I have a love/hate relationship with hair dryers. I love the effect they have on my hair when used properly, i.e. not looking like I was dragged through a hedge backwards, but I hate the fact that it takes so long to do. That usually results in arm ache, a burnt ear and a session with some straighteners afterwards. So, serious arm ache.
I’ve owned quite a few over the years, in my search for the holy grail of hair dryers. Ionic? Ceramic? Tourmaline? Tried them. Things have improved somewhat, and my latest hair dryer was doing well in taming the frizz.
But Dyson claims to have come up with the ultimate hair dryer, and the company is so confident, it has put a serious price tag on the device. If the idea of paying €400 for a hair dryer fills you with horror, put down this review and walk away now. In general, the people I talked to about this topic with fell into two categories: those who didn't have much of a need for hair dryers and felt €400 was way too much for something that blows hot air at your head, and those who had, like myself, been trying to find the perfect one to keep the frizz in check, and thought that €400 was a small price to pay, if it worked.
Let’s get back to the subject at hand. Dyson, the company that makes vacuum cleaners, has gone into the hair dryer market. It’s not that crazy when you think about it. The firm has spent years perfecting the digital motor for its handheld cleaners, for a start. And then there’s the Airblade dryers you see in public toilets. So they have form for being able to handle both ends of the spectrum.
The Supersonic looks very much like a Dyson product. Minimalist, with small buttons to control air speed and heat. But it doesn’t look much like any hairdryer I’ve ever owned. That’s primarily because the motor is in the handle rather than the head. This makes it easier to handle, and the arm ache is almost eliminated. That could be down to the fact that the air flow on the dryer is fast, so you can dry your hair in less time.
If you have long hair, you’ll be familiar with two things: the smell as a few stray hairs get caught in the air intake, and trying to untangle your hair from it after it happens. After a few tries of the Supersonic, I’m confident it’s practically impossible to do this. The air intake is also on the handle, and you can’t cover it completely with your hand either, so there’s no worry about it overheating.
That’s another claim Dyson makes. It uses heat sensors to keep the temperature under control. Drying your hair causes damage, but Dyson reckons that its technology will minimise it. That’s something that will only be visible over time, but so far, no burnt ears, which is a good start.
But forget all that; what most people are interested in is if it actually works. The stylist test lasted for a few days, with no need to refresh it, and lots of people commented on how shiny my hair was. I don’t quite have the skills of a stylist though; in fact, few people do. So the ultimate test was going to be when I washed and dried it myself.
After a few tries, I can honestly say, it does work. A rough dry with a regular hairdryer means 20 minutes of drying and I usually have to attack my hair with a straighteners afterwards to make sure it behaves itself. The Dyson Supersonic did it in about 15 minutes, and the straighteners stayed in their box. It lasted a few days too, which is practically unheard of for any blow dry I’ve attempted myself. And again, my hair was super shiny.
The good
It works. If you hate spending hours drying your hair, this will certainly cut down the drying time. And you’ll get shiny hair to boot.
The not so good
That price tag is going to be difficult for many to swallow.
The rest
The Dyson also has a smoothing tool, a concentrated airflow tool and a diffuser for curly hair, so it’s covering all the bases here.
The verdict
It’s eye-wateringly expensive, but if you value your time and have to spend large amounts of it with a hair dryer, the Dyson Supersonic may be what you’re looking for.
