Keep the original Airwrap and change direction at the barrel

One more change of direction

Drew opened a page of new Airwrap sets and paused. The original handle still worked. Replacing it felt premature, even with the two curling barrels beginning to get on Drew’s nerves.

Drew’s old US HS01 had separate barrels for clockwise and counterclockwise curls. Drew liked alternating adjacent sections of below-shoulder hair, which meant repeatedly exchanging one barrel for the other.

Doing all the sections that needed the same direction together would reduce the exchanges. That was a reasonable way to keep using the pair. Drew wanted to keep the chosen section order, though, and went looking for the small control visible on newer barrels.

The handle can stay

The control was a rotating cool tip. On Dyson’s 1.6 inch long barrel in Black/Rosé, it selected either direction through the same attachment. That suited Drew’s taste for a physical control with a clear job.

Compatibility took a closer look. Dyson’s first-generation upgrade announcement explicitly allowed owners to retain their original machine. Its current Airwrap i.d. guidance says the new attachments work with previous Airwrap devices. Together with the exact barrel’s place in that range, those statements support keeping Drew’s HS01.

There is a newer boundary to watch. Co-anda2x has a separate attachment system. A Co-anda2x barrel is unsuitable for this older handle, even though the Airwrap name appears on both.

Drew chose the genuine Dyson 1.6 inch long barrel in Black/Rosé. Dyson identifies it as part 974158-01. The linked Amazon listing matches the brand, diameter, long format, color and single-barrel package, but does not display that part number. Check those details and the current seller before ordering, especially when moving between variants or similar-looking accessories.

Keep the familiar routine around it

Drew already had the pre-styling dryer, comb, clips and filter brush. The 1.6 inch diameter was a deliberate choice for the long hair and style Drew wanted. Someone wanting another diameter or length would need to choose that accessory separately.

The new control would remove exchanges made solely to reverse direction. Preparation and care would continue. Secure the attachment, pre-dry before curling, use the cool tip and switch the appliance off to release the hair. Other parts of the attachment can be hot and need to cool before handling.

The original US handle also keeps its own instructions. Use it away from water on a suitable US supply, without an extension cord or voltage converter, and carry out the manual’s ALCI safety-plug check before each use. Unplug after use. For filter care, unplug and cool the appliance, keep water off the filter mesh and dry the washed cage before refitting it.

Drew checked the accessory against the personal budget, then closed the page of replacement sets. The old handle would stay.

When this does not matter

Your existing barrel already switches direction, or you are happy grouping sections by direction so that swapping the old pair is a minor part of the routine.