When Dyson released the Airstrait in 2023, I was immediately intrigued. The Dyson Airstrait straightener takes hair from wet to dry without the use of hot plates, but with air and unheated tension bars. The tool combines “two steps in one” — drying and straightening your hair in one step. The best part? The Airstrait promises to do all that without causing heat damage.
When it first launched, I reached out to Dyson to see if they would gift the Airstrait to me so I could write a review, but they weren’t interested. I didn’t see any reviews by anyone with natural hair that weren’t sponsored or gifted, so I held off on buying it. I couldn’t justify buying a $500 hair tool that I wasn’t sure was actually going to work. Which brings me to present day: My cousin bought the Airstrait and tasked me with trying it out.
So here’s my unbiased review on how the Dyson Airstrait works on Type 4 natural hair:
Before using the tool, I took out my three month old knotless goddess braids, washed and deep conditioned my hair. I thoroughly detangled with my Felicia Leatherwood brush to ensure I was giving the Airstrait the best possible shot to smooth my hair. I then used CHI Keratin Silk Infusion and Olaplex No.8 Bonding Oil to protect my hair. These are my favorite products to use when I do a silk press.
I then set to the tool to the highest heat setting, which is 285 degrees Fahrenheit and started with small sections at the nape of my neck. I’m going to chalk some of this up to being a first time user, but I found the Airstrait to be a little unwieldy. I had difficult holding it and efficiently clamping down on my hair, especially at the back of my head. I was impressed through with how it did dry my hair and make it straight after just a few passes. I had an easier time with the hair at the front of my head and after I had gotten the hang of it a bit.
Overall, it took my about 40 minutes to completely dry and blow out my hair with the tool.
What I like about the Dyson Airstrait
The Dyson Airstrait is very sleek. It has an LCD screen display, which displays the airflow and temperature settings very nicely. The tool will also shut off automatically when you put it down, which is such a smart feature.
I also like how gentle the tool is. It really dried my hair without heat damage. It also doesn’t put a lot of tension on the hair like a blow dryer with a comb attachment or a round brush would. I have fine strands so I’m especially sensitive to tools being rough and ripping my hair.
What I didn’t like about the Airstrait
Like I stated above, the Airstrait is pretty bulky. I have very dense and curly hair and I found it difficult for the tool to properly get my roots. I wish it had a slimmer design.
Also, this is marketed as a straightening tool when in reality, it’s more like a blow dryer that can make your hair straight. In my opinion, this tool probably works great on people with straight, wavy, and loosely curly hair.
Is the Airstrait worth it for natural and curly hair?
While the Airstrait did dry and blow out my hair, I get a much smoother blow out with my regular Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer with the comb attachment. If you have thick, dense, and very coily or curly hair, the Airstrait is likely not going to give you a super sleek blow out.
But, I’m not writing it off just yet. I think the Airstrait is a great way to get a low-tension blow out, which is a game changer for those of us with fine strands. I’m going to continue using it (until my cousin asks for it back!). I’m sure I’ll get better results once I get more accustomed to it.
No BS Beauty is a series where I give my unfiltered, unbiased reviews on new and popular natural hair, beauty, and skincare products. No filters or retouching will ever be used in photos or videos. Reviews are not sponsored, although they may contain affiliate links. I will always give my honest reviews on a product — No BS!
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