I Tested the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer for a Month — Here’s What I Learned.
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It’s true that $400 is quite a bit of money (more than the average rent in some parts of the country!) and I never thought I’d spend even a fraction of that on a hair dryer — until I heard about the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer. Just take a look at these stats: It promises to increase shine by up to 132%, improve smoothness by up to 75% and decrease frizz and flyaways by up to 61%. Plus, it does all of this faster than any other hair dryer out there and without causing a bit of heat damage to your strands.
So as someone with frizzy type 2 hair who has yet to perfect the art of drying their own hair, I was curious to test out the popular Dyson hair dryer, along with all of its attachments (if only to tell everyone that it’s not as magical as everyone says).
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Why is everyone obsessed with the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer?
Before I started my dryer testing journey, I turned to some professional experts to hear whether they thought Dyson Supersonic was worth the hype.
Alex Osorio, a bicoastal stylist at Sally Hershberger says: “I always recommend a Dyson because you can personalize it more to your texture and the result that you want versus other hair dryers that are Dyson alternatives, and so every variety of hair—thick, fine, coarse, curly—can use it. And it looks kind of sexy; they’re fun and funky looking.”
Maeva Heim, founder and CEO of Bread Beauty Supply, says it’s her favorite styling tool: “I cannot go past the Dyson hair dryer and diffuser. The quickest-yet-gentle dry time I have ever experienced.”
Chicago-based celebrity hairstylist, Alex Brown, loves it: “I recommend the Dyson for its intelligent heat control — meaning it is constantly working to ensure that the heat will never be too high to damage your hair. And I love all of the attachments it comes with.”
Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer pros and cons
Since its launch in 2016, the Dyson Supersonic has earned a spot on nearly every list of the best hair dryers or best hair tools. It was also the hot ticket item for the holidays, and it’s only continued to skyrocket in popularity. Here’s a total breakdown of the Dyson hair dryer’s benefits and drawbacks.
Pros:
Weighs less than 2 pounds (1.8 to be exact).
Crazy fast, thanks to its patented Air Multiplier technology which spurs a high pressure, high velocity vacuum of controlled air.
Super quiet.
Styling attachments are foolproof
Protects your hair from heat damage
Short nozzle doesn’t need a lot of space for storage
It comes in new limited-edition colorways
Comfortable to hold
Cons:
The high price tag
Wire and adapter are bulky and unwieldy
How I tested the Dyson hair dryer
Products tested: Dyson Supersonic hair dryer, plus each of the 5 attachments at least twice
Testing time period: One month
Styling products used: DpHue’s Color Fresh Thermal Protection Spray for an extra dose of protection against heat damage and the Ouai leave-in conditioner for extra shine. For the diffuser, I spritzed a third product, the Flawless Hydrating Curl Refresher Spray before testing.
Dyson hair dryer attachments
At first I was intimidated because there are so many hair attachments. But all that worrying was fruitless, because each one is strongly magnetized so they snap right onto the nozzle. Not one fell off or felt loose during my month of testing.
I was skeptical of Dyson’s claims that this hair dryer was engineered for every hair type and style because no hair tool is truly universal, but add on one of these five attachments and it is actually a hair dryer that anyone can use.
Flyaway attachment: This is great for a smooth, silky finish.
Styling Concentrator: For the times you want stick-straight hair, this will be your go-to.
Diffuser: Literally one of the easiest things I’ve ever done was blow dry my hair using this attachment; there is no wrong way to use it.
Gentle Air attachment: This just sounds nice, but it’s terrific for fine hair and sensitive scalps.
Wide-tooth Comb: Shapes and lengthens curls and textured hair as it dries.
How to use the Dyson hair dryer
To be totally honest, it’s like the hair dryer for dummies. You use the Supersonic exactly the same way you would any other hair dryer — with or without the attachments. A good rule of thumb, according to Brown, is to start with the highest speed setting. Those with thicker or curlier hair types should opt for the highest heat level, while someone with fine or straight hair should go for the Dyson’s cooler settings.
How to use the Dyson hair dryer with the diffuser
After spritzing the three styling products into my hair, I snapped on the diffuser and got to work. The diffuser filtered the air for an all-around, soft flow that kept my waves intact and mostly frizz-free.
The technique to using the Dyson diffuser sounds ridiculous, but it works: You simply flip your hair upside down, says New York City salon owner, Nunzio Saviano. “Drying the hair upside down will give the most volume to the curls and waves.”
If you start to get dizzy (like me), celebrity hairstylist Larry Sims says to simply stand up, hold the Dyson diffuser face up to the ceiling, and place your hair into it. “Diffuse from the bottom up and try not to use your fingers as much as possible,” he recommends. “The more you touch your hair, the frizzier it becomes and the more disrupted the curl definition.”
A Sephora reviewer with 2C/3A curls who tested the Dyson hair dryer calls this attachment fantastic, saying that she gets “bouncy, frizz-free curls in about 5 minutes,” which is “way better” than air drying, and earns her tons of compliments.
How to use the Dyson hair dryer with the Gentle Air attachment
The Dyson Gentle Air attachment is a lighter interpretation of a diffuser and can work for any hair type and texture.
“It’s much smaller than a diffuser and it’s perfect for fine hair,” says Saviano. “Usually, a big diffuser isn’t ideal for thin curly hair because it dries the hair too quickly, running the risk of making the hair dull with a lot of flyaways.”
This is exactly my hair — fine, but a lot of it, and strands range from straight to wavy or curly, depending on where they are on my head, which is totally normal and natural, according to Sims, ”no one has the same type of hair all over their head,” he says. And this attachment is especially great for hair types 2 and 3, because the curl and wave patterns lay differently on different parts of your head, with the tightest part of the curl at the scalp then relaxing toward the bottom.
Since the Gentle Air attachment is much smaller than the diffuser, I mostly dried my hair with it flipped upside down, simply because my hair wouldn’t fit inside standing up, resulting in a more tamed, more tightly controlled wave than with the diffuser, which produced a more chill wave.
How to use the Dyson hair dryer with the Flyaway attachment
To be totally honest, I wasn’t sure what in the world this was at first and it took some trial and error. This is one where you want to employ the highest speed setting for faster results.
The Flyaway attachment works by latching onto your hair and lifting up all the longer hairs to tuck the flyaways under for an ultra smooth, shiny finish. To get this look normally, you’d be pulling out your straightener, but with this weird little attachment, no need!
I started at my roots, letting the Dyson attach to my hair, which created a slight bit of resistance, then pulled it down to the ends. Because my hair is thicker, I sectioned my hair so I could really nail the pin-straight, ’70s Cher vibe, and repeated the process all over my head.
I’m not the only person who loves the Flyway attachment; Saviano is also a fan, calling it the “best” of the bunch. “It hides flyaways on any long hair to give a sleek look,” he says. “Basically, it gently pushes the shorter hair from breakage or new growth, with just the use of gentle, concentrated air.”
How to use the Dyson hair dryer with the Styling Concentrator
“This nozzle is designed to create a high pressure air that is perfect for drying one section at a time,” says Saviano. “It is important to keep the nozzle pointing away from the scalp and about half an inch from the hair, with the air and hair flowing in the same direction for shine and to minimize flyaways.”
The Styling Concentrator was the hardest for me to use, probably because it requires the most skill and dedication. You really have to take your time with this one, sectioning your hair into super teeny pieces, to see optimal results.
After several tries, I ultimately gave up on this one. Although it definitely made my hair straighter than a regular blowout, I just couldn’t find my groove with it — but maybe that’s just me. Also, going in small sections really slows you down. This attachment took about 10 more longer than the diffuser or Gentle Air attachment.
But if straight hair is your thing, like this Sephora reviewer who says this is the cure for her hair that “wants to get wavy in weird places,” you will create beautiful magic with this attachment.
How to use the Dyson hair dryer with the wide-tooth comb attachment
The Dyson wide-tooth comb attachment is best for textured or super curly hair. Influencer Kristabel Plummer says that with this attachment “every 4c girl’s prayers have been answered,” calling it “the first high-end, mainstream brand that has produced a tool designed for afro hair.”
Yet, since my hair is neither, I’m not the ideal candidate to test this attachment, but it still gave me a very nice blowout. I used it like a hair-dryer brush, or the Dyson Airwrap, gliding from root to end. But unlike a hair-dryer brush, it didn’t flatten my hair — I still had bounce and volume. And it didn’t make my hair curlier, like the Airwrap would.
Saviano recommends pointing the wide-tooth comb attachment away from the scalp, starting from the hairline. “Blow dry each section from root to end completely before moving onto the next section,” he says.
Even though it’s best to section hair with this attachment, I only sectioned mine into two horizontal sections, about halfway down my head, from ear to ear, to cut down on time and it still gave a great, bouncy blowout. I feel like this attachment produces lovely, everyday hair that looks fabulous, yet it doesn’t make too much of a statement. It also ensures a great base, if you opt for a second heat tool, like a curling wand.
After using this attachment, I wanted to fluff up my roots a little bit more, so I spritzed a third product, Living Proof’s Full Dry Volume & Texture Spray, and moved my fingers in small circles across my crown for maximum lift.
Is the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer worth it?
I thought long and hard about this, and my final answer is: You really can’t go wrong with this Dyson hair dryer. it will undeniably dry your hair faster, smoother and shinier, regardless of your hair type, but it all depends on your priorities.
If you struggle with styling your own hair or if your hair is super curly or ultra thick, the Dyson hair dryer will hands down change your life. It’ll shave several minutes off of your usual blow dry time and you won’t have to fight your hair to get it styled the way you want. Plus, if you’d love to rock your natural texture or curly hair but have never seemed to quite master your strategy, the Dyson’s diffuser will keep your curls intact and reduce frizz and flyaways in a major way.
The Dyson is also a smart purchase if you’re a beauty fanatic who loves to change up their hairstyle often, like wearing your hair pin straight one day, then full and bouncy another. All five Dyson hair attachments are incredibly easy to use, which makes them great for experimenting with different hairstyles.
On the flip side, if your hair is thin or mostly straight and you’ve been perfectly happy styling your hair with a more affordable hair dryer, then maybe you don’t need to go this extra mile to tame unruly hair. However, this powerhouse will undeniably dry your hair faster, smoother and shinier, regardless of your hair type. Plus, its cool design and fun accessories can make the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer worth every penny, especially with the limited edition that comes with a chic navy box that makes it easier than ever store away safely.
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