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Not only has the Dyson Airwrap been mostly sold out since Christmas, it’s so expensive. Are there any good dupes?
In a market overflowing with new gadgets and treatments, the Dyson Airwrap has stood out as the most coveted item in the hair-care space since its 2018 launch. It’s an air-controlled hair tool that both styles (whether that be curling or straightening) and blow-dries at the same time. The Airwrap curls your hair around the wand for you (just hold a section of your hair out and the air sucks it up and twists it) so it’s perfect for styling rookies that find a traditional curling iron or round brush difficult to use.
But the price stag is steep — and I mean steep, steep. The full Dyson Airwrap kit includes five attachments — a round brush, a flat brush, three curling barrels, and a blow-dryer — and runs about $559. During last year’s Black Friday sale, I posted jokingly on Instagram that I was fighting the annual temptation to purchase a Dyson Airwrap, and the response I received was overwhelming. I got about 20 DMs, from strangers, friends, and acquaintances alike swearing that the Dyson Airwrap was without a doubt the best money they’d ever spent. Utterly convinced by the onslaught of rave reviews, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and added it to my cart. And I have to admit, as someone with very damaged hair who once used a curling iron to perfect my bangs every single day, the Dyson Airwrap has been worth every penny. I use it on the cool setting every morning to style my hair, and I can feel my locks becoming healthier and softer (and my bangs a lot less crunchy and sad), all while ensuring I have the perfect wavy curls and swoopy curtain bangs.
If you can afford it, I recommend it. But here’s the thing, if the Dyson is way out of your budget, there are other incredible tools out there with similar functions, depending on your hair type and needs. The main thing to understand is that there isn’t an exact dupe of the Dyson Airwrap. It’s one tool that does a lot of different things well. But if you know what specific Airwrap function you’re trying to re-create, you can find a great lower-priced option. Ask yourself what you find most desirable about the Airwrap — is it the cool-air option? Is it the round brush? — and see what other gadgets on the market have similar abilities. You won’t replicate the Airwrap, but you can end up with its functions you’d use most.
I haven’t tried all of these, but I’ve scoured Reddit, TikTok, and even my mom’s cabinet to find the best Airwrap alternatives.
For a variety of attachments
This is a cherished tool of my mother, who uses the blow-dryer, round brush, and barrel attachments to style the curls that frame her face. The Brightup has almost all of the same attachments as the Airwrap and even comes with a handy heat-protectant glove so you don’t burn your fingers while you use it. It does feel a lot cheaper than the Airwrap. And you have to be careful when you use it because it’s not as gentle. It also doesn’t have a cool-air option, it just has hot, kinda hot, and warm, so if heat damage is a big concern of yours, this might not be the right pick for you. But overall, this is a really solid option and will give you a lot of the similar styling and blow-drying functions. Additionally, this is one of the few tools that have similar barrel attachments to the Dyson Airwrap, so if that’s what you’re most keen to try, it’s a great alternative.
For brush blow-drying
TikTokers cannot get enough of this Revlon blow-dryer round brush, which they swear by, especially for smoothing, fringe styling or creating that Cindy Crawford–esque bouncy-curl effect. For $50, a fraction of the price of the Airwrap, the Revlon blow-dry round brush allows you to blow out wet, fresh-out-of-the-shower hair, while simultaneously styling it to perfection, without the fuss of having to juggle a round brush and blow-dryer at the same time. Like the above, the One Step doesn’t have cool-air settings, only hot, but if the round brush was what you coveted most about the Dyson Airwrap, this might be something to try out before you commit to the full Dyson set, as it might just satisfy your needs.
To style your fringe
If fringe styling is the primary reason you are interested in the Dyson’s round brush, this thinner brush, also from Revlon, might work even better if you have shorter or straight-across bangs (rather than longer curtain bangs), as it can give a more precise curl.
To avoid heat damage
I haven’t found an option that combines both the brush and cool-air features, but this blow-dryer (which looks pretty similar to the Dyson blow-dry attachment) releases hot, warm, or cold air. This is a great alternative for someone who really wants to prioritize minimal heat damage — you can use a standard round brush and this blow-dryer to create similar curls to the ones you’d get with the Airwrap.
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