Is dyson hair dryer good for curly hair

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The fabled Dyson Supersonic "hairdryer redesigned" is supposed to have created a highly functional and user-friendly product that provides a better drying experience. And although it is a device that has been reviewed hundreds of times – we've read tons of great reviews and the odd average review – one thing we noticed was that there were not many Dyson Supersonic reviews that looked at its performance on curly hair.

So, we decided to put this famous hairdryer to the curly-haired test. Written from both male and female perspectives, here is our honest review of how the Dyson Supersonic performs on curly hair.

Stephanie Panecasio

Curly girl and straightener fan

When it comes to my hair, I usually disavow any kind of hairdryer lest I turn into a life-size hairball or start resembling Cousin It. With my long, tangly mess of curls, not only does it usually take so long to dry that my arm feels like it’s going to fall off at any second, it also tends to encourage frizz and knots.

But credit where credit is due, when I started using the Dyson a lot of my doubts were blown away pretty quickly (pun intended). My hair texture is actually quite fine, despite the fact that there’s a lot of it, so the lower heat settings really did make a difference. I now rarely ever use higher than the first setting, and often will just choose to dry my hair with the cool option.

Using the Dyson Supersonic cut down my drying time from over 40 minutes to about 20 minutes on a good day.

And frankly, that is a pretty huge deal for me because there have been many times I’ve had to go to work with wet hair – and yes, usually my hair is still wet by the time I head home.

One of the biggest claims I had my doubts about was that by using the Dyson alone, I could straighten my hair. My hair doesn’t even like being straightened with an actual straightener, and even then, by midday I start getting little wispy curls framing my face. It doesn’t like to behave, so I was very sceptical that the Dyson would manage it.

Now, my hair was a serious challenge for the Dyson to straighten, but I discovered that even if the bulk of my hair decided to misbehave, those flyaway strands at the front really were tamed, especially because the Dyson has the capacity to get so close to the root of the hair. This also made it very smooth, so I started using it both before and after straightening in order to achieve the look I wanted.

The low temperature of the dryer did fail to get my hair completely straight, but then again I've never been able to get my hair dead straight with any hairdryer.

Hands down, the best part about using the Dyson Supersonic for curly hair is the diffuser. Anyone with curly hair knows that diffusers are absolutely mandatory if you dare to use a hair dryer, but when you combine that with the closeness of the actual dryer and the fact that you can control the heat and force, you can customise it to suit your hair perfectly.

The bottom line for me is that I can use it without exhausting my arms, roasting my hair or turning into a frizz monster. While that may seem like a low bar to set, you’d be surprised at how hard it is to find something that can achieve that. The fact that it can also smooth down my flyaways and cut down the drying time? That’s the cherry on top.

Luke Hopewell

Ringlet owner and pomade enthusiast

As a bloke with wildly curly hair, I'm not much of an expert when it comes to hairdryers. Every time I've tried to use one, I've found it to be a touch unwieldy. I always end up struggling with buttons, switches and toggles, while waggling around an oversized air pistol that I could never fully get a balanced grip on. The Dyson Supersonic aims to make the hairdryer an approachable product for a novice.

It is immediately different from other hairdryers. The Supersonic feels well balanced and more purposeful as a gadget than a traditional hairdryer. It feels well-centred with its weight and stability, and because of the wand-like design, it's far easier to get your hands around and aim onto your head.

Not only is it easy to use, it's remarkably effective.

I'm a big fan of Dyson gear and the hairdryer continues to impress in an ever-burgeoning range. The Supersonic's miniaturised, magnetic motor basically takes everything you love from the fan range and turns it up to 11, pushing out incredible power on its higher settings.

It harnesses the tech you'd expect to find in a Hot + Cool fan and applies it to making you look pretty every morning. The range of attachments is also useful and helps you style your hair the way you want.

But impressive specs and a swish design isn't enough to make the Supersonic perfect. The Dyson hair dryer doesn't heat up quite hot enough to fully straighten my curly hair, which I'm sadly cursed with. While I found that it was mostly sufficient (along with a bit of holding product) to keep my curly hair under control, it's a concern that would definitely stop me buying it if it was an everyday product that I needed high heat for, especially given the eye-watering price tag of $499.

My overriding theory is that the Supersonic is cursed by its own sensor tech, which constantly measures the temperature of your hair to ensure you don't burn it as you dry and style. The beauty industry still hasn't been able to strike the balance between burning and styling efficiently.

However, if you have mostly straight hair and don't depend on the white-hot heat of a hair dryer to keep your locks straight each and every day, the Supersonic is definitely the high-tech bit of gear your beauty regime needs.

What Dyson is better for curly hair?

How do I use my Dyson with curly hair?

Is the Dyson diffuser good for curly hair?