Best Alternatives to Drybar’s 8-1 Styling Tool

You know the saying “Less is more”? I never really resonated with that much. As a girl, I love options, which is why I have been testing out and using various multistyling tools for over 5 years now. One of the top brands on the market is Drybar’s 8-1 multi-styler, but is it the best choice overall? 

The All-Inclusive 8-1 has 4 different attachments: The concentrator, the flat iron, the curling iron, and the round brush dryer. With only 4 attachments, why is it considered to be a 8-1? The simple answer is that Drybar’s multi-tool can be used either with air plus active heat for styling wet to dry, or for already dry hair with active heat only. 

As a cosmetologist, I always approach tools the same way I approach products behind the chair: does it actually work, who is it best for, and does the value versus cost make sense? I personally never use the wet to dry function of the Drybar on my clients’ hair because it adds unnecessary heat damage to the cuticle with the multiple passes it requires to dry and style. 

I decided to look into the best alternative to the Drybar 8-1, which include the Dyson Airwrap, T3, Ella Bella’s 6‑in‑1 (my pick for best overall value), Shark, and the popular 8‑in‑1 WeBeauty tool found on Amazon.

What Each Tool Is Best For

Before I dive into the specific details of every Drybar 8-1 alternative, let’s take a look at what each option is best suited for: 

Dyson Airwrap: Best for those who value the name brand. 

T3 Aire 360 Blowout Kit: Best for the quickest drying time. 

Ella Bella 6-in-1 Styling Tool: Best for having the most functional tools with lots of versatility. 

Shark FlexStyle: Best for a quick dry with a few extra attachments. 

WeBeauty 8-in-1: Best for cost effective wet-to-dry styling. 

Dyson Airwrap 

The first contender on our list is the Dyson Airwrap. Dyson has built a great reputation and is credited with the innovation and popularization of the air curlers. They have a variety of multi-tool styler packages to choose from depending on your hair or budget goals. For comparison’s sake, we are looking at their 6-1 Air Wrap. 

What’s Included

Dyson’s 6-1 Air Wrap is their best seller and comes with a dryer attachment, two different air curlers (the Conical and 1.6 long barrel), a round brush, a straightening brush, and their dryer+flyaway smoother. 

Performance and Functionality

Overall, it’s pretty simple to use, but it did have a bit of a learning curve for me. Where some tools have two attachments depending on the desired curl direction, Dyson allows you to select the direction of airflow. It can take a minute to learn, but it ultimately became a pro for me because I didn’t have to change the attachment halfway through curling. It also took me a little while to get the hang of the dryer+flyaway smoother, and I personally don’t use this attachment much – for a quick smoothed out look, I prefer a straightened brush. 

They have 3 heat and airflow settings (low, med, high), and measure their hairflow at 13.5I/s, which is fast. It’s an incredible tool — but it’s not necessary for everyone. The price point makes it much more of a commitment, and although they have more attachments than many competitors, they aren’t necessarily my top choices. 

At A Glance 

Price: $649.99

Attachments: (6) – Dryer, Conical curler, 1.6inch long barrel, round brush, straightening brush, and dryer+flyaway smoother. 

Power: 1300W

T3 Aire 360 Blowout Kit

T3 is considered to be a luxury hair tool brand and is found in most Ulta stores. Their Aire 360 is really intended more to be the ultimate tool for at home blowouts rather than a versatile multi-tool.

What’s Included

The Aire 360 has 4 attachments: The dryer, round brush, and two curling irons (to curl toward and away from the face).

Performance and Functionality

I think this styling tool performs really well for its intended function. The dryer is more powerful than other stylers and dries hair super quickly, which is great for thick hair. It has 3 heat and airflow settings (low, med, high) and is easy to use. If you only really intended to do blowouts, and speed drying is your biggest goal, it’s a great option. However, if you’re looking for more versatile styling, this wouldn’t be my top choice. 

At A Glance 

Price: $299

Attachments: (4) – Dryer, roundbrush, and x2 air curlers.

Power: 1800W

Ella Bella 6‑in‑1 Styling Tool (My Personal Favorite)

I have used different tools from Ella Bella over the years, and my favorite thing about the brand is that it gives you salon quality at an affordable price. I also love that their tools are sturdy and last through everyday use. 

What’s Included

The Ella Bella 6‑in‑1 includes a curated set of attachments designed to handle the most common styling needs: A dryer, a small and large round brush, straightening brush, and the air curlers (one for each direction).

Performance and Functionality

This tool has been so user friendly, functional, and cost effective. I love and use every single attachment (which cannot be said about every multi-styler I have used), and it has been my favorite selection of attachments for versatile styling. The dryer isn’t as powerful as some, but it still dries my hair efficiently and has two wind speeds. 

Like with most multi-tool stylers, there is unfortunately no digital temperature control, but they do have 3 different heat settings to choose from (low, med, high), which is pretty standard. It comes with a travel case, and I take this thing everywhere I go. 

At A Glance 

Price: $199

Attachments: (6) – Dryer, small round brush, large round brush, straightening brush, and x2 air curlers. 

Power: 1100W 

Shark FlexStyle

Shark has become popular for being the rival to the Dyson Airwrap at a price point that is more affordable. 

What’s Included

Rather than have a variety of prepicked attachments, Shark has opted to let you customize your FlexStyle by choosing 3 attachments from 9 options. My personal selection is: The dryer (automatically included), 1.25 inch curlers, round brush, and the paddle brush. 

Performance and Functionality

The Shark has amazing drying capabilities because its motor is so strong, but my favorite is probably the curler attachments which create stunning volume. It is functional, lightweight, and relatively easy to use. Similar to all the others, it has 3 air and heat settings (low, med, high). I do wish it automatically included an air concentrator, but you can select it as one of your three attachments.

At A Glance 

Price: $299

Attachments: (3) – Each FlexStyler comes with the dryer, and from there you can select 3 attachments of your choice (there are 9 to choose from). 

Power: 1600W

WeBeauty 8‑in‑1 

I included WeBeauty because I know there are a lot of Amazon shoppers out there, and this is one of their top sellers. I also added it for anyone who is looking to get the function of a multi-tool styler without the financial commitment of the higher end brands. 

What’s Included

This 8-1 comes with 7 attachments – The dryer, defuser, flat iron, paddle brush, x2 air curlers, and round brush.

Performance and Functionality

Disclaimer: I haven’t personally used this one, but it has some great reviews, and I love that it comes in fun colors like pink, purple, and orange. WeBeauty, like Drybar, has the ability to style wet to dry, but has more attachments. Based on the reviews and videos I researched, people love it even though it is a lower price point, the quality is still great for what it is, and the dryer heats well and dries your hair quickly. Again, my biggest complaint with wet to dry styling is that it can cause excessive heat damage, so if you do decide to use that function, please always use a thermal protection spray. 

At A Glance 

Price: $159.99

Attachments: (7) – Dryer, defuser,  flat iron, paddle brush, x2 air curlers, and round brush.

Power: 1400W

Final Verdict

Drybar is popular for a reason, and they and the other brands we discussed make some great tools. But what determines if a tool is “best” is really going to depend on how well it fits into your lifestyle and your own personal preferences. 

For me, I love the versatility in hairstyling the right multi-styler can give, how compact it is for storing and traveling, and how simple they can be to use, but I wanted to know which gave me the most for my money. When comparing three main categories – price, functionality, and attachment options – my top choice and best recommended alternative to the Drybar 8-in-1 is the Ella Bella 6-in-1. It provides all of the styling options that are priorities to me at a lower cost, while still maintaining salon quality. 

No matter which tool you choose, the multi-styler can be such a fun way to create a variety of hairstyles to spice up your look. Now you just need to make the purchase that’s right for your own personal needs.