Conair Unbound | Pictured above are curls in one direction
I was influenced by Vivian of @your.richbff to try the Conair Unbound Auto Curler, which is currently under $60 on Amazon. Her quick demo immediately convinced me to order it and test it against my Dyson Airwrap (full review here). I’ve owned the over-hyped Airwrap for years, and I fully agree with Vivian: if you’re not skilled at styling your own hair, an expensive hair tool won’t magically make it easier. The Dyson Airwrap was my biggest regret purchase of 2019, and I still kick myself for not returning it in time.
Conair Unbound Review: A Beginner-Friendly, Cordless Auto Curler
As someone who is embarrassingly unskilled at all things hair, I’m genuinely impressed by how easy the Conair Unbound is to use. It’s lightweight, cordless, quick to switch between settings, and—most importantly—I haven’t burnt myself once. Since it automatically pulls the hair into the curl chamber, I don’t have to worry about which way to hold the tool or awkwardly twisting my wrist.
The only downside is the battery life. A full charge only lasts a few uses, though I partially blame that on filming multiple takes for a tutorial and leaving the device on unintentionally. It’s more annoying when I forget to charge it ahead of time, but even a short charge is usually enough for one full styling session since I have thin hair.
Heat Settings, Timing & Styling Results
The curler heats up quickly, and it takes me 8–10 minutes to style my entire head. I have fine, uncolored hair and use 320°F, the lowest heat setting. The shortest timer is 6 seconds, which creates tighter curls than I prefer. After two weeks of experimenting, I’ve found that releasing at 4 seconds (each beep is 1 second) creates the loose waves I love—so I don’t wait for the full 6 seconds.
Selecting each section takes longer than the actual curling, but with practice I’m getting faster and more consistent. The final look is smoothest when you avoid missing tiny wisps of hair, so sectioning your hair helps achieve more uniform curls.
Curl Direction: L, R or Mix
You can choose L, R, or Mix for curl direction.
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Use L when curling the right side.
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Use R for the left side.
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Choose Mix for a fuller, more natural, tousled look.
I guide each section into the curl chamber with the opening facing inward (as shown here), but you can also hold it outward—the curl looks the same either way. Because the device sets the curl direction, it works the same whether you’re right or left-handed.
Can Your Hair Get Stuck?
I tested how much hair I could feed into the device, and when I overloaded it, it simply stopped and beeped without trapping my hair. My hair did get stuck once, but it was user error—I tried to release the hair while the curler was still winding because I had chosen the wrong direction. The safest method is to let the device finish winding fully before releasing, then redo the section if needed.
Final Thoughts: A Great Dyson Airwrap Alternative for Beginners
I’m so glad I tried the Conair Unbound Auto Curler. It’s a budget-friendly, beginner-friendly, cordless hair tool that creates effortless curls or loose waves in minutes. On my hair type, the waves last two days, which works perfectly since I wash my hair every other day.
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