We Tried the RevAir on 5 Different Hair Types

Camille Briggs (that’s me). I’m a CR freelancer with a bob cut that is chemically relaxed and colored (I also wear extensions). I wanted to know if the RevAir would pull out my extensions when drying and if it would dry my hair at the roots.

My teenage daughter, who has 4B-4C shoulder-length hair. I wanted to find out if it would cut down hair-drying time.

Jodhaira Rodriguez, a CR writer and lab tester with waist-length hair that is a mix of waves and curls that she calls 3B-2C. She wants to cut her hair-drying time down. Currently, it takes her an hour to an hour and a half to dry her hair completely.

Ginger Cowles, a CR editor with bra-strap-length 3C-3B fine hair. She is looking for smoother hair with less effort and less heat (and heat damage). If she can avoid having to flat iron her hair after blow-drying, that would be a huge win.

Ginger’s 5-year-old daughter, who has 4A curly hair that reaches to the middle of her back when the curls are stretched. Ginger would like to cut down on drying time and help prevent heat damage and hair loss.

It arrived in a pretty gray and turquoise box that read, “Hello Beautiful." It has five pieces: the heat-producing wand, hose, reverse-air base unit, removable filter basket, and a wand rest. I was able to set it up in maybe five minutes. The box includes a QR code that takes you to a handy video to aid in setup. It is just that easy. 

According to the manufacturer, RevAir means reverse air. It is a vacuum suction device that uses air and internal temperature sensors to draw away moisture from hair follicles. The RevAir smooths, stretches, and dries hair in one step. 

There are three heat settings on the RevAir wand. According to myRevAir.com, setting II measures 220° F/105° C, setting I measures 158° F/70° C, and setting O is the no-heat option. Licensed cosmetologist Tony Galaviz from MOD Hair Factory in Beaumont, Texas, says the three heat settings are the coolest part about using the RevAir. “The higher heat (setting) makes it smoother and then the cold air sets it.” You switch between heat settings with a simple click. 

Finding the perfect tension setting is just as simple. The tension settings impact the stretching and straightening. The tension settings range from 1 to 7 and are located on the base of the RevAir. The manufacturer’s instructions say to “test a wet section of hair on a tension setting of 3 for 10 seconds. Repeat this process, increasing in tension setting one level at a time, until you find the level that gives your hair the best results.”

Prepping your hair is key. The brand recommends using the RevAir on clean, damp hair with “your favorite leave-in hair products.” Users should detangle and section the hair into sections no larger than the wand opening. Doing this before starting the drying process makes drying go much faster.

We tried the $400 hair dryer on relaxed short hair to Rapunzel-esque curly hair.