Cloud Nine Airshot Pro review: Fiddly but fantastic

By and large the Airshot Pro isn't a complicated styling device. It doesn't have time of flight sensors for heat control like the Dyson Nural, it doesn't come with a gift box of attachments. It doesn't need that kind of flash because it has substance.

The lightweight, unassuming hair dryer is packed with power. Despite using low air temperatures it still manages to style hair that holds and shines for hours. Cloud Nine might be known for hair straighteners, but the Airshot Pro solidifies its dominance in hair dryers too.

As lower heat styling devices, hair dryers can be touch and go for different hair types. Generally my thick, wavy hair needs a hair dryer at full blast to be able to hold a style. Somewhere around 100°C tends to be the sweet spot where I can maintain a bouncy blow out for longer than a couple of hours. Considering that Cloud Nine's heat settings sit at 39°C, 47°C, or 85°C, I was skeptical that my hair would agree with the device. It hasn't with devices with comparable heat settings.

However, after styling my hair at 3pm with the Airshot Pro, it was still bouncy at 6pm, and again at 10pm, and even retained some flicks and volume the morning after. Ordinarily my hair wouldn't respond like that, so that's a win! It was also much quieter than other hair dryers. Usually I wear AirPods during styling to damped the noise, but it was entirely unneccessary with the Airshot Pro. Even on the highest setting the noise was perfectly manageable.

Measuring at the centre of the dryer, we found that the actual heat was slightly higher than it claims to be. Our testing showed temperatures of 88°C, 51°C, and 42°C, but this was on the device itself. By the time the air actually hits the hair some of this extra heat would dissipate out. Although the one thing working against the Airshot Pro is how long it takes for it to cool back down while switching heat settings. While it hit that top of 88°C in less than a minute, it took two minutes to level out to 51°C, and slightly longer again to get down to 42°C. Since these are already very low heat settings for styling it won't cause any damage to your hair, but snappier responses would be better.

With the styling concentrator attached the hair dryer had excellent airflow directionality. There were very few fly aways and it was easy enough to guide my hair around a round brush. Without the attachment the air was slightly more diffused, but nothing that is likely to cause any harm.

The stocky cylindrical shape is all the rage in hair dryers these days, and the Cloud Nine Airshot Pro isn't breaking that mould. It is however, much lighter than other high-end hair dryers and brushes, but the user experience of the setting buttons leaves a little to be desired.

Weighing in at just 440g the Pro is a breeze to use. Over the half hour it takes to style my hair the device never felt heavy or cumbersome. Thoughtful inclusions like the extra long 3m cable and swivel design make it even more comfortable. The downside is the user controls.

On the shaft of the dryer sits just three buttons; power, heat, and speed. In order to change the heat and speed settings you need to click the button multiple times. Each click moves the setting up by one, until it hits maximum and then it goes back down. If you accidentally press one of the buttons while styling (which happened to me multiple times), then you need to cycle down and up back again. It's a small inconvinience, but when you confront it multiple times in one styling session it amplifies.

Its matte black design, however sleek it looks is easily dabbled with product stains. I used the Cloud Nine Magical Quick Dry Potion while styling, and the dryer ended up with a barrage of little spots from the spray. Hairspray likewise sat on the dryer's coating. You can clean these of with a moist cloth, but that in itself leaves more spots and stains. To keep the matte looking pristine you'll want to wipe it down and dry it with a microfibre cloth after each styling session. Prefferably before the hair product dries.

The Airshot Pro retails for $499 but regularly sees discounts and bonus gifts included with purachase. At the time of writing the dryer comes with a free LED vanity mirror but we have also seen it come with a free skincare device, and a round brush during other promotions. Australian stockists are limited, and it is generally the best value to buy direct from Cloud Nine. Here are how prices compare

Although there are fancier devices on the market, practically the Airshot Pro will be more than enough hair dryer for most people. It nails the basics in the most important ways, and while there are some small inconviniences they're inconseqential to how the device actually performs. 

While $499 isn't exactly a cheap hair dryer, the Cloud Nine Airshot Pro justifies it. It is amongst the lightest device on the market yet still manages to pack in enough power to style quickly, and hold strongly. In terms of styling longevity, it outperforms hair dryers that cost 50% more. Suffice to say, the Airshot Pro packs a punch.