Weighing up Dyson Airwrap vs Beauty Works Aeris? Our beauty writer put them to the test

Our beauty writer tests these two popular air stylers head-to-head to find out which tool comes out on top...

Collage of Dyson Airwrap and Beauty Works Aeris stylers on a pink background
(Image credit: Future/Sennen Prickett)

Anyone in the market for an air styler will most likely be weighing up whether a Dyson Airwrap is worth the investment, or if there is another tool that can offer similar results for a fraction of the price. So, I put two best-selling stylers to the test - the Dyson Airwrap vs Beauty Works Aeris - to help you decide which device is worth splurging on...

Arriving with an array of styling attachments and suiting many hair types, air stylers create results that are akin to some of the best hair straighteners and best curling irons on the market. Innovative technology and science-backed designs mean these air stylers can often arrive with a hefty high-end price tag, which makes them an investment purchase for many. So, naturally, it's wise to be well-informed about which tool is best suited to you and your hair type, before adding it to your basket.

As someone with naturally straight, long and fine hair, I want to know whether a luxury tool (or any styler for that matter) will work on my hair type and leave long-lasting results before I even think about parting ways with my money. So, when I saw Beauty Works Aeris Multi-Styler gaining traction, I knew I had to conduct a head-to-head comparison with the popular Dyson Airwrap, putting it through rigorous testing to weigh up which one is actually worth the splurge...

Beauty Works Aeris Multi-Styler
Get 15% off now
Beauty Works Aeris Multi-Styler: was £220 now £186.95 at LOOKFANTASTIC UK

You can now snap up Beauty Works' Aeris Multi-Styler for less than £200, while it has 15% off. This lightweight tool arrives with six styling attachments, such as curling wands, a smoothing brush and and blowout brush, giving you the ability to create a myriad of hairstyles with just one device.

Dyson Airwrap Complete Long Volumise Multi Styler and Dryer - Blue
Get £80 off now
Dyson Airwrap Complete Long Volumise Multi Styler and Dryer - Blue: was £480 now £400 at Argos

Enjoy an £80 saving on the iconic Dyson Airwrap Complete Long by shopping at Argos. Arriving with six styling attachments, including curling wands, a round brush and a diffuser, and a handy storage case, this air styler can create an array of hairstyles from sleek straight to bouncy blow dry.

At a glance: The Dyson Airwrap vs Beauty Works Aeris

How we tested the Dyson Airwrap vs Beauty Works Aeris

Image holding Dyson Airwrap on the left and Beauty Works Aeris on the right

(Image credit: Future/Sennen Prickett)

To ensure I tested these two air stylers fairly, I styled half of my hair using the Dyson Airwrap and the other using the Beauty Works Aeris, so we could physically compare the results side by side. I put both stylers head-to-head in terms of design, technology, styling capabilities and performance, to see which tool fared best in each category and how the results stood up throughout a day's wear.

I also used the array of styling attachments that arrive with each tool, from the curling wands to smoothing brushes, to create a myriad of hairstyles on damp hair to weigh up the results of both tools.

Dyson Airwrap vs Beauty Works Aeris: The full comparison

How do the specifications of the Dyson Airwrap vs Beauty Works Aeris compare?

For those wanting to know the ins and outs of the specifications of each model, we've put together an easy comparison between the two so you can weigh up which air styler is best suited to you and your hair type...

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Header Cell - Column 0 Dyson AirwrapBeauty Works Aeris
RRP£479.99£220
Weight0.58kg0.57kg
Dimensions48 x 272 x 41mm155 x 430 x 170mm 
Power1300W1200W
Styling Attachments66
Temperature Settings3 (plus cool shot)3 (60°, 90°, 120° - plus cool shot)
Speed Settings33
Cord Length2.675m2.5m
Storage CaseYesYes
Warranty2 years1 year

Dyson Airwrap vs Beauty Works Aeris: Design

Collage of Beauty Works Aeris with case and styling attachments and Dyson Airwrap with case and styling attachments

(Image credit: Future/Sennen Prickett)

Dyson Airwrap

The Dyson Airwrap has a sleek, minimalist and futuristic aesthetic, consisting of a matte metallic design and only the essential buttons needed to style. The styling attachments simply slot in at the top of the tool and can be easily interchanged by sliding the locking feature at the back of the device. There are four colourways to choose from (including Vinca Blue, Onyx Black, Nickel and Blue), plus regularly released special edition colourways, such as the Strawberry Bronze and Blush Pink.

The tool boasts a noticeably long design of 272mm, which is evident on the handle, makes for easy styling and prevents your hand from going anywhere near the airflow attachments. It's also worth noting that the Airwrap's long barrel means your hand never comes into contact with the sliding button control settings as you're styling, so you don't accidentally adjust them. This air styler sports a 2.675m cord length, one of the longest cords we've noticed on an at-home hair tool, which helps prevent the dreaded tangled wires as you style.

You can tailor your styling session to suit your hair's needs. For example, it comes equipped with three adjustable speed settings, three heat settings and a cool shot. In terms of heat damage, the Airwrap measures temperature over 40 times a second, ensuring it maintains a constant temperature under 150°C - therefore, preventing heat damage when styling. As for innovation, the digital motor spins at 110,000rpm which allows it to be powerful enough to produce the Coanda effect (AKA the tool naturally attracts the hair to the styling attachment).

When it comes to styling, the Airwrap has seven attachments, such as curling barrels, volumising round brush and smoothing brush, which allow you to create a variety of salon-worthy hairstyles with just one tool. It also arrives with a sturdy oval case, which makes storage incredibly easy as it not only feels luxe but also makes home to the device and attachments. It is worth noting that, depending on the Airwrap set you opt for, some attachments struggle to fit into the box, such as the Diffuser - so you may need to find a specific home for this.

Beauty Works Aeris Multi-Styler

The Aeris sports a similar simplistic design to the Airwrap, consisting of a shimmer-effect design and four button controls (on/off, temperature, speed and cool shot). It does, however, only arrive in one colourway, Beauty Works' signature gold and white design, which does make it look slightly cheaper than the Dyson Airwrap. As for height, it is considerably shorter than the Airwrap when placed side by side, however, I find it to be long enough for effortless styling. On the back of this, the Aeris also boasts a lengthy 2.5-metre cord that makes for a tangle-free process.

Like the Airwrap, the Aeris has been designed with intelligent heat technology and digital temperature controls, meaning you can enjoy your styling session without extreme heat causing damage to your strands. Similarly, you can also freely adjust the speed and temperature controls to suit your hair's needs and the style you're creating. More specifically, the styler has three speed settings, three heat settings (60°, 90°, 120°) and a cool shot. It is worth noting that these are controlled via buttons. I find these can be tricky when styling as it's easy to accidentally knock the buttons and switch the temperature or speed mid-styling. I also have to acknowledge that the Aeris styler is noticeably noisier than the Airwrap.

It boasts six attachments, many of which bear resemblance to Dyson's, such as the smoothing paddle brush, the XL blowout brush and the curling wands - each of which can achieve numerous hairstyles. I found these attachments slotted in more easily than the Airwrap's and can be removed by holding the lock button at the front of the device. The Beauty Works multi-styler also arrives in a white faux-leather hard storage case, which is slightly slimmer and more streamlined than Dyson's.

Dyson Airwrap vs Beauty Works Aeris: Curling attachments

Collage of pictures of Digital Beauty Writer, Sennen Prickett, with half her hair curled by the Beauty Works Aeris (Left) and the Dyson Airwrap (right)

Both images show the left half of my hair curled by the Beauty Works Aeris and the right half curled by the Dyson Airwrap

(Image credit: Future/Sennen Prickett)

Winner: It's a tie

I couldn't possibly pick a winner between the two stylers' curling wand attachments as they both offer similar results. Scratch that, they offer almost identical results, to the point where I couldn't notice a difference when I curled the left half of my hair with one styler and the right half with the other.

Both arrive with two curling wand attachments, a 30mm and a 40mm, designed to add volume and create an array of different curls. Similarly, both attachments offer adjustable multi-directional airflow, so you can use the same attachment on both sides of your hair without swapping them.

I did notice a few key differences throughout the styling process. The Dyson Airwrap was easier to curl with, thanks to its Coanda automatic hair-wrapping feature, and it only took me 10 minutes to style half a head of hair. However, I found the Dyson to be a lot hotter, meaning I couldn't get close to my scalp when styling at the hottest temperature, and I also noticed my hair felt slightly knottier.

On the other hand, the Aeris didn't feel as hot to use and created more volume without leaving my hair knotty. That said, it didn't offer as great suction as the Airwrap, I found myself having to twist my hair around the wand whereas the Dyson did it for me. It also took me slightly longer, roughly 15-20 minutes, to style half of my hair.

Dyson Airwrap vs Beauty Works Aeris: Smoothing brushes

Image of Beauty Works smoothing brushes on the left and Dyson Airwrap on the right

(Image credit: Future/Sennen Prickett)

Winner: Dyson Airwrap

Dyson's firm smoothing brush takes the crown thanks to its clever frizz-free and flyaway-reducing design. While the brush isn't as big as the Aeris', it still smoothed my locks in hardly any time at all. The finish left my hair not only feeling smoother but looking noticeably straighter, sleeker and healthier - with less puffiness.

I commend the Beauty Works smoothing attachment for boasting such a large brush head, as this worked well throughout my long hair and I only needed a few passes over my strands before it was smoother and straighter. However, I can imagine this may be quite bulky for those with shorter or even finer locks than mine.

Dyson Airwrap vs Beauty Works Aeris: Round brushes

Image of Beauty Works round brushes on the left and Dyson Airwrap on the right

(Image credit: Future/Sennen Prickett)

Winner: Beauty Works Aeris

The Beauty Works Aeris arrives with two round brush attachments to choose from, an XL blowout brush with fine bristles and an oval volumising brush with two varying tangle-free bristles and a vented airflow design, whereas, the Dyson only arrives with one large bristled round brush. I also noticed that the Beauty Works round brushes are longer, which I found accommodated my long hair better - however, the Dyson attachment may work better on those with shorter strands.

As for styling, although I had to work with smaller sections of hair for the Aeris, it did effortlessly glide through my locks without any uncomfortable tugging or pulling. On the contrary, the Airwrap's round brush wasn't so seamless at passing the hair through. Throughout the styling process, I also found the Airwrap’s round brush made my fine hair quite static, but this soon disappeared after I had finished.

In terms of results, the Aeris produced a long-lasting blow-dry with a small boost of volume and prominent flicked-out ends, whereas the Dyson offered a natural 'I just woke up like this' blow dry finish. It is worth noting that the Airwrap definitely wins at volume, so if this is something you’re looking for, then the Dyson is your answer.

Dyson Airwrap vs Beauty Works Aeris: Dryer attachments

Image of Beauty Works drying attachment on the left and Dyson Airwrap on the right

(Image credit: Future/Sennen Prickett)

Winner: Dyson Airwrap

Dyson's Coanda smoothing dryer works to dry, smooth, and tame flyaways. While it's a tricky attachment to get the hang of (trust me, I had to watch a tutorial), I can appreciate that many air stylers boast innovative technology that can take some getting used to - but practice makes perfect. You simply have to spin the pointed cool tip at the top of the tool to select the drying mode, with the airflow adjuster on the side pointing up towards the ceiling. I used the medium speed, as the high option was too blustery for my fine hair, before switching to the low-speed to help minimise flyaways. I found the Dyson results left my hair feeling silkier, softer and smoother, with little to no flyaways.

As for the Beauty Works Aeris, I love its concentrated drying attachment that allows for evenly-distributed, and not too powerful, airflow. Not only was it easier to use, but I also noted how quickly it dried my hair. In terms of the results, the Aeris did leave my hair slightly knotty (nothing that any other typical hair dryer wouldn't do) and with a few flyaways - overall, a good drying experience but not as sleek.

Dyson Airwrap vs Beauty Works Aeris: Diffuser

Image of Dyson Airwrap diffuser

(Image credit: Future/Sennen Prickett)

Winner: Dyson Airwrap

The Dyson Airwrap arrives in two different bundles, either designed for straight and wavy hair or curly and coily locks. Luckily, the majority of the Airwrap sets available, such as the Complete Long, already arrive with a diffuser attachment that is ideal for enhancing natural curls or waves.

Although boasting six attachments, and with promises of being suitable for all hair types, the Beauty Works' Aeris model unfortunately doesn't include a diffuser - nor is there an option to purchase the attachment for the multi-styler separately.

Dyson Airwrap vs Beauty Works Aeris: Price

Winner: Beauty Works Aeris

The Beauty Works Aeris Multi-Styler has an RRP of £220, which is under half the price of the Dyson Airwrap which retails for a huge £479.99. That means by opting for the Beauty Works multi-styler you can save £259.99, which is a price difference that is hard to argue with.

Both tools offer a sturdy storage case and similar styling attachments, however the Airwrap does arrive with one extra attachment. But that alone certainly isn't enough to justify the significant difference in price tags. It's also worth noting that the Dyson definitely has a more high-end look and feel to it, the Airwrap's attachments are more weighty and luxe-looking - which is what you would expect due to its cost.

Dyson Airwrap vs Beauty Works Aeris: the w&h verdict

When it comes to picking the top tool out of the two, I must admit you do get an incredibly similar experience with both, however the Beauty Works Aeris is considerably cheaper. So, if you're looking for a more affordable tool, the Aeris is a stellar option, offering incredibly similar attachments and results for a fraction of the price of an Airwrap.

That said, Dyson edges the competition in terms of tech innovation, luxury experience and by offering more styling attachments, such as a diffuser and detangling comb. If you're looking for a luxe and innovative multi-styler that makes the health of your hair a priority, the Dyson will be a better investment for you.

If you're still weighing up the options, take a deeper dive into the techy side of the Dyson Airwrap with our Beauty Editor's in-depth Dyson Airwrap review – you may also find our Shark Flexstyle vs Dyson Airwrap comparison helpful.

Sennen Prickett
Digital Beauty Writer

Sennen is Digital Beauty Writer at woman&home, where she shares the latest beauty buys and trending products from makeup and hair to skincare and nails. Previously, Sennen worked as a Junior Digital Editor at FROW Magazine, where she wrote about the latest fashion and beauty news, trends and viral must-have products to shop, and reviewing a lineup of beauty products. She has since worked with numerous brands including Who What Wear UK, HuffPost UK and Harvey Nichols. When she’s not writing about all things beauty, Sennen spends her spare time watching the latest Netflix series, doing lots of online shopping and walking her dog.