Airwrap Co-anda 2x: Dyson unveils $999 hair styling tool

News.com.au

18 hours ago

EXCLUSIVE
As Londoners swelter during an 'extreme' heatwave, I've taken refuge in a swanky hotel room overlooking the city's famous skyscrapers.
But I'm not here to eyeball landmarks from the comfort of AC, something far hotter has lured me the almost 17,000kms from the news.com.au office in Sydney to the UK's capital: Dyson's latest beauty launch.
The British tech giant, best known for changing the way we all vacuum our homes, has fast become one of the world's most sought-after beauty brand's in recent years after launching the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer in 2016.
Two years later, the engineering giants released the Airwrap, a 'game-changing' device that revolutionised the haircare industry with its ability to curl, wave, smooth, and dry hair without the use of extreme heat.
Since then, the Airwrap – which some critics speculated would never take off – has arguably overtaken as Dyson's most popular product. You only have to take a quick glance on TikTok where the hashtag '#DysonAirwrap' has tens of millions of views to know the naysayers were very wrong.
Today, the gadget is so integral to Dyson's beauty offering, the brand has just announced a new iteration that has twice the power to deliver even better results.
The new 'supercharged' version of the cult hair tool, dubbed the Airwrap Co-anda 2x, is a 'next level multi-styler and hair dryer', Dyson says.
So what makes it so special? News.com.au flew all the way to London to be the first in Australia to test out the 6-in-1 hair styler – so here's everything you need to know.
Extra oomph
The Airwrap 2x comes with an improved Hyperdymium motor that has been 're-engineered from the ground up' to be what Dyson calls its 'fastest and most powerful hair care motor'.
'Dyson has developed a new motor for our Airwrap 2x, which spins at 150,000rpm, delivering twice the air pressure, faster drying, and less heat damage,' James Dyson, Founder and Chief Engineer, said.
'The high pressure creates a longer lasting curl and straighter styles. Traditional stylers can damage hair, but we have always focused on developing tools that protect hair health whilst enhancing without compromising precision or performance.'
Described by the brand as 'the heart of the machine', the wire powering the motor is as thin as a strand of human hair, allowing Dyson to 'miniaturise' the device, enabling it to sit comfortably in the palm of your hand'.
It's one of the key reasons the Airwrap 2x is smaller and lighter than its predecessors, the original Dyson Airwrap released in 2018 and later revamped in 2022, and the more recent Dyson Airwrap i.d launched in August last year.
But despite producing more air pressure than ever, the 'supercharged' machine won't hurt your eardrums according to Dyson, who said its increased output hasn't affected the amount of noise it makes.
Doing the hard work for you
Clever AI-driven sensors have also been added to the Airwrap2x's attachments, to help 'take the guesswork' out of styling and maintenance of the machine.
There are six attachments included that dry, curl, wave, straighten, smooth, and volumise hair that all contain an RFID chip that communicates with the machine to instantly adapt to the best temperature and airflow settings.
The attachments are preset with recommended airflow and heat settings, but are customisable by the user on the MyDyson app.
The once clunky experience of curling hair, which involves manipulating strands on the barrel attachment before blasting it with cool air, has been simplified with 'the i.d sequence' – an automatic four step process for 'consistent curls with a push of the action button'.
Dyson introduced this last year with as a new feature on the Airwrap i.d following widespread complaints from users that the curling attachments were difficult to use. But now Dyson said the device produces the 'perfect curl every time'.
There's even a new sensor that will let users know when the device's filter needs cleaning – talk about impressive.
All new and improved attachments
While many of the six attachments will feel familiar to loyal Airwrap users, there is one that is entirely new, and has been described by some as a mini-version of Dyson's wet-to-dry straightening device, the AirStrait.
The AirSmooth 2x is a finishing attachment that can be used to smooth and straighten smaller sections of hair, such as bangs or baby hairs, without the need for hot ceramic plates.
More recognisable attachments have also had a makeover, such as the paddle brush, which now has a swanky new name: the Anti-snag loop brush 2x.
It features noticeably different bristles that are hooked for more control while styling, especially at roots and ends, and are softer on the scalp too to help prevent irritation.
The Round volumising brush also comes in a new 2x edition, featuring improved bristles for more control.
While the 20mm, 30mm and 40mm Co-anda 2x curling barrels have been tweaked too, with angular, square-shaped tips that are 'more ergonomic' compared to the original rounded ones for an easier grip.
The booming beauty industry
The supercharged motor has also enabled Dyson to give its hair drying attachment more bang for your buck than ever, delivering twice the air pressure to dry hair as fast as a full performance hair dryer. Now that's impressive – especially as it could potentially eliminate the need to purchase a stand-alone hair dryer, a real selling point in the current economy.
Talking of the state of the world's finances, the beauty industry is one of the only markets not suffering amid the global economic downturn, with figures showing it is on track to exceed $990 billion ($US 646.20 billion) in revenue by 2025.
In fact, Statista anticipates the beauty industry is expected to grow at an annual rate of 3.33 per cent from 2024 to 2028.
It's believed the beauty and personal care market has thrived in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic as consumers shifted to a greater focus on self-care and wellness.
Additionally, changing consumer attitudes, particularly among younger generations, are driving demand for diverse and inclusive products that emphasise self-expression – and this is where Dyson's personalised offerings fit in.
The brand also claims its multistyler is the only one on the market that includes this many attachments with purchase, arguing it makes the $999 price tag more palatable.
Indeed, in the few hours since was first unveiled on social media, consumers have expressed eagerness to purchase the expensive item.
'Now this is a must!' one declared on Instagram within minutes, as another exclaimed: 'So excited to try it!!! Is it ready to order?'
My 30 minute shocker
Back in the airconditioned hotel room overlooking London's skyline, one of Dyson's pro hair stylists set to work showing me the Airwrap 2x in action, and I was surprised at just how quickly my hair took to finish.
Within 30 minutes I went from having sweaty locks after hot footing it across the city in the 34 degree heat to a fresh wavy style.
As I'm writing this, the curls are still very much in tact, an impressive feat – especially in humid weather.
The product goes on sale in Australia on July 30 in two different colourways; Ceramic Pink and Jasper Plum.