As a beauty editor, I’ve tried my fair share of hair gadgets, from hair steamers to air straighteners, but nothing prepared me for this latest unique device. The RevAir Reverse Air Dryer popped up on my feed as an all-in-one hair tool to dry, stretch and smooth your hair. While many tools promise similar things, this one was created for natural hair, especially those with thick, coily and/or low porosity locks. I wanted to see if the claims were true, so I roped in a couple of editors with different hair types to test out this buzzy machine. Here are our honest reviews, including impressive before and after photos.
4 Different Hair Types Try the RevAir Hair Dryer with Stunning Before & After Photos
Did it get the job done?
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Published May 2, 2025
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What Is the RevAir Hair Dryer?
RevAir is short for ‘Reverse Air,’ which is used to dry, smooth and stretch hair. The brand’s technology relies on gentle vacuum suction and internal temperature sensors to draw in moisture rather than direct hot air, which can cause heat damage and breakage. It has seven tension settings to tailor airflow and three heat settings. The tool prides itself on being an all-in-one without needing a flat iron, blow dryer or even a brush. It also claims it can cut down on drying time and can be used on all hair types, especially those with type 3 and 4 textures.
How We Tested RevAir Hair Dryer
With my testers assembled, I laid out the standard PureWow100 criteria for reviewing. First up: aesthetics. After assembling it, was the RevAir sleek and lightweight or bulky and heavy? I then directed that each tester use it at for least two (or more) wash days to get comfortable with the device. From there, we each analyzed how well the RevAir actually did what it promised—how successful was it at drying, stretching and/or smoothing down our locks? When it comes to drying, I asked the editors to look for how quickly it transformed their damp locks while retaining moisture and preventing frizz. For stretching, how the tool changed their curl/wave pattern, For smoothing, how well it produced a blowout. Finally, each editor spent time thinking about its value and if it actually got the job done, especially when it came to their hair type. Here’s what we discovered.
Meet the Testers
- Chelsea Candelario is a beauty and cultures editor at PureWow. She has curly hair with a 3C hair type. She uses a diffuser or air dries her curls. When she wants a blowout, she relies on a blow dryer brush and flat iron for sleek locks. It typically takes 30 minutes to dry curly hair and an hour to straighten it.
- Nakeisha Campbell is associate editor of news & entertainment at PureWow. She has very tight coils with a mixture of 4B and 4C hair types. She typically uses a hair dryer with a comb attachment to dry and stretch out her hair and it takes at least an hour (or more) depending how stretched she wants her hair.
- Delia Curtis is assistant editor at PureWow. They have loose wavy hair with a mixture of 2A and 2B hair types. They don’t use any hair tools to style their locks and rely only on air-drying to maintain their pattern. It takes at least any hour to dry or straighten due to the thickness of their hair.
- Courtney Mason is editorial assistant at PureWow. She has very tight coils with a mixture of 4A and 4B hair types. She typically uses blow dryer brush or air dries if she’s wearing a protective style like braids or twists. It takes at least 15 minutes to completely dry her hair.
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Our RevAir Hair Dryer Review
First Impressions
RevAir
The hair dryer is not like any tool I’ve used before; it’s shaped like a hand-held vacuum cleaner. It’s a bit bulky, and I have no idea where to store it at the moment, but it still piqued my interest—especially the unique design of the wand (aka where you pop a section of hair in but I’ll get to the fun bits in a sec).
I thought I was going to spend hours trying to figure out how to assemble everything, but thankfully the manual is very detailed and provides a QR code for all the visual learners out there (like myself). We all agreed that it was easy to assemble and use right away. As Campbell shares, “I will admit, a part of me dreaded having to put the separate pieces together and build, but it was relatively simple. I was able to switch it on and use it in less than 10 minutes.” All you have to do is pop in the filter, before attaching the hose and then the wand together. The tool is also nicely marked to let you know if everything is locked and ready to be used.
Where the Fun Begins: Drying Our Hair
RevAir
Admittedly, actually putting the tool to use had some of us nervous. The last thing I wanted was the tool to suck up my hair and a chunk of it be gone forever. But reading the instructions helped ease my mind and protect my roots.
Once you section your towel-dried hair and apply a lightweight leave-in, work in small sections (even smaller if you have thicker strands) that will fit into the wand. It took a minute to adjust to the new sensation, but once you get the hang of it, it was easy. We all found the tool to be very gentle on our hair. I was pleasantly surprised by how well each section gathered into the wand and it didn’t strain on my scalp or cause additional tangles. You don’t have to adjust or move the wand for it to work its magic. “The tool was VERY easy to navigate. Once it’s all hooked up, just feed in your hair in sections smaller than the hose and the machine does the rest for you. It definitely was a bit of a learning curve to figure out how much of my hair could fit in it and the right amount to insert to make sure that it dried in one pass,” shares Curtis.
RevAir
The machine has multiple tension levels and will automatically set to Level 3 every time you turn it on. The brand stresses to not start at Level 7 (the highest tension) and instead begin in the middle before working your way up (or down) if you need to stretch/smooth your strands as time goes on. A few of us stood in the 3 to 4 level tension so as to not cause any irritation to our hair. Though I did eventually toggle up to 5—and Mason went all the way up to 7 just to test the water—and even then, it was pretty smooth sailing, no discomfort.
The tool also has three heat settings depending on your hair type and/or your desired smooth finish. “When blow-drying my hair with my usual tool or any other hair dryer, the heat settings tend to run very hot, burning me in the process. RevAir’s highest heat setting felt just right on my head and didn’t burn me or my scalp,” adds Mason.
While the wand is easy to grip and keep your section in place, the tool is loud and heavy. Be prepared to take lots of breaks. Didn’t think we were signing up for a workout amiright? “As I was blow-drying my hair, I felt my arm getting tired throughout the blow-drying process from holding it up,” shares Mason. “I couldn’t figure out where exactly to place my hand on the wand attachment. I also noticed that the hose would sometimes get in the way during the blow-drying process, making it slightly awkward to use.”
The Time Frame
RevAir
The tool prides itself on cutting drying time down, and it worked for most of us. Curtis shared it took 22 minutes to dry their entire head. For Campbell, 40 minutes: “It’s definitely quicker than using my regular dryer.” (She notes drying time would’ve been shorter if she didn’t take breaks to detangle and apply product.)
When drying each small section, it can take 30 to 120 seconds to dry, stretch and smooth. I was very impressed with how it stretched my curl pattern, which was quicker than a standard flat iron or blow dryer brush. However, I have long and thick locks, so it still took a while to go through my entire head since the tool works best with at least an inch (or smaller) sections. So if you have short, wavy or fine locks, the tool can be a quick option. But if you have long, thick and/or tighter curl pattern, it might take a bit to get the job done.
The Bottom Line: Should I Invest In the RevAir Hair Dryer?
What We Like
- suitable for all hair types
- customizable experience
- gentle
- easy to use/assemble
What We Don't Like
- bulky
- heavy
- hard to store
RevAir
I’m not going to lie to you, it’s a big investment. It’s usually $399, but is currently marked down to $369—which is $200 less than other buzzy hair tools in the market that require multiple attachments to dry and style. However, most of their claims are true. The machine does a great job at drying, smoothing and stretching different hair types. It’s super gentle, while being very easy to use and assemble quickly. The multiple tension levels and heat settings allowed us to customize our experience. And while all of us tested it out for a blow out, it can even be used on protective styles like braids, wigs and extensions to dry and maintain freshness.
The cons amongst myself and the other testers are the size and weight of the tool. For many of us NYC editors, space is limited and a vacuum-like hair tool takes up a lot of real estate. “It was a whole process to find a space in my tiny bathroom to be able to position the base, plug it in and use it away from the sink and shower because it can’t be within range of any water. The hose/wand is a bit thick and makes holding it for longer periods of time feel like quite the chore.” Curtis points out. Also, the wand starts to weigh on our arms after a while, so drying time might be longer simply because we’re taking more breaks (which can be more for thicker and/or longer locks).
Overall, it’s definitely worth the splurge. While timing differs and our arms have more muscle than it did before, the results left our hair soft, stretched and glossy. Whether you have wavy, curly or coily hair, it did a great job at preventing heat damage and maintaining moisture. Just make sure you have enough space to store it and block time for breaks and you’re good to go.
Fast Facts
- Tension Settings: 7
- Heat Settings: 3 (158º low, 220º high, cool shot)
Why You Should Trust Us
PureWow's editors and writers have spent more than a decade shopping online, digging through sales and putting our home goods, beauty finds, wellness picks and more through the wringer—all to help you determine which are actually worth your hard-earned cash. From our PureWow100 series (where we rank items on a 100-point scale) to our painstakingly curated lists of fashion, beauty, cooking, home and family picks, you can trust that our recommendations have been thoroughly vetted for function, aesthetics and innovation. Whether you're looking for travel-size hair dryers you can take on-the-go or women’s walking shoes that won’t hurt your feet, we’ve got you covered.
