I watched with envy as our US colleagues were able to test and try out the Dyson Airstrait hair straightener last year when it was launched exclusively in the region.
As this is the brand’s first wet-dry product and Australia has a completely different voltage system to the US, Simone Cunico, Senior Communications Manager ANZ at Dyson, confirmed that the team needed time to perfect the plug for audiences Down Under before launching it here.
And they have perfected the product.
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I’m a long-time Dyson beauty fan and own the iconic Airwrap as well as the weightless and travel-safe Supersonic hairdryer, so it would be remiss not to put the tech-savvy Airstrait to the test.
The brand describes the device as “a new way to stretch and straighten various hair types when wet, without heating plates or heat damage.” The promises sound almost otherworldly in their ambition, but since it’s from Dyson, I knew immediately that it would live up to the hype.
For reference, I already have pretty straight hair that doesn’t waver in shine whether it’s wet, dry, or anywhere in between.
My biggest problem is getting out of the shower on a cold winter night and not bothering to blow-dry my hair for 40 minutes, even though I know I’ll just end up lying on the couch shivering with icy strands running down my back.
Could this one device cut drying time by 25 percent while improving shine and being easy to use? That’s exactly what I wanted to find out.
At first I was surprised when I learned – again from Simone – that this hair straightener actually has no heating plates at all.
In true Dyson style, the air heats your hair follicles with a blast of up to 140°C and you have the ability to control the temperature and strength of this air.
Once you turn it on at the touch of a button, you begin drying the roots of your hair with the air that comes out when the teeth of the device are open.
This step should not be skipped under any circumstances, because if you simply clamp the hair in place, the device will not dry out your hair roots as easily as it is only in limited proximity to the scalp.
Interestingly, it is actually much lighter than it looks, even though the machine itself is quite long.
I could hold it comfortably in one hand and insert the wet tendrils with the other hand.
Then just pull down the hair shaft ever so slightly – you’ll see your hair splay out of thin air, so to speak – and after every two passes, your hair should be bone dry, just like mine.
I was initially baffled by the fact that the machine would turn itself off if I put it down while vacuuming up more hair, but you get used to it very quickly – it’s more for energy efficiency than anything else.
I still parted my hair into two sections—top and bottom—to give it the best chance to dry completely, but I was definitely done about 10-15 minutes faster than if I had just blow-dried it.
And all of this without any heat damage if you don’t select the “Boost” option? Wonderful.
“When hair is wet, water naturally weakens these bonds. In this state, the bonds are more elastic and can be restored when the hair is dried without the need for extreme temperatures,” a Dyson spokesperson said.
“By using optimal heat and controlled airflow, we have found a way to style hair with less damage. Air styling allows for smooth styles that retain volume and movement. Once the hair is dry and aligned, the bonds are reset in different ways, locking the new style in place.”
The Dyson Airstrait straightener has a styling mode for wet and dry hair, but remember that this is a straightener through and through, so don’t expect it to also function as a curling iron or waving iron when you’re doing dry styling.
At best, you can create a bounce at the root of your hair—a style that’s becoming increasingly popular—but to achieve the bouncy blowout look, you’ll need your Airwrap.
Overall, it was worth the wait, Australia. And for $749, you can test it out on the Dyson website or at MECCA.
