Dyson Airwrap Co-anda 2x review: Beauty and the geek

When the Airwrap i.d. came out last year with Bluetooth integration and a companion app, the Airwrap made the leap from styling tool to gadget, now the Airwrap Co-anda 2x has doubled down. The latest version of the famed hair styler builds on the smarts from the i.d. with built in RFID chips, strategically engineered attachments, double the air pressure, and further app connectivity. It remembers settings based on which attachment you're using, has a smoother user experience than previous models, styles significantly faster, holds longer, and no longer snags at your hair. As a femme nerd, the Airwrap Co-anda 2x has me giggling and kicking my heels.

The sum of Dyson’s new innovations in the styler does in fact equal double the performance. While the 2x namesake comes specifically from the new Airwrap having double the air pressure, the differences are scattered across a range of smaller changes. Yes, the air pressure does make for a faster drying time. Compared to my OG Airwrap, which would take three to four minutes per section to dry my hair using the round brush attachment, the 2x takes between one and two. But on top of that, the attachments are far more efficient.

The star of the show is the new round brush for me. Rather than using boar hair bristles like the previous one, this has fine, plastic pin bristles. Boar hair is known to have a smoothing effect, but isn’t great for detangling, while pin bristles have the opposite effect. On this redesigned attachment, the spacing of the bristles is so tight that it almost mimics the same effect as boar hair, while still actively detangling. It’s the best of both worlds. Where I used to have to split my hair into more than 12 sections to style it with the round brush, I can now get through it in just nine, and each section takes half as long.

Another stand out attachment is the Airstrait lookalike dubbed the Airsmooth. Although the two do look alike, and use the same air pressure directionality, Dyson is adamant that the Airsmooth can’t replace the Airstrait, and I agree. The Airstrait has become my go-to quick styling tool at home - it can take my waist length, thick hair from sopping wet, to straight and dry in less than 15 minutes - the Airsmooth can’t. While it does have a straightening effect, the Airsmooth attachment can’t quite straighten my hair and it takes significantly longer per section. Dyson pitches this attachment as its new flyaway attachment, and realistically it is just that. It does what it says on the tin, but if you’re hoping to nab the performance of Dyson’s dedicated straightener you’ll be disappointed. That isn’t to say it isn’t a clever attachment. It is probably the second in class behind the curling wands, but more on that later.

Regardless which attachment is on the Airwrap I’ve been impressed with the hold. There is some online controversy around the Airwrap and how well it can hold a style, from which the Airwrap i.d. was born. I personally have never had an issue with this across any Dyson stylers, yet there is a marked improvement with the Co-anda 2x. Using the old Airwrap my style comfortably stays for the evening and through to the next day with a small drop, however 2x styles have lasted me multiple days. Generally, I can wash my hair Friday, head out Saturday, and still have a relaxed version of the original style for Sunday brunch. 

Overall, the beauty and styling aspects of the Co-anda 2x are genuinely better than any other Airwrap I have used, but the price reflects that. While the Airwrap i.d. stuck with the $849 pricepoint, the 2x retails for $999, which is an understandable jump all things considered, especially bearing in mind the tech side of things.

I’m not a huge fan of companion apps for the sake of them. There are plenty of brands making apps that can connect to a product but don’t provide any added value for the user. At the best, this makes for a poor experience, and at its worst it is a pernicious way to gather user data. The My Dyson app is one of the few that doesn’t fall into this category.

Within the app you can access the Curl i.d. System. After a quick questionnaire the Airwrap will set up a bespoke, automated curl profile, cycling through the hair wrapping, holding, and setting, using different temperatures and power. It is the same system used on the Airwrap i.d. and I continue to be impressed with the user experience. It is truly a lazy girl’s dream.

Aside from Curl i.d. with the 2x connected, the app will show which attachment you have on the device, and the suggested settings for it. There aren’t any other clever functions connected to the rest of the attachments though, which is a little disappointing. It would be great to see Dyson build out some more functionality across the other attachments, and I'm sure that will come to fruition over time, but for now the curling system is the major drawcard.

Each attachment is however equipped with an RFID chip which allows the Airwrap to remember the heat and speed settings you last used with each attachment.

Apart from the curling wands, the Airsmooth is the most tech-savvy attachment. The two paddles automatically close in around your hair, and the device auto-pauses when it gets to the end of a section. Its reliability on this one is hit and miss though. At times the airflow would stop part way through a section and I’d have to play around with the positioning to get it started again. Auto-pause is one of my favourite features on both the Airstrait and the Dyson Supersonic Nural, and seeing some of that flow into the Airwrap is a real treat. The limitations are less so. Ideally auto-pause would work across every attachment reliably, and while integrating it with the Airsmooth is a step in the right direction, there are still some ways to go.