Dyson corrale cord-free hair straighteners
Buy now £399, Johnlewis.com
- Temperature settings: 165C, 185C and 210C
- Weight: 560g
- Charge time: 70 minutes
- Styling time: 30 minutes
- Rating: 8/10
While the corrale uses heat unlike any other pair of straighteners, it looks and feels different to most other tools. As you’d expect from Dyson, the overall appearance is well thought out and sleek. But, owing to its four-cell lithium-ion battery, the straightener is chunkier and feels weightier in your hands than most standard models, though not unpleasantly so. The tool also comes with a stylish charging dock – which uses a magnetic cable – as well as a heat-resistant pouch, which doubles as a heatproof mat.
Another big point of difference that’s noticeable at first glance are the tool’s flexible flat iron plates. Made from copper alloy, the plates sit on top of a layer of “microhinges”, which help to gather every single hair as you style. Dyson claims that this prevents the need to clamp down or go over sections multiple times, meaning there’s less tugging on your tresses and a shorter styling time, equating to less heat damage.
It’s also worth noting that the corrale has a host of high-tech features that make the styling experience not only more enjoyable but practical. The cordless functionality gives you the freedom to move, meaning you no longer need to worry about where the nearest plug socket is. Plus, if the extra weight doesn’t put you off, you can even pop them in the aforementioned heat-resitant pouch and then your bag – ideal for touch-ups throughout the day or a complete style change before a big night out.
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Another big bonus is the OLED screen, which clearly shows the selected heat setting and battery level. There’s also a handy flight mode feature, where all you need to do is remove the small square that has an aeroplane sign on it, making the battery safe to be packed into your cabin luggage. There’s also a lock to keep the straightener closed when it’s not in use, which is not only useful when it comes to storage or packing, but a great safety function that helps avoid burnt fingers.
PerformanceWhen it comes to styling, there are three different heat settings to choose from – 165C, 185C and 210C – which means it’s great for all hair types, and you adjust this using a simple control pad between the plates. With a separate wireless charging stand, the device takes 70 minutes to fully charge and, at full capacity, provides 30 minutes of cord-free styling. However, you can also use it corded too, as it comes with a 4.7m cable that magnetically swivels for easy manoeuvring.
When the tool reaches the selected heat setting, it chimes to let you know it’s at the desired temperature – and this is when the fun really starts. We found that the corrale took just 30 seconds to reach 185C and, thanks to the flexibility of its copper alloy plates, we didn’t need to repeat any sections as the tool managed to smooth over every strand in one swipe, including pesky flyaways. The cord-free function also makes it very easy to reach around tricky sections, such as the back of the head, and we were able to straighten our locks fully in just five minutes – far quicker than normal. And we were left with sleek hair that was noticeably less frizzy.
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If you like to use your straighteners to create curls, we found that the curved body of the tool is ideal for creating loose waves and the results last well; our hair stayed smooth and bouncy all day. Because of the heavier weight, we were initially concerned that the tool would put a strain on our arms while straightening and curling but we were pleasantly surprised – it didn’t make much of a difference to the experience at all, but this could be down to the corrale’s speedy styling time.