Our take on Drybar’s reverse tapered wand that takes things to the next level in terms of natural-looking results
Model name/ number: 900-1030-4
Price: $170
Shape: reverse tapered wand
Size: 1” to 1.25”
Best for: mid-back length and shorter hair, all hair types
What we like: high-quality material, non-slip barrel for more precision and ease of use
What we don’t like: doesn’t have dual voltage, the display keeps flashing blue even when its turned off
How it stands out: creates extra natural-looking results with its reverse tapered wand shape, bringing tighter curls to the top and looser waves to the tip of the strands
Rating: 4.8/5.0
Drybar’s quality is not questionable in terms of design and durability in material. If you want loose waves that looks very casual but still looking elegant, and you don’t mind paying for the extra luxury, Drybar The Wrap Party is the perfect tool for you. It comes as a reverse tapered wand, which is probably its most outstanding quality, compared to other Drybar curling irons. This shape creates tighter curls at the roots and soft, natural-looking, looser waves at the tips of your strands. This tool is conically shaped, which means that the curls have different sizes on different parts of the barrel, allowing you to play around with the exact look that you want to achieve. It’s important to note that this tool leaves out the clamp and is not the best at creating perfect-looking spiraled curls. Its curls are not uniform as its tapered. If you’re looking for sleek and fine results, it may not be the best for you. It’s 1” at the bottom and 1.25” at the tip, the most versatile barrel width that you’ll find in the market. This tool does wonders on short strands, giving them extra volume on the roots. Its non-slip barrel also helps with keeping the hair in place as it can get difficult to style the back sides of strands. It has a pretty large temperature range, starting from 200°F and going up till 450°F. This is a luxury tool and is not affordable, but you really feel the difference, and we recommend to invest on it if you have the budget.
Whether you’re seeking the best curling irons for beachy waves or best curling iron for fine hair, rest assured, Drybar The Wrap Party has you covered.
Below, we share our experiences with “Drybar The Wrap Party”.
Shape
When it comes to shape, Drybar The Wrap Party is pretty unique. Reverse tapered wands are very hard to come across. Let’s have a look at this tool’s shape from all angles.
First of all, it comes as a wand, meaning that it doesn’t have a holding clamp. It leaves out the clamp on purpose that helps create looser waves rather than uniform curls. The locks are s-shaped and have a very casual feel. It’s meant to create beach waves that look very natural. If you’re looking for tighter curls and more uniform results, a spring curling iron is worth checking out. There are many alternatives that would satisfy your needs on our list such as Bioionic Goldpro Curling Iron, which comes with a holding clamp for more perfect looking results.
Secondly, it’s conically shaped which provides different sized curls at the tip and the bottom. This also amplifies the “natural look” bringing in an extra touch of undone feel to your style.
Finally, it actually is reversed, so its narrower at the bottom and becomes wider at the tip. Tapered wands usually come as opposite, having a wider base and narrower tip and are better at creating volume by the root and tighter curls by the ends. The reversed shape on the other hand, is meant to have more voluminous ends and tighter curls at the roots. I know, it sound confusing. So basically, if you have fine hair and you need more volume at the roots of your strands, aim for a tapered wand but if you don’t have issues with volume and would rather have more bouncy waves by the tip of your strands, a reverse tapered wand is the smarter choice.
Size
Drybar The Wrap Party is narrower at the base and it gets wider by the tip from 1” to 1.25”. These are pretty standard numbers and the most common ones you’ll find in the market. This is because this size fits almost all hair lengths and types and can create a large range of different results. Unless your hair is very short, such as a pixie cut, this size should satisfy your needs. In case of really short strands, there are narrower barrels that are worth checking out. Babyliss Pro Nano Titanium Curling Wand has a barrel option as narrow as 0.5” and brings extraordinary results on very short hair, as well as being able to create very tight locks. But if you’re really digging the look of the reverse tapered wand, we’re afraid this is the narrowest size available.
Barrel’s length is also another aspect worth considering. This tool has a 5.25” barrel which is quite average compared to the other curling irons in the market. Combined with its average barrel width, this tool is as versatile as it gets in terms of size.
Heat and Variable Settings
Drybar comes with a heaping number of 25 different heat settings, which is one of the highest numbers in the market. It has a very large range of temperatures, starting from 200°F and going up till 450°F, rising in 10°F increments. This tool provides you with the perfect temperature, no matter what your hair type is. It’s gentle enough for fine hair and definitely can tame even the unruliest with its highest setting. So, heat is not something to worry about if you’re thinking of choosing Drybar The Wrap Party as there will be a setting that will satisfy your needs perfectly.
Material and Performance
Drybar’s material of choice for The Wrap Party is ceramic, which is known to be the gentler option compared to titanium. This material should be your go to if you’re a beginner as it heats up much slower, giving room for errors if you don’t exactly know what you’re doing with your tool. It’s usually not the choice of professionals though, as it’s definitely slower. It also is a worse tamer of thick strands than titanium. If you don’t have very unruly strands, this shouldn’t be your concern at all, but if you are an experienced home stylist and want speedy and effective results on your unruly strands, a titanium curling iron may be a better option for you. Infinitipro By Conair Rose Gold Curling Wand offers a titanium barrel and provides outstandingly fast results.
Drybar hair tools are well known to be very luxurious and Drybar The Wrap Party is no exception. It really is one of the brands that you can close your eyes and not worry about its material quality. It also is elegantly designed and very sturdy to hold. Considering its price, it makes sense that it doesn’t disappoint. You can also notice its high performance levels with its strong yet gentle results that clearly causes minimum hair damage to the strands. We can say that its price vs performance is quite satisfying.
Features
Drybar The Wrap Party, first of all, offers ionic technology that, in our opinion, every hair tool should offer. This feature is basically there to eliminate frizz from strands as much as possible, and if you want frizz-free results, you should without a doubt choose a tool that has this feature.
It has a non-slip barrel which is quite rare. This quality is provided to hold the hair in place for extra ease of use. It also creates a finer finish as the ends of the strands receive more heat.
It comes with the usual 60-minute auto shut-off feature that turns the tool off automatically to avoid fire risk as these tools can be hazardous. This feature also great to put forgetful minds at ease.
It comes with audible warning to let you know when your desired temperature is reached, as well as light indicators. It actually has a display that keeps flashing in blue colour, even when it’s turned off, which can get a bit annoying when the lights are off.
This tool doesn’t have dual voltage, so you will need to be mindful in case you want to travel to other countries with your tool. It may not work in certain places. If you’re a frequent traveler and this is an issue for you, we recommend to opt for a tool that has this feature, such as GHD Curve Creative Curl.
Ergonomics
Drybar The Wrap Party weighs 9oz, and is way above the average number of 8oz. Considering the fact that wands are usually lighter than spring irons, we have to say that this tool is quite bulky. Combine with its lack of dual voltage it certainly is not a travel-friendly tool. This weight may be an issue if you don’t have very strong arms and you want to use your tool for longer periods of time. Arm fatigue is a real problem using hot hair tools and this tool is not a helpful one. If you’re looking for a light weight option, we really recommend Bioionic Goldpro Styling Wand with only 6.1oz.
Its handle is also quite thick with 1.23” while the average is around 1.08”, something to think about if you have very small hands, but it will be comfortable if you have normal-sized hands.
It has a very comfortable cool touch grip that makes it very appealing to beginners. It also has a built-in safety stand which also adds to this tool’s comfort. It makes sure that the tool doesn’t touch the surfaces while it’s hot.
It has a digital display and temperature control, both very helpful, not only for beginners but also for the ones that wants great precision in terms of temperature.
It has a very long cord which is swivel that that helps you move it around and maneuver easily. The 9ft cord is the longest size in the market and is very useful to have, but also can get a bit messy as it this tool doesn’t come with velcro tape.
Price & Warranty
Drybar The Wrap Party is one of the most luxurious and hence one of the most expensive tools on our list. It has a price tag of $170 and for sure isn’t for the budget shoppers. As much as we would like to mention that it does earn its price with its durability, we understand that it’s not for everyone to spend this much on a curling iron. It comes with a 2-year warranty which is the usual number in the market.
If you think this tool is a bit too spendy for your taste but you still would like a luxury model that is a bit more affordable, we really recommend you to check out Babyliss Nano Titanium Compact Curling wand, which has the usual material quality of Babyliss, but is a very affordable option thanks to its small size.
Competition
Drybar The Wrap Party offers a luxurious styling experience, but it obviously isn’t for budget shoppers. In that case, there still are many more affordable options to choose from and in our opinion, Infinitipro’s tourmaline ceramic tapered curling wand is a great option. It also is a wand shaped tool with a nonslip barrel. It has less of a range of heat setting, from 285 °F to 400 °F, but it still is a powerful and efficient tool, in case you don’t have an extreme hair type.
If you’re looking for uniform curls, Drybar The Wrap Party definitely is not the right one for you. But the perfect alternative comes from the same brand, called Drybar The Mixologist. This tool offers interchangeable attachments and comes with three different heads including a spring iron, a wand and even a waver.
