Mdlondon WAVE multi-styler review: is this celebrity hairdresser Michael Douglas’ best hair tool yet?

Celebrity hairdresser Michael Douglas is taking over the world of at-home hair styling one tool at a time with his range of award-winning mdlondon devices and brushes – and we’re here for it!

First came the mdlondon BLOW, an extremely compact, lightweight, powerful yet super quiet hairdryer that features in our guide to the best hairdryers and recently won the Best Hair Styling Tool award at the T3 Awards 2024.

Then saw the arrival of the mdlondon STRAIT, which we gave a full five stars and judged to be one of the best hair straighteners around, followed by a range of brushes to help you achieve the perfect blow dry.

Now, we have the mdlondon WAVE: a versatile multi-styler that does a variety of things from building salon-worthy body and volume to straightening frizzy locks and creating beautiful beachy waves. It’s already won awards since it launched a few months ago, but does it deserve a place in our best hair curlers round-up? Spoiler alert, it’s probably the best mdlondon device to come out so far, and that’s saying something!

MDLONDON WAVE REVIEW: PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

The mdlondon WAVE multi-styler is now available to buy in the UK and ROI in three colours – Casual Blue, Olive Green, and Blush - for a recommended retail price of £125 from mdlondon and selected third party retailers including Harvey Nichols, Superdrug, and Amazon UK.

MDLONDON WAVE REVIEW: UNBOXING AND DESIGN

As with all mdlondon hair tools, the WAVE is beautifully presented in plastic-free packaging. Inside the box, you get the WAVE multi-styler, an instruction manual, and a heat-resistant mat that doubles as a wrap-around device protector so you can store it away safely or take it with you on-the-go immediately after styling. On the outside, you’ll also find a QR code that takes you to a comprehensive demo of the WAVE's many features. 

In terms of design, the WAVE comes in the same three ‘Farrow and Ball’-inspired shades as the BLOW and STRAIT – perfect for those who like their hair tools to coordinate or match their bedroom décor - and boasts a chic matte finish and shiny copper buttons that continues the cool retro vibes of the other tools. 

Ridiculously lightweight, has a has a long, straight, rounded shape typical of a hair wand with a 33mm heated barrel brush containing two different lengths of retractable bristles (more on those later.) There’s also a cool tip on the end of the barrel and a swiveling 3m power cable at the base so you won’t need to stretch to reach the mirror.

The fast-heating barrel brush offers five temperature settings of 150°C, 165°C, 180°C, 195°C and 210°C to suit different hair types and help you control the risk of heat damage. For use on dry hair only, it uses direct heat to style your tresses in the same was as a hair straightener or curling wand and is completely silent to use because it doesn’t blow out hot air. It also automatically shuts down after 30 minutes.

MDLONDON WAVE REVIEW: FEATURES

Douglas describes the mdlondon WAVE as the game changing ‘multi-styler that’s missing from the market’ with good reason. Most notably, the two lengths of bristles on the heated barrel are fully retractable, which serves several purposes. 

Firstly, you can retract the bristles via the easy-to-reach sliding lever located just below the barrel and then lock them into place using an up-and-down switch, so they stay hidden inside the barrel. This allows you to then use the heated barrel like a traditional curling tong to create curls and beachy waves.

Next, you can release the bristles to expose them fully and then lock them into place to use the WAVE like a heated blow-dry brush for creating volume and lift at the roots and adding body to the rest of the hair, or leave the lock button off completely so you can easily alternate between having the bristles exposed or hidden inside the barrel.

The retractable bristles are an especially useful feature if you want to achieve the effect of using heated rollers: simply wrap a section of hair around the barrel using the bristles to hold it in place and apply heat for five to 10 seconds, then retract the bristles to release the curl, which you can either leave to fall down or pin in place while the curl sets.

Wrapping your hair around the barrel and keeping it in place so you don’t burn your fingers is made possible thanks to the two different lengths of tangle-free bristles which ensure every hair is held to reduce flyaways.

The smaller bristles are especially effective at gripping the hair as you guide it into place because they are positioned very closely together. For that same reason, they’re also great for straightening pieces of hair and smoothing fringes.

MDLONDON WAVE REVIEW: PERFORMANCE

As a multi-styler, the mdlondon WAVE claims to do many things well, from creating curls and waves and taming flyaways to reducing frizz and building body and volume. As such, I was very keen to give it a go and leapt at the chance to get a WAVE hair tutorial from the man who created it.

Before arriving, however, I admit I was harbouring doubts as to how well the retractable bristles would work in my hair, probably due to many bad memories of getting into terrible tangles using other hot brushes. 

Turns out I really didn’t need to worry though, whether the tool was in the hands of a professional or I was using it at home. In fact, I’d go so far as to stay that the retractable bristles are genius. I’ve never once got into a tangle using the mdlondon WAVE and the bristles literally grip my hair when I want them to and release my hair when I don’t at a slide of the lever.

The bristles also mean that I rarely burn my fingers - as I often do when I use a curling wand – because they grip the ends of my hair so I can then wrap my hair up around the barrel and finally release the section without touching the barrel or, crucially, disturbing the curl.

Of course, it takes a little practice - as with any new styling tool – to get used to retracting the bristles and the lock/unlock button, but they’re both super easy to reach and moving between them quickly becomes second nature. 

Moreover, when the bristles are locked inside the barrel, the WAVE works wonders at curling my long, thick hair, just like a curling tong, and is incredibly comfortable and lightweight to hold.

Overall, I love the fact this versatile brush helps me to achieve many different styles when my hair is dry. It’s brilliant for creating volume at the roots and/or adding body into freshly washed or three-day-old hair when I use it like a set of heated rollers. It also makes me look more polished in seconds when I want to straighten or curl my bangs and tame flyaways. Very clever stuff, and not an attachment in sight!

MDLONDON WAVE REVIEW: VERDICT

The mdlondon WAVE is a highly versatile multi-styler with retractable bristles that lets you create multiple hairstyles without the aid of extra attachments, from long-lasting beachy waves to a voluminous blow out.

Stylish and durable, its salon-worthy looks, range of temperature settings and considered features make it an excellent choice for home styling if you want more bang for your buck. Conversely, its lightweight, slim and minimalistic design is perfect for using on the go or taking with you on your travels.