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When it comes to hair dryers, very few are buzzier than the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer — but it's at a high cost. The innovative hair tool will set you back a cool $429, and for that price, the brand claims it can "increase smoothness by 75%, increase shine by up to 132%, and decrease frizz and flyaways by up to 61%," all while actually protecting hair from damage and drying hair faster than any other dryer out there. Too good to be true? Maybe not.
I try out the best hair tools for a living (seriously!). I also happen to have the type of curly hair that can take up to two days to fully air dry, and my hair stylists need to have saint-like patience. On a humid day (without the right hair products), my aesthetic falls somewhere between Standard Poodle and Bob Ross. Understandably, the brand's promise of "ultra-fast drying" for shiny, smooth, frizz-free hair is basically a siren song to me. But as a beauty product reviewer, Dyson's hefty claims also make me immediately skeptical.
I teamed up with the beauty chemists and engineers in the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab to find out for sure if the Dyson Supersonic lives up to the hype (and price). Our in-Lab tests evaluate speed of drying, air volume flow, weight, noise, air and surface temperatures and cord length. We also sent the hair dryer home with a panel of consumer testers to see how the hair dryer performs outside the Lab in everyday life, not just for me, but for a range of hair types, lengths and textures. Here's everything you need to know about the Dyson Supersonic.
The specs
- Heat settings: Four
- Speed settings: Three
- Attachments: Five (concentrator, diffuser, gentle air, flyaway smoother, wide-tooth comb)
- Accessories: One (nonslip mat)
- Weight: 1.4 pounds
- Cord length: 8.6 feet
What is so special about the Dyson hair dryer?
- It dries hair fast. It's true: In our Lab tests, the motor on the Supersonic produced the best airflow compared to any other hair dryer tested, and it dried hair the fastest. For me, that's under 20 minutes for thick, curly hair that reaches well past my waist. It earned the highest consumer satisfaction score of all the hair dryers we've tested, though some consumers thought the Supersonic was almost too good, and said, "The air was so strong, even on low, that the attachment felt necessary for any kind of control."
- It's less damaging to hair. Our Lab test showed that the Dyson's max heat production was "about 10°F lower than the average temperature of the 18 hair dryers in our test," explains Birnur Aral, Ph.D., former director of the GH Beauty Lab. "Based on this, we can say that the Supersonic has the potential of being less damaging to hair than an average dryer," Aral says.
- It's easier to hold. Dyson dropped $71 million on creating the hair dryer, working with over 100 engineers to completely redesign the idea of what a hair dryer looks like. The result: a novel, brushless digital motor that's much smaller and much lighter than a traditional hair dryer motor. It's located in the handle rather than the end of the dryer's head. The innovative design and motor placement makes for a more comfortable drying experience. After a few minutes of holding the hair dryer overhead, my shoulders don't burn the same way they do with other hair dryers, since the heaviest part of the hair dryer is in my hand, not balanced in a top-heavy nozzle.
- Your hair won't get caught in the dryer. Since Dyson moved the vent to the bottom of the handle, our testers loved that they didn't have to be afraid of getting their hair caught on a back vent. That means no more burnt hair smell or cutting tangled strands out of the dryer's motor (can I get a hallelujah, fellow long-haired ladies?). One drawback is that the filter's placement poses a learning curve: "If you hold [the handle] toward the end, it closes the vent and restricts airflow," said one tester from our Lab tests.
There's also the brand new Supersonic Nural ($499), a souped-up, tech-heavy upgrade that's equipped with lots of smart sensors, including one that automatically adjusts temperature based on proximity to the scalp; attachment learning that recognizes each attachment and adapts to your previous preferences; and a pause detector to decrease airflow when placed on the table. It also features a new wave and curl diffuser, which has removable prongs for wave and curl styling. We think most of these upgrades are best-suited for salon pros.
What attachments does the Dyson Supersonic come with?
Included in the purchase are the following six accessories, which all attach to the hair dryer's head magnetically yet securely, so you will never have to struggle to clip attachments into place. There are additional attachments available for separate purchase, like various-sized styling concentrators and smoothers.
- Styling concentrator to generate a narrower airflow for precise, smoothing styling
- Diffuser that styles curls with a large bowl and varying prong lengths
- Gentle air attachment that creates a gentler, cooler airflow that's great for fragile hair and sensitive scalps
- Wide-tooth comb to stretch coily, kinky textures in one step while drying
- Flyaway attachment that seals down flyaways for a super sleek finish
The dryer also comes with a non-slip mat and storage hanger, which are two accessories you really appreciate after spending $429 on a hair dryer.
Does the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer damage hair?
Dyson claims that the Supersonic hair dryer is actually better for your hair, "engineered to protect hair from extreme heat damage." While heat styling is always damaging to hair to some degree, it's true that our Lab tests found that the Dyson Supersonic operated about 10°F lower than the average hair dryer, so of all hair dryers, it's the least damaging option we've tested.
The thermal sensor on the Supersonic measures the exit flow temperature of the air over 40 times a second, so it's constantly regulating the air temperature to keep your hair safer from heat damage than it otherwise might be with any other hair dryer.
Pros and cons of the Dyson Supersonic
While the hair dryer is undoubtedly innovative and effective, it's not perfect — which matters at this price point. Here are some things to consider before you splurge:
- The buttons: Testers noted that the controls on the hair dryer are out of reach and a bit inconvenient to press. They live on the head of the hair dryer behind the nozzle, and take a few presses to change settings instead of the easily discernible buttons on traditional hair dryers. The trade-off is that you won't accidentally switch settings as you're drying your hair, and its self-locking cool mode is also super convenient instead of squeezing it in place the whole time.
- The cord: The extra-long cord is great if you don't have an outlet close by, but it's significantly heavier and bulkier than an average hair dryer's. It doesn't retract, and it lacks a tie for easy storage. I get annoyed by the sound of it smacking into my wall and countertops as I style.
- The noisiness: It's a hair dryer, so don't expect it to be quiet. While Dyson has claimed that the Supersonic hair dryer is quieter than the competition (keep in mind that "supersonic" means "greater than the speed of sound"), both our Lab tests and consumer tests found that the hair dryer is about as noisy as other hair dryers. On its highest setting, I can't even hear someone buzzing my front door.
- The comfort of use: The hair dryer weighs less than two pounds, but the sleek design means the handle isn't as contoured or ergonomic as other hair dryers, so it's a little bulky to hold, in my opinion.
Is the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer worth it?
It really depends on your hair. Our previous best value hair dryer, the Remington D3190 Damage Protection Hair Dryer, is a great pick at under $20, but if you have frizz-prone hair that takes forever to dry, or if your hair is damaged and fragile, the Dyson Supersonic might be a game-changer for you since it dries hair so quickly and with less damage.
Testers were impressed by the hair dryer's sleek and "cool" design, and liked that it was lightweight and nozzle-less. They thought it made their hair "smoother and straighter in less time than any other hair dryer they used," so if you find yourself springing for blowouts to avoid washing/styling your own hair, consider that the Dyson may actually net out to cost savings for you.
The bottom line: The Dyson Supersonic blew away (heh) the competition when it came to drying speed, strongest airflow and consumer satisfaction in our extensive testing. If you're in the market for a new hair dryer — and have some savings built up — it's proven to be the best hair dryer you can buy.
Jessica (she/her) is a deputy editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute and a longtime product tester, reviewer, writer and editor of beauty and lifestyle content. She has over a decade of industry experience, previously as beauty editor at USA Today's Reviewed where she launched the Beauty vertical and tested hundreds of products and has covered trends for publications like The Boston Globe and The New York Times. You can usually find her sorting through piles of beauty products — and testing the best ones on camera.
Sabina (she/her) is the director of the Beauty, Health & Sustainability Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she has overseen skincare, haircare and makeup testing since 2012. She also reviews applications, substantiates claims and evaluates products for the GH Seal and the Beauty Awards and Sustainability Awards programs. She has a B.S. in chemistry from Ithaca College and more than 16 years of experience working in the pharmaceutical and personal care industries.
