Better Than the Dyson? We Review the New ghd Duet 2-in-1 Hot Air Styler
BY JENNY JUNG
Is it worth the $600+ splurge? We break down the ghd Professional 2-in-1 Duet Hot Air Styler.
06 MAR - 2023
A 2-in-1 hair-drying straightener that won't damage your hair? Let's talk about it.
When I first came across the ghd Duet 2-in-1 Hot Air Styler, I couldn't fathom the possibility of a hair-drying straightener that wouldn't completely obliterate the hair. It brought back too many flashbacks from highschool when I convinced myself that straightening wet hair would get me better results.
*Shudder*
Even when I came across IG Reels and Youtube Videos about the ghd Duet 2-in-1 Styler, I just thought to myself, ain't no way in hell this thing is actually going to work! I mean, ghd is trying to tell me that if I clamp my wet hair between hot plates and pass it through hot air, it won't damage it - really? Can you blame a girl for being a little doubtful?
Well, this is one of those moments where my hypothesis was entirely and utterly wrong. Life has a way of teaching us valuable lessons, and I sure learned mine - don't knock it until you try it.
ghd Duet 2-in-1 Hot Air Styler, $645 NZD.
@ghdhair
How Does it Work?
The ghd Duet 2-in-1 Styler combines the best of both worlds for a one-stop tool that will dry and straighten the hair simultaneously. The secret is ghd's unique aerodynamic system called Air Fusion. It uses four low-temperature plates and an air system that blows ultra-concentrated airflow for fast and even drying of the hair. Specifically, the plates remain at a temperature of 120 degrees (Celsius) while the fans, 150 degrees.
To put things into perspective, the average temperature of a hair straightener ranges between 180-220 degrees. Now, that is a huge difference.
Additionally, the 2-in Styler also includes a "Shine Shot" function that instantly defrizzes the hair for a smooth finish. When activated, the plates rise to a temperature of 185 degrees and the fans turn off. With just a couple of passes over your dry hair, you will have silky soft and glossy hair.
Definitely have a brush handy like the image below as it helps distribute the heat evenly! You can also avoid burning your fingers if you use a brush.
ghd Duet 2-in-1 Hot Air Styler, $645 NZD.
Does the ghd Duet Styler Work?
I wanted to test the limits of the Duet 2-in-1 Hot Air Styler and challenge ghd with a worthy experiment. So, I asked one of my besties with gorgeous type 2c hair, and that's when I ate my words.
Let me take you through step by step:
After allowing her hair to air dry for a while, we started with some heat protectant and sectioned the hair. Per recommendation, I held the styler for an extended period at the roots as the ends tend dry much faster.
After only three to four passes, I found myself running my fingers through sleek and straight hair... I was amazed. Excitedly, I began to move on to the next strand and the next. Before I knew it, 20 minutes had passed, and we were done. Not only was the hair thoroughly dried and smoothed out, but the upwards-flowing air also helped keep the volume alive and made sure the hair looked ultra freshly styled for hours.
The next day, we went to the Flume concert, and even after two hours of jumping and sweating, her hair looked perfectly smooth and ready to go!
Additionally, one of my other blessed-with-lots-of-hair friends who tried the 2-in-1 Styler stated that her hair had never felt so smooth after heat styling. We also noticed that the finished result looked like her hair had undergone a chemical straightening at the salon!
Carrie Bradshaw, 2c Hair Goals!
Dyson vs the 2-in-1 Styler:
Currently, everybody's favourite wet-to-dry styling tool is the Dyson Air Wrap. If you think about the kind of people who love and use this tool online, they tend to have fine, straight or lifeless hair. As a result, the Airwrap works wonders by adding shape and lots of volume for this particular hair type. However, the Airwrap doesn’t work very well on thicker hair types.
While I understand that each tool offers to deliver different things, I compare the two because the 2-in-1 is a wet-to-dry styler that is much more compatible with coarser hair types. Thus, if you usually have to go through lots of steps to achieve straight or smooth hair, the 2-in-1 Styler will be ideal for you.
Additionally, due to the upward-blowing fans, you will be surprised by the amount of volume you can achieve with the 2-in-1. It gives the hair that freshly blow dried, sleek yet bouncy look.
ghd Duet 2-in-1 Hot Air Styler, $645 NZD.
Is Bigger Always Better?
Let’s address the size of this thing. It’s quite a bit bigger and heavier than your regular hair straightener. However, considering it also functions as a hair dryer, the 2-in-1 styler still takes up less space overall. Still, the plates are much larger and thicker to fit those vents. As such, it lacks the agility of a regular hair straightener with slimmer plates.
If you have stubborn, curly roots, the 2-in-1 may not be able to reach them. I can see how this might annoy some people. Other than that, the size of this 2-in-1 isn’t as bothersome as I expected it to be. Plus, it makes so much less noise than the Dyson and other hair dryers on the market.
ghd Duet 2-in-1 Hot Air Styler, $645 NZD.
Worth it?
This tool is an investment. However, if you straighten your hair all the time, the ghd 2-in-1 Professional Hot Air Styler costs less than the price of a hair dryer and straightener combined. Paired with unique technology that protects your hair and decreases frizz, this tool is where it's at. Your future self with luscious and healthy hair is going to thank you.
It's obviously more worth it for people who like to wear their hair straight, but due to its shape, you can easily create face-framing waves and flicks at the ends - talk about versatility.
One thing to note: the plates are pretty large, and getting right at the roots may be challenging. I found that using a hair dryer for a couple of seconds at stubborn cow licks and roots solved this problem perfectly fine. While some might think this goes against the 2-in-1 feature, it still yields better results than blow drying and using a straightener.
ghd Duet 2-in-1 Hot Air Styler, $645 NZD.
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