Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer Review

Verdict

Hold the Dyson Supersonic for a minute and the weight sits in your palm instead of at the end of your wrist. That balance, plus a heat-control system built around the long-term cost of daily drying, is what makes it the most comfortable dryer we’d recommend. If you dry long or thick hair frequently, the lighter weight pays off every time you pick it up. The catch is price: it costs several times a strong conventional dryer, and the performance gap against the best mid-range rivals is narrower than the price difference suggests. If you dry short or fine hair quickly, the Best Value pick in our hair dryer guide gets you most of the way for far less.

Rating: 9.0 / 10.

We have not bench-tested this dryer; this is a research-based review. The heat-control and airflow capabilities below are Dyson’s specifications, labeled where they appear, and we have not posted our own temperature or drying-time data. How we test marks the boundary between the two.

Weight in the hand

Pick the Supersonic up and the case for it is immediate. By putting the motor in the handle rather than the head, Dyson shifts the weight toward your palm and off the end of a lever, which cuts the wrist strain that builds over a long dry. The body is light and the balance is the best in the category. Unlike most of what a premium dryer claims, you feel this in the first ten seconds rather than taking it on faith. For anyone who dries thick hair regularly it’s the advantage that matters most, and the one rivals find hardest to match.

Drying speed

Airflow is strong and drying is fast, helped by Dyson’s high-speed motor and channeled airflow, quick and even where slower dryers turn thick hair into a chore. The best mid-range rivals are now quick enough that this is no longer the chasm it once was, but the Supersonic stays at the front of the field.

Heat control

The heat-management system limits the extreme temperatures that drive cumulative heat damage, the main enemy of hair health for anyone who dries daily. It’s no substitute for good technique, but for frequent drying it’s a meaningful help rather than a marketing line.

Noise

It’s quieter and higher-pitched than many cheap dryers, a tone most people find less grating than a low roar, though it’s not silent. Reasonable for the category: neither a standout nor a weakness.

Value, and the buyer it suits

The catch is price: the Supersonic costs several times what a strong conventional dryer does, and while it’s the most refined tool here, the performance gap against the best mid-range rivals has narrowed. You’re paying a large premium for the lightest body, the best balance, and the heat control. Those are real benefits, but they reward the person who dries long or thick hair often and will feel them every session. They’re hard to justify for short, fine, or twice-a-week dries. It’s high quality you pay for fully; whether that’s money well spent depends on how you dry. We keep price talk qualitative; check the buy box for live numbers.

The competition

Within our hair dryer guide, the Shark HyperAIR is the value alternative: most of the premium experience for a fraction of the price, giving up a little polish and weight. The Conair budget pick handles short, fine hair for far less again. The Supersonic wins on outright comfort and refinement; whether that’s worth the multiple is a personal call.

Bottom line

Buy it if you dry long or thick hair several times a week and will feel the lighter body and better balance every session. The comfort and heat protection are real, and the premium buys things you’ll notice. Skip it if your dries are short, your hair is fine, or you reach for a dryer only now and then. The gap to the Shark HyperAIR is far smaller than the gap in price, and that’s where your money goes further.

Our how we test page is clear that the heat and airflow figures here are Dyson’s, not ours on a meter. With that caveat noted, see where the Supersonic lands against the value picks in The Best Hair Dryers and the rest of our beauty reviews.