L'Oréal's AirLight Pro hair dryer styled my hair in record time, but is it worth $475?
The AirLight Pro's most prominent feature is the circle of light on the front of the hair dryer. And it's not just for looks; it's actually an infrared light, which was developed in partnership with Zuvi, a hardware startup created by scientists and drone engineers. (Zuvi launched its own version of an infrared light hair dryer in 2022.) Together, the L'Oréal and Zuvi were able to apply the patented infrared technology to a smarter, more efficient hair dryer that promises to deliver smooth, less damaged hair. But at $475, is it really worth the cost?
L'Oréal Professionnel AirLight Pro Hair Dryer
A powerful blow-dryer co-developed by professional hairstylists, the AirLight Pro features infrared light technology and customizable settings to dry hair quickly. You can also feel like a professional stylist yourself, thanks to its ability to toggle between Standard and Pro modes. Super-fast drying
Outfitted with a 17-blade high-speed motor, I've never used a blow-dryer as speedy as the AirLight Pro. I've averaged six minutes from wet to dry on my long, medium-thick hair. For reference, it used to take 15 to 20 minutes when using a standard hair dryer. The AirLight Pro's high speed and high heat settings don't play around. Its wind speeds top 130 mph, and it can get up to 285 degrees Fahrenheit, which I don't even like cranking it up to because it feels excessively hot on my hair and scalp. Instead, I like to keep it around 165 degrees, which is its max heat on the Standard setting (toggling the hair dryer into Pro mode or snapping on an attachment can unlock higher temps). The AirLight Pro's infrared technology (visible as the greenish light from tungsten–halogen bulbs) amplifies the device's powerful wind and high temps by adding additional heat to the airflow as it's blasting on your hair. According to the brand, the infrared light also targets water molecules, speeding up the evaporation process and thus assisting in a quicker blow-dry.
Highly customizable settings
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While having my name and photo programmed onto my hair dryer isn't a necessity by any means, it is a cool feature of the AirLight Pro. The tool is decked out with personalized settings accessed by pairing your hair dryer with the AirLight Pro app. Once connected, you can customize the fan speed and temperature and create saved styling settings for your desired hairstyle and the appropriate attachments. These are saved as Pro settings on the app and device, and you can use either to switch between your saved settings. When in Standard mode, you can control the speed and temperature with the buttons on the hair dryer. If you don't download the app, you can still use preprogrammed Pro settings designed for different hair types like sleek, curly and coily.
You can also create different profiles so if you share the hair dryer, each user can have their own custom settings.
I like the level of control the app offers and being able to choose the exact variations that work best for my hair. It takes the AirLight Pro beyond the usual low, medium and high settings found on hair dryers, letting you get much more precise with your desired airflow and temperature. That said, I'm generally turned off by the idea of hopping on an app every time I blow-dry my hair.
Sleek, smart design
The hair dryer not only looks cool but it feels nice in the hand. At 1.7 pounds, the hair tool is well balanced and features an intuitive user interface. I also appreciated the long power cord that doesn't limit movement.
The AirLight Pro comes with two magnetic attachments, a concentrator nozzle and a diffuser, that easily snap on to the hair dryer. Both attachments have been thoughtfully designed to work with the infrared technology and not impede the light's range. They're also outfitted with RFID sensors, so the hair dryer will recognize which attachment has been affixed and automatically adjust the temperature and wind settings.
Another small but important feature is the hair dryer's alerts that will automatically sound when it's time to clean the two filters. Regularly cleaning the filters will help extend the lifespan of the appliance and keep it running smoothly. It's also worth noting that it comes with a two-year warranty that covers defects or breakage with normal usage.
No storage case
For nearly $500, it feels like a storage case should be a given, but unfortunately, the AirLight Pro does not come with one. I tried keeping the hair dryer and attachments in the cardboard box it came in, but it wasn't a long-term solution. Now, all the components live in a bit of a jumble in my bathroom.
Last year saw a push toward smarter, pricier blow-dryers that efficiently dry hair while also cutting down on heat damage. Along with L'Oréal's AirLight Pro, Dyson released a new version of its hair dryer, the Supersonic Nural. Both hair tools are similar in look, feel and price. The Dyson Supersonic Nural hair dryer is $499, and the original Dyson Supersonic is $429. The L'Oréal AirLight Pro fits right into this range at $475.
Before testing the AirLight Pro, the Supersonic Nural was the hair dryer that I regularly used. While the AirLight Pro has customizable settings, the Supersonic Nural has an automatic heat setting, called Scalp Protect Mode, that uses a sensor built into the blow-dryer to adjust the temperature of the airflow as you blow dry. When you get the device closer to the scalp, the Supersonic Nural dials back the temperature so you don't have to worry about burning your scalp. It's this intuitive tech that makes Supersonic Nural worth the upgrade, in my opinion. It makes the blow-dryer safer overall and doesn't require any extra work on the user's part.
The L'Oréal AirLight Pro, on the other hand, puts the user in the driver's seat. With its customizable settings in the app, you can decide what works best for your hair. This takes some initial legwork to set up, but once you have your preferences set, it's smooth sailing.
Considering the high price tags for both hair tools, I think most at-home users will appreciate foolproof automation of the Dyson Supersonic Nural and its Scalp Protect Mode. However, if you want more control over your hair styling overall, the L'Oréal AirLight Pro is a better choice.
The AirLight Pro is powered with patented tech, attractively designed and great at its job — but $475 still seems steep for what it offers. I was most impressed by how fast it dries my hair while still leaving it feeling healthy. In practice, this is its biggest selling point: It'll save you precious time and help your hair in the long run. The personalization and custom settings are nice for those that want to get more technical in their hair care and styling, but aren't much value added if you find connecting to the app cumbersome.
I recently had a blowout appointment with a stylist who happened to use the AirLight Pro at the salon, and he loved its efficiency too. He also joked that you can use it to blow-dry your hair in the dark, thanks to its glowing infrared light. That light, which assists with the speedy drying time, is perhaps the AirLight Pro's biggest differentiator from other expensive hair dryers on the market, but I don't think its enough to tip the scale in its favor. Ultimately, the AirLight Pro feels more like a tool designed by professionals for professionals, and the price is too high for your average shopper.
CNN Underscored has a skilled team of writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products, and they ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when it makes sense to make certain we are testing each product accurately, recommending only the best products and considering the pros and cons of each item. For this article, beauty and fashion editor Sophie Shaw tested the L'Oréal Professionnel AirLight Pro blow-dryer, comparing it to her previous testing of other top blow-dryers on the market.
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