I Tried The New GHD Wet-To-Styled Hair Straightener That’s All Over Your FYP

When I heard that GHD was releasing a new hair straightener that takes your hair from wet to styled in a few swipes, I was intrigued. As a teen of the ‘00s, I grew up with a certain older generation of wet-to-dry straightener that actually sizzled as it slid through my hair. I lived and died by my pin-straight hair and can probably blame that one hot tool for me still not having mastered the round brush and blow dryer. 

So, when GHD reached out to offer me a review of its newest Duet Style 2-in-1 Hot Air Styler, I had to give it a go. I’ll admit that I wasn’t sure there was a place for this product in my hot tool arsenal — after all, I am devoted to my Helios Hair Dryer, $335 and the versatility of my Platinum+ Hair Straightener, $395, which allows me to flip between straight, curled and waved hair depending on my mood. 

Unlike the shiver-inducing straightener from my youth, the GHD Duet Style 2-in-1 Hot Air Styler, $595, is a blow dryer and hair straightener hybrid, which means your wet hair definitely won’t sizzle as you clamp the hot tool around it. 

When removing the styler from the box, I immediately noticed that it’s bulkier than my usual GHD straightener, with wider plates and a slightly thicker handle. I also noticed that running down the middle of each straightening plate is a vent, and thin parallel vents also run along the top of the straightener (presumably to let out the steam from drying and straightening the hair). The styler’s handle has an on/off switch and a little button underneath that’s labelled ‘Shine Shot’, which you use to toggle between the air and straightener modes.

After taking a quick glance at the instructions, I hopped in the shower to wash my hair, using my favourite shampoo and conditioner combination to suit my colour-treated hair (the Redken Acidic Bonding Shampoo and Conditioner, $99). Following my usual post-shower routine, I wrapped my hair in the Aquis Rapid Dry Hair Turban, $50, until it was roughly 50% dryer than when I exited the shower. I then liberally spritzed my hair with Redken One United, $44 — which works as a detangler, leave-in conditioner, and heat protectant in one — and brushed it through with the Tangle Teezer Wet Detangler, $25.50. 

It’s definitely worth sectioning up the top portion of hair at this point, so you can start running the styler through, from the bottom and working your way forwards. If you have longer hair, you'll have no problem gliding the GHD Duet through your lengths, though if you have a bob haircut (like I do), you'll be familiar with the usual struggle of grabbing onto the shorter lengths at the back of your hair. I usually just let mine live their life without too much interference and hope for the best, so that's exactly what I did here. Once the tool is turned on, there is a lot of air blowing around and though that’s the entire point, it made grabbing onto my little sideburns tricky. But with a little bit of concentration, I was able to get there.

As I worked my way through the longer hair towards my part, I noticed that it took three to four sweeps to fully dry each section of hair, taking roughly 10 to 15 minutes overall. While this was a bit slower than using my hair dryer the old-fashioned way, I have no doubt I'd become faster as I get more familiar with the tool.

The really fun thing about my hair is that it needs to be blow-dried sleek and straight at the root from when it's towel-dried, otherwise I have no hope of taming my cowlicks and frizz (plenty of hair stylists have tried and failed). Something I did notice when using the GHD Duet is that the drying barrel has about an inch of cold ceramic plates surrounding it, making it harder to dry your hair smoothly at the root, where I need it most. Overall, the drying function left my hair smooth and silky (much like a salon blowout would), though with some frizzy, kinky bulk towards the root. Since my hair never fares well with a blow dry and always requires additional styling from a straightener or curling tong, I wasn't overly surprised.

Next, I moved on to use the second function (the straightener). To turn it on, I held down the ‘Shine Shot’ button for three seconds, which turns off the air and turns on the straightening plates. I had mixed results with the straightener, which had more to do with me not being used to wrangling a wide-plate straightener, and less to do with any issues with the styler itself. It did a good job of smoothing out my frizzy roots, and my hair felt extremely soft; it's a good sign that I kept running my hands through it for the rest of the day. I need a bit more practice styling my curtain fringe as it was left looking pin-straight, rather than soft and slightly curved like I prefer. 

I'd say this styler is ideal for anyone who favours straight and sleek styles, but probably isn’t suited to anyone looking for a straightener that also curls and waves the hair with a flick of the wrist (stick with the Platinum+ for this!). If your hair is already quite straight and just needs a little zhuzh after being washed, the GHD Duet will probably do exactly what you want it to (dry and style it in a couple of quick steps), but if you have curlier or shorter hair like I do, you might have to work a little harder to achieve your desired effect.

Overall, the GHD Duet styler is simple to use and I loved how soft my hair felt after using it. When running my hands through my hair afterwards, it felt like I had been to the salon for a blow dry and this softness lasted for a few days, which is uncommon for my hair when styled at home. I’ll probably stick to my Helios and Platinum+ because, what can I say? I like what I like. But it’s a great option for someone with longer hair who wants to replace two products with one.