For those who can't stretch to the price of the real deal, the best Dyson Airwrap alternatives can achieve similar results to some of the attachments. Think smooth, salon-worthy hair with one multi-functional tool at a lower price point.
Don't get us wrong, we love the Dyson Airwrap at woman&home. Its revolutionary technology changed the way consumers can style their hair – but this is reflected in its near-£480 price tag (the Dyson Airstrait is similarly priced). "The Airwrap has become one of the most sought-after hair tools of our generation," says pro hairdresser and JOICO ambassador Gill Berry. "It made a significant impact on the world of hair styling and has become essential within [some] homes across the UK. However, with a high price point, many often look for alternatives."
Brands like Revlon, Remington and Babyliss all offer alternative tools that are often priced below the £100 mark. (If you want to see a head-to-head comparison of the leading multi-stylers, our Shark Flexstyle vs Dyson Airwrap offers an in-depth analysis.) Here, we've reviewed what I deem the best Dyson Airwrap alternatives, sharing which results came as close as possible to the real deal during the testing process. So if you can't spend close to £500 on a hair tool, read on for our in-depth guide to lower-priced hot brushes.
Best hot brush deals
Stephanie Maylor is an established beauty editor with more than 15 years of experience in the industry. She has written and edited for a wide range of titles, including Grazia, OK! and woman&home.
Fiona McKim has been part of the woman&home beauty team for more than a decade. During that time she has interviewed countless experts, reported backstage at Fashion Week and judged the woman&home Beauty Awards.
Gill Berry is a highly experienced creative hairdresser and an ambassador and educator for haircare brand JOICO.
Syd Hayes is a renowned hair stylist and the owner of the Q Cut salon in Kew Gardens, London. He is also an ambassador for BaByliss and has worked on countless photo shoots and fashion week shows during his career.
The best Dyson Airwrap alternatives at a glance
RRP: £99
With three styling options, we were very impressed by this Barbie pink tool. It's lightweight, smooths hair pretty easily and quickly, plus the results last well – and all for just under £100.
RRP: £99
The generous brush head and well-vented attachments make this Hot Tools number a particularly good choice for styling thick hair. Though it didn't create much of a bend in our tester's thick strands, the smooth and frizz-free finish lasted very well.
RRP: £134.99
Though it is admittedly quite a noisy tool, the T3 AireBrush Duo is a very smooth operator. It is, however, very fast and packs in a volume boost function that those with fine and flat hair will appreciate.
RRP: £69.99
Complete with a handy travel case, this Remington styler is another reasonably-priced Dyson Airwrap alternative. Complete with four attachments and rotating functionality, it's ideal if you aren't particularly dextrous when it comes to styling your hair.
RRP: £300
Well-equipped with attachments for styling versatility, Shark's multi-styler is a nice reasonably-priced tool that can create a range of different looks. It also comes with a brilliant zip-around case with sections for each attachment.
RRP: £75
Already a steal at £75 for four attachments, the Air Style 1000 from purse-friendly hairstyling brand BaByliss is often discounted even further, making it extra good value. Sure, it may not be the quietest or most technologically advanced option, but it's a decent styler and great for those on smaller budgets.
The best Dyson Airwrap alternatives, reviewed by our beauty experts
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The best Dyson Airwrap alternative for waves and curls
I was blown away by how good this tool is and I have to say, I am quite taken with the Barbiecore colourway. The first thing I noticed (besides the pink) was how light it is; I didn’t get the usual arm ache while blow-drying.
As with similar tools, your hair should be mostly dry before styling with this, but the drying attachment quickly ensured my hair was ready to be smoothed in five minutes. The 60mm oval barrel then did so nicely; it is quite large but still managed to curl my hair under at the ends. I was slightly worried that the bristle tufts, despite being flexible, would tangle in my hair, but it didn’t knot up at all – neither did they in my daughter’s slightly finer hair.
Of all tools on this list, I achieved the best ringlets with the 32mm curling attachment – they were so bouncy and didn’t drop as quickly. Sure, this tool doesn't swirl hair around the barrel like the Airwrap does for you, but the cool tip is a good enough size to avoid burning your fingertips as you wrap sections around the barrel. The result is a great bouncy blow-dry in a box, with a silky-smooth finish that won't have you reaching for the best hair straighteners afterwards.
The best Dyson Airwrap alternative for thick hair
Until testing for this feature, I’d never mastered the art of the bouncy at-home blow-dry, but the Hot Tools Volumiser changed that. Completely foolproof, the titanium surface and soft bristles glide through hair with ease. It's also equipped with two oval attachments – a standard size and a smaller version – and three heat settings.
Truthfully, there’s not a big difference between the 71mm and 61mm brush heads. I like to create movement when blow-drying, but even the smaller attachments struggled to create bends in my long hair. That said, it did create a smooth, frizz-free finish very quickly. My hair was dry and polished in around 10 minutes (usually it takes me that long to blast dry with a hair dryer). Also impressive was its ability to create a style with staying power.
Other features include a 3m salon-length swivel cable, reducing the risk of tangling, while the rubbery cool tip is generous, allowing you to create tension without catching your fingers on hot vents. Like the Beauty Works Hot Brush and Revlon One-Step Volumiser, attachments are designed for volume rather than curls, which is worth noting if you're after more of a multi-styler. But if speed-drying is your goal, this could be the best hot brush for you – especially if you have long, thick and/or frizzy hair.
The best Dyson Airwrap alternative for smooth results
This is a blow dryer brush that gives you options. There's a rounded brush head for creating curved and bouncy styles and added volume, as well as a flatter paddle brush head that's purely a smooth operator.
But really where this tool sets itself apart from the masses are the plentiful heat and speed settings – there are five temperatures and a cool shot to choose from, which is far more precise than your usual two or three, as well as three different speed settings. This makes it very customisable for different hair types, which we love to see. Not only that, both ceramic and ion technology have also been incorporated into this impressive dryer brush, meaning that frizz is countered and shine boosted to contribute to salon-like results. For those with fine hair, there's also a volume booster shot as seen on some of T3's hair dryers, which gives hair brilliant added lift.
If we are being super picky in the interest of balance, for those who like a bigger brush head to get lots of volume the 64mm rounded brush head might not be large enough, so it might have been nice to have a larger option available – even if it has to be purchased separately. But it's not something we're particularly hung up on; you can create so much volume while retaining a smooth finish that the AireBrush has earned itself a place in our hearts.
Read our full T3 AireBrush Duo review for a detailed analysis of this blow dryer brush
Thanks to the rotating barrel, Remington's Airstyler mimics the technique used by stylists to simultaneously curl and smooth the hair dry. It also rotates in both directions, which is very helpful for curling hair away from the face on both sides. As well as the four attachments, it comes with a pretty sturdy storage case, so it certainly feels like you’re getting bang for your buck.
While it’s not a heavy tool, the handle and attachments feel long – not dissimilar to the Airwrap, which is similarly bulky. It offers a good range of attachments and styling versatility like the Airwrap and was definitely quieter than Hot Tools' and Babyliss models. The curling barrel has a clip, like a traditional curling tong, but I found it a bit redundant and that it made the process more laborious.
While it did a good job of creating looser curly hairstyles, these were quick to drop. (Again, this is likely down to my hair type – even the best curling irons can’t create lasting ringlets on me.) It was with the 40mm soft bristle brush that this tool really excelled. It kept hair taut without yanking and smoothed out frizz. It’s a slightly smaller barrel than the BaByliss Air Style 1000, which makes it a great option for mid-length hair or those with long hairstyles looking to create a blowout with bends.
If you’ve used the Shark Hair Dryer you’d probably be just as excited as we were to try the FlexStyle. After all, it's the only tool here that uses the Coanda effect – the same hair-wrapping airflow technology as the Airwrap. It also has the largest number of attachments of any rival we’ve tried (five, to be precise). So, it will come as no surprise that it's also the most expensive Dyson Airwrap alternative in our selection.
Our beauty channel editor Fiona McKim has tested the Shark FlexStyle and says she could achieve pretty much everything that she can do with the Airwrap. "From a bouncy blow dry with the oval brush to beachy waves with the auto-wrap curlers, it's all here," she says. "There is a bit of a knack to it, but if you know how to use the Dyson Airwrap, you'll have this down in seconds. I found styles were just as easy to create and lasted a similar amount of time." Though it's a bit heavier and noisier than the Airwrap, McKim notes that you won't get much closer from a more affordable option.
Contributing beauty editor Lucy Abbersteen agrees that it's a well-equipped multi-styler that dries and styles pretty well, yielding a nice, smooth finish. "The case is also a standout feature," she says. "With a smart design, sections for each of the attachments and zip-around closure, it's definitely a huge plus point in terms of storage and travel functionality."
With four attachments, not only is this similar to Dyson's styler, it’s a great value option, too. The downside? It’s a lot louder – but, then again, not many can rival Dyson’s quiet motor. It doesn’t feature the Coanda effect either. Instead, the Babyliss Air Style acts like a traditional blow-drying tool that requires wrapping the hair around the barrel yourself. This can be tricky, especially when you want to direct curls in different directions away from the face.
BaByliss advises hair is 80% dry before styling. It’s more time-consuming than all-in-one tools like Revlon's One-Step Volumiser, which styles hair from wet, but it does come with a drying nozzle, so you have everything you need to take hair from sopping to smooth. Attachments also click in and out of the base with ease. The paddle brush nozzle didn’t do as much as I’d hoped in terms of smoothing the frizzy hair at my roots, but it did get my hair in a better position to use the conical curling tong. Attachments do get hot during styling, so the heat-proof glove proved very useful in switching heads without scalding.
Overall, I think this tool is excellent value for money. It’s lightweight and fairly simple to use, and one that pro hairdresser and BaByliss ambassador Syd Hayes often recommends. “If you blow dry often, this styler makes it so much easier as you don’t have to hold a dryer and a brush,” he says. “It does the hard work for you and gives the perfect result."
How we tested the best Dyson Airwrap alternatives
A selection of the hot brushes tested for this guide
To write a definitive guide to the best Dyson Airwrap alternatives, I tested lots of different tools over several weeks, washing and styling my hair with all of the various attachments in each kit. I also tested a few of them on my daughter to see how they performed on her shorter, finer curly hair versus my long, coarse and wavy hair, and included some of the opinions of fellow woman&home beauty contributors, too.
When testing, I assessed how each tool felt to hold, the number of heat and speed settings, how easy it was to switch attachments and the technical specifications such as weight and warranty. Each one was used on freshly washed hair (where possible, as not all of them work on wet hair) and dry hair to thoroughly assess how they worked in different scenarios. I also evaluated each one's ability to smooth, volumise and curl hair – and, of course, affordability was taken into account.
How to choose the best Dyson Airwrap alternative
The hair tools in this guide come as close to replicating the results of a Dyson Airwrap – and a hair stylist’s blow-drying technique – as possible on a smaller budget. Any of them will help you create a salon-worthy finish at home, but they are all slightly different. To help you find the right tool for you, have a think about what you need from your styler based on the below.
- Attachments: If you want a versatile tool that can create sleek, smooth styles as well as bouncy curls, look at the number of attachments included. While the Dyson Airwrap comes with six – with more available to purchase separately – some rivals still come with four or five for multiple styling options.
- Settings: A choice of heat (and airflow, if applicable) settings will allow you to tailor your tool to your specific hair type. For instance, if your hair is fine, it may work well with lower temperatures, while thick and/or curly hair often requires something a bit higher.
- Extra features: Like the Airwrap, some hot brushes dry hair as well as styling it, meaning you don’t need to splurge on the best hair dryer as well. If you're looking to replace your dryer at some point, this will save you even more money.
- Hair type: The best tool for you will largely depend on your hair type. Very straight and fine hair that doesn't curl easily can require oomph to persuade it into place, while naturally curly hair will likely need a tool that creates good tension to achieve a lasting sleek finish. Finer and fast-drying hair often doesn't need as high heat and airflow as thicker hair, so when choosing your styler, think about how well your hair can hold a curl, too.
- Hair length: Also keep in mind the length of your hair; some attachments may work well on Rapunzel-esque lengths, but won't be quite so effective on shoulder-skimming bobs, for example.
- Price: An obvious one, but it's important to consider how much you can (and want to) spend before you start shopping. This will help you to refine a list of possible options.
FAQs
How similar are hot brushes to the Dyson Airwrap?
How similar a tool is to the original Dyson Airwrap will depend on the brand and model, and if it’s more important to you that your tool looks like the real deal or gives you like-for-like results. The Envie 3-in-1 Hair Styling Brush is the closest match in appearance (they’ve copied the signature grey and pink colourway) but, as the only other tool on our list to use the Coanda effect, the Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Hair Drying System has the most comparable results.
What is a cheap alternative to the Dyson Airwrap?
If you want a cheaper alternative to the Dyson Airwrap, there are plenty of tools out there that offer similar wet-to-dry styling, as well as volume-boosting and smoothing dry styling, via a range of different attachments. If you can stretch your budget to £100 then you have plenty of choice, including the Remington Curl and Straight Confidence Air Styler (£69.99), the BaByliss Air Style 1000 (£75) and the Mermade Hair Interchangeable Blow Dry Brush (£99).
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