When you hear the name Dyson, what comes to mind? Super-high-tech gear like vacuums and fans, right? Well, the home-care brand is making an unexpected leap into the beauty world with the upcoming launch of the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer. It not only sounds cool, it is cool on a massive scale — and one of the most innovative, futuristic hair tools we've ever seen. Yes, even more innovative than the self-twirling curling iron.
The gadget geniuses at Dyson did some intensive research on blowdryers and came to the conclusion that every hairstylist and consumer knows — those bulky things are a pain in the ass to use. So the brand put its team to work, investing $71 million (!) to create a NASA-worthy lab dedicated to exploring the science of hair and heat-styling. What the team uncovered about hair health, how your strands react to stress, and how heat-styling affects them led it to create the Supersonic.
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At first look, this thing is both bewildering and fascinating. It's a small, light, handheld device with a hole in it. No nozzle, no funnel — just a small, circular, metallic doughnut. However, this delicious pastry doppelgänger features some pretty snazzy tech.
It utilizes the brand's patented Air Multiplier technology to "draw air into the motor and amplify it threefold to create a high-pressure, focused jet of air." Which is marketing speak for, "It has a strong, quick-drying airflow that also allows for more controlled, precise styling." This is all powered by a teeny-tiny digital motor called the V9 that is housed in the handle (instead of the head, like in traditional dryers) to create a lightweight and balanced feel in your hands.
Speaking of styling, the dryer has three included attachments: a styling concentrator, for focused heat application; a smoothing nozzle, which delivers a wide flow of air that helps you smooth out the hair as you dry; and a diffuser, to reduce frizz and create curls with volume. And the best part is, these suckers are magnetic — they attach to that weird little head with zero effort on your part. Take a minute to absorb that one, because it took us a bit to process too. Once we did, we couldn't stop clicking them repeatedly on and off the dryer head. It's kind of addictive.
In typical Dyson fashion, the brand zeroed in on and found solutions to some of those minor annoyances with the whole blowdrying process. The Supersonic uses "intelligent heat control" to make sure the temperature never goes above the chosen heat setting. The brand has also engineered the attachments to stay cool to the touch, both directly after styling and while you are using them.
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The gadget is also quiet, thanks to aero-acoustic engineers (ooh, fancy) who did whatever it is they do to make a tone that is almost inaudible to humans. We wonder what your dog would hear when you turn it on...
Says Atkin of the dryer, "The motor is much smaller, but still very powerful, so I can dry hair quickly, and it feels light in my hand." Her favorite attachment? "The diffuser! It's perfect to use when you want the tousled, carefree [look]. [It] allows you to embrace your natural curls."
So, to recap: This dryer is the business, the Kardashians' hairstylist is all about it, it was tested within an inch of its life, it's so quiet your ears can barely hear it, and you can now dry your hair with the same technology that powers your floor cleaner. The only downside? While it's rolling out in Japan as we speak, U.S. consumers won't be able to get it until September. Patience is a virtue or whatever, but we've already marked our calendars and are mentally willing the next few months to hurry up and happen already.
Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer, $399, available in September at Dyson.