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I’m calling it—hair multi-stylers have been the must-have beauty tools of late. Open up TikTok, and you’ll probably have seen a review of some variety on the app. Their popularity has soared since our desire for ’90s blowouts and supermodel bounce has made a comeback. And the data reflects this. The Dyson Airwrap is perhaps the most noteworthy hairstyling tool of the moment and has 3.7 billion views and counting on TikTok. So we’re not seeing these do-it-all hairstyling tools (not to mention great hair days) going anywhere anytime soon. But the vastly varying prices between the stylers had us wondering which hair multi-stylers are the best on the market right now. And are the premium hair multi-stylers worth the considerable investment?
Typically, hair multi-stylers have at least a couple of interchangeable attachments that allow you to create multiple looks, from straight and sleek styles to voluminous body and curls. They allow you to dry and style your hair quickly so you can fake a salon blow-dry in the comfort of your home. However, not all hair multi-stylers are created equal. While some may boast a selection of attachments, others may only have a couple of key ones. Some brands toot the bespoke settings, offering tailored heat and power settings that can be tweaked to suit your hair type’s needs. And while we love to talk about the tech, what our editors are really looking for is the hair multi-stylers that deliver cool hair with minimum fuss and long-lasting hold.
To find out which hair multi-stylers are the best, I recruited some Who What Wear editors with varying hair types and lengths to test the best around right now, from the most expensive to the more affordable hair multi-stylers. Ahead, you’ll find our unfiltered thoughts to help you decide on the best hair multi-styler for you.
My hair type: I have long hair, but it’s quite thin, which means it often sits limply past my shoulders and gets knotty very quickly. In general, I am really low-maintenance when it comes to haircare, especially as I don’t have any hair color in my hair. It should come as no surprise, then, that apart from a hair dryer (does that even count?) I own zero hairstyling tools.
The Dyson Airwrap is my foray into the world of stylers, and I am pretty sure I massively lucked out when this landed on my desk. When it came to thinking about what tool might work best for me, I knew I needed something straightforward and ideally with very little room for error. I also wanted it to be lightweight, as the amount of hair I have ensured I would most likely be holding any styling device for a while.
The pros: Over the testing week, I actually found the Airwrap really easy to use. Yes, the barrel tool took some getting used to, and I am certainly no pro at it, but overall, I picked it up quickly and found every other attachment really straightforward. They say practice makes perfect, and that is certainly the case with the Airwrap, but no more so in my opinion than if you’re trying to perfect a curl with a traditional tong. After watching a video or two, I got the hang of it, and then nothing could stop me in my quest for that perfect bouncy blowout.
At this point, it’s important to acknowledge that, yes, this styler is an investment. For the price, the Airwrap needs to be a tool that one reaches for frequently. I knew a big factor of this review would be whether the Airwrap is worth the price, and my honest answer is yes, it is. With eight attachments, including a dryer, round brush, and smoothing brush, you get a lot of bang for your buck here, all wrapped up in an extremely sleek-looking package, too.
I love how the Airwrap easily smooths flyaways and makes my hair look sleeker and shinier in just a few minutes, but I was also really happy with the results of using the Airwrap’s curling barrel attachments and its iconic Coandă effect, which left me plenty of volume and a mass of bouncy curls. I brushed mine out, but I know lots of people who leave theirs as is. They did drop quickly, so I would go hard on the hair spray to ensure they last longer than a few hours.
I’d be remiss not to mention perhaps the biggest pull of the Airwrap here, and that’s the fact that it uses less heat than most hairstyling tools, which in turn means less heat damage. Of course, you should still use a heat protector, but in general, the use of lower heat means that there is less potential for damage, keeping your hair healthier.
The cons: In an ideal world, the Airwrap would be purse-friendlier, and this for me is its biggest drawback. I’m hoping the brand introduces a more affordable, compact version of the tool in the near future.
My verdict: If you’re looking to invest, in my opinion, the Airwrap is worth the price tag. It’s easy to use, uses less heat than other tools on the market, looks great on your dressing table, and can help you achieve some amazing styles. Plus, it left my hair looking shinier and smoother, and both my partner and I used it nearly every single day as a hair dryer, too! Well done, Dyson. You’ve converted me.
Rating: 8.5/10 (minus one for cost, minus 0.5 for the initial trickiness of using the tool)
My hair type: If I had to describe my hair in three words, I would say pretty darn average. It isn’t poker straight, and I haven’t got gloriously bouncy curls—it’s somewhere annoyingly in the middle. It’s that kind of inconsistent curl that requires some styling if I want it to feel polished. Usually, I’d just blow-dry my hair smooth with a round brush or use small barrel tongs and add some waves to my shoulder-length bob.
The pros: I’ll be the first to admit I’m not very adventurous, so when I was asked if I wanted to take part in this Deep Review, I thought I’d challenge myself to step out of my comfort zone (read: hair rut) and see if it was worth it. The answer? Yes and no. Remington’s Curl and Straight Confidence Air Styler AS8606 is a budget-friendly version of the cult air stylers doing the rounds these days, and for the price, I was really impressed with the results. The styler has interchangeable attachments: a dryer (fine for loosely drying, but I wouldn’t ditch my standard one in its place), a large round brush for a bouncy blowout, tongs for curly waves, and a flat brush that gives a smooth, straight finish.
The round brush tool offered the best results, and inexperienced stylers like me will enjoy that you can’t really go wrong with it. It gave more volume at the roots and a nice professional-looking curl at the ends. I’m not sure the tongs offered anything better than your average ceramic style, but it’s nice to have the option to play around with. My top tip for getting the best out of the curl attachments would be to let your hair cool while still wrapped up—either turn it off or use the cool air function before unravelling.
The cons: I found it quite difficult and clunky to use, and it certainly took me a while to really get to grips with the rotating function. In fact, I think it would probably be easier to use without it, and there were a couple of hairy (sorry) moments when I accidentally wound it too far in the wrong direction. Proceed with caution.
My verdict: All in all, I’d say the Remington Curl and Straight Confidence Air Styler AS8606 offers great value. If all you used it for is the smoothing flat brush or the round brush, I think it would still be a worthy purchase—especially if you have flyaway-prone hair. Yes, it’s a little technical to use, and I’d advise always using a heat protector with it, but after some trial and error I imagine it could become a really valuable part of your daily hair routine.
Rating: 6/10
My hair type: Currently, my hair is quite heat damaged, but I would typically describe my natural hair as being curly/coily, slightly coarse in texture, and prone to flyaways. I’m definitely a plain Jane when it comes to hairstyles. I tend to stick with my signature slicked-back bun most of time. If I’m feeling adventurous, I’ll straighten my hair once in a blue moon, which I don’t keep for too long. I typically go for hairstyling tools that will give me multiple ways to style my hair and, most importantly, tools that can cater to styling Afro hair types efficiently and effectively.
The pros: I’m all for tools that have multiple functions, so the eight-in-one aspect of the Air Wonder definitely appealed to me. The Bellissima Air Wonder feels very light in the hands, even with the attachments, so I didn’t find it a pain to hold up for a long period of time. Adding on the different attachments was easy too.
A special feature to this air styler is its reliable attachment lock system. The old air styler I own doesn’t have this, which frequently resulted in attachments flying across the room with enough tension. A small but necessary feature to have in a tool like this. There are two things I really like about the Air Wonder. First is how it looks. Its design is super stylish and sleek. Second is the diffuser attachment, which is perfect for those who want to wear their hair naturally curly/coily/kinky. I was also able to dry my hair very quickly, which is always good.
The cons: Although the styler gives you plenty of attachments to work with, I would probably reach for just three of the attachments frequently, as I found that my hair just didn’t hold the styling with some of them (such as the round brushes and curling tong). However, this could be down to prep or just the current health of my hair. I also found that the cool setting didn’t really blow cool air, and the temperature seemed too warm.
My verdict: I own something similar to the Air Wonder and would definitely look at this as an upgrade to it. Even though I don’t style my hair often, it’s nice to have something I can reach for when I do want to experiment and try different blown-out styles, so I would recommend this product. For $107, this is definitely good value, especially if you’re looking to experiment and achieve different looks often.
Rating: 7/10
My hair type: My hair is long, thick, and flyaway-prone. In its air-dried state, it has a slight wave, but if I’m styling it, I like to use a round brush when blow-drying my hair to add some bounce, smooth, and add shine. It’s been a while since my last haircut, so my face-framing layers have grown out longer, and the rest of my hair is all one length. Generally, my hair holds a style well with a heated curling wand or tong, but voluminous blow-dry curls are harder to keep in, as my hair is just so heavy, and I find round brush attachments rarely give me the hold I’m after.
The pros: The T3 AireBrush Duo comes with two attachments: a large round brush for adding volume and shape and a paddle brush for smoothing and straightening. The attachments are really easy to use, and the bristles are firm enough to create the tension you need for straightening and adding bounce but not too stiff that they get tangled as your twirl them through the hair. They both glide through my knot-prone hair with ease, leaving my hair silky. Plus, they are also large enough that you can dry and style bigger sections of hair, making it a speedier process—win-win.
It boasts an impressive five heat settings and three speed settings, so you can tailor it to your hair texture and needs. It also has a cold-shot button to seal in your style (the key to making all the effort of styling your hair worth it by locking in the style). One unique aspect of the styler is the IonFlow button, which delivers negative ions to the hair to minimize flyaways and deliver luster. It worked well, adding a noticeable shine and smoothness in my hair compared to when I have used similar multi-stylers. I found the straightening brush did a great job of drying, smoothing the cuticle, and adding shine while straightening my lengths and taming my stubborn flyaways.
The cons: I had high hopes for the round brush attachment, which polished my hair into a voluminous soft curl. However, I found that the cold-shot button didn’t quite cool down the hair enough for it to fully set into place, so I ended up switching off the power to allow it to cool down on its own for a few moments instead. The curls fell out very quickly, as they never fully cooled down. While I loved the initial shape of the curl, it just dropped out too quickly, even with prepping my hair and using a mousse to give the best chance of hold. That said, I do have long, heavy hair, so I’ve certainly given this tool a challenge! If the cold-shot button could cool down the hair quicker, I think this would have held in place better.
My verdict: I think the T3 Airbrush Duo would be ideal for hair that’s shoulder-length or shorter, or if you want to style a curtain fringe or face-framing layers. The curls held in place best on the shorter layers at the front of my hair, but not so much on the longer, one-length sections of my hair. I’ll be keeping this on standby for the days when I want to dry my hair with a straight finish, as the paddle brush attachment is excellent for this.
For the price (and with just the two attachments to choose from), I wouldn’t invest in this alone if you have long hair and want a bouncy blow-dry or the option to create several styles like the others included within this Deep Review. However, if you want to quickly dry and straighten your hair or give shape to your fringe, short hairstyle, or face-framing layers, then this will be more than suitable for you.
Rating: 6/10
My hair type: I would describe my hair as dry and damaged but beachy. It has a natural wave that means if I fall asleep with wet hair or get caught in the rain, I end up with ringlets Cupid would be proud of, but with a few minutes under a hair dryer and a round brush, it smooths very easily. I’ve always been a wash-and-go girl, blow-drying it on special occasions, but have become increasingly interested in hair tools, really looking for something that will give me a more polished version of what I already have. I don’t like a blow-dry that’s too perfect. I don’t want to look like a weather woman but myself (just with slightly better hair).
The pros: Using the BaByliss AirStyle 1000, the first thing I noticed was how light it was—so far so good. It comes with four attachments: a hair dryer, a round brush with soft bristles, a blow-dry paddle brush with hard bristles for smoothing, and straightening and a conical barrel for curling.
Whilst the hair dryer attachment was quite slow and lacked “oomph,” the round brush quickly smoothed and dried my hair whilst adding volume and bounce. What I love most about this attachment is its ability to smooth the back of my head. I often have trouble with kinks near my scalp, which is a real pet peeve of mine from my GHD straightening days, so I was very happy with how easy it was to get rid of those. The conical barrel needs a few minutes to heat up, but once it gets going, it creates lovely natural, beachy curls, with an overall finish of neat, wavy hair.
The cons: If you’re looking for a tool to replace your hair dryer and give you tight curls, then this probably isn’t the tool for you. However, I would recommend it purely for the round brush attachment alone.
My verdict: This is great for generally smoothing and volumizing your hair, with the added benefit of some curls, without requiring much effort, time, or a big investment like other competing products on the market.
Rating: 7/10
This post originally appeared on Who What Wear UK.
