Everything you need to know before you empty your wallet.
If your first hair tool was a VS Sassoon crimper or you once used a clothes iron to straighten your hair, the influx of new gadgets might feel overwhelming. You’ve likely relied on a ghd and hairdryer for years and are now faced with multi-stylers and airstylers claiming to solve all your hair woes. We’ve managed with basic tools for decades, but many of these innovations are designed to simplify our routines and deliver salon-worthy results at home, so it’s worth seeing what’s out there if you’re in the market for an upgrade.
Whether you’re looking for a new styling tool or just curious, beauty writer Lucy Slight’s guide will help you navigate the high-tech world of hair styling.
The wet-to-dry round brushes
Promising to take your hair from wet to blow-dried with less time and damage, this is some of the most innovative hair tech around. A round brush adds volume, making it a must-have for anyone who loves the look of a salon-quality blow-dry.
Biggest pro: You don’t need to coordinate using a hairdryer and a round brush at the same time as these tools do both simultaneously.
Spotlight on:
ghd Duet Blowdry Hair Dryer Brush, $645
Launched in New Zealand this year, this is the second product from ghd in the wet-to-dry range. The key to the Duet Blowdry is that the hot hair remains contained within the brush, escaping through small vent holes which stops your hair flying in every which way. This makes for incredibly smooth hair and the round brush really helps to amp up the volume.
More wet-to-dry round brushes:
Shark SmoothStyle Heated Comb Straightener + Smoother, $199.99
The attachment-laden hairdryers
While you can still purchase hair dryers with a single directional airflow nozzle, having the option of multiple useful attachments is a game-changer. For us amateurs, blow drying is often just a quick way to get hair from wet to dry, but with the new generation of hair dryers featuring anti-frizz attachments, diffusers, and smoothing brushes, you can achieve a polished style suited to your hair type in less time.
Biggest pro: When the hairdryer does the grunt work to get your hair looking ‘done’, it means less styling time with other hot tools such as curling wands and straighteners to finish your look.
Spotlight on:
Shark SpeedStyle RapidGloss Finisher & High-Velocity Dryer, $349.99
Not only is the Shark SpeedStyle compact (and very chic in cream) but the array of attachments mean it works hard for all hair types. Personally, I am all about the RapidGloss Finisher, which is used to smooth down frizz and flyaways once you’ve finished drying your hair, which gives my hair shine and means I don’t have to speed as much time touching up with my straightener.
If your hair is curly, the option to dry your hair using the diffuser helps dry your curls quickly without leaving hair frizzy or fluffy. Along with the five attachments (which also include a Quicksmooth Brush, an Express Touchup Brush and your regular concentrated airflow nozzle, the tool itself has intelligent heat seatings which adjust as you style to ensure less heat damage.
More hairdryers:
Dyson Supersonic Nural Intelligent hair dryer, $799
The wet-to-dry straightening irons
Like the wet-to-dry round brushes, the straightening irons help to take your locks from wet to straight with the one tool. If you’re someone who only uses a hair straightener to achieve straight hair (ie, you’re not into creating curls), this gadget could well be all you need. Most tools on the market have directional airflow which helps you to target the roots first before styling, to create more volume.
Biggest pro: You’ll save on styling time. In fact, the Dyson Airstrait claims to dry and style your hair 25% faster
Spotlight on:
Dyson Airstrait straightener, $799
I asked a friend who has recently started using the Dyson Airstrait for her thoughts as I have not had a chance to trial this one. Beck has very long, thick hair and reports this tool has taken her drying and straightening routine from 45 minutes right down to 20. She now says it’s the only hair gadget she needs. While the price tag may be up there, if you think of it as two products in one, it might help you to justify a purchase…
More wet-to-dry straightening irons:
VS Sassoon Wet & Dry Straightener, $119.99
Ghd Duet Style Hot Air Styler, $645
The multi-stylers
For those who like a bit more versatility from their styling tools, multi-stylers are the answer. The Dyson Airwrap was, of course, the OG, but it’s great that there are now a range of options on the market to cater to different budgets. Multi-stylers allow you to switch attachments to achieve voluminous blow waves, beautiful barrel curls and smooth and straight styles easily and they can be used on both damp and dry hair.
Biggest pro: The flexibility of styling options. This really is an all-in-one kind of tool.
Spotlight on:
Dyson AirWrap Complete Long, $899
When the AirWrap first launched, the curling barrels were more suited to short to mid-length hair, but the tool now comes with the option to switch to long barrel attachments for those with longer hair. In fact, the new generation of this tool now comes with six attachments which include a smoothing dryer and brushes, giving you endless styling options. For those who want to spend a bit less, there is also a three-attachment version of this tool for $799.
When you first get your hands on an Airwrap, I guarantee you’ll have a time trying to figure out the airflow direction, but practice makes perfect and once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll be obsessed. Especially if you’re a fan of bouncy curls.
More multi-stylers:
Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System, $549.99
