he hotly anticipated Dyson hair straightener — the Dyson Corrale — was announced earlier this year; in fact, just before the Circuit Breaker began. It has since been released in the US and UK, and is finally making its debut in Singapore today! Here’s our first look at the machine.

UNBOXING

Above: The box we keep seeing in all the press images for this product.

Above: The box inside the box.

Above: Unwrapping the machine.

Above: The velvet case that is included in the box is made out of a heat-resistant material, so you can place the machine on top of it without damaging your table.

Above: There’s a tab that allows you to disconnect the battery so the machine can be carried safely onto airplanes.

Above: The Dyson Corrale closed.

Above: The Dyson Corrale opened.

Above: The included charging stand that comes with the Corrale.

CLOSE UP

Above: The Dyson Corrale is the only hair straightener that uses flexing plates instead of conventional solid plates. The flexing plates gather hair evenly, so every strand of hair that passes through them have even tension; and with better tension and control, less heat is needed to achieve results. And of course with less heat, less damage is done to hair.

Above: There’s a microprocessor in the machine that regulates temperature 100 times a second. There are three temperature settings: 165°C, 185°C and 210°C, and these are easily selected with the + and – buttons.

Once the unit is turned on, you’ll be prompted to select a temperature (I recommend starting with the lowest setting on your first try), and the machine will make a ding sound when it’s ready for use. It takes slightly over 30 seconds to heat up to the lowest setting of 165°C.

When the machine is turned off, the power button flashes red, and stops flashing once the plates are cool.

Also good to note, the Corrale will go into idle mode after 5 minutes of inactivity, and shuts down after 10 minutes of inactivity.

USING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME

Above: The Corrale connects to the charging cable through a 360° rotating magnetic port; and it has a universal voltage, so can be used anywhere in the world.

It has a quick charge function, which takes only 40 minutes to reach 90%. To charge the battery to 100%, it takes a total of 70 minutes. If you’re wondering why it takes an additional 30 minutes to get that remaining 10% charge, it’s a deliberate design to help preserve the long-term health of the battery.

A full charge lasts around 30 minutes of use, which should be long enough for most hair styles. If it runs out of battery, you can use the Corrale plugged in; it will also charge while you’re using it.

Above: This is what the stand looks like and how it’s connected to the charging cable. The Corrale charges when placed on the stand, and is convenient for “top ups” during styling sessions.

THE EXPERIENCE

The first thing most people will imagine with this cordless hair straightener is that it will be heavy; and yes, it is definitely heavier than my conventional ghd straightener, but the increased weight wasn’t obvious while actually using it, and it does feel balanced in the hand. In fact, the convenience of going cordless far outweighs any increase in weight for this device. Now I can take this anywhere to straighten hair — to the bathroom or vanity table that doesn’t have a powerpoint that I previously needed; to work; or just out for a quick touch-up before an event.

While cordless straighteners did exist before the Corrale, this is the first straightener to use flexing plates, and these plates really do glide through hair effortlessly and smoothly, and they get the job done — hair is smooth and straight after just one pass.

TIPS

• You don’t need to clamp down hard on hair; let the flexing plates do their job of gathering and securing hair between them. This will also avoid unnatural kinks in the hair — unless of course, that’s what you’re trying to achieve. Some reviews mention stray hair getting snagged between the plates; I believe this is because the user was clamping the plates unnecessarily hard. Just remember that using the Corrale is meant to be effortless; just gently glide the plates down the hair.
• The slower you draw the machine down the hair, the less passes you need. 
• Use this machine on dry hair. If you do apply a pre-styling hair product, wait for it to dry before using the Corrale.

DYSON CORRALE, $699, AVAILABLE IN BLACK NICKEL/FUCHSIA AND PURPLE/BLACK AT DYSON.COM.SG.