How do you choose a hair straightener as a gift?

Does a hair straightener make a good Christmas present?

Yes, a hair straightener can make a thoughtful Christmas present for someone who regularly styles their hair, particularly if you understand how they like to wear it. 
 

It combines something personal with something practical: a machine they can reach for throughout the year, rather than a gift whose appeal disappears with the decorations.

It can also answer a common need. In the Dyson global hair study, the two joint most common reasons for styling hair were meeting friends or going out, and leaving for work – both cited by 33% of respondents.

Why can a hair straightener feel like a personal gift?

A good hair straightener is selected around someone's individual routine. You might have noticed that they always straighten their hair before work, prefer sleek styles for an evening out, enjoy creating waves or curls, or regularly talk about looking after their hair.

Those small clues help you select something that shows you've paid attention.

A few clues can tell you whether a hair straightener would make a thoughtful gift. Think about whether the person you’re buying it for:
 

• Regularly wears their hair straight, or uses a straightener to create curls and waves.
• Styles their hair for work, evenings out or special occasions.
• Would appreciate more control and versatility when styling.
• Are conscious of the effects of excessive heat on their hair.
• Travel regularly and like to take their styling routine with them.
• Have an older hair straightener they may be ready to replace.
   

Hair health can be especially important. In Dyson's study, 70% of respondents perceived their hair to be damaged. The study notes that: "The best way to achieve healthy hair is through prevention and minimising exposure to causes of damage.”

That makes understanding how someone styles just as important as knowing the look they want to create.

What type of person would appreciate a hair straightener as a gift?

A hair straightener may be appreciated by someone who regularly creates straight, sleek, curled or waved styles and values greater control over their routine. It can also suit someone who is interested in hair health, beauty and design, provided you choose a machine that matches how they actually style their hair.

Someone who regularly creates straighter styles

The clearest candidate is someone who regularly straightens their hair. Dyson's global study found that straighter styles were the overall preference among respondents, at 36%. A person who already spends time creating a sleek finish is therefore likely to appreciate a gift chosen around that familiar routine. 

Someone who enjoys more than one style

Don't assume that a hair straightener is only for straight hair. The Dyson Corrale™ straightener, for example, has a curved outer body engineered to support curl structure, allowing its user to create curves and waves as well as sleek, straight looks. Someone who changes their hairstyle according to the occasion may therefore value versatility as much as straightening itself.

Someone who thinks carefully about hair health

This can be another useful clue. Extreme temperatures can make small pores appear within hair strands, scattering light and decreasing shine. Excessive heat can also make hair more porous and, over time, weaken hair and make it more prone to breakage. 

If the person you're buying for already talks about protecting their hair, choosing a hair straightener engineered to avoid unnecessary or excessive heat could make the present feel particularly considered.

Someone with a busy styling routine

Think about when they style too. The Dyson global hair study found that people tend to style in the morning, with some retouching their hair during the day.

For someone whose mornings involve both drying and straightening, the Dyson Airstrait™ straightener offers a different approach: it straightens hair as it dries, so wet-to-dry styling can happen in one step. 

That neatly addresses a real-world challenge: fewer separate stages between wet hair and a finished straight style.

How do I buy a hair straightener as a gift for someone else?

Begin by learning how they style their hair. Look at the styles they wear, whether they begin with wet or dry hair, which tools they already own and what they wish were easier. Then compare machines by styling method, heat settings, versatility, portability and the result they are engineered to create.

1. Understand their hair

Hair shape is only one consideration. Dyson identifies four main hair-shape groups with three subtypes within each, alongside differences in density and individual strand width.


You don't need to perform a covert hair consultation. But knowing whether someone's hair is straight, wavy, curly or coily, fine or coarse, can help you make a more informed choice.

2. Find out how they actually style it

Pay attention to their routine:
 

• Do they straighten from dry?
• Do they regularly blow-dry before straightening?
• Do they use their straightener for curls or waves?
• Do they retouch their style during the day?
• Is styling time important to them?
• Do they travel with their hair tools?
   

The right gift should fit the routine they have, or solve something about that routine they'd like to change.

3. Consider their preferred styling approach

Once you understand their routine, think about what they want from a hair straightener. They may value versatility for creating different styles, greater control over their finished look, or a simpler way to get from wet hair to straight. Their priorities can help narrow down which type of straightener will suit them.

4. Check the practical details

Finally, think about where and how they'll use their hair straightener. If they travel regularly, check its voltage and any air-travel requirements. Corded or cord-free use, storage and portability may also influence which machine fits their lifestyle. The right straightener should ultimately feel right for their hair, their styling routine and their everyday life.

Choose a Dyson hair straightener to give as a gift

There isn't one Dyson hair straightener that is objectively the right gift for everyone. The better choice is the one engineered around the recipient's routine: choose according to the way they style, the results they want and the everyday challenge you'd like your gift to help solve.

Dyson Corrale CoolShine™ hair straightener

Choose the Dyson Corrale CoolShine™ hair straightener for someone whose priority is glossy, sleek straight hair.

Its removable heat-extracting pipes leave hair cooler to touch after every pass. Its flexing plates are engineered to shape around the hair to keep strands together for controlled straightening and fewer passes. Four settings offer a choice of 145°C, 165°C, 185°C and 210°C, giving the user flexibility according to their hair and intended style. 

It is a considered choice for someone who loves a sleek finish but doesn't always want their hair straight. As James Dyson explains: "The flexing plates gather and hold the hair with greater control, while the cooling attachment uses heat-extracting pipes to draw excess heat away as you style."

Dyson Corrale™ straightener

Choose the Dyson Corrale™ straightener for someone who values cord-free styling, control and the freedom to create different looks.

Its manganese copper alloy plates flex around the hair to gather it. That extra control allows the user to create the same style with less reliance on heat. It features three precise heat settings, 165°C, 185°C and 210°C, while its curved outer body supports straight styles, curves and waves. 

It also has an OLED screen displaying battery level, temperature and charging status, plus a Safety lock and heat-resistant travel pouch for storage.


For someone who likes to style without being tethered to the plug throughout their session, its cord-free format could be the practical detail that makes the difference.

Dyson Airstrait™ straightener

Choose the Dyson Airstrait™ straightener for someone whose challenge isn't simply straightening. It's getting from wet hair to a finished straight style without needing separate drying and straightening stages.

The machine allows your gift recipient to straighten as they dry. It senses when hair is between the arms and automatically drops to low airflow when it’s not – for quieter, more efficient styling.

It can also refresh a finished look. In Dry mode, users can select from preset temperatures according to their hair type and intended style, making it useful beyond wash day.


For someone who currently reaches for one machine to dry and another to straighten, combining those jobs in a single routine can make this a particularly relevant gift.

Give them a hair straightener that fits their routine

A hair straightener becomes a more meaningful gift when you've thought about the person you’re getting it for. Consider how they wear their hair, when they style, whether they begin with wet or dry hair, the looks they enjoy creating and the parts of their current routine they'd like to make easier. So don't just give them a hair straightener. Give them one chosen for the way they style.

Explore Dyson hair straighteners to find the machine engineered around their routine.