A Dyson Airwrap superfan tests three similar options. Here are the results
Hot air stylers are all the rage at the moment and it's easy to see why; we want the effects of a salon blowout without spending the time and money to do so. Of all the hair dryers on the market, one seems to continually reign supreme and that is the Dyson Airwrap.
It's the cream of the crop, the hot air brush every hair company is scrambling to replicate and it's easy to see why – my hair dries in just 10 minutes using the blower attachment and then the brush attachment.
Whilst the Airwrap is scientifically intricate and certainly desirable and the best of the best, it is also $900. So, we set out on a mission to search for the best and most affordable hot air brushes on Amazon and put them to the test. And as an Airwrap superfan, not only were they affordable, but they were powerful, had swappable attachments and left me with a bouncy, flowy blowout.
NOTE: Prices are accurate at time of publishing.
Runsnail Hot Air Brush
Time to dry: 15 minutes
Cost: $76.99
This brush was by far my favourite, it had an oval head attachment that looks and acts just like the Dyson Airwrap attachment.
Similarly to the Airwrap, it also has a paddle brush attachment and a round brush attachment to achieve both a straight blowdry as well as a bouncy finish.
I was really surprised at how powerful this dryer was and how quickly I was able to do my hair. My hair is long and thick and when I use a regular hair dryer and brush it takes about half an hour.
The attachments had a lot of variety for different looks and finishes, which was another bonus in my books.
AUSELECT Hair Dryer Brush
Time to dry: 25 minutes
Cost: $39.99
The second brush I used was the AUSELECT Hair Dryer Brush. The brush had a slightly chunkier base so for me it was a little harder to get a good grip on. It also only had one head attachment, a large round brush. I had to dry my hair to a mid-dry/damp level before using this brush but the result was still great.
Although it took a little longer to dry, I really enjoyed the convenience of being able to pick up hair from the back of my head (which is generally hard to see and harder to dry fully). The machine itself was a little noisy (but what hair dryer isn't?) and not as powerful as the first brush (which is surprising given how powerful it sounds), but for the price you can't beat this value and the end result.
VS Sassoon Hot Air Brush n' Style
Time to dry: 20 minutes
Price: $34
The third hot air brush I tried was the VS Sassoon Hot Air Brush n' Style. This was another hot air brush I enjoyed using. It also had a chunky base to hold on to but the other aspects of the brush make this forgivable. Firstly, the brush comes with two barrels, the first is a thermal brush to help kick start your drying and styling. And a second, 25mm hard bristled brush to finish your hair off – this is great for shaping and smoothing your ends and works wonders on fringes and shorter, face-framing, pieces.
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