ghd Duet Style vs Dyson Airstrait - which wet-to-dry styler is best?

The question of ghd Duet Style vs Dyson Airstrait will depend on your budget and preferences, because while these wet-to-dry stylers perform a similar function, they're surprisingly different in operation.

The ghd hit the market first as one of the best ghd straighteners that can dry the most stubborn of hair into a sleek, just-styled result, but the Airstrait hit the market soon after, offering more of the same smart tech behind the brand's famous hair dryers and the iconic Dyson Airwrap.

With either styler, you're committing to spend at least £300 on a new hair tool, so it's a purchase that will require some serious consideration before you checkout. As woman&home's Head of Shopping, I pride myself on having tested a huge range of hair tools on my almost comically difficult hair. Long, thick, colour-damaged, naturally curly and with a tendency to turn to untameable frizz with the slightest humidity, I was keen to see if either of these stylers were a match for my barnet. I put them head-to-head for a few weeks to help you decide which wet-to-dry styler is best for you.

From first impressions the ghd is less expensive but bulkier, with an RRP of £379 that will require some serious consideration before purchase. The Airstrait's £449 RRP makes it just slightly cheaper than the Airwrap, but at first glance, it's a luxe and high-tech tool that's surprisingly lightweight.

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ghd Duet Style vs Dyson Airstrait

Head-to-head

My full review

Formerly Head of Reviews across our portfolio, I've tested everything from hair straighteners to vacuum cleaners. My hair is long, colour-damaged, thick, and curly - a challenge to every hairdresser I've met and in need of seriously intense styling to achieve a sleek look that will last.

I had already been using the Duet Style for around four months when the Airstrait arrived at my door for reviewing, and I've used both interchangeably for two weeks to compare the key differences between these wet-to-dry stylers.

GHD Duet Style vs Dyson Airstrait: Design

Winner: Dyson Airstrait

The Airstrait is more expensive, but I'd say you do get a more premium design with this styler. Not everyone will want the option of switching between temperatures, but it's a nice-to-have when you're trying to protect hair from heat damage. The small but clear LCD screen with this styler allows you to toggle between settings and temperatures. You can also lock the styler closed when not in use, and it will automatically pause between uses when you're sectioning hair or using heat protection spray.

I was initially a bit put off by the bulky plug that comes with the Dyson, but when I learned that this is designed to house some of the weighty tech that would otherwise weigh down the tool itself, it seems like a smart and sensible trade.

The Airstrait can be pushed together, as if straightening, to activate a stream of air that replicates a hair dryer. I used this to rough-dry and target roots before sectioning and styling my hair in sections. The Airstrait dries down, blowing hair straight as you move through the lengths. The Duet Style, by contrast, has plates at the top and bottom of each side, which means you can use it in both directions and also target roots more easily. It creates less of a directional airstream, instead sending air through vents into the area where hair is contained between plates. This means it's a versatile tool that also makes a better dryer styler, but it is weightier and features only two settings - its wet-to-dry setting and ShineShot, which replicates a traditional straightener.

Both are good, but the Dyson is a hair better thanks to its lightweight design and user-friendly LCD panel.

The Duet Style, by contrast, has plates at the top and bottom of each side, which means you can use it in both directions and also target roots more easily. It creates less of a directional airstream, instead sending air through vents into the area where hair is contained between plates. This means it's a versatile tool that also makes a better dryer styler, but it is weightier and features only two settings - its wet-to-dry setting and ShineShot, which replicates a traditional straightener.

Both are good, but the Dyson is a hair better thanks to its lightweight design and user-friendly LCD panel.

Shark Flexstyle vs Dyson Airwrap: Performance

Best wet-to-dry: Dyson Airstrait

You can see in the picture above that my hair came out shinier and less frizzy after I used the Dyson Airstrait. To keep things fair, I used the exact same products with both tests - a ghd heat protection spray, and a little gisou hair oil on the ends to nourish and remove some of my frizz.

The Airstrait took less time too - only 30 minutes as opposed to the 40 minutes I spent styling with the ghd. I then went over my hair with the ShineShot mode after using the ghd (more on that below), which added another ten minutes, but there was no need to do this with the Dyson.

It's a strong result from both stylers. Like I said, my hair is naturally curly, and after spending years wrestling with hair dryers and round brushes to try and achieve a more sleek blown-out look, I'd resigned myself to a life of heat-damaged hair due to straightening, with the occasional curly day to give my lengths a break. Before I started using the Airstrait, the ghd had already changed by hair drying game and I'd noticed significantly less damage than usual after I retired my straighteners for this tool. However, the Dyson did achieve a less frizzy finish, and it did so in a fraction of the time.

Best dry styling: ghd Duet Style

As our Beauty Editor Jess said in her initial ghd Duet Style review, the Duet Style is capable of creating a good wave if you're not all-in for the poker-straight look. "Using the shine shot, I was able to add a subtle wave to my hair, which made my finished style feel softer and more modern. The plates are wide, so this wouldn’t be possible on short hair", she said.

By contrast, you'd struggle to achieve a curl with the Airstrait. I did give it a go, but because the air flows from the bottom vents whether you're drying wet or dry, it doesn't function like a conventional straightener the way the plates do with the ghd.

Shark Flexstyle vs Dyson Airwrap: Price

Winner: ghd Duet Style

The ghd Duet Style has an RRP of £379, whereas the Dyson Airstrait has an RRP of £449.99. So there's not much in it, but the ghd is cheaper. Not to mention, I've seen it on sale every now and then, which is tricky to find with a Dyson hair tool.

ghd Duet Style vs Dyson Airstrait : The verdict

Although they're both wet-to-dry stylers, the ghd Duet Style and Dyson Airstrait really are very different tools. They're designed differently, and they have different strengths and weaknesses. If, like me, you want a frizz-busting styler that's capable of quickly achieving that just-straightened look, I'd go for the Airstrait. However, if your hair is more fine or less textured than mine, I think you'd get a similar result with the Duet Style, and you'd have the option of adding a wave once you're done using its ShineShot mode, which is something you can't achieve in the same way with the Dyson.