Dyson might have made its name in vacuum cleaners, but these days it's also become a force to be reckoned with in the market for haircare tools. The two models that are perhaps best known and most highly regarded are the Dyson Supersonic and the Dyson Airwrap.
Both can dry and style your hair, but what's the difference between them? And do you need a Supersonic if you already have an Airwrap (or vice versa)?
The Supersonic launched first, in 2016, and was the product that turned Dyson into a serious name in haircare tech. It's primarily a hair dryer – in fact, one of the very best hair dryers on the market – but its range of attachments means it can also be used for some styling tasks. Read about the newest version in our Dyson Supersonic Nural review.
The Airwrap joined the party in 2018 and is primarily considered a hair curler – although, again, the wide selection of accompanying accessories mean it can be used to create other looks too (TechRadar ranks it among the best hair styler tools around). Crucially, it can also operate as a hair dryer, allowing it to compete more directly with the Supersonic. Read about the newest version in our Dyson Airwrap i.d. review.
Neither is especially cheap, and with that in mind, you'll want to be sure about the model you need before investing in either – or, indeed, both. As TechRadar's Homes editor specializing in haircare gadgets, I have both the Airwrap i.d. and Supersonic Nural in my styling drawer. I've tested both extensively and have a good idea of the strengths and weaknesses of each. Read on for my in-depth comparison of the Dyson Supersonic vs Airwrap.
Dyson Supersonic vs Airwrap specs
Dyson Supersonic vs Airwrap: price & value for money
- Both are premium products in their respective categories
- Supersonic is typically cheaper than the Airwrap
Both the Supersonic nor the Airwrap sit firmly in the premium price bracket. Dyson is known for its meticulous engineering and high-quality products, which goes some way to justifying the higher price tags. And despite a proliferation of copycat versions of both, the Airwrap and Sypersonic remain unmatched in terms of quality and performance.
Here I'll focus on the pricing for the newest versions, when you buy direct from Dyson. You might also find the original Supersonic and Airwrap featured on Dyson's official listings, but prices vary and it's clear both are slowly being phased out. You'll also find these products on third party sites like Amazon.
Head into Dyson US and you'll find the Supersonic Nural for $499.99 (we've see it discounted as low as $429.99 in the past, but in general Dyson deals aren't that common, and are well worth taking advantage of). At list price, the Airwrap i.d. costs $599.99.
At Dyson UK, the Nural has a list price of £399.99, and the Airwrap i.d. costs £479.99. It's available in various bundles, but all at the same price. Over Black Friday, though, I saw prices drop to £399.99.
At Dyson Australia the Supersonic Nural costs AU$749, while the Airwrap i.d. has a list price of AU$849.
Based on the newest versions, the Airwrap i.d. is a fair bit more expensive than the Supersonic Nural. In fact, barring a really good deal, any version of the Airwrap is going to cost you more than a Supersonic. However, which will be better value for money depends on the styles you're hoping to achieve.
Dyson Supersonic vs Airwrap: design
- Supersonic is predominantly a hair dryer; Airwrap is predominantly a styler/curler
- Newest versions are the Airwrap i.d. and Supersonic Nural, both released 2024
Let's start with the Supersonic. There are two main versions: the original model (launched in 2016), and the Supersonic Nural (launched in 2024).
The Supersonic shook up the market by delivering a different shape to traditional hair dryers. The barrel is compact and streamlined, and most of the weight is in the handle, making it easy to wield. It also gained popularly for its fast, efficient airflow.
The Nural looks pretty much the same, but adds some cool new features. There's a Scalp Protect mode, which uses sensors in the barrel to measure how close the dryer is to your head. It will then get hotter or cooler to maintain what feels like a constant temperature on your scalp, so you can get right up close to your head for styling without frying your locks.
The Nural also knows which attachment is clipped on, and remembers your setting preferences for each; it can tell when you've put it down and will drop into low-power mode in response. You can see how the two models compare in more depth in our Dyson Supersonic vs Nural explainer.
Moving on to the Airwrap. This is essentially a tube-shaped dryer onto which you can add various attachments for achieving different styles. The main focus is the curling barrels, which use a phenomenon known as the Coanda effect to attract the hair around the barrel, shaping it into curls as it dries it – rather than relying on extreme heat, as traditional curling tongs do.
We're now on the third generation model. The first version launched in 2018 and had separate barrels for clockwise and anti-clockwise curls. In 2022, an updated version appeared, introducing more attachment options and – crucially – the ability to switch curl direction by twisting a knob at the top of the barrel, rather than having to swap the whole thing over. (You can read about that version in our Dyson Airwrap 2022 review).
August 2024 saw the launch of the current version: the Airwrap i.d., which introduces an i.d.curl switch that automates the wrap-curl-cool shot process, with timings based on information you've supplied about your hair from within a companion app. This is the main upgrade, but Dyson also added some new attachments, including a conical curl barrel.
For a closer look at all the differences, head to our Dyson Airwrap vs Airwrap i.d. comparison.
Dyson Supersonic vs Airwrap: tools & attachments
- Both have a compatible Wide-tooth comb, Flyaway tool and diffuser
- Airwrap also has curling attachments and round brushes
- Fast Dryer attachment for Airwrap enables use as a hair dryer
Both the Airwrap and Supersonic offer a selection of styling attachments that help increase versatility and broaden the range of styles you can create with each.
Supersonic attachments
Let's start with the Supersonic. Here are your attachment options:
- Gentle air attachment (for light diffusing)
- Concentrator (for sleek styles)
- Wide-tooth comb (for coils and tight curls)
- Flyaway attachment
- Diffuser (1-part diffuser, included with Supersonic)
- Wave+Curl diffuser (2-part diffuser, included with Nural)
That's a smaller attachment range than the Airwrap, and the main things missing are curling barrels and volumizing brushes.
All Supersonics come with the full range of attachments. That makes things simple in terms of buying and comparing prices, but also means that most people will end up with at least one or two attachments they'll never use.
Airwrap attachments
The Airwrap has the broader range of attachments. These include different-sized barrels for curling, smoothing brush options, and round volumizing brush options. There are also various attachments for drying, many of which are similar (or in some cases, the same) as you'll find with the Supersonic dryer.
Note that not all are automatically included; which tools you get will depend on the Airwrap bundle you've opted for. Here are the current Airwrap attachment options:
Barrels:
- 40mm long Airwrap barrel (for curls on longer hair)
- 30mm long Airwrap barrel (for curls on shorter hair)
- 20mm Airwrap barrel
- Conical Airwrap barrel (for tighter curls, closer to the root – new with i.d.)
Smoothing brushes:
- Soft smoothing brush (for fine hair)
- Firm smoothing brush (for frizz-prone hair)
- Small soft smoothing brush
- Small firm smoothing brush
Round volumizing brush:
- Small round volumizing brush
- Round volumizing brush
- Large round volumizing brush
Dryers:
- Dryer+Flyaway smoother
- Fast dryer
- Blade Concentrator (new with i.d.)
- Diffuser
- Wave+Curl diffuser (new with i.d.)
- Wide-tooth comb (to shape/lengthen coily hair)
While the main machine remains the same, in most territories you can pick up versions with different sets of attachments depending on your hair type – so there's a Straight+Wavy set, and a Curly+Coily set, for example.
You can use the main part of the machine on its own, with no attachments, for drying. However, adding on the Fast dryer attachment amplifies and widens the flow of air, as well as changing the angle to make it more comfortable to use as a dryer.
The fact there's also a compatible Dryer+Flyaway smoother and Curl+Wave diffuser allow the Airwrap to compete more directly with the Supersonic. There is technically a concentrator – the Blade concentrator, introduced with the i.d. – but at time of updating it's not included in any Airwrap bundles, and it feels like Dyson isn't wholly committed to it as a new addition.
Dyson Supersonic vs Airwrap: performance
- The Airwrap is better for creating curls or bouncy blow-dry styles
- The Supersonic is better for rough-drying and smooth/straight styles
Both the Airwrap and Supersonic dryer are both excellent at what they do, and I scored both highly in their respective reviews (both got a near-perfect 4.5* out of 5). This aim of this article is to compare the two, so let's focus on which is better for which kind of style. Remember, results will vary by hair length and type. I tested these tools on my armpit-length, wavy hair.
Hair drying
As you might expect, the Supersonic is more efficient at drying hair, and the added scalp health features are a welcome bonus. If I need to rough-dry my hair, the Supersonic Nural does the job faster, and is slightly more comfortable to use too, because the proportions are geared specifically towards drying. It also works very well with the Concentrator, Flyaway attachment and Diffuser.
Using the Airwrap i.d. on its own as a dryer is less efficient, less comfortable and takes longer. However, the Fast dryer attachment speeds the drying process up significantly, as well as making the Airwrap more comfortable to use in this way (because the flow of air is at right angles to the handle).
Rough drying my hair with the Fast dryer takes a little longer than when using the Supersonic Nural, but not much. If I had especially thick or long hair, I suspect the difference would be more noticeable. You're also not getting the attachment recognition or auto-adjusting temperature features.
However, if I want to dry and add volume at the same time, I reach for the Airwrap, with its brush attachments. There are no round brush attachment options with the Supersonic.
Curly styles
If you have naturally curly hair, theoretically both the Supersonic and the Airwrap will work on your hair type. Both have a compatible two-part Curl+Wave diffuser, and for those with coily hair, both options have a very similar Wide-tooth comb attachment.
If you don't have naturally curly hair, the Airwrap is the clear choice. The barrel attachments are designed to create curls on straight hair, or encourage a curlier look on wavy hair. There's no equivalent on the Supersonic.
Straight / smooth styles
While the Airwrap does have attachments for creating smooth styles (a smoothing/drying attachment, a concentrator), it's really more geared towards curly, voluminous or bouncy styles. That, plus the slightly lower-powered drying means that for smooth, straight styles, a Supersonic is a better choice.
