The best Dyson airwrap alternatives to rival the cult multi-styler

This has been a game changer in our hair routine. The lightweight, versatile and multifunctional tool made drying and styling a breeze – so much so, we think it is on par with the airwrap, even though it’s £200 cheaper.

It was easy to swap between the six attachments, which helped add volume, minimise frizz, and hold our desired look in place for hours.

The device can be folded at the click of a button, or lengthened to full stretch, which made styling those hard to reach areas simple, and avoided any arm strain. We used the hairdryer and diffuser with the handset collapsed into an L-shape, but lengthened the handle when we used the brushes or barrels on our hair, as it made curling tresses at the back effortless.

Similar to the Dyson airwrap, this Shark tool uses Coanda technology, which is when the powerful airflow collects and wraps the hair around the barrel, to create a neat curl. This function worked to hold in place the section of hair being styled, preventing it from unravelling, without disrupting other set curls, which consequently created a silky-smooth, frizz-free head of curls.

Almost all of the attachments worked well on wet, damp and dry hair, except the barrel attachments, which we found were most effective on dry hair.

The three heat settings and separate cool shot button (which helps set your style in place), combined with the three speed settings, made it easy to control the tool, no matter which attachment we used. Top marks all round.

We’ve been turning to this reliable hair tool for years. The chunky barrel bristle brush is fitted with a combination of short fine boar bristles and thicker nylon pin bristles with protective bobbles on top, to avoid scratching the scalp. The dual bristles, combined with the tool’s air flow technology enable air to be distributed evenly through the hair shaft, while negative ions work to de-frizz locks, for a smooth finish and bouncy wave.

We’ve found Revlon’s volumiser is most effective when used on slightly damp hair but we also use it to give dry hair added volume and a bit of a refresh.

While the settings can be adjusted easily by twisting a dial, it’s not possible to tailor the heat and speed separately – you can either opt for high heat and speed, or mid heat and a gentle airflow.

The brush dried and styled our hair effectively but it was noisy and took longer than other stylers to do so, especially when our hair was wet. The device also doesn’t come with any interchangeable attachments – although, there are other Revlon models with that function, such as the one step volumiser plus (£56.99, Amazon.co.uk).

However, if you are searching for a basic yet effective tool to create a blow-dry look for less than £50, we would recommend this one.

A recent release from the longstanding hair brand, this tool has swiftly trumped many other hair appliances we have tried. The kit features similar attachments to the Dyson, including two barrels, a concentrator and diffuser – the only attachment missing was a brush to detangle our hair.

What stands the airstyle pro apart is its ability to lock a setting in place. If, like us, you are all fingers and thumbs, and accidentally catch other buttons when using this tool, it will not alter the heat and speed settings once activated. Another innovative feature is the memory function, which automatically saves the last used setting, so it’s ready to go when you next pick up the device.

We were pleasantly surprised by the barrel attachments, too – they gave us all the holding power and sleek finish of heated curling tongs, without leaving our hair dry and brittle. This is thanks to the airflow, infrared and ionic technology, which provided a powerful blast of air to dry, style and set our hair in place. Not only did this attachment create voluminous, sleek curls quickly, the style lasted for hours on end – it barely dropped even after we’d slept on it.

However, we do have a few gripes. It took a while for us to realise the air flow direction of the barrels was located on the inner base of each attachment, and the tool became very hot very quickly, which meant we had to wait for each attachment to cool before changing it. Plus, it took a while for the airstyle pro to stop even after we switched it off via the handset and mains. Lastly, the attachments can be temperamental and did not always clip in securely, so, on rare occasions, the attachment popped out of the lightweight handset.

This Beauty Works styler comes with numerous attachments (similar to the Dyson airwrap), all of which were easy to interchange, thanks to the quick release button, and they locked in securely. Meanwhile, the powerful airflow dried and styled our hair swiftly, while the ionic technology made a noticeable difference when it came to how smooth our hair looked.

A favourite feature of ours was the LCD display screen, which showed the exact temperature of each heat setting, so we knew how much heat was being applied to our hair – there’s no vague ‘low’, ‘medium’ and ‘high’ here.

However, a quick blow dry was not quite so speedy when we used the concentrator tool. We had to focus on smaller sections, which would not be ideal for those who have thick hair or are pushed for time. Even when we used the highest speed and temperature settings, the airflow was meek, and it failed to dry our hair as quickly as some other tools. The other attachments, however, fared better.

The brush attachments are fitted with dual tangle-free bristles, which swept effortlessly through our hair, detangling it painlessly, while the oval volumising brush combed through our hair easily, whether dry or wet, achieving a sleek, glossy finish.

It was the barrels that particularly impressed us, though. The set includes one 30mm barrel for tight waves, as well as a 40mm barrel for loose waves, and both are fitted with an innovative multidirectional switch at the top of the attachment, so you can change the direction of the air flow, depending on which section of your hair you’re working on.

Though impressed with the design, we found the barrels did not hold large sections of hair, and, no matter the setting, the airflow blew out the ends of our hair rather than drawing them into the barrel. Also, no matter what attachment we used, we found our style dropped out – so, this tool is perhaps best for those wanting a soft tousled finish.

Complete with a plethora of attachments to create an array of styles, this tool does the job of numerous gadgets in one, and all for less than the Dyson airwrap.

The ceramic and keratin coating on the attachments, combined with ionic technology, effectively tamed our frizzy hair and left it feeling super silky. The airflow technology is complemented by the design, as there are air vents in each attachment, to allow even distribution from the roots to the ends of the hair, to avoid heat damage. 

The attachments were easily interchangeable, though they got very hot quite quickly, so, use with caution, especially when styling close to the roots, or changing the attachment. We should also note the heat and speed settings are combined, so it’s not possible to adjust them separately.

The ergonomic handle features an in-built lock, which twists to secure the attachments in place, for extra safety, although, we found this could be temperamental at times. Almost all attachments worked well to dry and style our hair simultaneously. However, we would recommend using the curling tool – which created tousled waves rather than tight ringlets – solely on dry hair.

We have relied on our trusty ghd original straighteners for more than 20 years (they’re still going strong) as well as the brand’s curling wand, for tighter ringlets and Hollywood waves. However, to achieve a soft blow-out look, similar to that created by the Dyson airwrap, we opted for this volumising brush.

The main difference between ghd’s volumising brush and Dyson’s airwrap is the former does not have a drying setting, and cannot be used on wet hair, nor does it include multiple interchangeable attachments.

Rather than adjustable heat settings, this tool features ultra zone technology to monitor heat levels. It reaches a maximum temperature of 185C and tamed our fuzzy mane quickly.

A standout feature for us was the 5mm comb-like teeth on the wand – a welcome alternative to the conventional boar or nylon bristles found on other hair tools. The sturdy brush slid through our hair seamlessly and detangled knots without burning or scratching our scalp when it touched the roots. The narrow barrel created soft, small curls (rather than big bouncy styles), while the slim wand added volume at the roots, reduced any flyaways, and left our hair super soft after just one sweep.

This model has similarities with Revlon’s volumiser, and we found it a useful time-saving tool that dried and styled our hair into neat waves. Similar to Dyson’s airwrap, the Drybar blow-dryer brush’s powerful air flow helped create a bouncy salon-like blow dry, with the ionic technology minimising any rogue flyaways, while the nylon and tuft brushes detangled our knotted hair effortlessly.

We noted the barrel was slightly smaller in diameter than Amika’s and Revlon’s heated brushes, which made it easier to add extra volume at the roots, and created slightly smaller and tighter curls.The brush is suited to all hair types but those with cropped hair may struggle to get the barrel around their shorter tresses. Ideal for beginners, this tool will give you a polished hair style with minimal effort.

Comparable with the Drybar and Revlon hair appliances, this heated brush is similar to the round brush attachments on the Dyson airwrap. The oval barrel is fitted with nylon ball-tip bristles and shorter bristles, which, combined with the tourmaline-coated barrel detangled, dried and curled our locks seamlessly, while minimising frizz and adding extra shine and volume.

The adjustable dial allowed us to switch between different temperatures and speeds with ease. However, while the instructions specified exact temperatures, these are not displayed on the device itself, which is a shame.

Nevertheless, Amika’s multifunctional tool worked wonders on our hair – transforming our tresses from scraggly locks to sleek thick voluminous curls within 10 minutes. This is one of our preferred heated brushes, thanks to its lightweight and uber soft ergonomic handle, too.

We have long relied on T3’s hairdryer to dry our hair in seconds, without leaving it frizzy, so, we were keen to trial the airebrush duo, to see how it fared.

One of the more powerful tools we have used, the duo dried and styled our hair quickly and efficiently. There are a number of design features we were impressed by – mainly the vast array of heat settings. This creation boasts five adjustable temperatures, plus an additional cool shot button to set your style in place. Meanwhile, the additional volume boost switch controlled the release of negative ions, which gave our hair extra oomph, minimised frizz, and achieved a smooth finish.

However, this device does not feature as many attachments as some other tools. When compared with the Dyson airwrap, the absence of a nozzle to concentrate the hair when drying, and a barrel tong, was noticeable. It is advised to use the airebrush duo on dry hair, but we found this tool dried and styled our lightly damp hair easily, too.