The New Chi AirTwist Is Like If a Flat Iron and the Dyson AirWrap Had a Baby

I love big, fluffy curls, but not the work required to get them. Curling irons are effective but inconsistent, I love my Dyson AirWrap but find it too cumbersome for everyday use, and I don’t have the expert-level hand-eye coordination that flat-iron curls require to achieve. My new favorite solution for this beauty conundrum? The AirTwist from Chi, which gives me perfect curls without any of the hassles of its predecessors.

The Chi AirTwist ($109) is basically a curling iron, a flat iron, and a blowdryer all in one. It has two fixed plates (the flat iron) shaped like a barrel (the curling iron), and is equipped with air vents that deliver a cool shot of air to your strands (the blowdryer).

To use it, start by placing a section of hair between the plates, then glide it from root to the tip. Once you’ve almost reached the bottom of your hair, wrap that same section around the barrel. curling iron style. Then, hit the “cool shot” button, and you’ll hear a fan start to whir. That’s the sound of your hair getting blasted with air to set the style before you unwind it to reveal the perfect, bouncy curl.

In typical Chi style, the hot plates on the AirTwist generate negative ions as it heats. “These ions will seal the hair’s cuticles, eliminate frizz, and preserve [the hair’s] natural oils,” says Jamila Powell, founder of hair-care line Naturally Drenched and owner of Maggie Rose Salon.

The cool shot button helps to hold the look in place, explains hairstylist Ashley Rubell. “Cool air is used to literally cool the hair down and lock that newly manipulated style into place,” she says. “It not only seals the cuticle of the hair shaft but can give a smooth, shiny finish.”

Related Stories

Having the option to cool-shot your curls is one of the many reasons why the Dyson AirWrap is so beloved. That little trick helps you get a longer-lasting, sleeker style. But the AirWrap comes with a bit steeper of a learning curve, and it’s literally $600. The Chi AirTwist is one-sixth of the price, and while it can’t create the same sort of “fresh from the salon blowout” that the AirWrap does, if you’re in the market for long-lasting, easy-to-achieve curls, it’s truly perfect.

Want to be the first to hear about the latest (and greatest) SHOP product drops, custom collections, discounts, and more? Sign up to have the intel delivered straight to your inbox.