The Viva Team Test Drive The Newest Wave Of Hair Tools. Here Are The Ones Worth The Money

From wide plate straighteners to do-it-all stylers - we try, before you buy.

Shopping for a new hot styling tool is confusing.

Do you choose one which styles with airflow instead of heat? Promises to tame frizz and flyaways, leaving sleek and well-styled locks in their place? Or come with a series of attachments to create a multitude of looks with relative ease?

To cut through the noise, four Viva team members - with hair types ranging from naturally curly to ultra-straight - road test four new-release tools and share which ones are worth their price tag.

Bondi Boost Everlast Airstyler System

Reviewed by Madeleine Crutchley

The promise: The Bondi Boost Everlast Airstyler System is a hair tool that comes with six different attachments, including round brushes, curlers and hairdryers. It has two settings you can adjust on the tool, one for heat and the other for the strength of airflow.

The description for this airstyler says the multi-tool is designed to style damp hair into “voluminous, long-lasting looks” without causing damage. It also states the “advanced airflow” should reduce frizz, boost shine and lock in your chosen style. However, it does also recommend preparing hair with a heat protectant spray before using.

My hair type: Thick, long and straight hair (prone to dry texture).

How I usually style my hair: I would classify my hair routine as really low maintenance. During my last haircut, my excellent stylist told me it was important to consider how my chosen style would grow in the six months in between my appointments. Unsurprisingly, my approach to hairstyling on an everyday basis is also very minimal.

I usually allow my hair to dry naturally at night, combing through with a wide-toothed comb or hairbrush to untangle. Then, if my fringe isn’t totally grown out, I’ll clip it up to give it some shape as it dries. Sometimes I go to bed with wet hair and decide to embrace that weird crunchy texture in the morning. (Chic! Right, beauty editor Ash?)

If I’m more strapped for time, hurrying before an event or late for work, I usually reach for a hairdryer and a round brush. I have been trying to emulate the 90s-style blowout that Chika at Helmut bestows upon me for each haircut, with very little success. It’s been especially difficult lately, mainly due to my clumsy dropping of a switched-on hairdryer into a toilet at the end of last year (electrocution narrowly avoided).

On a special occasion, I might also reach for a curling wand or straightener (now from the safety of my bedroom). I’m not the most adept at hairstyling, so – perhaps out of necessity – I prefer shaggier, unkempt styles.

What I liked about this tool: The pack is neatly organised into a travel bag, complete with a coat hanger hook that makes it amenable to travel or wardrobe storage (I’m most excited that it will likely double as a decently sized toiletries bag for future travel).

Perhaps influenced by my existing routine, I’m more drawn to the angled dryer and round brush attachments. The hairdryer is great – it’s powerful and, because the attachment is quite narrow, it’s easy to dry small sections at a time (without blowing the rest everywhere). I like it much more than my usual hairdryer.

The round brush attachments are also really easy to use – it combines the two tools I would usually use and it definitely speeds up the process. It gives me some nice volume, which I top up later in the day with my regular round brush.

What I didn’t like: I have a few fumbles during my styling sessions. At first, I find it tricky to lock each attachment securely to the base and they fall out a few times during use. The brush attachments were particularly tricky – if I wrap my hair a little too tightly or move the tool too vigorously, it comes off the base. This happens less after a bit of practice (so maybe it’s better classified as user error).

I also have trouble with the curling wands. I’m new to Airwrap curls and my first few attempts aren’t great – my hair won’t wrap neatly and it flies everywhere. For the first time, I realise that every video of these tools I’ve seen shows the unfurling of a perfect spiral but never the wrapping. With a bit more practice, I work it out. It’s easiest to wrap small sections of hair from the bottom and then twist up. They give me some nice curls that hold well but it’s a little fussy. Definitely more of an occasion look for me.

The price: $315 from Ozhairandbeauty.nz.

Would I buy it? I really like the hairdryer and round brush attachments on this tool – I would use them multiple times a week. I don’t know if I could justify the price of the full kit, if I wasn’t using the curler attachments very often (my curling wand tends to do the trick). Perhaps a smaller kit would suit me better. However, I can see that Airwrap fans would like this one. It would be a great deal if you were going to reach for it regularly.

Overall rating: 7/10

Ghd Chronos Max Hair Straightener

Reviewed by Tyson Beckett

The promise: Ghd classes the Chronos as its “best wide plate straightener” suited for creating high-definition results on long, thick, and curly hair. It says it’ll produce sleek, smooth styles with no extreme heat damage as well as delivering up to 90% more shine, reducing frizz by 2.5x, and in one stroke leaving hair up to 3x straighter.

My hair type: Fine, chin length and naturally straight, my barnet lies almost polar opposite to the voluminous locks the hair-styling brand markets this tool towards. However, I was keen to give this top-of-the-line straightener a whirl in an off-label capacity to see whether I too would get the promised glass-like shine and pressed finish without further fry because my bleach-blonde bob has a predilection towards frizz and, at my last hair appointment, my hairdresser pointed out some hairline breakage.

How I usually style my hair: I’m generally too lazy, impatient and unskilled to bother with involved hairstyling. However, every morning I dry and haphazardly style some bounce into my blunt cut using the Ghd Duet Blowdry hair-dryer brush. I love it, because it’s almost impossible to muck up. I was given it around the same time I cut my lanky shoulder-length hair back to its fullest point and the combination has me happy with my hair for the first time in memory. A couple of times a week, I spritz through some Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray to try to counteract frizz.

What I liked about this tool: I’ve not used a straightener since my 2010s, peep-toe heels and business casual wear in the club era and was surprised how far they’ve come. This thing heated up in no time, not once did I hear that cringe-inducing sizzle sound, even though I’d gone hard on the bodyguard hair protectant. The ceramic floating plates didn’t snag once and they curve on the edges, so I could get right up into my sprout-like roots. Because they’re wide (85% wider, apparently), I did my whole head in a matter of minutes. Also love the sleep mode, which switches off the styler automatically after 10 minutes of inactivity - very handy peace of mind amidst the morning scramble.

What I didn’t like: The niggle points I have with this new-era straightener are more about user error and a mismatched desired outcome rather than the tool itself. Originally, I thought I could use it to put some soft bends through my hair - I watched some of the styling tutorials Ghd has online then immediately went cross-eyed attempting to recreate even those simple twists and flick techniques on my short lengths. Instead, I stuck to using it to straighten and it was almost too good at delivering what it promised - I prefer a bit of bounce in my hair. Also, as a clumsy newbie ... bigger plates = more chance of scalding your scalp on them.

The price: $520 from Ghdhair.com.

Would I buy it? For what I want from a styling tool, I’m happy with my Duet Blowdry hair-dryer brush. If this was a date, I’d be telling the group chat: “They’re a great person and really easy to talk to, we just want different things.”

Overall rating: 8.5/10

Dyson Airwrap i.d. Multi-styler and Dryer

Reviewed by Ashleigh Cometti

The promise: When it comes to the Dyson Airwrap, I’m a firm believer that people sit in two camps - those who have mastered the multi-styler and those who haven’t. In response to the latter, the engineers at Dyson have spent the last four years tinkering away on the original to unveil the Dyson i.d. - a versatile multi-styler and dryer that makes recommendations and automates a personalised curling routine when paired via Bluetooth with the My Dyson app.

The latest iteration comes with six attachments, including a new conical barrel to allow for curls that start closer to the root, along with a large round volumising brush. A 40mm-long barrel allows for relaxed waves, not to mention the smoothing attachment to tame flyaways. The original came with barrels that required swapping depending on the direction of the Coanda airflow, whereas newer takes meant you could twist the dial at the top to change direction.

My hair type: My hair falls somewhere between a 2A and 2B on the hair typing system, as it tends to be flatter at the roots but forms a loose, tousled texture at the ends. I’m one of the lucky ones who has two different hair types on one head, with strands that have a more uniform yet slight S-bend on the top section and can skew slightly unrulier underneath. At first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking my hair is thick - when, in reality, it’s fine in texture (I just have a lot of it). I’m overdue for a cut, too, and my hair currently falls just above my waist. I prefer it a few inches shorter, but my hair appointments tend to take a minimum of four hours if I’m opting for a full head of foils, meaning I’ve had to skip a chop during the last few. I have a double crown, which I do account for when I’m styling my hair, and I can get a little frizzy around my hairline in the humidity.

How I usually style my hair: Depends on the day. If I’m rushing out the door to get the kids to school and daycare, I’ll smooth a little leave-in conditioner through the ends and leave it to air-dry. This tends to highlight the contrasting hair textures I have on my head, so I try to avoid doing this if I can. Otherwise, I’ll use spritz on some heat protectant and use the Dyson Airstrait to blow-dry and straighten my hair in one fell swoop (not to mention it’s quick - I can take my hair from damp to straight in less than 10 minutes). I’ll pull my day two hair into a slick bun or low ponytail - the natural oils from my hair offer some next-level shine, which I’ll pretend I get from shine spray. If I’m heading to an event or time is on my side, I’ll prep then blow-dry my hair using the Ghd Helios hairdryer before going in with my Ghd Curve curling wand to create loose, barrel waves. My hair holds curls extremely well (it’s my hidden talent) so I can get two or three days out of one curling session. It’s rare for me to travel without a brush handy, and you’ll either spy a wide-toothed comb or my Tangle Teezer in my handbag if I’m out and about.

What I liked about this tool: The biggest difference between the Airwrap i.d. and the original I have stashed in my drawer is its connectivity to the My Dyson app. While I know my way around the OG, this function is excellent for beginners - allowing them to enable the i.d. curling feature in-app and following along the personalised styling process. This includes a step-by-step guide, automated airflow and cool-shot recommendation, plus a styling timer to really get the most out of the tool. I’m convinced there’s nothing worse than investing hundreds of dollars in a styling tool only to have it collect dust, so this is an exciting step forward in terms of user experience. I was pleased to see the addition of the conical barrel in the lineup, too, considering I’ve used conical curling wands before and always loved the volume they offer when they reach closer to the root. The XXL round brush attachment was great for styling my strands in a hurry - I’d rough-dry it with the fast dryer attachment first before switching it out to this to create a soft and bouncy blowout with an “old money” bent.

What I didn’t like: The Coanda smoothing dryer (aka the flyaway attachment) has been my least used of the entire kit so far. While I can get a little frizzy around my hairline at times, I found that the barrels did a solid job of styling my hair, and a little post-style serum from Dyson’s new Chitosan range was sufficient to smooth the top section without needing an extra attachment to help do so. It may work better on someone with a curlier hair type than mine, though. With that said, I would love to see Dyson offer the ability to customise the attachments included in each presentation box, meaning customers can fully personalise their Airwrap experience even further.

The price: $899 from Dyson.co.nz.

Would I buy it: It’s by far the most expensive hair tool on the market, but in my view it’s worth the investment. Aside from my Dyson Airstrait (which I’ll never break up with), my Airwrap is the second most-used hair tool in my arsenal. It’s not something I reach for in a rush, because a) I like to enjoy the experience of using it and b) I can achieve better results when I take my time. The price tag reflects the tech and innovation behind the device, and it replaces a couple of tools with just one. Even if you’re not confident with using airflow over heat to style hair, the i.d. curling routine takes the guesswork out of knowing how to use the Airwrap, so you’re sure to master it in no time. Big tick from me.

Overall rating: 8/10

Shark Beauty FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System in Black Sparkle

Reviewed by Johanna Thornton

The promise: Everything you need to achieve any hairstyle on any type of hair. This limited-edition set includes a lightweight hair dryer that transforms into a multi-styling tool with six attachments designed to curl, add volume, straighten and dry - all neatly stored in a sleek black case. The star of the show is the FlexStyle, a hair dryer that rotates to accommodate different styling attachments, allowing you to “style while you dry, with no heat damage”.

My hair type: 3B curls.

How I usually style my hair: I typically blow-dry my hair in sections using a paddle brush to smooth it out, then use a Ghd to curl and refine. Or I let it dry naturally curly.

What I liked about this tool: The FlexStyle blow dryer itself is fantastic - lightweight (just 700g) yet powerful, delivering a steady stream of hot air that dries hair quickly. Plus, look at those sparkles.

What I didn’t like: I consider myself pretty good at styling hair, but this kit made me feel like a complete rookie. With more tools than a builder’s shed, I wasn’t sure where to start.

I opted for the auto-wrap curlers, which aim to create loose curls similar to what I achieve with my Ghd. They come in two sizes and work by using Coanda technology - air propelled in a spinning vortex around the barrel to wrap and dry hair at the same time. In theory, it’s “hassle-free curls in seconds”. In practice? Not quite.

While longer sections wrapped around the tool fairly easily, shorter or unco-operative hairs flew everywhere, creating a frizz storm at the roots and a barely-there curl at the ends. The instructions recommend setting curls with a “cool shot”, but the button is awkward to push while juggling the heated air.

After struggling with the curlers, I moved on to the oval brush, which promises volume and bounce. But the combined length of the FlexStyle and attachment made it hard to maneuver close to my roots for any real lift. The paddle brush, meant to “straighten as it dries”, left my hair nowhere near as smooth as a straightener.

The price: $550 from Adorebeauty.co.nz.

Would I buy it? No. If you have one type of hair, why buy a tool for every hair type? Half the attachments would just gather dust. Despite being advertised as easy to use, I found the learning curve steep, and even with practice, the Coanda technology left me with more frizz than finesse.

That said, I think this would suit someone with smoother, wavy hair who wants volume or loose curls.

Overall rating: 4/10 – a powerful hair dryer, but frustrating styling tools that didn’t work for my curls.

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