Can One Hair Tool Really Do It All? I Tested the Best Multi-Stylers

Big, bouncy blowouts and soft, glamorous curls are usually reserved for sitting in a professional hairstylist’s chair. That is because, as I can attest, finessing a hair dryer and round brush simultaneously is no easy feat. I’ve positioned myself with the dryer in my left, brush in my right—armed and ready to style my damp mane—more times than I’d like to admit. More often than not, despite my efforts, my hair is left average at best.

“It’s harder to do correct hand positions and placement with a brush and the blow dryer,” celebrity hairstylist Ruslan Nureev has previously explained. It wasn’t until I streamlined with the best multi-stylers that I finally perfected my desired look. One tool with a plethora of attachments, it seems, was the ultimate fix-all styling solution.

Dyson’s 2018 debut, the Airwrap, was a hair tool like no other—curling, smoothing, drying, and detangling without direct heat. The industry had never seen anything like it, and I was just as mystified. Over the last six years, I have come to test every iteration—and every attachment—of the Airwrap; plus, the handful of multi-stylers that followed in its path. What Dyson made all of us realize, is that there’s ease in a streamlined device.

Whether you’re a Dyson loyalist, interested in Shark’s dryer that bends at a 90-degree angle, or have a penchant for T3 thermal brushes, there is a multi-styler for everyone. Ahead, everything you need to know about each device. Which will you add to cart?

Do multi-styler materials impact overall styling results?

Most commonly, multi-styler attachments are made of either heat-resistant plastic or ceramic. While both materials can achieve the desired result, pro hairstylist Samantha Draper generally recommends that her clients use ceramic attachments. “Historically, ceramic hair styling tools maintain and evenly distribute heat to ensure long-lasting results and work to seal the cuticle to aid in a frizz-free style,” Draper tells Vogue. “A main complaint I hear from clients about tools with heat-resistant plastic is that their styles end up falling out of the hair more quickly than normal.”

Before using any attachments, such as a round brush or curling barrel, celebrity stylist Courtney Housner strongly recommends ensuring your hair is at least 85% rough-dried first—that’s because our hair strands are weakest when wet and more prone to snapping. Plus, hair that’s still somewhat damp after styling will either go limp or frizz up later.

Once dry enough, style hair in sections proportionate to the size of your attachment to avoid hair getting stuck or snagging. Another tip? Finishing off each piece with a cool shot to lock in your style. And of course, never, ever, skimp on heat protectant.

When we test and review a product, we take a holistic approach to deliver well-rounded product recommendations. First, we lean on Vogue’s vast network of experts, like pro hair stylists (many of whom have a celebrity roster), to gain professional insight into the industry’s standout products—those these specialists would actually use on their clients. We pair their expertise with our editorial best practices to curate thoughtful edits.

When it comes to multi-stylers, we selected the best based on the following criteria: materials, settings, attachment variety, and the styles their able to achieve. To do this, we paired our tests of each formula with expert guidance and reviewer insights to determine which to recommend. Read more about our testing methodology.