Dyson already offered one of the more unique hair straighteners with the Corrale, which uses flexible plates and intelligent heat control to greatly reduce the risk of damaging hair. It’s pretty impressive. However, the presence of heated plates means you’re still cooking your hair with direct heat every time you clamp it between the two sides. The Dyson Airstrait takes that hair straightener and removes the plates entirely.
No, it doesn’t eliminate heat from the equation. However, instead of heating up plates on each side, the device directs blades of high-pressure hot air in its place to dry and straighten the hair as it passes. You know…. like a handheld version of Dyson’s room-heating Multiplier fans. Basically, it still cooks your hair, albeit with hot air like an oven instead of a hot surface like a griddle. The result is a device that can straighten hair with even less risk of heat damage because the hair never comes in contact with a hot surface.
The Dyson Airstrait retains the same form factor as a traditional hair iron, so it should be familiar to anyone who’s used a similar hair styling accessory. Except, of course, it eliminates the hot plates on either side of the arms, instead replacing it with air vents along the edges. During use, high-pressure air is blasted out of those vents at precise temperatures and angles, directing it towards hair to dry and straighten it in one pass. It comes with three preset temperatures (175 degrees, 240 degrees, and 285 degrees Fahrenheit), which the device ensures is properly followed by measuring the airflow temperature at a rate of 30 times per second and automatically adjusting to compensate in real-time.
According to Dyson, the device has been engineered to handle multiple hair types, allowing it to achieve natural-looking straight hair with body and movement across different individuals. And since it dries hair and straightens it in the same pass, it saves a lot of time, too, making it incredibly useful for people who incorporate hair straightening into their daily routine.
The Dyson Airstrait is powered by the outfit’s Hyperdimium motor, which is equipped with a 13-blade impeller that spins at a rate of 106,000 RPM, allowing it to funnel 11.9 liters of air per second, while glass bead thermistors handle the frequent temperature measurements to ensure your hair is getting just the right amount of heat at all times. It comes with two main styling modes, one for wet hair and one for dry hair, as well as two airflow speed settings (low and high). There’s also a cold shot mode for cooling down straightened hair to lock the style and a root drying mode, making it quite the versatile hair styling machine.
According to Dyson, being able to straighten hair from wet is an important part of the design, as it’s when the hair’s hydrogen bonds are more pliable and easier to reset. The combination of this moisture and the hot airflow allows hair to be styled more effectively, while maintaining hair strength and protecting its shine.
Want one? The Dyson Airstrait is available now, priced at $499.99.