Both machines exist to remove a step: you go from towel-dried to straight without drying first and styling second. Neither presses hot plates onto wet hair, which is the thing that causes the worst damage.
They get there differently. The Airstrait uses two angled jets of air and nothing else, all the way through. The ghd Duet Style dries with air, then closes and finishes the same section with plates at 185°C, which is what gives it a sharper result on coarse hair.
Dyson Airstrait
Air only, from wet to dry and straight, with no plate ever touching the hair. It has a wet mode and a dry mode, and it measures air temperature continuously to keep it below the damage threshold.
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What We Like:
- No hot plate on the hair at any stage
- Works from wet
- Doubles as a dryer
What We Don't Like:
- Around $649, and air alone leaves coarse hair less sharp
ghd Duet Style
A two-stage tool: air dries the section, then the plates close and finish it at 185°C with no air, which ghd says gives an instant frizz-free finish. Two-year warranty.
Because it finishes with plates, it produces a flatter, more definite result than air alone, and it is the one to choose if a true poker-straight finish is the goal.
What We Like:
- Plate finish at 185°C for a sharper result
- Dries and styles in one tool
- Wet-to-dry in a single pass
What We Don't Like:
- Plates do touch the hair, unlike the Airstrait
Side by side
| Dyson Airstrait | ghd Duet Style | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $600–700 | $400–450 |
| How it straightens | Air only, both stages | Air, then plates |
| Plates touch the hair | No | Yes, at 185°C |
| Works from wet | Yes | Yes |
| Doubles as a dryer | Yes | Partly |
| Finish on coarse hair | Softer | Sharper |
| Warranty | — | 2 years |
Figures are from each brand's Australian product pages, checked on 21 September 2026. ghd was running a sale at the time, so its prices are sale prices rather than list prices.
What actually differs
Whether a plate ever touches the hair. This is the fork. The Airstrait never uses one, which is the gentlest way to get hair straight. The Duet uses plates only on already-dry hair, which is far less damaging than straightening wet hair but is not the same as never.
The finish. Air alone gives a smooth, slightly soft result that suits hair with a natural wave. The plate finish is flatter and holds better on coarse or curly hair.
Price. Around $649 against around $446. The ghd is the cheaper of the two and the one that earns a commission here, which is worth stating plainly.
Drying on its own. Both will dry hair without styling it, and the Airstrait is the better of the two at it.
Who each one suits
Dyson Airstrait suits fine, coloured or heat-damaged hair, and anyone whose priority is never putting a plate on their hair again.
ghd Duet Style suits coarse or curly hair that needs a definite finish, and anyone who wants the time saving without paying Dyson's price.
FAQs
Can either replace a straightener entirely?
For most hair types, yes, if the goal is smooth rather than pin-straight. Very curly hair usually still wants a dedicated styler for the final pass.
Is straightening wet hair damaging?
Pressing conventional hot plates onto wet hair is, because the trapped water boils. Both of these are designed around that problem, which is the reason they exist.
Does the Airstrait work on curly hair?
It smooths it. Owners with tight curls generally describe the result as loose and soft rather than straight.
