There are dryers, curling irons, flat irons, and numerous hybrids in the field of hair styling appliances. The Dyson Airwrap, the ultimate multitasking hair tool, is another option.
“It’s a hair dryer and a styler in one,” explains Birnur Aral, Ph.D. Executive Director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty, Health & Sustainability Lab. “It is intended to work with damp hair to set the style while drying the moisture out of the strands.” It is suitable for all hair types and can create a variety of hairstyles while minimizing hair damage by utilizing less heat than typical styling products.” The latest Airwrap comes with six attachments, including a smoothing drier, two barrel sizes for curls, two smoothing brushes in two sizes, and a volumizing brush.
The only drawback? The price. This prized instrument costs $599, putting it out of reach for many. That is where we come in. We rounded together the best Airwrap dupes for amazing blowouts and hairstyles at a minimal cost, including lab-tested equipment, GH Beauty Award winners, best sellers, and editor choices.
Our top picks:
3
BEST VALUE DYSON AIRWRAP DUPE
REVLON One-Step Volumizer Original 1.0 Hair Dryer and Hot Air Brush
4
BEST DYSON AIRWRAP DUPE FOR LOOSE WAVES
Beachwaver Co. S1.25-Dual Voltage Rotating Curling Iron
7
BEST DYSON AIRWRAP DUPE FOR THICK HAIR
Hot Tools One-Step Pro Blowout Styler Hot Air Brush Hair Dryer
10
BEST DYSON AIRWRAP DUPE FOR BOUNCY HAIR
Conair Ceramic 1 1/2-inch and 1 3/4-inch Hot Rollers
While we adore a good hot tool, it’s critical to preserve your strands before styling. Check out our favourite heat-protectant products to help you avoid harm.
1
PROS
- Dries hair super quickly
- Barrel can be bent to 90 degrees for more ergonomic styling
- Multiple attachments for different uses
- Effective cool shot
CONS
- Some reviewers thought it was a little loud
- Heavier than Dyson
Shark Beauty’s sleek tool, a HA Beauty Award winner, is a hairdryer, hairdryer brush, and curler in one, with five attachments, including brushes, curlers, a concentrator, and a diffuser. It reached a high air temperature, had powerful airflow, and dried hair samples at almost record speed in Beauty Lab testing.
“It’s proven versatile enough to see me through two different haircuts, and I like the easy on-and-off of all of the attachments,” adds one reviewer. Furthermore, the handle is incredibly adaptable and can spin 90 degrees, making it simple to utilize for a variety of style needs. The biggest difference between the Shark and the Dyson is that the Shark is a little noisier and becomes hotter, and round and flat brushes generate more tension while styling.
2
PROS
- Convenience and time-saving.
- Cost-effective for at-home styling.
- Versatile for multiple hairstyles.
- Reduced heat damage.
CONS
- Learning curve for effective use.
- Suitability for specific hair types.
The 5IN1 Hot Air Comb is your go-to tool for salon-quality hair in the comfort of your own home. This multifunctional device performs five key hairstyle operations in one: drying, straightening, curling, volumizing, and detangling. You can quickly create a wide range of breathtaking hair looks with its innovative heating technology and different attachments, from sleek and straight to bouncy curls and huge waves. Say goodbye to juggling various hair tools; the 5IN1 Hot Air Comb simplifies your routine, leaving you with perfectly groomed hair that’s ready to turn heads. With this all-in-one hair styling solution, you can up your hair game and achieve salon-worthy results every day.
3
BEST VALUE DYSON AIRWRAP DUPE
REVLON One-Step Volumizer Original 1.0 Hair Dryer and Hot Air Brush
PROS
- Dries hair fast
- Great value
- Works on thick, coarse hair
CONS
- Gets very hot
- Cool shot is not powerful
The HA Beauty Lab had to put Revlon’s One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer to the test after seeing over 333K Amazon reviews. The hype is true: it dried hair at the fastest rate compared to the other appliances we tested. However, keep in mind that it can get really hot.
The circular, cylindrical design of the brush smoothes hair and allows it to slide through even coarse hair without pulling or dragging. “I liked how the brush head was large, which allowed it to dry more hair at once,” said one tester. “It was good for creating smooth, straight hairstyles.” Our tests also found that it increases shine and that the supplied directions are simple to follow. Our experts point out, however, that depending on one’s hair structure and length, one may need help to obtain the range of hairstyles that the Dyson Airwrap allows.
4
BEST DYSON AIRWRAP DUPE FOR LOOSE WAVES
Beachwaver Co. S1.25-Dual Voltage Rotating Curling Iron
PROS
- Automatic barrel makes styling easier
- Consistent results
CONS
- Takes practice
- Only creates curly and wavy styles on already dry hair
This HA Beauty Award winner provides the perfect soft, beachy waves while also (plus!) doing the job for you. The automated curling barrel twirls your hair around the barrel, eliminating the guesswork and inconsistency that come with using a traditional curling iron.
“This curling iron creates beautiful loose curls (or tight curls if you prefer them),” one Ulta customer says. “I frequently get compliments after using the iron.” While it generates curls like a pro, it lacks the styling possibilities of the Airwrap and other dupes. It’s intended to be used on dried hair, so either air dry or blow dry it first. And, like many other tools, there is a learning curve, but once you get it, it’s quite straightforward.
5
BEST MULTI-TASKING DYSON AIRWRAP DUPE
BZ 6 in 1 Hair Dryer Brush and Volumizer
NOW 15% OFF
PROS
- Lightweight
- Has five brush heads for different hair textures and lengths
CONS
- Curling brushes likely to require operation with both hands
Simplified styling. BZ’s hot air brush offers five different brush attachments (two paddles and three rounds) for the most flexible styling options, regardless of your hair length or type, outnumbering Dyson and Shark. Furthermore, the dryer, like the Dyson, claims to use superior negative ion technology and to have a ceramic coating on the brushes to prevent frizz and static electricity.
“This hair dryer makes me wish I had long hair,” one Amazon reviewer writes. “There are so many styling tools that I can’t use on my short crop.” It’s also lightweight, efficient, and simple to use, according to reviewers. Unlike the Dyson or Shark curling barrels, which can be handled with a single hand, it generates waves and curls with round brushes of varied diameters. Thus, it may take more work to accomplish specific looks.
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PROS
- Efficient and effective
- Doesn't get too hot
- Heats up quickly and has an automatic shut-off
CONS
- You can only use it on dry hair
GHD is a winner in our hair straightening brush test, and it’s perfect for taming thick hair and minimizing frizz. We liked how it didn’t become too hot when we tested it in the Beauty Lab – it’s set to 365 degrees and has even heat distribution, so it should stay hotter in some locations than others.
It was also a hit among our beta testers. “I took the frizzy parts and smoothed them out.” “I was able to grab each area and the hair easily went through it and straightened it nicely,” stated one with fine, oily, curly hair. “The brush heated up very quickly; it was easy to use and straighten my hair quickly,” another tester with wavy hair commented. If you forget to turn it off, it features an automated sleep mode that shuts it off after 60 minutes. One thing to keep in mind is that this tool only works on dry hair and is intended to achieve smooth results without compromising volume.
7
BEST DYSON AIRWRAP DUPE FOR THICK HAIR
Hot Tools One-Step Pro Blowout Styler Hot Air Brush Hair Dryer
NOW 26% OFF
PROS
- Dries hair quickly
- Glides through hair easily
- Controls are easy to use
CONS
- Heavy
- Cool shot not powerful
Thick, coarse hair can be difficult to blow dry and straighten. In our Beauty Lab testing, this Hot Tools brush dryer with a rotating temperature control, three heat settings, and vent platforms demonstrated to style dense, coarse, or curly strands swiftly and efficiently.
In fact, 100% of skilled testers noticed that it styled hair quickly and easily combed through strands. When compared to the other models, reviewers said the controls were the easiest to operate. “I was surprised by the speed and how fast my hair went from wet to dry,” one user said. It is heavy, so keep that in mind before using it. Furthermore, it may be more difficult to accomplish the diversity of hairstyles available with the Dyson or Shark.
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PROS
- Gives great volume while using gentle heat
- Quiet
- Has a long cord and wrap for storage
CONS
- No cool shot setting
As our top option for hair dryer brushes in the Lab, 100% of testers felt that this brush was the best for achieving flawless style and volume on all hair types. Testers appreciated how easy it was to grasp, how it created fullness, and how light the heat was (read: reduced injury potential).
“I also liked that they used two types of bristles (short and long) as it grabbed the strands of hair and glided through,” one user wrote. It was voted the quietest hair dryer brush, had the longest cable, and was the only winner with a storage wrap. The only drawback? It needs a cool environment for immediately establishing your style. This equipment, like the Revlon, specializes in creating voluminous blowouts, although it may be more complex to achieve a range of hairstyles than the Dyson or Shark.
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BEST DYSON AIRWRAP DUPE FOR FINE HAIR
Drybar Double Shot Oval Blow Dryer Brush
NOW 20% OFF
PROS
- Gentle heat
- Narrow barrel which is ideal for fine or short hair
- Lightweight
CONS
- Not as effective for thick hair
- Cool shot not powerful
Finally, a hair dryer brush tool that can help protect fine hair from harm! Drybar’s hair dryer brush delivers the gentlest heat among the items we examined, protecting hair from being too exposed to heat while shaping hair well, according to our Beauty Lab evaluations. Over five minutes of operation, it reaches a maximum temperature of 167°F, which is about 100oF lower than the competitors.
The brush has a narrow barrel that is ideal for fine or shorter hair, and it is extremely lightweight (less than a pound! ), making it easy to carry and use. “I got great volume with this, yet my hair felt really smooth — it was comparable to a blow-out from a salon,” raved one user. While this brush is excellent for thin or short hair, it may not be suitable for thicker hair textures and is not as adaptable as some of the other tools on this list.
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BEST DYSON AIRWRAP DUPE FOR BOUNCY HAIR
Conair Ceramic 1 1/2-inch and 1 3/4-inch Hot Rollers
NOW 7% OFF
PROS
- Good value
- Two different roller sizes for different styles
- Creates bounce and volume
CONS
- No temperature adjustment or on/off switch
- Works best on rough blow-dried and smoothed out hair
If you want a bouncy blowout, look no further. Conair’s hot roller set comprises 12 rollers in two sizes (as well as 12 clips to keep them in place) for creating voluminous curly and wavy styles on dry hair. The rollers use ceramic technology to provide equal heat transfer across hair strands and have a velvety covering to prevent heat damage.
“My hair looked bouncy, voluminous, and even shiny, and the best part was I could just put it in and go about whatever I wanted without standing in front of a mirror hurting my hands and arms for 30 minutes,” one Amazon reviewer says. Just keep in mind that the heat is one size fits all. There is no temperature control or on/off switch; it simply turns on when plugged in.
How we test the best hair styling tools
The HA Beauty Lab evaluates hundreds of hair tools (including blow dryers, straighteners, and curling irons) on a variety of criteria, including control ease of use, directions, the manual, and safety features like automatic shut-off.
“For certain categories, we also recruit a consumer panel, with a variety of hair lengths, textures, and densities, who will use the stylers as intended and then fill out a detailed survey,” Aral explains. “We use anywhere from five to ten testers per product depending on the study.”
Aral goes on to say that the Lab follows a series of protocols (where appropriate) to determine the following for styling tools:
- At the maximum heat/airflow settings, what temperature
- Is it obtained on the surface of the styler that contacts hair strands?
- What temperature is attained on the styler’s surface that
- can come into touch with skin, such as the neck, scalp, Ears and fingers?
- If the styler exceeds the temperature parameters specified,
- If the styler has flatiron and curling iron characteristics,
- How quickly the styler reaches the desired temperature,
- Which is normally done at the highest setting.
- The speed with which the instrument dries a standard-sized hair swatch from wet to dry.
- If the styler has a long enough cord
What to look for when shopping for a Dyson Airwrap dupe
Finding a styler with all of the capabilities of the Airwrap can be challenging, but the effects can be replicated in a variety of ways.
✔️“I would advise shoppers to consider the style(s) they want to achieve and perhaps consider investing in several tools that will cover the range that the Airwrap can handle,” Aral says. That is, if you wear your hair straight, a smoothing blow dry brush will suffice. If you alternate between curly and straight hair, a blowdry brush and curling iron are fantastic options.
✔️“Consumers can also look into refurbished Airwraps and find out if they come with a warranty,” Aral explains. “I have had an original model for over five years, and it is still going strong.”
Why trust Home Accessories?
HA has more than 15 years of experience researching, producing, and editing content on skincare. It draws on the knowledge of top industry experts like dermatologists and aestheticians as well as the scientists at the Home Accessories Institute Beauty Lab. She is an authority in moisturizers and all other types of facial skincare products. April collaborates closely with the HA Beauty Lab to organize the testing of skincare products and transform test results into top-notch, enticing content for Home Accessories that is factually correct and validated by science.
Former senior editor at the Home Accessories Institute, Nicole Saporita frequently worked with specialists from the Beauty Lab.
