Dyson's viral Airwrap didn't become a must-have hair tool just because it looks good on the bathroom counter. Its secret is the Coanda effect: High-speed airflow pulls hair toward the barrel and wraps it into curls without relying on the extreme temperatures used by traditional curling irons. It can also kind of do it all: It dries, curls, smooths and volumizes all in one tool.
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More affordable competitors have spent years chasing that formula. Most combine a high-speed dryer with auto-wrap curling barrels, smoothing brushes and volumizing attachments, but they don't always give you the same finish — mostly because a lot of them just use heat, not that non-damaging Coanda effect Dyson is known for.
In this article: Dyson Airwrap i.d. Multi-Styler, Shark FlexStyle | Air Multi-Styler & Drying System and L'ANGE HAIR TurboStyle All-in-One Air Styling & Drying System
Still, shelling out over $600 for a hair tool isn't within reach for every budget, which is why our testers compared the Airwrap experience with popular alternatives from Shark, L’ange, Dreame and more. Here's how each styler stacks up, and how to make your hard-earned money stretch the furthest.
Dyson Airwrap i.d. Multi-Styler
According to BestReviews Executive Editor Maria Guido, "This tool is coveted for a reason. I’ve had mine for six years, have used it daily and it’s still going strong. My hair is naturally pretty curly, but generally used to tend toward being more frizzy when I styled it with a regular hair dryer. The Dyson Airwrap changed my whole look, honestly. My hair went from curly but prone to frizz, to sleek, loose curls that hold up much better in humid weather."
The Airwrap i.d. Is the most advanced, connected version of the Airwrap. It pairs with the MyDyson app, which creates a personalized curling sequence based on information such as hair type and length. The device remembers the wrapping, styling and cold-shot timing from your profile (though you can still manually adjust its three airflow speeds, three heat settings and cold-shot control).
Depending on the exact version you get, you can expect attachments like a conical barrel, 1.6-inch long barrel, Dryer+Flyaway attachment, anti-snag loop brush, large round volumizing brush, filter cleaning brush and more.
"It takes me about five minutes to dry my entire head of hair with the Airwrap," Guido added. "What I love about it is the heat control — it does not fry your hair or ever leave it feeling dry. That hasn’t been the case with some popular dupes I’ve tried. My least favorite thing about the Airwrap is the price tag, but I can confirm that if you care for it (I always keep mine in the case and clean out the filter regularly) it will last. Also, Dyson is known for its fantastic customer service and the Airwrap comes with a two-year warranty that includes free parts, labor and shipping for repairs."
Shark FlexStyle | Air Multi-Styler & Drying System 15% OFF
The Shark FlexStyle is the best Airwrap alternative by far.
It has one notably big difference from the Airwrap right off the bat: Its handle rotates, converting the styling wand into an angled hair dryer. The version you get determines the attachments, but it always comes with two 1.25-inch Coanda auto-wrap curlers — one for each curling direction. You can choose from others like an oval brush, paddle brush, diffuser and rotatable concentrator.
I've owned my Shark FlexStyle for over three years now, and I absolutely love it. I can twist it to the high-speed dryer setting to dry my hair in minutes if I'm in a hurry. The volumizing round brush gives me a salon-quality, bouncy blowout without juggling multiple tools (and it only takes about 10 minutes). And the Coanda curlers give me my everyday, loose waves in about 15 minutes — less time than it used to take just to dry my hair with a bad-quality blow dryer (with none of the resulting frizz).
I strategically purchased my FlexStyle for under $200 by combining a Black Friday sale and some loyalty points I had saved up at one of the big beauty stores, but even the full price hangs around $300, less than half of what the Airwrap costs. It's a high-quality tool that's far more affordable than Dyson's version, and in my opinion, well worth the investment.
L'ANGE HAIR TurboStyle All-in-One Air Styling & Drying System
The L’ange TurboStyle is a five-in-one multi-styler with two auto-wrap curlers, a smoothing brush, volumizing brush and defining brush. Its SmartStyle function automatically pauses the airflow and delivers an eight-second cool shot to help set each curl. A storage bag, cleaning brush and heat-resistant gloves are included.
BestReviews Executive Editor Maria Guido also tested this one out, and while she liked some of its features, she said it just didn't compare to the original.
"The L’ange styler is half the price of Dyson’s Airwrap, so my expectations were definitely adjusted based on that alone. My favorite attachment on the Dyson is definitely the curl and dry attachment, and L’ange’s did not compare," she said. "Although you can control the heat settings, I still felt that my hair was overworked after using this attachment, and it didn’t feel as smooth or look as sleek as it does after I use Dyson’s. It also didn’t dry as well from wet hair, which is one of the pluses of owning a tool like this. What I did like about the L’ange was the amount of styling options. If you dry your hair a bit first, the curl attachment and curl brush are easier to use. I also loved how lightweight it was. Main takeaway: It’s OK for the price, but doesn’t compare in quality to the Dyson Airwrap."
DREAME AirStyle Pro 7-in-1 Hair Styler & High Speed Dryer
Dreame supplies value in how many attachments you get: The AirStyle Pro package includes a fast-drying nozzle, flyaway attachment, two auto-wrap barrels, hard smoothing brush, soft smoothing brush and round volumizing brush. It also comes with a filter-cleaning brush and a pebbled, faux leather storage box.
The AirStyle Pro is made to curl, smooth, volumize and control flyaways — all in one tool. But when I tested it, I found it just doesn't stack up to a more premium tool like my FlexStyle. Upon taking it out of the box, I was immediately impressed by how luxe it felt in my hand, with the faux leather handle, and I loved how many attachments I had to choose from.
But upon actually using it to style my hair, the difference was clear between a Coanda-effect tool like Shark's, and this one, which just used hot air. After styling, my hair was heat damaged and frizzy in a way my FlexStyle never left it. A FlexStyle only costs about $100 more, and for the significant jump in quality, it feels well worth it to me to spend the extra money.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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