A hair gadget that dries and styles in one, with the promise of zero heat damage, isn’t exactly unique. Dyson’s own Airstrait was a front-runner in this particular race, and now there are plenty more jostling for position. However, a gadget that adds volume at the roots while it dries and smooths? Now, that’s a whole other matter, and one I’ve not been able to resolve. Can the new Dyson Airsmooth solve that conundrum?
Let me start by saying that I love the Dyson Airstrait. It’s intuitive to use and its ability to dry frizzy hair into perfectly sleek curtains has rightly seen it crowned a Good Housekeeping Institute winner. The technique has the ease of irons, yet the result is like a good sleek salon blow-dry without the brush/nozzle wrestle. A faux-dry, if you will.
However, I can’t deny that the root result is quite flat. Even when you start with it in rough-dry mode and tip your head upside, it doesn’t have the heat or power to really pump up the roots from the get-go. And this is where the Airsmooth promises to do something different.
What is the Dyson Airsmooth?
Airsmooth is Dyson’s first dedicated hot air brush, and promises to be the ‘ultimate hack’ for a blow-out effect, with bristles to dry, smooth and – crucially – lift hair. Big hair doesn’t come at the cost of condition either, says Dyson. Where traditional hot brushes can snag and break hair, this has looped bristles, which hold hair taut for smoothness as you dry but also ‘collapse’ and release hair rather than ripping it out.
Combine it with a bristle design that diffuses airflow to discourage frizz developing as you dry, and you have a tool that supposedly makes it easy to stretch out hair for a smooth finish. The teardrop shape also lets you get right to the root and blow-dry lift in as you dry.
Testing the Airsmooth
Like all of Dyson’s best products, there’s no learning curve. Just plug it in and play. My video shows my first-ever go with the Airsmooth, and I’ve never had a hot air brush that’s worked this easily straight from the box.
I found it very easy to direct the airflow through my whole lengths, adding oomph to roots and mid-lengths and a nice, smooth swingy bevel to the ends. I didn’t cheat by adding any volumiser (although I suspect it would work a treat with something like Sam McKnight Cool Girl Body), so what you see is what I got from the tool alone plus heat protection.
The bristles held my hair brilliantly as they dried. More tension than a Harlan Coben mini-series! Yet, somehow, the bristles seem to know the right point to give up and release hair, so I didn’t feel I was ripping through tangles or tugging out hair. Yes, there were some strands in the brush at the end but no more than I’d expect to see from regular brushing.
Prep is key, I’d say. I’d already detangled my hair, and I started from damp rather than wet. I’d recommend that as a starting point for Airsmooth, since soaking-wet hair is inevitably more fragile. Since there’s no ‘rough-dry’ function, you’ll probably want to give hair a once-over with a hairdryer first if you’re in a hurry.
From that point on, it took me under 15 minutes to get from damp to done. It helps that I have fine mid-length hair, so there’s not a huge amount to dry. The Airsmooth is purportedly designed for ‘all hair types’ but I suspect it’d take longer to get thicker hair fully dry and styled. (I’d look for reviews on hair similar to your own type if you’re thinking of buying one.)
However, for me, it was quick. Okay, maybe it took a few minutes longer than drying with a hairdryer, but the point is getting a finish you like. And the AirSmooth did just that, without needing to whip out the irons to finish the job.
Beauty director’s verdict
This is the first hot brush that I’ve felt wasn’t at risk of wrecking my hair. Sure, others curl, but that’s down to the brute force of heat alone, bending bone-dry hair to its will. Others rip and tangle in my clumsy hands. This gentle newbie shaped my hair nicely, and added lift and swing that lasted.
It’s certainly far quicker than tools that wrap hair around the barrel using a coanda airflow. Damage-free or not, I personally find them too time-consuming for daily use, and the curl often drops out anyway. I’ve used the Airsmooth on day-two hair, just wetting it down first, and it took just a couple of minutes to get my hair back into shape. Happy days.
On the negative side, £199 is expensive for a hot brush and it’s not offering a huge repertoire of looks. Admittedly, I’ve only used it a couple of times, but I’m sceptical about creating the bouncy waves shown in some of Dyson’s model photos.
Lucky then that I’m happy with the one look I can confidently do, and right out of the box: wet to styled, frizz smoothed and roots lifted. About time too.
