The best Dyson Airwrap dupe won't cut corners when it comes to style – but it'll cost you a lot less cash. The best Dyson Airwrap alternatives deliver cutting-edge styling tech and usually come with a range of swappable attachments: paddle brushes to smooth and straighten, barrel brushes to give your hair a big boost and curling tongs for loose waves or tight curls.
We're not talking about no-name knock-offs, either. The Airwrap dupes in our guide come from some of haircare's biggest names, including Remington, Revlon and BaByliss. So why are they so cheap? These alternatives don't have the same airflow tech as the Dyson, which creates something called the Coanda effect that Dyson's clever motors use to attract hair in the Dyson Airwrap. Dupes use rotating attachments instead, or in a few cases require you to do the wrapping yourself. But they are so much cheaper: the most expensive model in this list will set you back $80 / £80. The Airwrap's list price is $549.99 / £449.99.
One of the big advantages of these Airwrap alternatives is that they dry as well as style, so there's no need to find your best hair dryer as you would do if you were going to use a pair of hair straighteners. They can also help to reduce heat damage.
If your heart is set on a Dyson, there's a new version of the Airwrap: the Dyson Airwrap multi-styler is now on sale in the US, Australia and US. It isn't cheap, though, so you might want to check out our guide on where to buy a Dyson Airwrap.
Best Dyson Airwrap Dupes 2022: tried and tested
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If you’re looking for an Airwrap dupe, then this is the best on the market. Also known as the Remington Pro Rotating Hot Air Styler AS8606 in the US, it can be set to rotate automatically when the barrel brush tool is attached to mimic the curl and smoothing action that hairdressers make look so easy when blow drying locks.
It’s a versatile styler that can smooth, volumize and curl, and on test, we found it effective at creating both straight and bouncy hair styles. However, the curling tong was a little fiddly to use, and required some patience and practice.
It’s also quiet in use, with our decibel meter averaging 68db - compared to the 85db that the Hot Tools Volumiser Set 2-In-1 Brush & Dryer With Changeable Heads (further below) achieved.
It’s a bulky haircare appliance and with just one size of brush attachment, which is on the larger side, it’s best suited to mid-length and longer hair.
Read our full review: Remington Curl and Straight Confidence Airstyler AS8606
If you have naturally curly hair, then this Airwrap dupe is worth considering, as it’s the only one we’ve tested that ships with a diffuser attachment. This handy device disperses the air stream so it doesn’t disrupt the curl pattern.
It comes with six different attachments, including a choice of width of round brush, and one of the narrowest curling tongs on the market too, making it ideal for creating everything from soft bouncy waves rto right curls in all lengths of hair.
On test, we found it was able to effectively smooth and wave hair, along the bulky, long handle meant we struggled to be able to clamp hair against the curling tong easily. We were also impressed by the hinged filter, which made it easy to clean dust and lint from the hot air styler.
However, we found the DR-1250 noisy in use, with our decibel meter hitting 80db on test, and we also found the attachments were fiddly to remove, too.
Read our full review: Revamp Progloss Airstyle 6-in-1Air Styler DR-1250
Most Dyson Airwrap dupes don't use the Coanda effect, which uses swirling airflow to make your hair cling to the curler. The Shark does, and that means it's the closest rival to the Dyson. It also means it's one of the most expensive rivals too.
It's quite large, so while its many attachments can reduce the number of hair tools you need it still takes up quite a bit of space. There's a clever rotating barrel that means you don't need a separate hair dryer attachment, and the use of a locking switch means your attachments won't twist or move mid-style – something that's annoyed us about other firms' multi-stylers. Drying is fast and effective, on par with the Dyson Supersonic, and the styling brushes are effective too. It's not the prettiest multi-styler we've ever seen, but it's pretty close to the Dyson.
Read our full Shark Flexstyle review
If you’re on a budget, this Revlon hot air styler is the most affordable in this list, as while its list price is $60 / £60, the hot air styler is regularly discounted. However, it’s not a full Dyson Airwrap dupe, as it only comes with a non-removable barrel brush attachment, rather than a curling tong and paddle brush too.
That said, on test we found it quick to take our hair from wet to dry, and effective at volumizing and smoothing our hair into a bouncy blow dry. However, at 1.87lb / 850g it’s also the heaviest hot air styler we’ve tested, which may cause arm ache for some, and it's noisy in use too.
In the US, the Revlon One Step Volumizer Plus 2.0 is also available and has a slimmer handle and brush, making it suitable for shorter hair.
It’s also got three, rather than the more common two, temperature settings so those with fine or colored locks, which are more vulnerable to heat damage, will be able to use the appliance on a cooler setting than before.
Read our full review: Revlon Pro Collection One Step Dryer & Volumiser
Just like the Revlon Pro Collection One Step Dryer & Volumiser (above) this isn’t a full Airwrap dupe as it can’t create tight curls, and doesn’t come with the paddle brush attachment needed for sleek, straightener styles.
However, for those that want a styler for soft waves and adding some volume, it’s worth considering as it comes with two different sized brush heads.
On test, we found the Hot Tools Volumiser Set 2-In-1 Brush & Dryer With Changeable Heads, which is known as the Black Gold One-Step Detachable Blowout and Volumiser in the US, left our tresses looking and feeling smooth to the point where we never once had to resort to straighteners to finish the style. It was easy to use too.
However, it’s noisy in use and struggled to create the same level of volume as the Revlon styler did.
Read our full review: Hot Tools Volumiser Set 2-In-1 Brush & Dryer With Changeable Heads
If you’re looking for an Airwrap dupe that can create big curls and waves, or you have long hair, the BaByliss Air Style 1000 is worth considering. It ships with a 50mm soft bristle brush, which is the largest brush attachment of any of the hot air stylers we’ve tested here. However, those with shorter hair will struggle with this larger size.
On test it was simple to use, and we had most success with using the appliance to smooth and volumize hair. We found the curling tong fiddly to use as it doesn’t have a grip. Instead we had to hold sections of hair to keep them wrapped along the tong - making the heat resistant glove a must to protect our fingers. However switching between attachments was particularly easy.
Just like the Revamp Progloss Airstyle 6-in-1 Air Styler DR-1250, it’s noisy in use, with our decibel meter once again reaching 80db.
Read our full review: BaByliss Air Style 1000
How we test Dyson Airwrap dupes
To compare Airwrap dupes we assess how effective they are at smoothing, volumizing and curling our locks on all of their heat settings and how shiny and frizz-free they left our hair.
We also monitored the sound level, and factored in how comfortable and balanced they were to use, along with how easy the attachments were to change and any handy features such as rotating barrels, or grips on curling tongs, that make it easier to style your hair.
We also considered cable length, any storage options for the attachments, and even cool shot buttons.
Best Dyson Airwrap dupes FAQs
What to consider when buying a Dyson Airwrap dupe
When it comes to buying the best Airwrap alternative for you, there are a number of features you should consider.
First of all, decide how much versatility you want from the hot air styler. Do you only ever smooth and straighten your hair, or are you looking for an appliance that can also add volume and create soft waves, or even tight curls? Look for models that come bundled with the correct attachments for these different looks.
If you regularly curl your hair, you’ll find a hot air styler that has a grip on the tong invaluable as it means you don’t have to hold the tresses while they’re wrapped around the attachment. Similarly, smaller brushes are best suited to those with shorter, to mid-length hair, as if a brush is too wide, you’ll struggle to get a defined wave unless your hair is long.
The higher the wattage of Airwrap dupe, the faster the air flow, which means it will dry and style your hair quicker. Also consider the number of temperature settings it offers.
If you have fine or colored hair, you’ll need a lower temperature setting to reduce heat damage, whereas coarser hair can withstand higher temperatures.
Also, consider whether you want a hot air styler with ‘ionic technology’. These airwrap alternatives release negative ions to speed up evaporation and reduce flyaway strands.
Airwrap alternatives with cool shot buttons are ideal for ‘setting’ hair styles so they don’t drop as quickly, while longer cables enable you to style your hair without having to be positioned right next to an electrical outlet.
How similar are Dyson Airwrap dupes to the original?
When it comes to Airwrap dupes, most are very similar to the original Dyson hot air styler when it comes to their versatility. Most of the models in this list use hot air to smooth, volumize and create soft curls and waves in hairs by switching out the attachments connected to the body of the styler.
However, none of these Airwrap dupes are able to recreate the Coanda effect - the aerodynamic technology built into the Airwrap, which attracts hair towards the barrel and automatically wraps it around to create curls, or when using the paddle brush, smooths and straightens tresses.
This means that these Airwrap dupes are more complicated to use, and will require you to manipulate the styler to wrap hair around it during styling.
Are Airwrap dupes damaging to hair?
Any hair care appliance that uses heat to style will damage the outer protective coating of hair, known as a cuticle. The cuticle is formed of layers of overlapping cells known as scales.
These scales line up perfectly on healthy hair and reflect light, which is why hair appears shiny. However, when hair is subject to temperatures that are too hot, tiny holes will start to appear in these cells, which not only stoops the light reflecting, but eventually leads to breakages.
The Airwrap alternatives we’ve tested don’t drop as low as 300F / 150C, which is the coolest heat setting offered by Dyson’s iconic hot air styler.
Subsequently, they will (likely) cause damage to your hair if used untreated. To mitigate this, always apply a heat protection styling spray before blow drying, and keep the heat level at the lowest setting that still enables the hair to be manipulated into the style you want.
- Check out these great Dyson Airwrap deals
