Everyone is comparing the Dyson Airwrap with the Revlon blow dry brush: here are my thoughts

Revlon vs Dyson: the results are in

A lineup of the Dyson Airwrap heads - revlon hair dryer brush

Revlon vs Dyson: the results are in

Whilst most of us dry and style our hair with the best hair dryers, there is another tool out there that does the whole blow-dry thing for you. It basically combines the hot air and the brush in one. And there are two that have taken the internet by storm: the Revlon hair dryer brush (or to use its proper name the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumiser) and the Dyson Airwap.

The brushes

  

Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumiser - was £59.99, now £29.99 | Amazon

This is a two-in-one styling tool that dries your hair, like a hairdryer, but the brush head allows for smoother and more controlled styling. It also adds volume at the root and curls at the ends.

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Dyson Airwrap - £499.99 | John Lewis 

<a href="https://john-lewis-and-partners.pxf.io/c/221109/871855/12148?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=marieclaire-gb&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.johnlewis.com%2Fdyson-airwrap-complete-hair-styler%2Fp4233412" data-link-merchant="john-lewis-and-partners.pxf.io"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Dyson Airwrap - £499.99 | John Lewis 
The Dyson Airwrap is iconic. Mainly because it's more than a two-in-one, it's like a six-in-one. It has so many heads, admittedly many that do the same thing but differently. For example, it has two barrel attachments, but at different widths so you're able to achieve tighter curls or loose waves. There are also three brushes - a soft one and a firm one and a volumising one - plus a pre-styling dryer.

I can totally understand why everyone is so obsessed with these tools - they take the hard work out of styling. I am not someone with much talent for hair styling, so I am totally on board. And I completely understand why people want the Revlon hair dryer brush to be the purse-friendly version of the Dyson Airwrap, but is it that simple? Let's take a closer look.

The heads

The Revlon tool has one head - it's an oval design, with bristles all of the way around. You can use it as you would a hair dryer and a hair brush, as well as using it to create shape in the lengths. Either a slight curl or a smooth finish.

The Dyson Airwrap on the other hand has six attachments in total, which allows you to create far more looks. The thinner barrel creates voluminous curls, the thick barrel looser waves. The three brush heads have different roles too. There's a firm one that produces straight hair and tames frizz, the softer brush is the one that gives that 'I've just come back from the hair salon' blowout look. There's the round volumising brush, which gives hair volume and body. And then there's the pre-styling dryer attachment, which is super handy as it's really tricky to properly style damp hair.

So whilst the Revlon hair dryer brush does dry your hair and allow for some styling, it's really nothing in comparison to the capabilities of the Airwrap.

The prices

The Revlon hair dryer brush is currently 50% off and under £30 on Argos. At full price, it still comes in at a very reasonable £59.99.

The Airwrap on the other hand is a whopping £499.99 (hopefully this price comes down in the Dyson hairdryer Black Friday sale), which is a lot of money, there's no denying that, but you do get a lot more with the Dyson, so the higher price makes sense.

My thoughts

If you are a hair-styling connoisseur, who thrives on creating new looks then you want a piece of kit that allows for that. You want something like the Airwrap that means you can go from beachy waves one day to a polished smooth look the next. With the inclusion of the pre-styling dryer attachment and the firm brush head, I would argue that the Airwrap plays the role of hair dryer and straightener too. Which means you have the complete all-in-one. Which would make the price more palatable.

Whilst the Revlon hair dryer brush doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the Airwrap and can't offer up as many styling options, it is still a very handy hair tool. It too is much like a hair dryer, smoother and waver in one, but it's limited. I think if you're time-poor and don't tend to invest much time and energy into your hair styling, then this is the perfect tool for you.

Katie Thomas

Katie Thomas is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire UK. With over 10 years of experience on women's luxury lifestyle titles, she covers everything from the best beauty looks from the red carpet and stand out trends from the catwalk, to colonic irrigation and to the best mascaras on the market. She started her career on fashion desks across the industry - from The Telegraph to Brides - but found her calling in the Tatler beauty department. From there she moved to Instyle, before joining the Marie Claire digital team in 2018. She’s made it her own personal mission to find the best concealer in the world to cover her tenacious dark circles. She’s obsessed with skincare that makes her skin bouncy and glowy, low-maintenance hair that doesn’t require brushing and a cracking good manicure. Oh and she wears more jewellery than the Queen.