The Dyson Supersonic has been a status symbol since its unveiling back in 2016 - instantly recognisable by its circular head and silver and fuchsia colourway. Not content with resting on its laurels, the Supersonic has evolved since it first hit the market. The Nural was released in March 2024 and brought with it new sensor technology, and now comes the Supersonic r.
Once the reserve of professional stylists, the dryer is now part of Dyson’s main collection. But what makes it different? Not only is the r more powerful, but it’s lighter too - so it’s no wonder that it’s a fixture backstage at the fashion weeks. It already garnered the seal of approval from some of the biggest names in the industry, including Sam McKnight, Eugene Souleiman and Lacy Redway.
Dyson is known for its design chops, and the r follows suit. This is a very attractive hair tool and comes in a ceramic pink colourway with more to come.
As you take it out of the box, you'll see just how compact this dryer is. It’s almost like a travel hair dryer in size. This makes it very easily manoeuvrable and less fatiguing for those with thick locks. It is actually 20 per cent smaller and 30 per cent lighter than the Supersonic, which was already one of the lightest hair dryers on the market.
Dyson is clear on its mission to minimise heat damage, and this is ensured with the r through the brand’s trademarked Hyperdymium motor that spins at 110,000rpm to create high velocity air flow. The air travels through a flow heater before it reaches the end to even out and add precision to the styling process. There is also intelligent heat control that measures the air temperature and adapts accordingly.
I have long used the original Supersonic, and while I appreciate the lower temperature to combat hair damage, I find the time it takes to blow dry my hair to be tedious. The r is the complete opposite experience. It is so lightweight that there is no opportunity to get arm ache as the drying process is so speedy. I have fine hair, but it took a mere four minutes to go from towel-dried to bone dry. Four minutes!
There are five attachments that vary depending on whether you select the Straight and Wavy or Curly and Coily model. For achieving straighter and wavy locks, you then have the pro concentrator for precision, the gentle air attachment, the smoothing nozzle to combat frizz and the flyaway attachment that harnesses the famous Coanda effect to smooth out finished styles. The Curly and Coily model switches the gentle air attachment for a diffuser to define curls and the smoothing nozzle for a wide-tooth comb for detangling.
These are all smart or ‘intelligent’ attachments. This means that as soon as they are affixed, the heated tool automatically adjusts the temperature and airflow to maximise their efficiency, thanks to the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) sensors.
At the end, I popped on the flyaway nozzle, which is infused with the cold shot and left my hair smooth and crucially, frizz-free.
The dryer with attachments for curly and coily hair is available here.
