Will the Dyson AirstraIt Work for You? We Tested it on 5 Different Hair Types

There’s one cardinal flat iron rule that has stuck with me since middle school: Never use a straightener on wet hair. So imagine my skepticism when Dyson came out with the Airstrait, a wet-to-dry flat iron specially designed to simultaneously dry and straighten hair. A few questions immediately popped into my head: How does it work? Won’t it fry my hair off? Knowing Dyson’s penchant for creating impressive hair technology—they did their big one with the Airwrap—I knew I had to put my reservations aside and try it out for myself.The Dyson Airstrait very boldly claims to be damage-free, thanks to its high-velocity hot-air design. But can a bunch of hot air really straighten your hair as well as a traditional flat iron? That’s where we come in. Five Cosmo editors, all with different hair types ranging from stick-straight hair to 4b curls, tested and reviewed the Dyson Airstrait and ranked it out of 5 stars. So before you dump your tools—especially for one that costs $500—keep reading to find out how the Dyson Airstrait works, how to use it, and whether it’s really worth your money.How does the Dyson Airstrait work?The Dyson Airstrait works like a flat iron and blow dryer all in one and can be used on both wet and dry hair with virtually no damage. (Yes, really.) It honestly looks and feels like a regular flat iron—albeit a bit bulkier and heavier—but instead of having hot plates in the center, the Airstrait has a gap for airflow. So while a traditional flat iron uses two hot plates to clamp down and straighten your hair, the Airstrait uses two unheated bars to lightly hold your hair in place, along with a plate-free center for the hot air to straighten your hair—via a high-velocity, downward direction—without direct heat.Unlike a traditional straightener that can heat up to a damaging 450 degrees (remind me again how we let this become the norm?!), the Airstrait maxes out at 320 degrees, and allows you to switch between multiple temperature settings after choosing wet-hair mode or dry-hair mode. And as with all good heat tools, the Airstrait also comes with a cool-shot button to help you “set” your style after finishing.How we tested the Dyson Airstrait:According to Dyson, the Airstrait “works in the same way on every hair type,” so obviously, we had to put that claim to the test. Five Cosmo editors with different hair types—from fine and wavy to thick and curly—each tried out the Airstrait at home. While doing so, we made sure to keep a few things in mind.First, did the Dyson Airstrait produce the results we were expecting? If not, how did it fall short? Did our editors find that the Airstrait worked well on all hair types? And can we honestly say the Airstrait keeps hair damage to a minimum? All of our editors went into this test considering these questions.Finally, it’s not lost on us that at $500, this isn’t exactly the most affordable hair tool on the market. That’s why we carefully broke down all of our unfiltered thoughts on whether we think this product is actually worth your coin.The Dyson Airstrait reviews“I was super skeptical about this tool,” says Cosmo beauty editor-at-large Julee Wilson. “I have 4b hair and anything that touts its ability to universally handle all hair textures always makes me scream ‘BS.’ But to my surprise, I’m completely, utterly, and literally blown away. Not only did the Airstrait handle my hair, but it did so with ease.”Does the Airstrait work on 4b hair?“I thought I would have to go over each section seven or eight times before I saw any semblance of elongation,” says Wilson. “In reality, I only passed the tool through my wet hair—into two-inch-wide and one-inch-deep sections—an average of three times before it was super dry and super straight. Not only that, but usually when I use my blow dryer and comb, I always end up with some hair on the floor. Not a ton, but enough for me to be like, Ugh. But with the Airstrait, I experienced less breakage than normal when I used the comb attachment.“I also loved that the heat settings are high enough to dry/straighten the hair efficiently but low enough not to damage my natural curl pattern. I should add that it’s not straight enough for me to skip the step of then using a flat iron, but it gets my hair straighter than a traditional dryer with a comb—plus, I won’t have to use as much heat with my flat iron or curling iron afterward because I’m starting with a straighter texture. It’s also extremely easy to handle and wield, even more than a traditional hair dryer for me. The bells and whistles are dope too. Like the fact that it automatically turns off when you set it down and then turns back on when you pick it up. So clutch.”Final review: 5/5“Long story short, I’m sold on this bb,” Wilson says. “Honestly, I can only see a few problems. First, it’s pricey—but honestly a solid investment, in my opinion. And lastly, what am I supposed to do with my favorite blow dryer and comb attachment? RIP. Overall, it’s an easy 5 out of 5 stars—I’m all in.”The Dyson Airstrait on fine, curly hairMary HonkusMary Honkus“My hair texture has changed in the past few years from wavy to full on curly thanks to my birth control, and it’s been a process figuring out how to style it,” says contributing beauty editor Mary Honkus. “I typically don’t straighten my hair anymore because I don’t want to damage my curls. That said, this unique tool appealed to me because of its damage-free claims.”Does the Airstrait work on fine, curly hair?“I have an interesting hair type because while it’s curly and fine, I have a lot of it. It can take a very long time for me to dry my hair, but the Airstrait cut my styling time dramatically,” says Honkus. “This tool takes my hair from damp to fully dry in under 10 minutes. However, it did take a slight learning curve at first.“I find that it’s best to rough dry my roots—which can be done by clamping the tool shut so it acts as a regular blowdryer—and then use the clamp and swipe method to dry the lengths. The Airstrait is a bit too wide and bulky to get my roots dry otherwise. I like how seamless it is to use, though. The fact that it had my hair dried and styled in under 10 minutes is incredibly valuable for someone like me who tends to run late.Final review: 4/5“While I liked how my hair looked once styled, I don’t really wear my hair straight anymore, so this doesn’t feel like a tool I’d use on a regular basis. I’d much rather grab a round brush that will give me a slight curl or wave rather than straight strands. Still, it’s a convenient device for when I need to quickly get out the door. If it’s in your budget and you like wearing your hair straight, I’d recommend it.”The Dyson Airstrait on fine, straight hair“Normally, my hair is fine and straight and I’d never use a straightener, but I have a ton of new hair growth around my crown and hairline that’s very coarse, frizzy, and bendy. It air-dries really wacky when the rest of my hair air-dries perfectly nice,” says Cosmo beauty director Lauren Balsamo. “So I decided to try Airstrait to make my hair texture more uniform and get rid of flyaways too, since I’m not a fan of frizz on my own hair.”Does the Airstrait work on fine, straight hair?“I tried it on both wet and dry hair, and while the end results are comparable, the process differs dramatically,” says Balsamo. “On dry hair—as seen in these pics—the Airstrait was fast and easy for me. I went to bed with wet hair, woke up with major bedhead, and then spent only 6.5 minutes using the Airstrait to smooth and straighten my entire head of hair. Easy-peasy.“Wet hair was a different story. You need to do multiple passes on small sections to get your hair to fully dry, and even then, you need to do another pass or two to get your hair really sleek and straight. All in all, it took me 35 minutes. And because the plates are really large, it’s hard to get the irons close to the roots, which is where I need the bulk of my straightening. So moving forward, I’d probably blow-dry my roots first and dry the rest of my hair 80 percent of the way, then finish with the Airstrait.”Final review: 3.5/5“I really like that it heats up instantly and promises minimal heat damage,” says Balsamo. “And I also like how fast and efficient it works on dry hair. Overall, a 3.5 out of 5!”The Dyson Airstrait on straight, ultra-fine hair“The Dyson’s OG Corrale flat iron is my favorite tool from their lineup for my naturally straight, ultra-fine, chin-length hair,” says Cosmo beauty editor Beth Gillette. “So I was pretty sure the Airstrait would work well with my hair, but I was curious if I would actually end up using it. Turns out, this has become my favorite tool—period.”Does the Dyson Airstrait work on straight, ultra-fine hair? “I can put so much hair through the clamp, which allows me to dry and straighten my hair in less than five minutes total (I timed it!),” says Beth. “Normally, I’d blow-dry my hair with a hair-dryer brush, then glide my straightener over my ends to get them sleek, but the Airstrait fully does it all for me.“I don’t even section my hair—I just slowly run the tool over two-inch sections, then clamp the iron together to turn it into a standard blow dryer to dry my roots (or else I’ll just have straight ends and a damp scalp, lol). It’s truly so simple, whether I keep it straight and sleek or rough it up by spritzing in a texture spray.”Final review: 4/5“Although this tool works v well on my hair,” says Beth, “it’s just so $$$$ that I can’t give it a full 5 stars, especially when a round brush and blow dryer will work just as well (or better) for some hair types. 4 out of 5!”The Dyson Airstrait on thin, wavy hairWhen it comes to styling my hair, it usually takes a big learning curve for me to do it well. I wish it came naturally, but it just really doesn’t. I was super nervous to try this out ahead of an event I was going to because the humidity and my hair are seriously mortal enemies. Even curling or straightening my hair with traditional hot tools can be a challenge, so I was pretty skeptical to see if it would work for me.Does the Dyson Airstrait work on thin, wavy hair?I tried the Dyson Airstrait on my wet, fresh-out-of-the-shower hair. Because I have very thin hair, it took only about five passes to get it dry and straight. Between passes, I would stop and comb through my hair to try to get the straightest, sleekest finish. I will also say that, like many testers have noted, I found it difficult and slightly frustrating to straighten my roots because the device is so bulky. But after some trial and error, I was able to style my whole head and was def a fan of the results—with a few small caveats.One of the first things I noticed after styling was how my hair was left feeling a bit drier (read: not as smooth and silky) than when I use my straightener. Because of this, I fully expected my hair to frizz up throughout the day, but to my surprise, my mane actually looked pretty uniform by the end of the day. So even though I didn’t get the same stick-straight finish as with my regular straightener, I didn’t mind it as I felt it gave me a bit more volume and lasted all day.Final review: 4/5Overall, I really enjoyed how quick and easy it was to style immediately after hopping out of the shower. My biggest caveat would be the price, which is obviously not the most budget-friendly pick you could find. Overall, I give this a 4 out of 5.Is the Dyson Airstrait worth it?If the Dyson Airstrait were a couple hundred dollars less, I would wholeheartedly recommend everyone running out to buy it because it’s definitely worth trying. It leaves you with virtually no heat damage, works fast, and is seriously as easy to use as a typical straightener. In our testing and reviewing, the Cosmo team cumulatively gave it 4 out of 5 stars, with everyone agreeing that the results surpassed our initial expectations.That being said, it’s incredibly expensive at $500, and it’d be irresponsible to suggest every human should spend this much money on a hair tool when you can get somewhat comparable results with a blow-dryer brush or a traditional blow dryer and round brush. But if you have the financial means or a really nice secret admirer for upcoming birthdays and holidays, it’s definitely a product I would suggest testing out for yourself, especially if you have damaged hair.What’s the difference between the Dyson Airstrait and a traditional straightener?Daisy MaldonadoAs the ~investigative journalist~ I am, I used a regular flat iron on the left side of my hair and the Dyson Airstrait on the right in order to test the difference.The difference between the Dyson Airstrait and a straightener is its construction (high-velocity hot air vs. two hot plates) and its promised results (“naturally straight” hair vs. evenly straight hair). With a straightener, your hair is clamped between two hot plates and straightened through direct heat and the tension from pulling. The result? Stick-straight and shiny hair, even on 3c curls to 4c hair types (which is why flat irons are still the gold standard for silk presses).But with the Dyson Airstrait, it uses high-velocity hot air that shoots downward at a 45-degree angle to straighten your hair. Because the Dyson Airstrait doesn’t use direct heat to smoosh and flatten your hair cuticle, your hair won’t be left with the same classic flat-iron finish. Instead, you’ll get a “naturally straight” finish (as Dyson calls it): Some volume, some body, and some remaining hair texture, especially on curly hair types.Can you curl hair with the Dyson Airstrait?Based on our testing, no—you can’t curl your hair with the Dyson Airstrait. All of us tried to create some flips and turns on our different hair types, but at most, we were left with a few bends. I tried to curl my dry hair with it after straightening it, and I had difficulties even twirling the tool around to create a curl due to its bulky design and airflow.Can you use the Dyson Airstrait on dry hair?Yes, you can use the Dyson Airstrait on dry hair. In fact, a few of our testers preferred to use the Dyson Airstrait on their dry hair instead of wet because they got better results. Even though the device boasts a wet-to-dry technique, the tool’s screen actually allows you to choose if you’re working with wet or dry hair and then adjusts the heat and airflow accordingly. (Wet mode has three heat settings between 175 degrees and 285 degrees, and dry mode has two settings between 250 degrees and 285 degrees along with a boost mode of 320 degrees.)I actually liked using the Airstrait for touch-ups on my dry hair. I noticed that it cut my styling time in half—normally I flat-iron my wavy hair, which takes a while to get perfectly straight—and gave me a sleeker finish on my dry hair than it did on my wet hair.Is the Dyson Airstrait less damaging?Yes, the Dyson Airstrait is less damaging than traditional hair straighteners, solely because it uses hot (but not scalding) air to style your hair rather than sandwiching your hair between two burning-hot plates. The Dyson Airstrait also reaches a maximum temperature of 320 degrees (on its “boost” mode only; its typical max is 285 degrees), which is a major change from many hair straighteners on the market that can heat up to 450 degrees (which, FYI, is almost as hot as the broil function on your oven).Plus, the Airstrait can also still effectively style straighter hair types at its lowest temp of 175 degrees, while anyone who has ever owned a flat iron knows that a temp of under 200 degrees does virtually nothing. So when you take into consideration the fact that this is hot air versus essentially just grabbing an iron and running it through your hair, it definitely cuts down on heat damage, especially if you’re a frequent hot-tool user.Why trust Cosmo?Daisy Maldonado is the former associate shopping editor at Cosmopolitan with nearly three years of experience researching, writing, and editing beauty stories that range from hair jewelry to multiuse makeup products. She is an authority in all hair categories but has a special interest in styling tools, thanks to years of trying out new products in an effort to maintain healthy hair after she spent the better half of her 20s trying to undo bleach and dye damage. She regularly tests and analyzes hair products for efficacy while working with the industry’s top hairstylists to assess new formulas and brands.Mary Honkus is a contributing beauty editor for Cosmopolitan with eight years of experience researching, writing, and editing beauty stories, including a deep dive on why your hair gets so oily and making a case for coconut oil for hair. She's an authority in all beauty categories, and her hair is her prized possession. For this story, she tested the Dyson Airstrait to bring you her honest thoughts.Mary Honkus is a freelance writer who covers beauty, home, fashion, health, and wellness (just call her a jack of all trades!). She has held staff roles at Real Simple, People, and InStyle, and her bylines can be found in numerous other publications. When she's not testing the latest and greatest products, she can be found chilling on her Hell's Kitchen rooftop, checking out NYC's hottest new restaurants, or recording her podcast Good Trouble NYC. Follow her on Instagram.Daisy Maldonado is an editor who covers everything from the latest fashion news to deeper looks at beauty culture and the internet’s most talked-about pop culture moments. She’s especially interested in the intersection of style and digital culture, and loves exploring what the trends we follow say about us. When she’s not writing, she’s probably four pages deep on The RealReal searching for vintage designer pieces or planning her next trip abroad (she lived in Paris for a year and hasn’t stopped talking about it since). Her work has appeared in Vogue, Bustle, Allure, and many more.