Ella Bella 6-in-1 Vs. Dyson Airwrap

As much as I wish it were so, most of us don’t roll out of bed with perfectly glossy, salon-smooth bouncy hair. No… instead, we wake up with frizz, cowlicks, and one side of our hair that, for some reason, always looks better than the other.

(What is that about?)

Multi-styling tools have changed the way I approach my hair routine because of the versatility they offer. The Ella Bella 6-in-1 and the Dyson Airwrap are two of the most well-known brands out there right now, but I wanted to see how they really stacked up against one another.

Dyson is a luxury icon with a cult-like following at this point, while Ella Bella is a much more budget-friendly contender that’s gone viral for delivering great results.

Comparing the Ella Bella 6-in-1 Against the Dyson Airwrap

Before we get to the really good stuff, here’s a quick overview of both multi-stylers at a glance.

Compare	Ella Bella 6-in-1	Dyson Airwrap Straight+Wavy
Tools & Attachments	Round dryer barrel, smoothing brush, large oval brush (for volume), small round brush, two (left and right) 1.25” airwrap curling barrels	Dryer and flyaway smoother, firm smoothing brush, soft smoothing brush, round brush (for volume), 1.6” curling barrel, 1.2” curling barrel, filter cleaning brush
Price	$199	$649
Color Options	Pink, champagne, black	Varies, but currently includes amber, blue/copper, red/gold, or pink/rose
Shipping	Free	Free
Warranty	2 years	2 years

I love experimenting with my hair, and multi-styling tools provide a lot of flexibility in that regard. That said, and maybe I’m looking for a holy grail here, I don’t like using a lot of styling products on my hair.

So while using all of the various tools included with both the Ella Bella 6-in-1 and the Dyson Airwrap, I used no hair treatments or styling products before, during, or after. I wanted to see exactly what each multi-styler would do entirely on its own without additional “help” from anti-frizz serums, smoothing oils, gel, mousse, or hairspray, to know which would truly perform the best.

(Spoiler alert: it was Ella Bella.)

My Experience Styling with the Ella Bella 6-in-1

This was actually the very first multi-styling tool I’d ever used, and I went into it with cautious optimism. I hoped it would give me gorgeous results, of course, but also hoped that it’d help me eliminate some of the standalone tools taking up residence in my bathroom drawer.

A girl’s only got so much storage space.

I loved the variety of styling tools that were included as much as I loved the case they came in because it provides effortless organization. Every attachment has a place carved out inside so nothing is free-floating, which is great for travel, too.

After washing my hair, I began my styling adventure with the drying attachment, which is considerably quieter than my Revlon hairdryer. Even using the low airflow (on medium heat), my hair was almost completely dry within about five minutes. One thing to note about multi-stylers like this is that you don’t want to  bring your hair to full dryness; you want to take it to 90% or so since the smoothing brush (and the air) will take it the rest of the way before you begin curling.

The smoothing brush with the Ella Bella 6-in-1 is nothing short of amazing. The result was frizz-free and nearly straight, basically turning my hair into a “blank canvas” where I could either straighten it with a flat iron, or curl it with the round brush and curling barrels included.

Although I opted to do a blowout this go-around, you can check out the results I achieved with the Ella Bella Infrared Hair Straightener if you’re curious.

Before curling, I used the large oval brush attachment to add some pretty serious volume at the root. I was honestly pretty shocked at the results because the amount of lift it gave, even on hair as long and heavy as mine is, blew my mind:

From there, I had to try the round brush on my fringe. In the past, I’d use a large velcro roller for that, but the round brush gave me the exact same result in a matter of seconds, rather than minutes (or hours if I rolled my fringe wet):

The Ella Bella 6-in-1 comes with two 1.25” air curling barrels, each going in a different direction. Since this was my first time using an air curler, there was a bit of a learning curve involved. 

My best advice? Have the air flow set to high, especially if your hair is long or heavy, because it’ll pick it up much more easily.

The resulting curls however, were soft, bouncy, and perfectly shaped. And the finished style with swoopy fringe, high volume, and relaxed waves, well… you be the judge:

For anyone with straight or wavy hair in particular, the Ella Bella 6-in-1 provides everything you need to achieve a gorgeous blowout. It might not be perfect for those with naturally curly hair, only because the dryer doesn’t have a diffuser attachment. (Back when my hair was permed, my diffuser was my ride-or-die tool.)

But considering the results and the much lower price tag compared to a Dyson (which I’ll talk about in a moment), the Ella Bella 6-in-1 is the better multi-styler, hands down.

For more, read: Ella Bella 6-in-1 Air Styler Review

Pros & Cons of the Ella Bella 6-in-1

Ella Bella Pros:

• It’s considerably less expensive compared to the Dyson, despite including tools that do all of the same things.
• Comes with attachments for most styling needs, including hair drying, smoothing, volume at the root (two brush options), and curling (two 1.25” barrels).
• Minimizes heat damage while also reducing frizz while drying and styling.
• Settings for temperature (three) and air flow (two) provide a lot of flexibility for any hair type.
• All of the tools have a specific place inside the hard-shell case for perfect organization at home or while traveling.
• Comes in a few color options: pink, champagne, and black.

Ella Bella Cons:

• Although there’s a hairdryer attachment, there is no concentrator or diffuser included.
• While it includes two curling barrel attachments, they are the exact same size and the air flow through each goes in a single direction (left or right, respectively). 
• Temperature control is simplified (low, medium, high heat) rather than with a specific setting in degrees.
• The locking ring and tools can get hot to the touch after extensive use or high heat.
• Currently, Ella Bella delivers only within the United States.

My Experience Styling with the Dyson Airwrap

When shopping, I discovered that the Dyson Airwrap isn’t a single, specific model; rather, the tools that are included depend on your hair type. I opted for the Straight+Wavy Dyson Airwrap, which includes attachments for drying, smoothing, volumizing, and curling, making it the most similar to the Ella Bella 6-in-1.

And I’ll be honest: I chose a refurbished model (purchased at Dyson) to save about half the money I would have otherwise spent. Even with savings of more than $300, it was still way more expensive compared to the Ella Bella.

I don’t normally start with the biggest con, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s important to mention the price tag ($649) right away because most of us are not made of money. A Dyson Airwrap is basically the BMW of multi-stylers, but in my experience, a much more affordable model can get you from point A to point B just as well (if not better).

Given the brand recognition (and cost), I had pretty high hopes for the Dyson. The selection of tools with the Straight+Wavy model is basically everything I need since my hair is no longer permed, and as with the Ella Bella 6-in-1, I started my styling adventure with wet, freshly-washed hair.

The Dyson dryer attachment is a little different than what I was used to, but it is definitely powerful, bringing my hair to an almost fully-dry state in less than five minutes. But even using the low air speed, it seemed to whip my hair around a lot more than I expected.

When it came time to use one of the smoothing brushes, I had to go online to figure out which one to select because one is “soft smoothing” (for finer hair) and the other is “firm smoothing” (for curly or thick hair). And I couldn’t tell which was which. 

(As it turns out, the one with the little nubs is the soft smoothing, which is what I used.)

The end results were not as perfect as they were with Ella Bella’s smoothing brush. They were okay enough, but my hair seemed a bit frizzier (all over) in comparison.

I moved on to the round brush, which is something I primarily use for my bangs and fringe to get that swoopy look I love so much. Dyson’s round brush is considerably stiffer and to be honest, pokier. Although it moved through my hair easily, the shape and lift wasn’t quite the same as Ella Bella’s round brush. (I later touched it up with a curling barrel to reach a more favorable finish.)

Speaking of curling barrels, that is the one thing that I do think Dyson does slightly better, only because you get two air curling wands in two different sizes. It’s easy to alternate the direction with the little dial at the top so you can use them on either side of your head.

That said, my hair is long and it’s a bit heavy, so when I’m using any air curler, I generally need the air speed to be on high to pull and wrap the hair around the barrel. While the Dyson does that well, I found that it also blew the rest of my hair around in the process.

The curls themselves were nice—big and bouncy with a great shape—but any hair that wasn’t around the barrel was being moved a lot more than I experienced with the Ella Bella’s curling barrels.

And really, when it was all said and done, the finished results were just not as smooth and pretty as I managed to get with the Ella Bella 6-in-1. I expected a lot more from the Dyson, if I’m being honest.

Pros & Cons of the Dyson Airwrap

Dyson Pros:

• Includes two curling barrels that are different sizes; each barrel (1.6” and 1.2”) has a dial that can change the direction of the air flow/curl.
• Additional attachments (diffuser, concentrator, wide-tooth comb, curling barrels, brushes, and others) can be purchased a la carte.

Dyson Cons:

• At $649, it’s one of the most expensive multi-styling tools out there.
• The base is longer and a little more difficult to wield compared to the Ella Bella 6-in-1.
• You have to select the right model to ensure you get the tools you want or need most, and/or purchase additional attachments separately.
• Did I mention it’s expensive?

The Final Verdict

After testing them side by side, I think the Ella Bella 6-in-1 is the better of the two. The airflow is strong, the learning curve is minimal (barring getting familiar with air-curling if you’ve never used one), and the results are a lot smoother and much more frizz-free on my hair.

All without a premium price.

I wanted to love the Dyson; I really did. It’s basically a hair tool celebrity at this point. And while Dyson may still be a status symbol, Ella Bella is the multi-styler I’d buy again… and recommend to anyone else.