Australian Review: Dyson Supersonic – Hairdryers can be exciting too

Dyson's Supersonic is the most excited I've been about a gadget in months. Hairdryers aren't normally the kind of "tech" I talk about on CyberShack, but Dyson isn't exactly your average appliance manufacturer. When Dyson "reinvents" something, you can almost certainly expect it to be special. And expensive. But special. The Supersonic is no exception (on either count).

There's a lot of science behind the Supersonic (about AUD$100 million in research and development over four years, I'm told), so to start with, here are a few of the facts. Dyson says the Supersonic measures the temperature it blows at 20 times a second. It uses this information to modulate the power sent to your heater, to avoid damaging your hair (and burning you). At the same time, Dyson says it doesn't mean drying your hair takes longer, thanks to powerful airflow and tiny motor spinning at 110,000rpm.

So in theory, the Supersonic should result in healthier hair but still dry as fast (if not faster) than a conventional hair dryer. From my experience, Dyson delivered on both promises.

When you first turn on the Supersonic, it has a bit of a kick. No other hairdryer I've used before has recoil, which speaks volumes about the how dang powerful Dyson's take is. If the Supersonic's airflow is too much for you, there's two less intensive settings (for a total of three). On a similar note, there's three heat settings, complemented by cold airflow option. Personally, I've kept the Supersonic on maximum airflow and maximum heat, for efficiency I guess.

Despite constantly leaving the Supersonic on full blast, my long luscious locks have been sleeker, shinier, and less frizzy over the month of so I've been trialing the Dyson. It's more in line with the results I'd get if I let my hair dry naturally, but without the whole waiting for over an hour thing. In terms of time, I've found I can go from soaking wet to completely dry in about 10 minutes with the Supersonic. With my old Remington, it would take more like 15. My partner – who has slightly thinner hair – found similar results, and said she was able to dry her hair about twice as fast with the Supersonic, and found that it left her hair much straighter.

Not only did the Supersonic save me time, it's also a joy to use. The design – reminiscent of a portable Dyson Airblade – is clean, balanced, and light. It's comfortable to hold – even for extended periods of time – and it takes up far less space than a conventional hairdryer.

The Supersonic is also a little quieter than a typical hairdryer. While other hairdryers roar as you turn them on, the Supersonic produces more of a hiss. It's not quiet, but it's not loud either.

Another clever addition is clip-on magnetic attachments. A concentrator (for "hardcore" styling), smoothing nozzle (for general styling), and a diffuser (for gentle, slower drying) are all included in the box – presumably, for people far more adventurous than me – and you can pop them on and remove them in less than a second. 

At AUD$699, the Dyson Supersonic isn't the easiest purchase to justify. It's impeccably designed, my hair looks better, and it saves me time almost every single morning, but it costs almost ten times more than my trusty Remington. I try and wash my hair at least three times a week, so theoretically speaking, the Dyson is saving me 15 minutes a week. Over a year, that's 13 hours. From my experience, Dyson products are built to last (I've had a Dyson vacuum cleaner last over 10 years) so I think it's safe to say you could get good mileage out of the Supersonic, and potentially, save quite a bit of time.  

Spending AUD$699 on a hairdryer might seem like a lot, but I think the Supersonic is a worthwhile (if niche) purchase. It's obviously not everyone – you probably want to have hair, for one – but the combination of speed, design, and positive hair benefits make the Supersonic lustworthy.

If I wanted to splurge and spoil myself, I'd probably buy a Supersonic. On one hand, AUD$699 is a lot of money. But on the other, I do have a lot of hair.