Dyson Airsmooth: The Airflow Hair Tools Behind a 2016 Dryer and a 2018 Styler

Dyson Airsmooth: The Airflow Hair Tools Behind a 2016 Dryer and a 2018 Styler

The Dyson Airsmooth sits in a set of Dyson hair tools, hot air brushes from other brands and heat protectants that I sorted by how they work. I say when I would reach for each one and what to check before you buy.

Dyson started looking into hair care in 2012, according to its own archive, and the first thing it made was a dryer: the Supersonic, which arrived in 2016. Two years later came the Airwrap, which Dyson says launched on October 10, 2018, in New York. It styles with the Coanda effect, where air follows a nearby surface and pulls hair along with it, instead of leaning on extreme heat. I love that the whole line grew out of one question about airflow.

That is the backdrop for the Dyson Airsmooth, a styling dryer brush in ceramic pink with a rose gold ring. The brand's whole point of view is airflow first, heat second, and you can see it in how every tool here is built around the same small motor idea. The Airsmooth has a dual bristle system to detangle and anti-snag bristles, which is the part I would care about if my hair knots in the shower.

The rest of the first set is the family around it. The Airstrait wet-to-dry straightener dries and straightens at once with no hot plates, so I would reach for it on a day I want sleek hair and no fuss. The Airwrap i.d. is the Bluetooth one that talks to the MyDyson app, and there is a curly-to-coily version for tighter textures. The Supersonic Nural and the copper-and-pink Supersonic r are the dryers, and the Supersonic Travel is the small one for a carry-on. Whatever you pick, start from damp hair, not dripping, and let the tool do the work.

Collage of Dyson hair dryers, stylers and a dryer brush, hot air round and paddle brushes, and heat protectant sprays and creams, and a mood photo of long, bouncy blown-out waves

Airsmooth and other Dyson hair tools

Barrels, bristles and a good grip

Check the barrel before anything else. A hot-air brush lives or dies on how it sits in your hand and how big the round head is, because that decides how much volume you actually get. The BondiBoost 3" Blowout Brush Pro has a large black round head for body, and its Mini version is the one I would toss in a bag.

The Drybar yellow trio is easy to tell apart. The Single Shot is the round brush for waves, curls and shine. The Double Shot is an oval that pairs blow-dryer heat with round-brush structure, and the Smooth Shot is a paddle shape, which I would take for long, straight hair when I want it flat and glossy with a little body at the roots.

The Shark Glossi in peony pink has a ceramic barrel and heat control, so it suits anyone who wants smooth, bouncy hair without much frizz. The amika Blow Dryer Brush 2.0 in black is the sleek one, made for shine and frizz control. The T3 AireBrush in white and rose gold is a one-step smoothing and volumizing brush, a close cousin of the pink Dyson in looks.

Before you buy any of them, plug it in and hold it up to your hair length, then check the cord reaches your mirror. What I would skip: a big round head if your hair is short, since you will fight it the whole way.

Hot air brushes from other brands

Protect first, then style

Heat protection goes on before the tool, every time. I like a fine mist for fast mornings and a cream for thick, dry hair, and the shelf here covers both.

The K18 HeatBounce is a white and pink pump bottle that protects up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit while it detangles. The Briogeo Farewell Frizz is a silicone-free cream in a white tube, also good to 450 degrees and aimed at frizz. The Drybar Liquid Glass is a pale blue pump cream for smoothing and shine, and the Drybar Hot Toddy is the pink mist with a satin-y finish.

For sprays, the Moroccanoil Perfect Defense is a weightless dry spray in a turquoise can, and the Oribe Royal Blowout is a tall black bottle for sleekness and shine. The Ceremonia Guava Rescue in red does four jobs: it detangles, protects against UV and heat, and prevents frizz. I would reach for Living Proof's Perfect Hair Day Heat Styling Spray when I want heat protection and soft smoothness that can last up to 48 hours.

Mist from mid-length to ends, comb it through, and wait a minute before you dry. What I would skip: layering a cream and two sprays at once. Fine hair goes limp fast, so pick one and see how it feels.

Heat protectants and smoothing creams

How I would pick my setup

Here is what I would do. Pick the shape of the morning first: a brush if I want a quick blow-dry, a straightener or Airwrap if I want a finished style. Then add one protectant that suits my hair, and not three.

I would pick up the Dyson Airsmooth first, then try a second brand's brush against it in my own bathroom light. Dryer brushes are personal, and the one that detangles without a fight wins.

It all began in 2012 with Dyson asking what a dryer could be. I would like my mornings to be that curious. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Low Heat, Low Speed and Hair Straightener Guide.