Canstar Blue’s latest hair stylers review has seen Cloud Nine, Dyson, ghd, Philips, VS Sassoon, Remington, BaByliss PRO and Kmart compared on performance and reliability, ease of use, weight and size, hair care, value for money and overall satisfaction.
See our Ratings Methodology.
Aussies have rated Cloud Nine a cut above the rest in Canstar Blue’s 2021 hair stylers review, giving it five stars for value for money and overall satisfaction.
Thankfully, bad hair days are now a thing of the past, thanks to the array of hair styling tools and gadgets available at our disposal. Whether you like it straight and sleek, wonderfully wavy, or are just trying to take yourself from drab to fab fast, there’s a hair styler out there that can tame your tresses. But which is best? Which hair tools can you give ‘oomph’ without the ‘ouch’ to your hair and wallet?
To find out, we surveyed more than 600 Australian consumers for their feedback on the electric hair styling tools (excluding hair straighteners and hot rollers) they purchased, or have been given, in the last three years. Respondents scored brands on hair care, performance and reliability, ease of use, weight and size, value for money and overall satisfaction. Those that received the minimum required survey sample size of 30 responses are included in our ratings.
Cloud Nine made waves in our latest review after rating best with five stars for overall satisfaction! It also scored full marks for value for money.
Here are the best brands for hair stylers in Australia, as rated by consumers in Canstar Blue’s 2021 review:
Cloud Nine straightened out the competition after it became the only brand to receive a five-star review for overall satisfaction. Dyson, ghd, Philips and VS Sassoon achieved four stars, while Remington, BaByliss PRO and Kmart landed on three stars for overall satisfaction.
ghd also proved to be reliable and simple to use, rating best for performance & reliability and ease of use, with Dyson similarly taking the lead for hair care. Philips also got full marks for weight and size.
Cloud Nine recognises that all hair stylers aren’t created equal, producing a variety of tools designed to match specific lengths and hair types, as well as for general use. You can get the items individually, such as The Micro Iron to straighten out short hair, or alternatively opt for bundles like The Wide Iron & The Airshot Styling Set which is ideal for people with thick and long tresses. Cloud Nine prices tend to be on the higher end, compared to most major brands.
Here’s what you can find from Cloud Nine’s popular range:
Cloud Nine earned five-star reviews for value for money and overall satisfaction, plus four stars for performance and reliability, hair care, ease of use and weight & size.
Dyson has attracted a cult following for its vacuum cleaners, although recent hype around the Airwrap styler is proving the brand can do about anything. Dyson is fairly new to the world of hair tools, at least compared to many manufacturers mentioned in this year’s ratings, offering a small range of hair dryers, straighteners and stylers, each available in a variety of designs. Similar to Dyson’s line of stick vacs, these hair care gadgets have a larger price tag compared to other brands and start around the $500 mark. But keep in mind that Dyson typically packs a bunch with additional accessories and offers fairly generous sales throughout the year.
Here are some hair tools you can find from Dyson:
Dyson achieved a five-star review for hair care, plus four stars for performance and reliability, ease of use, weight & size and overall satisfaction. It got three stars for value for money.
ghd stands for ‘good hair day’ and is probably best-known for its sleek and cleverly designed hair straighteners, apparently sold in over 50,000 salons worldwide. ghd is a UK-based manufacturer of hair care products that launched back in 2001 and soon took over Australia and the world by storm with its innovative styling portfolio which includes straightening irons, hot brushes, hair dryers, and various curlers, crimpers, as well as hair care products and more. ghd’s models are usually skewed towards the higher end of the price scale, between $120 and $500 for multi-styling sets.
Here are some hair stylers from ghd:
ghd earned five-star reviews for performance & reliability and ease of use, plus four stars for overall satisfaction and everywhere else.
Philips is not only a manufacturing giant for home appliances such as clothes irons, but it’s also one of the leading brands when it comes to tidying up our messy locks. It offers a variety of hair straighteners, dryers, curlers and styling brushes to choose from, plus an attractive price list to suit most budgets.
Some Philips hair dryers come with ThermoBalance, a type of sensor technology the brand claims can protect your hair by constantly checking how hot the air in the room is and automatically adjusting the temperature settings on the hair styler to help dry your hair and scalp with minimal damage.
Here are some hair stylers you can find from Philips:
Philips was rated best for weight and size, plus four stars for performance and reliability, hair care and everywhere else.
VS Sassoon’s range of hair styling tools for men and women was built around the philosophy of empowering people to recreate salon professional results at home. The brand pairs the expertise of late world-renowned hairstylist Vidal Sassoon, with innovative technologies to bring out quality, affordable hair styling and grooming products. These include hair dryers, clippers, electric shavers, hair straighteners, curling tongs and irons, as well as hot rollers and more. VS Sassoon offers products in all price brackets and some models from the range include:
VS Sassoon scored four stars for value for money, hair care, weight & size, and overall satisfaction. It ended on three stars for performance & reliability and ease of use.
Remington promises to have all the right products and tools to elevate your style and capture your signature look. The brand has been in the business of manufacturing personal care products since 1937, and it remains one of the leading brand names for all things hair in Australia and worldwide. Remington provides a range of hair stylers, including hair dryers, straighteners, curling tongs and wands, hot rollers and more. The hair tools are available at a wide variety of price points, offering hair tools starting from under $25 and reaching up to more than $170.
Here are some stylers to expect from Remington:
Remington rated four stars for value for money and weight & size, before ending on three stars for performance and reliability, overall satisfaction, and remaining research categories.
BaByliss PRO has been in the hair game for more than 50 years and offers a wide range of styling tools, clippers, trimmers and hair treatments. It also has a variety of argan oil products, such as leave-in treatments, masks, thermal protectors and shampoo and conditioners. Prices are on the more expensive side, with items generally above the $100 mark.
One unique product from BaByliss PRO is The Cold Brush ($399 RRP*), which is claimed to use a cryotherapy-style approach (i.e. cold therapy treatment) to style hair without causing the same heat damage straighteners and other tools are known for. The hair styler apparently reaches 0°C and can be used on both wet and dry hair, with the brand even claiming it can be used as a treatment tool for hair damaged by heat and chemicals.
Here are some hair stylers currently available:
BaByliss PRO earned four stars for hair care and three stars for the remaining categories: performance and reliability, value for money, and overall satisfaction.
Kmart needs no introduction. It’s undoubtedly an Aussie favourite, thanks to its budget-friendly homewares, appliances, apparel and various other goodies exclusive to the department store chain (owned by Wesfarmers). Kmart has a small range of cheap and cheerful electric hair stylers and tools including hair dryers, hair straighteners and straightening brushes.
Here are some Kmart hair stylers currently available:
Kmart was the finishing touch to this year’s ratings. It achieved a four-star review for value for money and three stars everywhere else, including for overall satisfaction.
This will depend on your hair type and preferred hairstyle(s), as well as your budget. If you value versatility, look for double-duty hair styling tools like straighteners which can be used to straighten, curl and wave hair. Hot brushes and blow dryers are also multi-purpose and can help achieve various hairstyles seamlessly. Alternatively, you could aim for a multi-styler that can do almost anything! On the other hand, curlers and crimpers are usually limited to their unique function. To give you an idea of the options available, here are the types of hair stylers consumers in our survey had recently purchased (excluding hair straighteners):
Once you have an idea of the type of tool you need, you should work out your price range. Our survey found that respondents spend on average $105 on a new hair styler. How much you’re willing to spend yourself, however, is up to you. Luckily, there’s a range of budget, mid-range and high-end options available on the market, so finding a hair tool for your style and budget shouldn’t be too hard. Lastly, if you’re still unsure, keep our review in mind when shopping and comparing models, and if in doubt head to your nearest hair salon for professional advice.
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s home & lifestyle journalist, Tahnee-Jae Lopez-Vito. She’s an expert on household appliances, grooming products and all things grocery and shopping. In addition to translating our expert research into consumer-friendly ratings reports, Tahnee spends her time helping consumers make better-informed purchase decisions on all manner of consumer goods and services, while highlighting the best deals and anything you need to be aware of.
Picture credits: Tinatin/ Shutterstock.com.
*Prices are taken from respective retailers, correct as of June 2021.
Canstar Blue surveyed more than 6,000 Australian adults across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from customers within the survey group who have purchased or been given (and used) a new electric hair styling tool (i.e. curling wand, crimper etc.) in the last three years – in this case, 620 people.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criteria.
Here is the past winner for Canstar Blue’s hair styler review:
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