If I could only use one hair tool for the rest of my life, it would be a blow-dry brush.
Blow-dry brushes dry hair at the same time as smoothing it, meaning a quicker getting-ready time and less damage to my hair, because I don't need to dry and straighten it.
So, I was delighted to hear that Dyson had created their own take on the tool, the Dyson Airsmooth, £199.99.
About time, too, if you ask me! I've got several blow-dry brushes in my arsenal already (the ghd Duet is a fail-safe for flicking out my fringe and twirling the ends of my hair, while Hot Tools' Volumiser 2-in-1 Brush & Dryer, £29.95, is my most recommended tool of all time for a bouncy blow-dry that almost looks salon-worthy). So you might wonder why I wanted a Dyson take on the tool. Because they always innovate and bring something new to the table.
I attended the launch of the Airsmooth way back in July, and signed an NDA, so I had to wait until now to both try it and talk about it. Here's my honest opinion, having received it only yesterday.
Road testing the Dyson Airsmooth
First things first, I can be guilty of not reading the instructions for new hair tools. I've been doing my hair for decades; why do I need to? With the Airsmooth, it was necessary.
Though the tool is pretty foolproof, the quick start guide is useful because it teaches you the different ways to use the unique teardrop-shaped device.
Most blow-dry brushes are round, but the teardrop shape is revolutionary – it just means you need to know how to make the best of it, rather than trying to use the tool as I would any other (simply running through my hair from top to bottom).
With the Airsmooth, the teardrop helps to create different styles. Place the point of the teardrop under your roots and pull the brush up and out for root lift. This is handy and sets the tool apart from competitors, because larger, rounded barrels aren't normally able to get close enough to the roots – the teardrop eliminates this issue.
The straight edge of the brush glides through to straighten, then the larger curved edge can create flicks inward or outward, depending on the way you angle it.
I prefer a gentle wave in my hair, and reading the quick start guide helped me achieve that easily, too. Just wrap hair around the brush and hold in place. Simple!
Creating root lift without burning the scalp
I was wary that placing the teardrop under my hair, close enough to the roots to create lift, would burn my scalp. Dyson has thought of that, obviously. It has heat control technology that measures temperature 100 times a second to make sure it doesn't get too hot or cause damage.
Anti-snag bristles
An issue I've come up against with my other hot brushes is how much hair I lose while using them. The tension needed to pull my curls straight on traditional bristled hot brushes means I pull out a fair few hairs every time I style. I normally think it's worth it for my nice, smooth hair, but Dyson has created bristles that prevent this.
The anti-snag bristles have a looped shape which collapses when you pull, releasing the strands to limit snagging, plus they're super flexi so there's none of the tension I'm used to when blow-drying.
For full transparency, I've only used the tool on dry hair so far (it's not wash day!), but it made light work of taking my hair from dishevelled to my desired waves. When I style my hair from wet, I'll let you know how it goes – but one thing that stood out from the minute I lifted the tool from its box was how lightweight it is.
I have very strong arms from blow-drying my hair (well, just my right arm, which is the one that puts all the work in), but the Airsmooth is feather-light – remarkably lighter than all of my other tools, which is a huge tick in my box.
Another thing that deserves praise is the bristle protector it comes with. My beloved Hot Tools brush is extremely misshapen from being taken on too many trips. The case stops the bristles from getting crushed, and made me wonder why no other brands have been thoughtful enough to create such a handy addition.
Will the Airsmooth replace my other blow dry brushes?
I'm writing this in the first flush of love for the brush, rather than from the point of view of my long-term relationship with my Duet, so it's hard to say whether this will be a long-term commitment.
I've fallen hard for the Airsmooth and am very impressed with it on first use – I can't find any faults. My only small concern about our future together is being able to create the flicky bangs I normally wear – the Duet, £379, is a little smaller in diameter, so I can get my whole fringe around it in one, whereas the Airsmooth requires more manoeuvring to style my bangs. But that's a me problem.
Our Head of Beauty, Cassie Steer, has much longer, thicker hair than I do, so I'm excited for her review, and I'll keep you posted on how wet-to-dry styling works with the Airsmooth, but on first impressions? I'm smitten.
