Dyson’s airstrait finally launches in the UK – and we had a sneak peek

From first impressions, the airstrait is the hair tool you didn’t know you needed

Monday 05 February 2024 12:55 EST

Promising to help you achieve a natural-looking straight style, this is very exciting news (iStock/The Independent)

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Dyson’s haircare tools are winners thanks to their design and innovation. From its hugely popular supersonic hair dryer to the immensely successful airwrap, there’s no denying that it is leading the way when it comes to our locks.

Now, the brand has finally launched its latest hair tool in the UK: the airstrait, a wet-to-dry hair straightener that you didn’t know you needed. The model was first announced in May 2023 and the release date has (true to form) been kept under wraps, until now.

Cast away your aspersions of wet-to-dry straighteners from the Nineties and Noughties though, because the airstrait might just shake up the hair industry. The latest innovation from Dyson is years in the making and revolutionary (we got a sneak peek ahead of launch, so you can trust us). Taking damp hair to a natural-looking straight style with just air, the tool promises to reduce styling time yet still maintain hair strength.

In May, ahead of the launch, we were invited down to a briefing to see the tool in action. It’s fair to say that we were initially sceptical at how the tool would perform on our thick, long hair, but it made light work of our locks. In June, we visited Dyson HQ in Malmesbury and learned more about the tool – from the design stages to how it’s tested in the brand’s labs – and what was clear is that Dyson is dedicated to delivering only the best.

One of the machines used to test the airstrait (Eva Waite-Taylor)

Read on for everything that you need to know about Dyson’s all-new airstrait, from what it is and how much it costs to our first impressions.

What is the Dyson airstrait hair straightener?

The Dyson airstrait promises to help you achieve a natural-looking straight style that will leave your hair feeling smooth and shiny. Unlike standard straighteners and ghd’s duet styler – also a wet-to-styled straightener that launched last year – there are no hot plates on this latest model, rather it just uses hot air.

Using the brand’s signature hyperdymium motor, it generates focused airflow to dry and straighten hair simultaneously. Promising to reduce styling time and damage, it’s set to shake up the beauty industry.

Much like Dyson’s other hair tools, the airstrait features heat control to prevent damage and maintain your hair’s natural shine. It has two styling modes: a wet and dry option, as well as a cool mode to set the style. When in wet mode, you can choose between three heat settings (80C, 110C and 140C), while in dry, it’s either 120C or 140C to style your locks.

There are also two speed settings for controlling airflow depending on your hair’s needs, and to prevent any kinks, there’s also a root drying setting. It all sounds quite technical, but in reality, it’s an easy-to-use hair tool that we can’t wait to use regularly.

First impressions of the Dyson airstrait hair straightener

We got our hands on the tool when we visited Dyson HQ (Eva Waite-Taylor)

To give you an idea of our hair, it’s long, very thick and has a natural wave to it. Owing to this, it does take a long time to dry and style it – 15 minutes to dry and about half an hour to straighten, so this hair tool could revolutionise our hair routine and think it would make a great investment for those with finer hair.

During the briefing in May, we were among the first to see the new hair tool. None other than hair guru Larry King was on hand to style our locks, and in total, after a rough blow dry, it took around 15 to 20 minutes to take our hair from damp to straight. Owing to its ability to simultaneously dry and straighten, we were expecting it to be quite loud, but it’s surprisingly quiet (something that was of importance to Dyson).

The results were great. We’d liken it to the way our hair looks after a hairdresser blowdries into a straight style. It also somehow made our thick, weighty locks feel light and healthy, and the finish was much more natural. It looked so good that we even got compliments in the office, which is always a win. Even better, it still had a salon-quality bounce to it the following day.

Owing to the fact we only used it on one occasion, we can’t give you our full verdict just yet, so we’re looking forward to testing it over a longer period to get a better idea of how it will perform. So keep an eye out for our full review in due course.

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When does the Dyson airstrait hair straightener launch?

Dyson announced the news of its new wet-to-dry hair straightener on 11 May 2023 and made the tool available in the US, Mexico and Canada. Hair obsessives in the UK have been eagerly awaiting its arrival in the UK – and on 5 February, Dyson launched it.

How much does the new Dyson airstrait hair straightener cost?

As you’d expect from Dyson, the airstrait is a pricey addition to your haircare routine. The wet-to-dry straightener is priced at £449. Of course, this is far more expensive than your standard straighteners, but Dyson’s tool is fairly comparably priced to similar tools on the market, for example, ghd’s £379 duet style. Stay tuned for our versus piece on the two hair tools.