Is the Dyson Airstrait Worth It? Five Cosmo Editors Tried Out the New TikTok-Viral Product

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Some people are blessed with the ability to whip up salon-worthy looks daily, whereas I consider it a win if I manage to end the night with relatively static-free hair. I grew up trying to overcorrect my problem by (mistakenly) turning to blow dryers and flat irons and overusing them in an effort to “train” my thin, puffy, and wavy hair type—which only left it dry and brittle. So when the Dyson Airwrap went viral in 2020, I found myself extremely skeptical yet intrigued about whether it’d be the answer to a yearslong question: How can I style my hair without the constant heat damage?

Two years after buying it, I can confidently say that the Dyson has replaced most of the hot tools that got me through high school. But now there’s a new product from the brand that’s made me think twice about giving up my beloved childhood flat iron: the Dyson Airstrait, a wet-to-dry flat iron that uses hot air to style your hair rather than traditional hot plates.

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 (really). It honestly looks and feels like a regular flat iron—except 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 on each side to lightly hold your hair in place, along with a plate-free center to allow for the hot air to straighten your hair—via a high-velocity, downward direction—without direct heat.

And 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 (only to be used in short bursts on dry hair) 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.

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 only use the Dyson Airstrait on their dry hair instead of on wet hair 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.

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 air flow.

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.

What’s the difference between the Dyson Airstrait and a straightener?

The difference between the Dyson Airstrait and a straightener is its construction (high-velocity hot hair 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.

The Dyson Airstrait reviews

This is all well and good, but how does the Dyson Airstrait actually hold up when used on different hair types? Enter: the Cosmo testing-and-reviewing team. Below, five Cosmo editors (including myself) tested the Dyson Airstrait on straight, wavy, curly, and coily hair, with before-and-after result photos, and gave our honest opinions on whether or not the Airstrait is worth it.

The Dyson Airstrait on 4b hair

“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 it 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 Julee. “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,” Julee 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, 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 deputy 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 Lauren. “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 Lauren. “And I also like how fast and efficient it works on dry hair. Overall, a 3.5 out of 5!”

The Dyson AirStrait on fine, curly hair

“I have fine 2c/3a curls, which means they’re somewhat easy to blow out and straighten but incredibly difficult to keep from frizzing out and puffing up,” says Cosmo deputy beauty director Chloe Metzger. “So for me, the only way to get sleek, glossy hair is by blowing it out with a round brush, then hitting the ends with a flat iron. Basically, tension and direct heat are my BFF, which is why I was hella skeptical about the Airstrait.”

Does the Dyson AirStrait work on fine, curly hair?

“I tested it first on damp hair and initially tried working with large sections like other editors did,” says Chloe. “After four passes, it got my hair 75 percent dry, but the texture looked…rough. So I had to work in smaller, thinner sections—just like with a traditional flat iron—and go over them six to eight times to get a smoother finish. In all, it took me 25 minutes to straighten and dry my hair—which was only five minutes faster than it usually takes me to blow out my hair with a round brush.

“The main difference? My round brush—and even my straightener—leaves my hair bouncy and glossy, while the Airstrait left both my damp and dry hair mostly straight and somewhat puffy. As you can see in my ‘after’ photo, it straightened the curly/frizzy pieces around my hairline but didn’t lay them flat—largely because the Airstrait doesn’t allow you to get super close to your scalp or apply a ton of tension to your hair. Still, even though my hair looked a bit fried, I honestly loved knowing that my hair wasn’t getting any real damage during the testing process, which is where the Airstrait shines, IMO.”

Final review: 4/5

“Based on performance alone, it deserves a 5 out of 5,” says Chloe. “It never claims to leave your hair as smooth as a blow dryer or a straightener, and it technically worked perfectly for me. But would I recommend this to someone with my exact hair type? Probably not, unless they heat-style every day and want to minimize damage.

“But for me, if I’m going to straighten or blow out my curls, I want a really sleek and shiny finish, which the Airstrait can’t give me because it doesn’t use direct—see: damaging—heat. I also didn’t love how my roots were left frizzy and flat and required me to dry them first with a round brush for smooth volume. So with all that in mind, I’d give it a 3 out of 5 for my hair type. Split the difference, and we’ve got a 4 out of 5 final review.”

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 and not flipped in or under. 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 hair

When 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 it’s currently summertime in NYC and 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 (after a dab of my fave Oribe hair oil) was def a fan of the results—with a few small caveats.

One of the first things I noticed after styling my hair 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 hair 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: 4/5

Overall, 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 run out and 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.

Why trust Cosmo?

Daisy Maldonado is the associate shopping editor at Cosmopolitan with nearly three years of experience researching, writing, and editing beauty stories that range from hair jewelers 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.

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