Dyson Supersonic hair dryer review

A few months ago I saw a video on Facebook introducing the most awesome looking hair dryer I have ever seen in my life – The Dyson Supersonic.

I could not get over how utterly amazing it looked and couldn’t believe my luck when I heard that I would be testing out this beaut for 2 weeks. In retrospect, maybe I wasn’t so lucky. My heart longs for you Supersonic…

The Dyson Supersonic™ is fast, focused and intelligent

Hair dryers can be bulky and difficult to manoeuvre, can blast air at high temperatures, which can cause extreme heat damage, all with the risk of hair being sucked into and trapped in the filter. Dyson engineers set out to rethink the hair dryer.

The Dyson Supersonic™ hair dryer uses a fast but focused airflow, is engineered for balance in the hand and intelligently controls the temperature to help protect hair from extreme heat damage.

James Dyson: “Hair dryers can be heavy, inefficient and make a racket. By looking at them further we realised that they can also cause extreme heat damage to hair. I challenged Dyson engineers to really understand the science of hair and develop our version of a hair dryer, which we think solves these problems”

Dyson Supersonic hair dryer review

There is a lot more I could tell you about the technology and investment that went into the creation of the Dyson Supersonic, but I’m sure that’s not why you’re here. You want to know if it’s worth the hype and the hefty price tag.

Yes it is! Oh my, I love this machine.

Let’s start with the design. Like I’ve mentioned, I think it is incredibly beautiful. I am a sucker for good looking appliances and this is as good as it gets. I also love the fact that it looks completely different to any other dryer on the market. The Supersonic’s beauty is  most definitely not just superficial.

The patented Dyson digital motor V9 is up to 8 times faster than other hair dryer motors and about half the weight. Thanks to the size of the motor, it is positioned in the handle rather than the head (as is the case with most conventional hair dryers). The Supersonic has been engineered for balance.  It feels very comfortable in your hand and is a pleasure to use, but is this ergonomic design such a game-changer? Probably not if you don’t dry your hair very often, but I think it could be life changing for stylists who pick up a dryer several times a day. Thanks to the motor, the dryer is also a lot quieter and lighter than what we’re used to.

Does it dry your hair faster though? I couldn’t really tell at first. Cara and I both have curly hair, so I take my time drying ours with a diffuser and as our hair is very fine, it never takes very long anyway. I only realised that it actually does dry hair a hell of a lot faster than the norm when I dried Cara’s cousin’s hair. She has extremely thick hair and hates having her hair washed and dried as it takes ages. I used the Supersonic without any of the attachments and focused and drying not styling. When I was done, she looked at me in disbelief and said that from now on I have to dry her hair every time. She couldn’t believe how quick it was. By the way, she’s 6.

The Dyson Supersonic has 4 heat settings, 3 airflow settings and a cold shot that actually dries your hair (the cold setting on my current dryer is utterly useless). It also has a very long cord, which is a huge bonus.

Supersonic comes with 2 smoothing attachments and a diffuser. I didn’t try out the smoothing nozzles as I never straighten my hair, but that diffuser… fan-freakin-tastic! The attachments stay cool to the touch and they are magnetic. How cool is that? They are super easy to attach and adjust.

Now, let’s talk price. The Dyson Supersonic retails for R6 499. I’ll give you a moment. I felt the same when I heard that. Dammit it’s expensive. Is it worth it though? Well, if you use your dryer only to dry your hair and only do it once or twice a week, I’d say no. You don’t need it. But if you use your dryer to style your hair; YES! Oh hell yes!! And I feel this way every time I pick up my old hair dryer.

The Dyson Supersonic is available from all Gary Rom salons and online at shop.dyson.co.za, as well as online at @Home and Hirsch’s.

On a side note… I didn’t know anything about Dyson when I first saw the Supersonic. Now I am more than a little obsessed with the brand. They are actually known for their vacuum cleaners and if they put this much effort into the design and manufacture of a hair dryer, I can only imagine how amazing their vacuums must be.

We are dog people. They live in the house and sleep in our room. The hair is an absolute nightmare. The current drought only adds to my frustration. I vacuum at least 3 times a week and it’s still not enough. I get panic attacks when people want to drop by and I hate it when Cara sits on the floor. My Jack Russell is sitting next to me as I type and the hair has already made a cute little dog-shaped outline on the tiles that needs to be vacuumed (I vacuumed this morning!). The hair, dust and sand drive me nuts. I currently have 3 vacuum cleaners in the garage. Three! And not 1 performs as I thought (hoped!) it would. Dyson has a range of cordless vacuum cleaners (have a look HERE) that I would kill for. My 40th is coming up soon, and even though I never thought I’d say this… I want a Dyson cordless vacuum for my birthday! And a Supersonic of course.

xoxo