Hot air styler or hair dryer: Nuvia or Aurea?
Aurea dries the whole family’s hair quickly and quietly, while Nuvia dries and styles with one device. If you have Aurea and only dry your hair, you don’t need Nuvia.
We pick up a hair dryer after almost every hair wash, and we reach for a curling iron or a round brush when we want to do something more with our hair: curl the ends, lift it at the roots or style waves. A hot air styler combines the two, so the question “hot air styler or hair dryer” comes down to what your mornings look like.
In the SkinVibe family, we have both: the Aurea Family x Plasma hair dryer and the Nuvia AirPlasma hot air styler. Nuvia came about because for a long time you’ve been writing to us that you were missing a curling iron and a brush in our range. Each one wins at something different, so before you pay, it’s worth knowing which wins at what.
IN SHORT
- Aurea dries, Nuvia dries and styles. Aurea Family x Plasma is a fast everyday hair dryer for the whole family, and Nuvia AirPlasma is a hot air styler you can use both to dry and to style your hair.
- Aurea is quieter and more powerful. It runs at a maximum of 59 decibels (dB), and Nuvia at 70 dB. Aurea’s power is 1600 W, Nuvia’s 1300 W. Aurea also has a child mode and a pet mode.
- Nuvia has seven attachments. These are the 32 and 40 mm Curling Barrels, the Round Brush, the Oval Brush, the Diffuser, the Concentrator and the Drying Nozzle, so you can do curls, waves and volume without a separate curling iron and brush.
- You can dry natural waves and curls with a diffuser on both models. Of the two, only Nuvia’s Curling Barrels will create waves on straight hair, and only on hair that reaches past your shoulders.
- Have Aurea and only dry your hair? You don’t need Nuvia. It makes sense when you curl or style your hair several times a week.
What’s the difference between a hot air styler and a hair dryer?
A hair dryer dries your hair with a stream of air, and you shape it with a brush held in your other hand or with a diffuser. A hot air styler, also called a multistyler, has a brush or attachments through which the air comes out and immediately smooths, lifts or wraps the strand, so you dry and style with one device.
A hot air styler can be a rotating one, with a spinning brush, or one with interchangeable attachments, like our Nuvia. I describe how it works and what to look for when buying in my guide on how a hot air styler works and how to choose one.
| Feature | Aurea Family x Plasma | Nuvia AirPlasma |
|---|---|---|
| Type | hair dryer | hot air styler |
| Power | 1600 W | 1300 W |
| Motor | brushless, 110,000 rpm | brushless, up to 110,000 rpm |
| Attachments | 3 nozzles: primary concentrator, professional concentrator, wavy diffuser | 7: Drying Nozzle, Concentrator, Diffuser, 32 and 40 mm Curling Barrels, Round Brush, Oval Brush |
| Temperature and modes | warm 55°C, hot 80°C and cold; 7 modes, including child and pet modes | 4 settings: 30°C, 70°C, 90°C and a hot-cold cycle |
| Airflow speeds | 2 | 3 |
| Noise | max. 59 dB | max. 70 dB |
| Plasma technology | 1 billion positive and negative ions per cm³ | 400 million positive and negative ions per cm³ |
| Cord | 2.7 m | 2.7 m |
The noise level and the number of ions are the values declared in the technical specifications of both devices.
In practice: if in the morning you only want to dry your hair, Aurea will do it with more power and more quietly. With Nuvia, right after drying and with the same device, you can create waves or lift your hair at the roots.
When a hair dryer is enough: Aurea Family x Plasma
A hair dryer alone is enough when, after washing, you mainly care about drying your hair quickly, smoothing it with a concentrator or bringing out your natural curl pattern with a diffuser. For that kind of morning, Aurea is the better choice. It has 1600 W of power and a BLDC (brushless) motor running at 110,000 revolutions per minute. It dries short hair in 29 seconds and long hair in 5-7 minutes, depending on its length and density.
With long, thick hair, it also matters how long you hold the hair dryer with your arm raised. Aurea weighs 410 grams and has a long hair mode that switches between hot, warm and cold air by itself. In practice: you don’t have to switch settings halfway through drying, and your arm doesn’t get tired after a few minutes.
It’s also a hair dryer for the whole household. It has a child mode with a lower temperature and lower motor speed, and a pet mode. It runs at a maximum of 59 dB, more quietly than Nuvia. In practice: you can dry your hair in the morning without waking anyone up. My favorite Aurea feature is the touch sensor: the hair dryer stops working when I put it down on the counter for a moment and starts again when I pick it up.
The set includes three magnetic nozzles: a primary concentrator, a professional concentrator and a wavy diffuser, which I personally fine-tuned for waves and curls. It’s the choice for those of you who dry your hair every day and for homes where several people use it. If you’re choosing just a hair dryer, read the article Aurea, Libra or Nova or take a look at the comparison of our hair dryers.
When a hot air styler is worth having: Nuvia AirPlasma
A hot air styler comes in handy when, after drying, you reach for a curling iron, a straightener for waves or a round brush anyway. Nuvia has seven attachments on one body: you dry your hair with the Drying Nozzle, then change the attachment and wrap curls, lift your hair at the roots or smooth the strands.
There are two Curling Barrels: 32 mm for bouncy curls and 40 mm for loose waves. Both have a rotating tip: you turn it, and with the same barrel you curl strands away from your face on both sides of your head. You set the curl with cold air by holding down the temperature button.
The Round Brush gives volume at the roots and curled ends even on chin-length hair, and the Oval Brush dries and smooths larger sections in a single pass. In practice: you don’t hold a round brush in your other hand, and the attachments go on with one click and come off with the Lock Switch slider. Nuvia works best for those of you who want to dry and style your hair before going out without switching devices.
Nuvia has its limits too. The Curling Barrels need hair that reaches past your shoulders, because the strand has to wrap around the barrel at least twice. On straight, fine hair, they’ll give soft waves and volume rather than bouncy curls that last for days, and your first styles will take longer until you get to know the attachments. In our store, Nuvia has its own category: hot air stylers.
Waves and curls: Aurea’s diffuser or Nuvia’s Curling Barrels?
A diffuser dries hair that waves or curls on its own and brings out its pattern, but it won’t create waves on straight hair. If you have natural waves or curls and only want to dry them without frizz, a diffuser is enough, and both have one: Aurea and Nuvia. If you have straight hair past your shoulders and dream of waves, choose Nuvia of the two, with its Curling Barrels.
Aurea’s wavy diffuser has prongs that separate strands better than a classic round diffuser and cause less frizz. Polish dermatologist Marcin Zakrzewski recommends drying curls with cool or slightly warm air: you place the diffuser against your head, hold it still for about 1-2 minutes and move on to the next section. On Aurea, choose warm air (55°C), and on Nuvia the cold 30°C mode. If your curls take too long to dry, switch Nuvia to 70°C, because the same doctor gives about 70°C as the maximum recommended airflow temperature. I write more about diffusers in my guide on how to choose a diffuser hair dryer for curls.
With Nuvia’s Curling Barrels, you curl slightly damp strands, pre-dried with the Drying Nozzle, and finish each one with cold air. I show how to turn these curls into smooth Hollywood waves in a separate guide.
I have Aurea: do I need Nuvia too?
If you only dry your hair with Aurea and you’re happy with the result, you don’t need Nuvia. Nuvia makes sense when, several times a week after drying, you reach for a curling iron or style your hair with a round brush and want to do it all with one device.
You can dry your hair with Nuvia too, but for fast, quiet drying for several people, Aurea remains the better choice. It runs more quietly, and only Aurea has a child mode.
Nuvia or Aurea: which one should you choose?
Of the two SkinVibe models, choose Aurea Family x Plasma if fast, quiet drying matters most to you, also for several people at home. Choose Nuvia AirPlasma if, after drying, you want to go straight on to curls and waves or style your hair with a brush, without a separate curling iron. Both have plasma technology, a brushless motor and a 2.7 m cord, so the choice comes down to what you do with your hair after washing.
| If you | Model | Why |
|---|---|---|
| dry your hair every day and want to get it over with quickly | Aurea | 1600 W, long hair in 5-7 minutes |
| dry the hair of several people, children or a pet | Aurea | child and pet modes, max. 59 dB |
| have short hair and only dry it | Aurea | short hair dries in 29 seconds |
| have natural waves or curls | Aurea or Nuvia | both have a diffuser, Aurea’s is wavy |
| have straight hair past your shoulders and want waves | Nuvia | 32 and 40 mm Curling Barrels with a rotating tip |
| want volume at the roots and a smooth finish | Nuvia | two brushes: round and oval |
Aurea Family x Plasma is for those of you who mainly dry your hair and want to do it quickly and quietly, even with children around.
Nuvia AirPlasma is for those of you who like to style your hair after drying and prefer one device to several.
If you’re still unsure, our hair tool quiz will suggest what suits your hair.
Frequently asked questions about Nuvia and Aurea
Will the Nuvia hot air styler replace a regular hair dryer?
Yes, for drying alone, Nuvia AirPlasma is enough: you dry your hair with the Drying Nozzle, onto which you can fit the Concentrator or the Diffuser. It has 1300 W, which is 300 W less than Aurea. By our estimates, you’ll dry shoulder-length hair with it in about 4-6 minutes, and long, thick hair in 6-8 minutes. For fast, quiet drying for several people, though, Aurea remains the better choice.
Is a hot air styler worth buying if I have a good hair dryer?
It is if you regularly curl or style your hair and want to do it without a separate curling iron. If you only dry your hair and the result is enough for you, a hot air styler won’t change much in your morning.
Do curls made with Nuvia last?
Curls made with Nuvia last longer when you apply mousse to damp strands, curl with the 32 mm Curling Barrel, set each strand with cold air and hold it in a clip for a moment. On straight, fine hair, Nuvia will give soft waves and volume rather than bouncy curls that last for days.
Which is louder: Nuvia or Aurea?
Nuvia is louder. Aurea’s declared noise level is a maximum of 59 dB, Nuvia’s a maximum of 70 dB, and only Aurea has a noise reduction function. If you dry your hair early in the morning while the children are asleep, Aurea will be more convenient. In a home with small children, quiet can matter more than drying time.
Do Nuvia and Aurea damage hair?
Both work with heated air, and Nuvia curls with it rather than with a heating element in a barrel or plate: Nuvia’s hottest mode is 90°C, and Aurea’s is 80°C. Heat isn’t harmless, though: in a 2011 study by Lee and colleagues, the surface of the hair was damaged more, the higher the drying temperature. That’s why with fine and damaged hair, don’t use Nuvia’s 90°C mode: curl at 70°C and finish each strand with cold air, and dry with Aurea’s warm 55°C air. With daily drying, gentler heat makes a huge difference, also for the scalp, which we rarely think about. You’ll find the details in the article on whether a hot air styler damages hair.
What kind of hair is Nuvia for, and what kind is Aurea for?
Aurea works for any length when you only want to dry your hair, and it dries natural waves and curls with the wavy diffuser. Nuvia does the most for hair past your shoulders that you want to curl, and for chin-length and longer hair that you want to give volume with a brush. Nuvia won’t straighten very tightly curled hair the way a straightener does, and smoothing it will take longer.
Nuvia or Aurea as a gift?
Choose Aurea if you don’t know how the recipient styles her hair, because a hair dryer gets used after every wash. Choose Nuvia if you know she likes to curl her hair or has been talking about a curling iron for a long time. You have 30 days from receiving the parcel to return it, and orders placed from 15 November to 24 December can be returned until 15 January, so she can test the gift at her leisure after the holidays.
Before you choose, think back to an ordinary week: how many times after washing do you just dry your hair, and how many times do you want to curl it or lift it at the roots? If you mostly just dry it, Aurea will be all you need. If you style it more often, Nuvia will be more useful to you.
Anna Nowak-Ibisz, co-founder of SkinVibe
