Is Dyson's New Airstrait Straightener Worth It?

Dyson's hot tool range is officially a family of four. On May 11, the brand unveiled the Dyson Airstrait straightener ($499), an innovative two-in-one heat styler. The launch is pretty imaginative for two key reasons: it straightens wet hair without the need to rough-dry beforehand, and it works without hot plates. The device took six years to create, and I got my hands on it immediately for testing.

Dyson Airstrait straightener

From

$499

$499 at QVC

You're likely familiar with Dyson's existing hot tools: the Supersonic blow dryer, the (viral) Airwrap, and the Corrale straightener — but the Airstrait straightener is completely different. Similar to the Airwrap, it can style wet hair: the Airwrap curls; the Airstrait straightens. However, unlike the Corrale, which is a traditional straightener in the sense that it uses hot plates, the Airstrait uses an angled high-pressured blade of air to force hair downward — drying, smoothing, and straightening in the process. This creates way less heat damage.

The question is: does it work — and is it worth the hefty price tag? Ahead, read our full Dyson Airstrait straightener review, including the pros and cons and when you should get this over the Corrale.

I'll be candid: I'm not one to usually like the look of straight hair — mine is very thin, so traditional straighteners usually make it way too flat. The fact that the Dyson Airstrait doesn't have hot plates made me hopeful that it wouldn't deliver me the same result.

When you first turn on the device, the LED screen illuminates and allows you to select dry or wet styling, as well as your preferred temperature. From there, the device runs on a low-power mode until you clamp it around a section of hair — then it revs up into full-power mode. It doesn't require any tugging or pulling at the hair to guide it through; a slow, steady downward motion makes hair glide smoothly. Depending on your hair type, Dyson's lead educators recommend anywhere from one to three passes. For my fine hair, I only needed one slow pass to get perfectly smooth, straight ends.

I found it easy to work in pretty large sections of hair — roughly two-inch pieces — and didn't experience any snags or knots. The Airstrait actually detangled hair in the process of drying it. My final result was silky-smooth hair with lots of shine that felt healthy (as opposed to fried).

But there's another cool feature that has nothing to do with its styling abilities. In addition to toggling automatically between a low and high power as you style, the device goes to sleep, in a way, after three seconds of inactivity so it doesn't waste as much energy as other hair tools that work continuously. Once you're ready to do another section, you simply pick up the device again and it automatically resumes the styling process.

You can use the Dyson Airstrait straightener on wet or dry hair. After letting my hair air-dry naturally the day before, I tested the device by wetting my head with a spray bottle. Then, I applied a heat protectant (because even though there aren't any plates, it is still using hot air) and combed through my ends to remove any knots. Working in one- to two-inch sections, I clamped the Airstrait at my roots and slowly slid it down the section of hair. Immediately after my hair passed through the device, it looked smooth, shiny, and straight.

It's that simple — once you repeat the process on your entire head, you're done.

You're probably wondering: Dyson Airstrait straightener vs. Dyson Corrale straightener — which one is better? And the answer is, it depends. The Dyson Corrale is your traditional straightener — it works on dry hair and uses plates to smooth. That device is cordless, while the Airstrait plugs into an outlet. But what really sets these two hot tools apart is the type of styling they offer.

Yes, the Airstrait and Corrale both straighten hair, but they do so very differently. If you want a quick, easy, naturally straight style, go with the Airstrait. It's great for all hair types, but I found it great for retaining some volume in my thin hair. That said, you can only straighten hair with the Airstrait. Whereas you can use the Corrale to create flat-iron curls and waves, the Airstrait doesn't have that ability. So, if you want a bit more styling versatility in your hot tool, the Corrale may better fit your needs.

Dyson's Airstrait is incredibly innovative — its ability to straighten wet hair without hot plates is unique. If you're someone who likes to wear their hair straight and you're concerned about heat damage, the tool may be a worthy investment and a major time-saver in your routine.

The Dyson Airstrait straightener is available only at Dyson.com, Sephora and QCV.com.

Rating:★★★★