When Dyson launched its first hair dryer back in 2016, it truly was a beauty revolution. The brand had seemingly thrown out the rulebook of what a hair dryer should look like, and it felt unlikely that they’d be able to top it. Until the 2024 launch of the Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer, that is, which updated the already impressive tool with even more innovative new tech.
With the Dyson Supersonic already synonymous with the best hair dryers, the newer Nural promised the same “fast, intelligent drying [with] no heat damage”. However, there were new impressive claims added to its roster; namely that it “auto-adapts to enhance shine and protect scalp health” and its “scalp protect mode [which] helps improve scalp moisture retention”.
As a beauty editor for coming up to a decade, I’ve lost count of how many hairstyling tools I’ve tried. The Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer was already my personal preference for drying my hair curly, while the Dyson Airstrait is my go-to tool for drying my hair smoothly. So how does its newest dryer measure up? I’ve had the Nural since it launched, so have been able to put it through its paces – here are my honest thoughts…
Our contributing beauty editor's full Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer review
First impressions of the Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer
Initially, it seems like there are no surprises with the Dyson Supersonic Nural’s design. It takes the same shape as its predecessor with a hole all the way through, though has been updated with fresh new colourways – ceramic patina and topaz (which I own), vinca blue patina and topaz, and strawberry bronze and blush pink. However, look a little closer and you’ll see that the surface showing the temperature and heat is actually transparent, allowing you to see the inner workings of the hair dryer.
As we’ve come to expect from tools like the Dyson Airwrap and Supersonic, the Nural comes with plenty of attachments so you’re well-equipped to style your hair. These include a diffuser, a wide-tooth comb, a concentrator nozzle, a gentle air attachment and a flyaway attachment. It’s all as sleek and well-designed as you’d expect from the brand and the premium price point. So far, so good.
How does the Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer perform?
Given that this tool is building on an already excellent drying experience (and that it is now the most expensive consumer hair dryer on the market), I was always going to hold the Dyson Supersonic Nural to very high standards. Making this already-pricey model even more so needed to be justified with improved tech that delivered an elevated drying experience.
So, how did the snazzy new features fare? The sensor is a great addition, but can be switched off, should you want to keep the dryer at a particularly high temperature. Put the dryer down for a few moments and the power will decrease, which is also fairly handy if you need to briefly nip out of the room and want to (quite literally) pick up where you left off on your return.
Each one of the attachments will also now remember the last settings with which they were programmed, which is a cool personal touch – so you can set the diffuser to low and slow or ultra fast with the concentrator nozzle, for example, and the settings will be the same when you next secure on that attachment.
Said diffuser has had a makeover, not only in terms of the new tech but also its design. Previously, the Supersonic diffuser was a small funnel-shaped tool covered in lots of tiny holes. My opinion, which I know is shared by several top hairdressers, is that the combination of the two is the best for drying curly hair, so I wasn’t sure how this could possibly be improved.
The new diffuser also has the option to remove the pronged section to reveal a deeper bowl that’s designed for defining and enhancing waves. As I have curly hair, not wavy, this isn’t something I can test firsthand – but I have seen this demonstrated by the brand’s ambassador Larry King on a model, and it was able to create these tousled waves with a beachy feel. Based on this, it looks to be a great tool for adding more of this kind of pattern to straighter hair types.
Finally, a small but not insignificant note for fans of the quietest hair dryers: my partner’s quibble with the original Supersonic was that it had a slight whistle tone, something he says isn’t as noticeable with the Nural.
How does the Dyson Supersonic Nural compare?
In terms of what’s been added on, it largely comes down to handy new features and intelligent attachments. Built into the head of the Supersonic Nural is the aforementioned sensor that adjusts the heat output based on proximity to your head, preventing your scalp from getting scorched. In this regard, it is certainly more advanced than the original and goes some way to account for the additional £70 on the price tag.
These features also set it apart from most – if not all – of the other hair dryers on the market, though it is perhaps the most expensive hair dryer around, too (save for the professional trade tool, the Supersonic r). There’s no two ways about it, £400 is an incredible amount of money, though you are at least kitted out with almost all of the attachments you could possibly need.
Should you buy the Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer?
It’s probably clear by now that I do think Dyson’s hair dryers are expensive, yes, but worth the investment long term. I imagine that most people who want an answer to this question are torn between buying the Supersonic or spending that extra £70 on the Nural. The answer, I think, really comes down to how much you’ll appreciate or benefit from the levelled-up tech given your hair type and styling needs. The original Supersonic is still an incredible dryer that I rate highly.
