L’Oreal Professionnel AirLight Pro review: Faster, lighter and repairable

AirLight compatible With iOS 13.0 and later (including iPad), Android 8.0 Oreo and later, and Bluetooth 5.0. It offers 12 presets designed for four different modes: Standard, Smooth, Curly, and Curly. Each preset is editable and can be saved for future use, so once you lock in your settings, it’s always ready. There’s also a fully customizable mode. Another small but welcome feature is the app’s usage tracker, which records how long you’ve used the dryer. It may seem trivial, but knowing when to clean the filter can extend the life of the product (we’ll talk about this later).

The app is clearly in its early stages, but it works well and leaves plenty of room for updates. I can only imagine how much better it could be with features like heat styling tips from the pros, quick tutorial videos, or even curated inspiration boards for different hairstyles. L’Oréal has laid the foundation here, and I’m curious to see how they build on it in the future.

Hair appears after blow-drying with a concentrator (no brush)

In an industry where so many gadgets are headed to landfill, the AirLight Pro is exceptional. L’Oréal claims that the AirLight Pro engine is designed for long-term use, with a lifespan that can extend to 10 years of professional-level use, which is about two hours a day, five days a week. For anyone who deals with cheap hair dryers that barely last a season, this alone is a promising proposition.

But what really sets the AirLight Pro apart is its repairability. L’Oréal will provide replacement parts starting in early 2025. The AirLight Pro also has built-in filter cleaning alerts when cleaning is needed. Frequency varies depending on air quality, daily dust, and other particles (such as hairspray). If the filter reaches a critical condition, the dryer turns off until you clean it to avoid damage to the motor. I haven’t gotten to that point yet, so I can’t vouch for how well it works, but I do appreciate the idea of ​​a long-lasting hair dryer.

At $475, the AirLight Pro isn’t cheap. But it’s only $45 more than the ubiquitous Dyson SuperSonic, and it has a lot of advantages — it’s quieter than the Dyson, quicker to dry my hair, and more customizable with the app. Most importantly, you can get it repaired if it breaks after the warranty expires. If I’m going to spend nearly $500 on a hair dryer, I want to make sure I only do it once. The personalized AirLight Pro experience is worth it.