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For months I have had my eyes fixated on the Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer, a hairdryer so technologically advanced it dons a $500 price tag.
Dyson is more commonly known as the brand that makes your favorite vacuums and other famously over-engineered household appliances, but in 2016, the company made its first foray into the beauty world with the Supersonic — a lightweight, shockingly quiet hairdryer that is a supposed savior for you and your hair. On top of protecting hair from extreme heat damage, the Supersonic is engineered with fast drying and controlled styling technology, that according to Dyson, helps “increase smoothness by 75%, increase shine by up to 132% and decrease frizz and flyaways by up to 61%.”
In the four years since its initial launch into haircare, the company has worked with stylists to develop a Supersonic engineered specifically for professionals, added a Hairwrap styler and Corrale straightener to its collection and this year, reinvented the Supersonic to add magnetic styling attachments.
Backed by 5-star customer reviews that claim it’s cut their drying time in half, the Supersonic is also a favorite among professionals, including Jen Atkin, ambassador to the brand and hairstylist to stars like Chrissy Teigan and the Kardashians. It was also the hairdryer that kept J.Lo’s hair looking completely flawless during the Super Bowl halftime show. This dryer means serious business.
I discovered the Supersonic the same way we all discover new products nowadays: Instagram. Influencers, models and celebrities have all posted stories of themselves blow-drying their hair with the Dyson, showing off their neatly styled, shiny results. But it wasn’t until I stumbled upon what I deemed a bit more authentic review on TikTok by a random consumer who purchased the hairdryer, tried it out and had a similarly magical hair-drying experience that I decided I needed to get my hands on this allegedly life-changing piece of metal and try it out on my unruly, slightly damaged hair.
Anyone with thick, long, curly/wavy hair (or who has a partner who curses their own) knows at-home styling isn’t the quickest, easiest or most effective way to achieve the results you want. Blow-drying your hair straight or diffusing it to get bouncy curls are meticulous processes that can take hours and that even by the end of them, often result in undesirable frizz and poufiness. And depending on how often you blow-dry, the process can cause major heat damage to your hair. Add in laziness and you’ve got someone like me who is way too tired to spend an hour or more doing their hair and typically resorts to the air-dry method. Then it’s really up to the gods to decide if you’ll have a good hair day or not (and they usually go with not.)
So if the Dyson Supersonic can give me a near professional-like blowout at home in half my usual dry time, I’m ready to sell my soul. Thankfully, I didn’t have to do that to get the chance to test out the Supersonic myself. So with the hairdryer and my soul both intact, I very happily took it out for a few spins, and here’s what I found:
Things I liked about the Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer
It’s sexy: Before we get into the nerdy tech stuff, let’s talk about what really matters: aesthetics. The Supersonic is a sleek, uniquely designed piece of equipment that comes in multiple colorways (including a vibrant Fuschia) and looks pretty damn good on the bathroom sink.
It’s crazy lightweight and easy to use: When it can take up to an hour to blow-dry and style hair, wrist cramping and arm soreness undoubtedly ensue. It’s why I and professional stylists enjoy using the Supersonic — it’s incredibly lightweight for a hairdryer.
The dryer’s thirteen-blade “axial flow impeller” is a third of the weight of average hairdryer motors, and instead of putting it in the head like most hairdryers, Dyson smartly designed the Supersonic with the motor in the handle, rebalancing the dryer’s shape and weight for a much more pleasurable experience. Additionally, the motor is tuned to produce one inaudible frequency. That and the rubber isolation mount prevents vibrations in the handle, both allowing for the impressively low volume of the Supersonic.
As noted above, Dyson reinvented the Supersonic this year in order to add styling attachments: a wide-tooth comb, styling concentrator, smoothing nozzle, diffuser and a “Gentle Air” attachment for fine hair and sensitive scalps. All of these attachments magnetically clip onto the dryer for quick and seamless rotation during styling. Plus the variety of styling tools makes it easy to use for all hair types.
It’s quick-drying as hell: The rumors are true: the Supersonic is a goddamn speed machine. Using a tiny but powerful digital motor with Dyson’s Air Multiplier™ technology, the dryer produces a super-precise, high-velocity jet of air, so you can style and quickly dry simultaneously, saving you loads of time.
It typically takes me 45 minutes to completely blow-dry and style my hair. With the Supersonic, it only took me 15. Fifteen minutes. A truly revolutionary device.
It delivers: Not only does it dry hair insanely quick, it dries it insanely well. Usually, I can only get shiny, frizz-free results after paying for a professional blowout, but the Supersonic gave me smooth, healthy-looking hair that didn’t feel scorched by heat.
That’s because Dyson’s intelligent heat technology measures temperature 20 times a second then makes a smart adjustment to deliver the right amount of heat needed to style hair without frying it. When hair gets damaged by the heat, reflective light reduces which decreases shine. So by optimizing temperature and preventing extreme heat damage, the Supersonic keeps hair healthy and looking lustrous.
Conclusion
The hype is real, and the hefty price tag is 100% worth it. So if you’re looking to upgrade your own haircare routine and obtain shiny, luscious locks with minimal effort, I highly encourage you to splurge.
However, if you don’t own a head of hair that requires a $460 styler, but know someone who would be utterly delighted by this state-of-the-art, life-altering piece of machinery and you have yet to get them a gift that perfectly sums up the immense love and affection you have for them, consider the Supersonic.
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