DYSON Airwrap is a popular hair tool that many lust after to achieve salon-worthy hair – but I’ve tried an alternatively styling tool and honestly, it’s the one tool I use where I know I’ll receive guaranteed compliments.
Better yet, this beauty gizmo is £230 cheaper than Dyson’s.
Nicky Clarke AirStyle Pro Infrared & Ionic Hair
Dryer & Styler, £249.99
The Nicky Clarke AirStyle Pro Infrared & Ionic Hair Dryer and Styler retails for £249.99 at the famed stylist’s online store.
And while that’s no small sum, compare it to the Dyson Airwrap, which fetches a whopping £479.99 – so with Mr Clarke’s version, you can save almost half the cost.
The AirStyle Pro is one of the many Dyson Airwrap dupes we have tried and tested, and rate highly, out of many we have sampled.
From the Revlon Volumiser Brush, the Shark FlexStyle 5-in-1 Air Styler and Hair Dryer, and Shark’s viral heated brush, to the Babyliss AirStyle 1000, it’s safe to say we have sampled a plethora of heated hair tools, and Nicky Clarke’s version is one that has the most likeness in the attachments, hold power, and styles it can create.
There are a number of factors that impress me with the Nicky Clarke tool.
Firstly, it comes with a variety of attachments to help create almost any style you wish, and to suit all hair types, all of which are easy to interchange, simply flick a toggle to release and clip in place.
The bundle includes four attachments: the concentrator nozzle for a direct blast of air, which is best for achieving a sleek straight do, a diffuser to define natural curls, and two aircurl barrels to use in different directions depending on the way you want your waves to go.
In this way, it’s pretty similar to the accessories that accompany a Dyson Airwrap.
As a general rule of thumb hair stylists advise creating waves to curl away from your face, rather than inwards, which can make your face look rounder and fuller – so they say.
I have tried all of the attachments, but the ones I come back to all the time are the barrels to achieve curls, which I can brush out to achieve looser waves.
This multifunctional hair tool means you can dry and style your hair seamlessly, without the need to change appliances.
While you can use the concentrator to dry your hair straight, before switching the attachment, I typically remove all attachments to get a full blast of air to dry my hair, which the AirStyle PRO achieves in seconds, before using the barrels.
I have tried using the barrels on damp hair, and while it still curls, it is not as effective as using the tools on dry hair.
The Nicky Clarke AirStyle PRO has some punch, and boasts a powerful airflow to dry wet hair without blasting it with extreme heat, and the same applies for the attachments too.
The tool is powered by a 2000 Watt motor, yet that doesn’t compromise the noise level as it reaches 74dB, which is a lot quieter than other tools I use, though, of course, it’s not completely silent.
As well as the powerful airflow, this tool uses infrared technology, which claims to promote blood circulation, reduce stress and damage on the hair, for an all around healthier hair and scalp.
While the jury is out on whether it has helped hair growth, my hair does not break off like it does when using ceramic plated straighteners that singe my hair at a heat of 180 to 200 degrees.
Alongside this feature, Nicky Clarke has added a ceramic air inlet, as well as ionic conditioning, which helps to minimise static hair, heat damage, and achieve a sleek and glossy finish, which I can attest to.
Another favourite element of mine is the adjustable settings, which may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many hair tools combine the heat and speed settings together.
The Nicky Clarke AirStyle PRO has separate heat and speed settings, it boasts three heat settings, as well as three speed levels, plus a separate cool button to set your style.
It also has the additional feature of a lock setting, so you can maintain the same programme throughout your styling session, and do not have to worry about a finger slipping and touching a button that can alter the preferred setting.
Nicky Clarke’s AirStyle PRO is super lightweight weighing just 350g, and while the design is like an L-shape, and the attachments can’t be folded to make for easy use like the Dyson or Shark, it won’t weigh your arms down when styling your hair.
Whether I am using on wet and dry hair, looking to refresh Day 2 hair, this tool is ideal.
Plus, I have been able to take on European trips abroad and it still works perfectly well, whereas some hair tools are not compatible… which I learnt the hard way.
Nicky Clarke AirStyle Pro Infrared & Ionic Hair
Dryer & Styler, £249.99
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