Hot tools lead the week: festive Airwrap, Shark rival, value dryers

Analysis

Styling hardware dominated the UK news flow. Dyson has upgraded its Airwrap styler with a new festive colourway ^[1], while The Independent has begun setting expectations for Dyson Airwrap Black Friday deals in 2026 ^[2]. Competition is building beneath it: Shark has launched a new Dyson Airwrap alternative, previewed early by Yahoo Style UK ^[3]. At the straightener end, ghd is pushing a premium iron positioned around protecting hair colour ^[4], and Good Housekeeping published its 2026 straightener rankings tested by 285 women ^[5]. Dryers are splitting by use case, with Expert Reviews flagging an affordable model built around a modern motor ^[6] and Woman & Home rounding up six compact-but-powerful travel dryers ^[7].

Demand signals suggest the category is broad rather than Dyson-led. UK Google Trends put 'hair dryer' at an average of 46/100 over the past three months, easing to 38/100 in the week of 21 September ^[8], ahead of 'dyson airwrap' at 26/100 average and 20/100 that week ^[9], and 'olaplex' at 15/100 average and 14/100 ^[10]. YouTube skews the same way: 'Hair Dryer Brush Review' uploads from the last fortnight drew 272,254 views across 10 videos ^[11], versus 60,055 views across three 'Dyson Airwrap Review' videos ^[12] and just 1,907 views across nine 'Shark FlexStyle Review' videos ^[13].

Elsewhere, textured-hair routines are getting editorial attention, with Byrdie editors testing nine blow-dryers for natural hair to simplify wash day ^[14] and Vogue covering silk press access in a Black hair-care desert ^[15]. On the corporate side, Unilever Ventures has invested in Arey to drive hair longevity innovation ^[16].