Can a hair dryer really save your scalp from heat damage? I put Dyson’s Supersonic Nural to the test

Tell most hair-care enthusiasts you want to upgrade your hair dryer, and I’d bet good money you’ll be asked, “Will you buy a Dyson?” That would have been a ludicrous question more than a decade ago when the brand specialised in vacuum cleaners, but not since it took the luxury hair-care market by storm in 2016 with its Supersonic hair dryer.

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The Supersonic ripped up the hair-dryer rulebook, with its distinctive design, lightweight feel and quiet operation. Eight years after the original, Dyson launched the Supersonic Nural: an upgraded version with new tricks up its sleeve.

Upgrading to one of the best hair dryers is still one of my top beauty tips: they’re better at controlling heat levels and dry hair faster. All the same, is there really any need to spend up to £400?

Having put the Supersonic Nural hair dryer through its paces and compared it with 19 other hair dryers that I tested, I was mostly impressed. Still, a few niggles ensure it’s not a recommendation without caveats.

How I tested

View image in fullscreen Hair we go: the Dyson Supersonic Nural and its ‘in the box’ attachments. Photograph: Sarah Matthews/The Guardian

Over the month I tested the Supersonic Nural, I took note of the look, feel and finish of my hair. I timed how long it took to rough-dry hair and achieve a smooth blow-dry, and judged the effectiveness of the scalp-protect mode, as well as the versatility and intuitiveness of the controls for more precise styling.

I also used all of the attachments. In each case, I was hoping to dry my hair quickly, leaving it with minimal frizz and feeling healthy. Comfort was also a factor: I didn’t want my arms to ache or to feel any wrist strain in use.

For more quantitative test results, I used an anemometer to measure the Supersonic Nural’s top wind speed, plus a sound meter to assess noise levels from 15cm away.