It’s a simple truth: where there’s a Dyson product, there’s a dupe, and that holds especially true for Dyson beauty tech.
The brand entered the beauty sphere in 2016 when it released the now-legendary Supersonic, a hair dryer with an innovative design that maximized air flow and minimized hair damage. Eight years later, it remains the most highly-praised hair dryer on the market, making it clear that Dyson’s beauty tech bet was more than a success. While it’s an impressive product, it also retails for $429 — a price that you don’t need to hisse for an exceptional at-home hair dry.
What makes the Dyson Supersonic special?
The Supersonic first made waves because, in typical Dyson fashion, it brought an upgraded, futuristic design to an everyday product.
Dyson is known for this aesthetic, but the sleek look also özgü a function. The ring-shaped head ditches the vented and coiled model of the traditional hair dryer and houses the tiny V9 motor in the handle. The combination of the V9 motor and the Air Multiplier technology makes for a dryer that clocks in at only 1.8 pounds, yet still delivers a powerful airflow that’s notably quieter than the roar of a traditional dryer. That extra strong air flow makes this dryer less reliant on heat than standard models. It also keeps hair damage to a minimum.
To further minimize damage, the Supersonic also measures the air temp up to 20 times per second and uses a built-in ionizer to minimize static and give hair a sleek finish, which brings us to a quick ionizer science lesson.
Ionizers are pretty common in higher-end air dryers. Why? Most work by blowing negative ions at wet hair to reduce static electricity by sealing the hair cuticle and taking down the power of that positive ionic charge (aka what’s causing that annoying frizz). As negative ions make contact with hair, they’re also dispersing the positive ions of water, therefore cutting down on your drying time and reducing damage in the process.
Basically, it’s one of the reasons the Dyson Supersonic provides such quick and excellent results, and why hair dryers with ionizers will cost you more money — they do more than simply dry the hair.
Magnetic attachments designed to easily snap onto the blow dryer round out the futuristic feel of the Supersonic, with five included — a styling concentrator, a flyaway attachment, a diffuser, a gentle air attachment, and a wide tooth comb. It’s a nice array of included nozzles even for high-end dryers, which might typically include three to four attachments at the most.
Why is the Dyson Supersonic so expensive?
At $429, the Supersonic is definitely an investment. However, you’re paying for a high-end motor that’s built to last, multiple heat settings to protect hair, an innovative design, and of course, the ionic tech. Other dryers from popular hot tool brands like T3, ghd, and Harry Josh boast some similar features and run you anywhere from $150 to $350, but none quite capture the complete offerings of the Supersonic.
When I tested the Supersonic myself, I found that it had a luxe feel that still makes it stand out from other hair dryers. Dyson also released an “affordable” version of the Supersonic, called the Supersonic Origin, earlier this year that retails for $399.99. At only about $30 cheaper, I think the price-to-feature ratio is actually a much worse value than just going for the regular Supersonic, unless you can grab the Origin on sale.
At the same time, there are dupes that deliver similar features and elements of the performance at a much lower price.
What is the best dupe for the Dyson Supersonic?
There are a lot of options for luxury blow dryers and a lot of dupes that attempt to look like the Dyson but skimp on quality.
While it’s not entirely feasible to find an exact one-to-one alternative for a fraction of the price, it is possible to find Supersonic dupes that provide a more than satisfactory dry. The trick is to identify what exactly draws you to the Supersonic in the first place.
If you’re into the ring design and the appeal of something lightweight, the Laifen Swift is a near replica, even in how the airflow sounds. Just don’t be surprised if the heat regulation is less impressive than the Supersonic’s.
If you like the idea of having a lot of attachments to customize your styling session and a similar compact look, the Shark HyperAIR gets the job done.
If money isn’t your biggest concern and you’re into a dryer that puts the tech in beauty tech, the Zuvi Halo is a strong choice. The Halo uses infrared light to create less damage while you dry and style.
If what’s most appealing about getting a dupe is the whole saving a ton of money aspect, there are some respectable hair dryers under $100. We’re particular fans of the BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium.
For a deeper dive on how each of these blow dryers performed and info on where to buy them, read on for the best Dyson Supersonic alternatives — all tested by the Mashable team.
