I'm Sceptical of Expensive Hair Dryers, But Dyson's Might Actually Be Worth It

Photo:

@eleanorvousden for Who What Wear UK

The Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer comes with five attachments, including:

- Styling Concentrator Nozzle: For smoothing

- Diffuser: For defining curls and waves as you dry

- Pick Comb: Created for curly and coily hair textures, which helps to stretch curls or create shape and volume

- Flyaway Attachment: Works to tuck in shorter flyaways underneath your hair for a frizz-free finish

-Gentle Air Attachment: Disperses air more gently to protect sensitive scalps

All of the attachments snap on magnetically, making them easy to interchange.

Photo:

@eleanorvousden for Who What Wear UK

Here is my hair pre-wash without any styling. I'd describe my hair as having a slight natural wave, and the texture is coarse in areas, which means limp roots aren't a concern, but frizz and flyaways are. My hair is also quite thick and long, so my drying time if often lengthy. 

Photo:

@eleanorvousden for Who What Wear UK

To dry my hair, I first rough-dried it without any attachments until it was about 50% dry, before switching to the styling concentrator to help smooth the flyaways around my crown and add some shine to my lengths. I was really amazed at how powerful (yet quiet) it is, and it shaved some serious time off my standard blow-dry routine. Rough-drying from wet to totally dry took just seven and a half minutes—about half as long as it would normally take me. Of course, it takes longer if I'm using a round brush to style as I dry, but the powerful airflow means the hair is dried quickly, and I can unlock a bouncy blowout in around 15 to 20 minutes. I also like the option to easily switch the heat and speed up and down at a press of a button.

Photo:

@eleanorvousden for Who What Wear UK

After finishing my blowdry, I was very impressed with the results. My hair felt incredibly smooth, and the Supersonic left me with a lot more shine than my usual hair dryer. I sometimes find that hair dryers make my hair quite frizzy at first, but Dyson's leaves me with an instantly sleek result. I find I mostly reach for the styling concentrator and smoothing attachment, which are great for smoothing down flyaways and tucking in new hair growth.

However, I have a friend with 3b curly hair who says that diffuser attachment is okay but can sometimes leave her hair more prone to frizz than if she left it to air-dry. That being said, Who What Wear UK fashion editor Remy Farrell tells me that the attachments are great for her Afro hair. "I use the wide-tooth comb a lot and the styling concentrator to set gel, but I mostly don't use the attachments," she says.

Photo:

@eleanorvousden for Who What Wear UK

Despite being unsure initially, I've been converted. The Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer has made the chore of drying my hair something I now look forward to much, much more. Not only is my hair dry in under 10 minutes, but I'm really impressed with the attachments that serve their purpose well and deliver visible results.

It is a big investment though. If you can get hold of one from a friend or family member to road test for yourself, I'd recommend doing that before taking the plunge to make sure it works for you and that you like all of the attachments. However, there are a couple of models that just offer the styling concentrator for less if you're not fussed about having all of the attachments. But as for myself, I don't think I could use any other hair dryer now.

Pros:

- Range of attachments for all hair textures

- Dries hair very fast

- Less heat damage

- Quiet yet powerful

- Not as heavy as some hairdryers

Cons:

-  Expensive

- Case and attachments take up a lot of storage space