Dyson Supersonic Nural review: even better than the original 

Introduction

Has it really been almost a decade since Dyson broke into – and quickly dominated the haircare industry? I’m not exaggerating when I say the Supersonic hair dryer turned the humble hairdryer into a lust-worthy piece of tech: a quiet motor, lightweight build and super-speedy drying time combined with futuristic looks to make it an instant hit.

The firm has been a prominent name with hairdressers and beauty devotees ever since, with new additions including the Dyson Airwrap, Coralle hair straighteners and more recently the excellent wet-to-dry Airstrait. Now it has finally gone back to the start with the Supersonic Nural.

This dryer brings several improvements over the OG model, including a scalp protect mode – which is timely, seeing how scalp care is having a real moment in the beauty world. But at $500/£400, is it so expensive only hair salons need apply?

Design & features: illuminated life

The Nural re-uses the original Supersonic’s overall shape, but is lighter than its predecessor at 680g. An illuminated rear casing that shows off the inner circuitry sets it apart visually. This dryer feels incredibly sturdy and comfortable to hold, being light enough I didn’t get arm ache – despite having lots of hair to get through.

Dyson includes a handful of accessories in the box, including a gentle air attachment for fast drying, a wide tooth comb for detangling, a styling concentrator for precise styling, a flyaway attachment for sleek styles and a new wave + curl diffuser. These are all magnetic and click onto the dryer with ease.

A time-of-flight sensor is new for the Nural. It projects an invisible infrared beam to calculate the distance to your head, and reduces the heat as the dryer gets closer to prevent heat damage to your hair and scalp. The dedicated scalp protect mode automatically limits heat to 55°C, which is meant to be the optimum temperature for scalp comfort and drying speed. The transparent end also changes illumination between cool blue or yellow (low heat), to orange (medium heat) and red (high heat), depending on the distance the machine is from your head.

I absolutely love the pause detect feature on the Dyson Airstait, so I’m chuffed to see it again on the Supersonic Nural. A motion-sensing accelerometer in the dryer automatically deactivates the heater, decreasing airflow and noise, when you are in between styling passes. It’s clever, and very effective. 

The new wave + curl diffuser has two settings. Dome mode draws airflow away from the scalp giving smooth, elongated waves with rounded ends; it’s a great drying option for those, like me, with naturally wavy but not curly hair. In diffuse mode, the pronged insert delivers air deep into the roots for defined, voluminous curls and coils, as per a traditional diffuser.

I really liked how the dryer remembers the last-used heat and airflow settings for each of the five styling attachments, automatically applying them the next time it’s in use. This is an absolute change-changer for those rushed mornings.

Performance: hot stuff

It’s packed with tech, for sure, but the Supersonic Nural is intuitive to use with just a few buttons. There’s the power switch on the handle, along with a cold shot button for setting hair styles. The illuminating back of the dryer holds a scalp protect mode, speed setting and temperature control buttons. 

As well as being lovely to look at and a pleasure to hold in the hand, the Dyson Supersonic Nural is the best hair dryer I’ve used. I like it even more than the mighty Shark Speed Style, which I was thinking of as my ride or die dyer. It’s not only kind to my scalp, but quick to dry my very thick, naturally wavy hair, and so very quiet. 

The gentle air attachment quickly became my go-to attachment for fast, yet gentle drying. I found the styling concentrator followed by the flyaway attachment was a perfect combo for a more put-together look when I was going out. Perhaps owed to my excessive use of conditioner, my hair doesn’t really get tangled – but I did use the attachment with did a great job of combing my hair while I dried. I imagine for people with a different hair type to my own this will see plenty of use.

The new wave + curl diffuser is a great idea, too. I tried both options and found the dome mode suited my hair best, as it has a wave to it certainly but not full curls. Having the option to style my hair wavy without air dying or using a curling tool is brilliant. Scalp protect mode doesn’t work with the diffuser attachment, but it felt gentle on my hair anyway and the results were great.

Dyson Supersonic Nural verdict

I could only find one thing not to love about the Dyson Supersonic Nural: the price. This is a serious investment for anyone that doesn’t work in a hair salon.

That said, I think it’s a worthwhile one if you reach for your hairdryer regularly. It dries quickly and quietly, while protecting your scalp in the process.