INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
product designed to halve the damage caused by traditional hair straighteners.But production of the Corrale, in Malaysia and the
Philippines, has been hit by the coronavirus outbreak."It has caused problems, we have some components made in China," chief executive Sir
James Dyson said, adding he was "hoping to overcome" the issue.Dyson shifted production from the UK to Asia in 2002 and last year announced
it was also moving its HQ to Singapore.Battery lifeThe Corrale, which has spent seven years in development, uses flexible copper plates the
company says limit damage by ensuring the hair is more evenly heat-treated."We tend to design a product without compromise, we're not
designing to a price," Sir James said.He added the product, which has 30 minutes of battery life from a 70-minute charge, should last for
five to six years.Image copyrightEmma Sautereau Image caption
Stylist Donna McCulloch said the 30 minutes' battery life
might not be enough for some hair
Stylist Donna McCulloch told TheIndianSubcontinent News the Corrale's portability would
appeal."However, for some people with long, thick hair, 30 minutes might not be long enough in terms of its battery life - it takes me at
least 20 minutes to do mine," she said.But she added: "You do get damaged hair and loss of colour from using straighteners - these are
legitimate concerns, so if this product does what it says on the tin then it's impressive."Martin Carter, though, said he would not be
other products on the market, like Kerastase, that treat and straighten the hair," he said.Rival productsResearch company The Market Report
Image copyrightL'OrealImage caption
L'Oreal makes big claims for its Steampod 3.0
Like the Corrale, it
has three heat settings but has to be plugged in to a power supply and requires de-ionised water
In its review of the Steampod 3.0, Good Housekeeping noted while the steam made styled hair feel "hydrated", it was also noisier than other
straighteners and some found it "time consuming" to set up.Dyson is best known for its vacuum cleaners and hand dryers but moved into the
design was "not commercially viable".
