We road-tested Dyson’s $700 ‘revolutionary’ hairdryer
The Dyson Supersonic has been making waves for its eye-watering price.
Healthier hair, a faster drying time and a two-year warranty – Dyson’s ‘revolutionary’ hairdryer sounds like a no-brainer until you hear the price.
At $700, the Dyson Supersonic – the result of $100 million of research and 600 prototypes – is by far the most expensive dryer on the market.
But the British company, also responsible for vacuum cleaners, hand dryers and fans, is hoping its superior quality will convince women to take the plunge.
We road-tested the Supersonic to see whether its many claims stacked up.
What we liked
There’s a lot to the like about the Supersonic.
First and foremost, its striking design doesn’t have to work hard to stand out from competitors.
Sleek, light and with a distinctive hole in the middle of the nozzle, the Supersonic is immediately recognisable and something you would be happy to cart around on holidays or work trips.
Its much easier to hold than your average hairdryer, thanks for the majority of the weight sitting in the bottom of the handle.
But the fact is, you won’t have to hold the Supersonic for long. For a dryer that promises not to overheat your hair, it works its magic very fast.
Testing the Supersonic on The New Daily‘s entertainment editor (see video above), we had half of her hair bone-dry in two minutes.
The Supersonic is lighter, quieter and faster.
During a week-long road test, the Supersonic dried my thick and usually unruly mane in 15 minutes each morning – a five-minute improvement, which is impressive given it uses less heat than other dryers.
The result was smoother, frizz-free hair that didn’t feel like it had been fed through a hot jet engine.
For those who dry their hair every day, this means the Supersonic could be the solution to dry and brittle locks.
Another handy feature worth mentioning is the very long cord, which gives you plenty of room to move.
Consumer advocacy group CHOICE was also impressed by the Supersonic, but remained sceptical of the eye-watering price.
“At that price you can buy yourself a large appliance like a washing machine or dishwasher,” said their road-tester Rebecca Ciaramidaro.
“But if you can afford it and your haircare regime warrants this type of investment we doubt you’ll be disappointed.”
What we didn’t like
Unsurprisingly, the Supersonic’s biggest issue is that it will cost you 31 servings of smashed avocado on toast.
In all seriousness, most people will baulk at the idea of dropping $700 on a hairdryers, especially when CHOICE claims women can find a good one for around the $100 mark.
But money aside, there aren’t many obvious pitfalls.
You are partly paying for novelty with the Supersonic. While the magnetic accessories are fun and convenient, they will probably save you all of one second compared to traditional models.
Is the Dyson worth $700? For dedicated stylers who can afford it, it’s a simple yes.
But you’ll be guarding it with your life.
