My hair is long and quite thick and coarse in areas. It also has a natural wave and is prone to flyaways, so when I want a super-sleek look I need to call upon hair straighteners for a smooth result. That being said, my hair is usually very quick to straighten. The Dyson Corrale is among the most expensive hair straighteners on the market, but it does boast many great features. The first is that it’s cordless. This wouldn’t have been a deal-breaker for me before, but now I’ve experienced the freedom of not being tethered to a plug socket, I’m converted! The only downside is that a full charge (of 70 minutes) will give you 30 minutes of styling time. If you have straight, fine or short hair, this is unlikely to be an issue. But if your hair is thicker or curly in texture, you could be caught out if you need more time. It took me around 10 to 15 minutes to style my hair, and the style held up well throughout the day. Another nice addition is that there’s an aeroplane feature that allows you to securely “lock” your straighteners to transport them safely in your case or hand luggage—a bonus if you travel.
The Corrale has three heat settings (heating to 165, 185 or 210ºC) so you can tailor it to your hair texture, and the temperature is regulated 100 times per second for accuracy. Another plus? It’s speedy. It took just 25 seconds to heat to 210ºC, so there’s little waiting around here. It only has three buttons (the power button and the two temperature-control buttons), so it’s very intuitive and easy to use. The plates are perhaps the most innovative feature, however—they’re flexible, cushioning and moulding to your hair as you run it through. Dyson says that there is still enough tension to straighten (or even curl) the hair, but the result is less heat damage compared to other straighteners that clamp and drag.
I love that this straightener has a curved edge, which allows you to use it to curl or wave your hair too. The plates aren’t the largest I’ve seen, so if you have a lot of hair, you might want to try the GHD Max Styler (reviewed above). And because of the cordless design, this straightener is heavier than most, which might make it harder to hold for some. I should also mention yet another neat feature though, which is that the device will turn off automatically after 10 minutes of inactivity, meaning you can relax if you realise you’ve forgotten to switch it off after leaving the house.
Pros: Cordless, easy to use, premium design, cushioned plate technology that is better for hair, lock feature for travelling, fast to heat up, can be used to curl the hair, switch off after 10 minutes of inactivity for peace of mind.
Cons: Expensive, limited cordless styling time, some hair textures may need longer to straighten hair, heavier than most hair straighteners.
Rating: 8/10