Once known for its innovative, futuristic vacuums, the Dyson brand today has become one of the hottest names in the beauty industry. Now counting four tools in its hair tools range, including two straightening devices, Dyson’s disruptive, engineering mindset has revolutionized how consumers think about not only the way they style their hair but how they take care of it.
In an exclusive interview with WWD, Tori Clifford, senior insight analyst on Dyson’s engineering team, explained that when Dyson entered the hair space it was with the goal of taking its expertise to expand into other areas. Notably, she said, the hair tools market stood out to the team as one that hadn’t changed in decades. In the development of all of its products, Dyson looks first at what problems can be solved, usually finding problems that have been ignored.
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The first hair product created by Dyson was its Supersonic hair dryer in 2016. Clifford said Dyson flagged a number of problems including being bulky, loud, heavy and damaging hair with extreme temperatures.
“We wanted to use our expertise in acoustics, heater systems, airflow and digital motors to see how we can improve upon the traditional hair dryers,” Clifford said. “We are a company of engineers, and we really want to create technology that can improve and solve problems. At Dyson, we don’t think about failure; failure isn’t something that is an issue. We want to be able to have the freedom and creativity to be able to solve these problems whether that’s something going off a hunch or if there is a proven method that we’ve used in the past.”
When Dyson launched its first straightening hair tool, the Corrale, in March 2020, it took on one of the most notoriously hair-damaging products that for many consumers was a part of a daily routine. Again, Dyson embraced engineering numerous prototypes before creating its final product, which resulted in putting the first straightener with flexing plate technology on the market. In doing so, Dyson provided consumers with an effective product that delivered enhanced styling with half the damage, in less time, while also being cord-free.
Notably, the company reports research on hair straightening technology that lasted nearly a decade and more than $129 million in investments into hair laboratories across the globe, employing thousands of hair scientists, engineers and professionals before launching the Corrale.
Following the success of the Corrale in May 2023, Dyson followed up with a second straightening hair tool, the Dyson Airstrait. Unlike the Corrale, the Airstrait takes away the need for any hot plate and allows the user to attain a straight hair look from wet to dry, promising no heat damage. Impressively, the expertise looks to the company’s history of engineering airflow and spans more than 25 years of research.
Noting that both of these products give huge priority to eliminating heat damage, Clifford explained that hair health is key to the company’s overall goal when creating hair tools.
“Hair health is very important at Dyson,” Clifford said. “We always look for ways that we can improve on in terms of health of the hair while still being able to provide high-end styles for our consumers. We also consider different hair types to be able to make sure that our products are compatible for everyone.”
Looking at the Airstrait specifically, Dyson aimed to provide consumers with a way to style hair in a way that maintained volume and movement of naturally straight hair. Without the use of heat plates, hair is styled between the two arms using only air at a precise angle.
“The way it works,” said Clifford, “is with a 1.5-millimeter aperture with the hair going between the two arms where the airflow comes through the aperture at about a 45-degree angle to be able to smooth and dry the hair at the same time. It comes at a high-velocity downflow in two streams that converge into one stream to create the end style.”
While new to the market, the technology used in Dyson’s Airstrait takes cues from its previous hair care tools including the use of Dyson’s hyperdymium motor. In the Airstrait the 13-blade impeller motor is designed to be light and small, while powerful enough to create the pressure needed in order to dry and straighten hair, spinning up to 106 revolutions per minute (rpm) and propelling 11.9 liters of air per second.
Like other tools in Dyson’s hair care range, the Airstrait and Corrale have intelligent heat control. For the Airstrait, this means having glass bead thermistors that measure the air temperature 30 times per second, which effectively serves to protect hair shine. In the Corrale, even heat and tension through its flexing plates that gathers and shape hair to provide even distribution and reducing the number of passes needed to complete a style.
While both the Corrale and Airstrait are marketed as straightening tools, Clifford shared that each poses unique qualities and special characteristics for the users.
“Both the Dyson Airstrait and Corrale can have a place in your hair care tool lineup,” Clifford said. “Looking at what led Dyson to creating the second straightening tool was really solving the issue of helping consumers save time while styling their hair. It is an all-in-one product that styles and straightens your hair at the same time, while the Corrale offers you the versatility to be able to add curl and bend your hair to give you a little bit of a mix-up in your end style.”
Effectively reengineering the science behind styling hair, Dyson’s tools also require the consumer to relearn how to style their hair to a certain degree. First and foremost, this means considering what heat temperature to select when using both the Corrale and the Airstrait. Clifford shared that, unsurprisingly, consumers tend to put heat on the highest setting, but with Dyson’s tools, it’s really not necessary.
“We have found that people tend to ignore those lower levels but we do recommend that you start there and then, if needed, increase the heat,” Clifford said. “We do want to provide the least amount of heat on your hair and it might be that lowest level.”
Another key tip for consumers, Clifford said, is to “go slow and steady as you pull the tool through your hair section.” And, for the Airstrait specifically, using the cold shot feature after styling can also lock in that style and solidify the shine in your hair. She advises using products that hold over softening products such as oils for the Airstrait.
“It’s OK to use just one or both the Corrale and the Airstrait to finish the style that you’re looking for,” Clifford said. “If you’re looking for a straighter style, depending upon your hair and your end result then use the Corrale to follow up to make sure that the style is where you want it to be. But either way, you know that you are using the least amount of heat possible to get your desired end look.”
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