing to notice about the Airstrait as you turn it on is that it compares more to a dryer than a straightener when it comes to noise-level. We wanted to make the most of the wet-to-dry feature and so tried it on freshly washed locks to see just how quickly it could convert my long yet fine locks to poker-straight glory.

When you close the Airstrait, it mimics a dryer and you can lock this in place to give your hair a once over. Unlock it to place the hair through the middle of the device (remember, there’s no hot plates) and you can run it extremely close from the scalp to the roots: the slower you go, the less passes are required. I was able to dry and style my hair with just one pass but this will depend on how thick and porous your hair type. It doesn’t pull on the strands and you can even use it single-handedly.

One thing that struck me immediately (as an incredibly clumsy and unskilled person) was that there is no thermal discomfort A.K.A no burning plates coming into close contact with your neck or ears. There’s a diffuser that catches and redirects the air so that even when you are styling on shorter locks, it averts potential mishaps. These are removable and easily cleaned if they start to get clogged by hair serums and other products.

This multitasking device is a must for those who typically will dry and then straighten their hair. It transforms two tools into one seamless and speedy process where the total time taken was around 10 minutes (granted, my hair is thin in nature so it may take longer on thicker hair). The Corrale may straighten but it does only on dry hair and the flat brush on the Airwrap works well too but the Airstrait provides a smoother and more shiny look in a fraction of the time.

The finish is bouncy and slightly unfinished rather than poker straight, giving that effortless look without eliminating texture and volume. It also requires less concentration. When you’re using a regular hair dryer, the hair tends to fly around but this propels the air in just one direction.

It does take some time to finesse – not a lot but will require a few uses before you get the hang of it. The handy LED screen guides you through when changing the modes and temperature with a cute design of a person with diagrams and arrows to show you exactly what it will do.

While we wait for the Dyson Airstrait to launch, shop the rest of the Dyson haircare collection below