Although I'm a beauty editor with an endless supply of heated styling tools (there isn't a hair straightener or curling wand that I've not tried), I often struggle to get my hair exactly how I like it. My skill is lacking and my patience is practically non-existent. That's why I get excited by innovations promising an easier route to an (almost) salon-standard style: just like ghd's new Duet Blowdry.
I'll admit, I wasn't expecting much when I tried this tool thinking: "It'll probably be like all the others I have", but I was proven wrong and I've not used any of my other styling tools since.
Here's exactly what I think about the tool to help you decide whether it might just give you the hair of your dreams, too.
What is the ghd Duet Blowdry?
The ghd Duet Blowdry is from the same family as the ghd Duet Style 2-in-1 Hot Air Styler but, as the name suggests, it's built to mimic that salon blow dry with a round brush instead of hot plates.
It takes your hair from wet to dry without needing other styling tools. The technology of this Duet is seriously impressive. During a press briefing with the engineering team, they explained the smart heat technology to me, which essentially allows the tool to maintain a consistent level of heat meaning you get an even coverage of heat to style the hair and minimise heat damage.
This limited heat damage, ease of volume and snag-free, plastic-bristled round brush make this brush special. As someone with fine hair but lots of it, I'm always looking for easy volume and something that can run through my hair quickly giving a sleek yet bouncy finish.
How does the ghd Duet Blowdry differ from other blow dry brushes
I found this tool so much easier to use than all the other hot brushes. Because it's snag-free, it creates that frizz-free finish without much effort required at all.
The other aspect I loved about this round brush, which sets it apart from others is that I could dry big chunks of hair at a time, whereas normally I have to use small sections which can take forever.
One of its downsides is how heavy it is, which not everyone will be able to deal with. Plus, it's near-impossible to clean properly. It comes with a handy brush to get the hair out, which works great., however in terms of cleaning up the dust and leftover hair styling product on the brush, I'm yet to find a way to do so effectively.
ghd Duet Blowdry Processs
I've used this tool about 10 times now, so I've mastered how to use it to get the best result for my hair.
Although you can use this tool to dry your roots (unlike others, the brush head does let you get right up to the scalp), I much prefer to dry my roots (particularly at the back of my head) with my Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer. I find that this means I'll spend more time on the ends—told you I didn't have a lot of patience.
I then section my hair taking pretty large chunks and using the Duet Blow dry at the roots to get some volume. Then I start curling my hair around the barrel doing 2-3 passes on it. It takes me about 15 minutes to do my hair completely if I'm not bothering to create curls. It doesn't have a cool shot setting, so if you want to create loose waves or curls it requires some pinning. It takes me far less time to use this than it does to straighten my hair, which surprises me every time.
In the photo above, I've let my hair dry naturally far more than I should so it's not quite as curly as it has been previously (this tool definitely works best when the hair is still damp). However, it still gives that lovely smooth finish with a bit of volume and movement on the ends.
If you have thick hair, I do think this tool is going to require much more effort than a pair of straighteners will and it'll likely take quite a while. But if you like that quick, lazy blowout finish that lasts for days then I think you'll like this.
ghd Duet Blowdry Results
It gives my hair an impressive shine, some lovely volume and movement, plus it keeps it frizz-free right until my next wash (even with multiple workouts in between)—and I can't say the same for any other hair tool I own.
For me personally, I still think I get a better result in the salon (hence my saying 'almost' salon-worthy) because there's nothing quite like it. But if I put more effort in with this and pin my curls up, I can get a pretty close result.
Despite how much I love it, I'm aware that it's a really expensive tool that 'just' does one thing; particularly since it's so hard to clean too. I'd say that if you vary your hairstyle a lot (straightening, curling, blowdrying) then you might want to try a multi-styler instead. But if you're like me and typically stick to one hairstyle and just want something super quick with fantastic results then it is a brilliant tool.
How does it differ from the ghd Duet Style 2-in-1 Hot Air Styler
The difference between the ghd Duet Style 2-in-1 Hot Air Styler and Duet Blow Dry is that the former straightens (yep, you can straighten your hair from wet—game-changing) and the latter creates a blow dry effect.
Since I love volume and a bouncy blow-out look, I much prefer the Duet Blowdry but for those of you who prefer super sleek, straight hair, you might want to check out the 2-in-1 Hot Air Styler.