Topic
Multi-stylers and brushes
Multi-stylers use one handle with several heads; hot air brushes have one fixed brush head. Both dry and shape at the same time, at lower heat than a flat iron or curling iron.
- Airwrap curl barrels
- 30 mm and 40 mm
- Hot air brush sizes
- about 1 in to 2 in (oval)
Air curl barrels such as the Airwrap's use the Coanda effect: air leaving slots along the barrel follows its curved surface and pulls the hair around it. The hair is wrapped and set by air, so the barrel itself runs at a lower heat than a curling iron.
Barrel and brush size decides the result. Smaller barrels and brushes give tighter curls and more lift at the roots; larger ones give looser waves and smoother lengths. Longer hair usually needs the larger 40 mm barrel or a large oval brush.
A hot air brush has one head, usually an oval or round brush, and is the simpler choice if all you want is a smooth, full blowout. Multi-stylers cost more but add curls, a smoothing dryer and sometimes a diffuser on the same motor.
Common mistakes
- Starting with soaking wet hair instead of rough drying first.
- Using sections too thick for the barrel to grip.
- Skipping the cool shot at the end of each curl, so the shape drops sooner.
Pages on this topic
- Hot air brush barrel size guide by hair lengthWhat size hot air brush to use: barrel diameters from 1 in to 2.4 in oval matched to short, medium and long hair, with the look each size gives and real examples.Explainer
- Dyson Airwrap on wet or dry hair: when to startShould you use the Dyson Airwrap on wet, damp or dry hair? Which attachments work on wet hair, how damp is right for curls, and how to restyle dry hair.Explainer
- Using the Dyson Airwrap on curly and coily hairHow to use the Dyson Airwrap on curly and coily hair: which edition to pick, diffuse vs stretch vs curl, settings, sectioning, and fixing frizz and lost definition.How-to
- Dyson Airwrap not curling or curls falling outWhy your Dyson Airwrap is not curling or the curls drop within an hour, and how to fix it: dampness, section size, barrel size, cold shot and the filter.Fix
- Dyson Airwrap attachments explainedDyson Airwrap attachments explained: curl barrels, smoothing dryer, brushes, diffuser, comb and straightener, what each does, and buying them separately.Explainer
- Dyson Airwrap alternatives worth a lookDyson Airwrap alternatives compared: ghd Duet Blowdry, Drybar Triple Shot, T3 AireBrush Duo, plus Shark and Laifen, with listing facts and clear picks.Comparison
- What is a hot air brush and what does it do?What a hot air brush is, how it dries and styles at the same time, the main types and sizes, and how it compares with a dryer, brush and Airwrap.Explainer
- How to use the Dyson Airwrap, step by stepA beginner's walkthrough of the Dyson Airwrap: prepping hair, the pre-styling dryer, curl barrels, brushes, heat settings and the cold shot.How-to
- How the Dyson Airwrap works: the Coanda effectHow the Dyson Airwrap uses the Coanda effect to wrap hair around a barrel with air, what the motor and heat control do, and what it is used for.Explainer
- Dyson Airwrap i.d. vs Airwrap Complete and Coanda 2xDyson Airwrap i.d. vs Airwrap Complete Long, Origin and Coanda 2x: app presets, one-touch curl sequences, motors and kit contents compared from the listings.Comparison
Buying guides for this topic
- Best Dyson Airwrap model for your hair typeDyson Airwrap i.d., Co-anda2x, Complete Long, Long Diffuse and Origin compared by hair type, motor, heat settings, app features and kit contents.Buying guide
- Best blow dryer brushes and hot air brushes over $150Blow dryer brushes from ghd, Dyson, Drybar and T3 compared on brush shape, heat settings, ionic output and what comes in the box, from listing facts.Buying guide