T3 Aire 360 and the Hot Air Tools Around It

T3 Aire 360 and the Hot Air Tools Around It

The T3 Aire 360 is the ceramic air styler that T3 unveiled for its 20th anniversary. Here is how it sits next to T3's dryers and curling irons, the air stylers from other brands, and the heat protectants I would put under all of them.

T3 was launched in 2004 by Kent Yu and Julie Chung. Yu grew up in hair salons, since his parents were stylists, and he says he made T3's first dryer as a love letter to his then girlfriend, now wife, who he felt deserved a better version of a tool she used every day. Twenty years later, T3 marked its anniversary by unveiling the T3 Aire 360, which the brand calls a first-ever ceramic air styler. I like that the story starts with one person's daily blow-dry, because it shows in how the line is built: airflow first, heat managed, and a lot of attachments.

The T3 Aire 360 kit is the one most people come for. T3 says it has ceramic curling attachments that make blowout curls in either direction, plus a SoftAire drying concentrator for rapid drying. The T3 Aire IQ dryer recognizes the attachment you connect and adjusts heat and speed, and you tell it your hair texture first. The AireBrush is the oval dryer brush for a smooth or voluminous blowout in one step. The Featherweight StyleMax automates five heat and three speed settings, and the Afar is the compact travel dryer with a folding handle and auto dual voltage.

Then the clamp tools: the CurlWrap 1.25 inch rotates its barrel automatically, with nine heat levels and two rotation speeds. The SinglePass Curl X has an extra-long barrel for wide sections. The Volumizing Hot Rollers come with eight velvet flocked rollers, four XL and four LG.

A tip from the usage notes: rough-dry until your hair is slightly damp, then divide it into sections before you curl.

Big numbers collage titled T3 AIRE 360, six products numbered one to six with each product set beside its number: T3, Dyson and Kérastase
T3 Aire 360

The T3 Aire 360 and the rest of T3's hot tools

Air stylers and dryer brushes from other brands

The T3 Aire 360 sits in a busy category, and the other brands in it each have a different idea about what an air styler should be. The Dyson Airwrap i.d. is the connected one, with a Bluetooth curling feature through the MyDyson app and six attachments. The Shark FlexStyle turns from a dryer into a multi-styler, and Shark says it does this with no heat damage. The Shark Glam in Celestial Skies is the newer system, with a diffuser and a straightening attachment that Shark says can do the job in as little as one pass. BondiBoost has two takes: the Everlast Airstyler with six ceramic attachments, and the 3 inch Blowout Brush Pro that dries, styles and volumizes in one step.

If you would rather have a brush than a barrel, the Drybar Double Shot is an oval blow-dryer brush with ionic technology, and the amika Blow Dryer Brush 2.0 gives a bouncy blowout with lift at the root. The ghd Duet Style is a 2-in-1 hot air styler that dries and then switches to Shine Shot mode to straighten at 365 degrees.

A pairing tip: whichever one you pick, dry to about 80 percent with the dryer attachment before you curl, as the Dyson usage notes suggest.

What I would skip: a brush when your goal is a bouncy curl that lasts. Pick the curling barrels instead.

Air stylers, multi-stylers and hot air brushes from other brands

What goes on your hair before the heat

Every tool above works better on hair that has something between it and the heat. Bumble and bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil is a leave-in conditioner primer with a six-oil blend. Pureology Color Fanatic is a leave-in that the brand says protects from heat up to 450 degrees and also preserves color. Mizani 25 Miracle Milk is a lightweight spray leave-in made for curl and coil patterns. Briogeo Farewell Frizz is a silicone-free cream for blow drying, with rosehip, argan and coconut oils.

Kérastase Genesis is a leave-in spray for hair weakened by brushing and over-styling, with edelweiss native cells and ginger root. If you prefer an oil, the Olaplex No.7 is a weightless styling oil you dispense in a few drops. OUAI Lightweight Heat-Protecting Hair Oil does the same job, with the Rue St. Honore scent. UNITE 7SECONDS is a detangling leave-in spray with hydrolyzed rice protein.

How I would use them: a cream or milk on damp hair before the dryer, and a few drops of oil on dry ends before the curling barrels come out.

What I would skip: a heavy cream on fine hair right before you curl. Choose the oil or the spray and keep it light.

Heat protectants and smoothing products for air styling

Choosing your blowout tool

Start with how much you want to do in one tool. If you want the dryer, the brush and the curls together, the T3 Aire 360 or one of the multi-stylers is the answer. If you only want bouncy curls, a rotating iron like the CurlWrap cuts out the wrapping. If you travel, the Afar is the easy one to pack. Whatever you pick, put a protectant on first, work in small sections, and let each curl cool before you touch it. That is the whole routine. I would rather own one tool I reach for every week than five that live in a drawer.