Dyson Airstrait review: From wet to dry hair without the damage

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Though I’ve learned to embrace my curls, all I’ve ever wanted is smooth, long and straight hair.

The Dyson Airstrait is a magical device that is going to replace my multistep approach to hair straightening. I currently hop out of the shower, towel-dry my hair, and use the Airwrap to blow dry and the Corrale to straighten. The Airstrait takes my hair from wet to silky straight in a matter of minutes (30 to be exact).

What: Airstrait dries and straightens hair from wet How: The Airstrait uses airflow instead of hot plates to straighten hair (good for all hair types) Cost: $700 Where to buy: Dyson | Sephora

From wet to straight: Straighten and dry hair at the same time with three pre-set temperatures – 175 F, 230 F and 285 F

From dry to straight: Touch-up dry hair with two temperature options, 250 F or 285 F (there’s also “Boost mode” for some extra strength styling)

Notes: When you turn the Airstrait on, air immediately comes out for cleaning purposes. Make sure you use the machine the correct way — the coppered colour part should be at the bottom as you glide it through your hair.

It’s important to address the expensive elephant in the room with Dyson products. This is an investment hair tool that is packed with technology and wrapped up with a hefty price tag. Having said that, it’s a very useful, much-needed hair tool for people who want straight hair without having to spend hours styling (read, damaging) their locks.

Getting those long locks: My current goal is to grow my hair to Rapunzel length, but I can never seem to get it past my upper-back. My current hair-styling routine involves two steps that both use heat. First, I use the round brush on the Airwrap to get my hair from wet to dry and smooth enough to straighten. Then I use the Corrale, which is said to cause less heat damage than other hair straighteners, but it’s still applying 410 F right to those tresses.

I’m hoping that if I just use the Airstrait, I can stop damaging my hair so much, reducing breakage and finally turn into that Disney princess. According to Dyson’s website, the Airstrait’s “glass bead thermistors, located in the machine arms, regulate airflow temperature up to 30 times per second, to prevent extreme heat damage and protect hair’s natural shine.”

Favourite feature: From wet to straight with minimal skill level required. If I actually had skill, I could go from wet to straight with a round brush and a hair dryer. However, that’s not the case. I have thick hair and unruly curls and don’t have the technique nor stamina to get a leave-the-house-worthy blowout.

I’m very low-maintenance when it comes to doing my hair. I work out most days and will end up sweating through any ‘do, so I like to keep the initial styling under half an hour and touch-ups to around five minutes. I can hit both of these goals and get great results and expect to get better as I continue to use the Airstrait.

It’s also worth noting that the Airstrait has a much lower learning curve than the Airwap. The Airwrap can be a fantastic hair tool for people with patience and skill. The Airstrait is quite easy to use out of the box.

The Airstrait turns to sleep mode a few seconds after you put it down, which is great so you don’t have air blowing at you while you’re getting a new section of hair to straighten.

Least favourite feature: I accidentally used the wet mode on dry hair and I got a lot of that smoke/steam that you get when you’re blow-drying or straightening hair. So ensure that your settings are correct before you start.

It takes some styling (shown in the videos on Dyson’s website) to get a blowout look versus fully straight hair. I’d like it to be easier to have more control over the ends of my hair because, on its own, the Airstrait can only make all your hair straight.

Airstrait versus other hair straighteners: The Airstrait does not replace the Corrale or other straighteners if you use it for curling your hair. It’s not like hair straightening where you can adjust your wrist to get curls. There are different techniques to get different looks, but ultimately, you’re getting straight hair.

Recommendation: If you’re looking to invest in one hair tool for straightening, the Airstrait is a stellar option. It’s easy to use, doesn’t damage your hair as much as a traditional straightener and has fantastic results.

Buy it now at Dyson.

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