Dyson recently released a new version of its Supersonic hair dryer, and it's even more expensive than the original. Which was already significantly more expensive than basically any other hair dryer on the market. If you mention either product to anyone with a passing knowledge of haircare and/or tech, 11 times out of 10 their response will include a comment on how pricey it is.
Just how pricey, I hear you ask? The new Supersonic Nural is $499.99 / £399.99 / AU$750. Enough for, I don't know, a one-way long haul flight, or a month's rent if you live somewhere fairly undesirable. The original Supersonic, which is still available as part of Dyson's current lineup, is $429.99 / £279.99 / AU$649.
To be clear, I know that's extremely expensive for a hair dryer. But I'm not getting in a pickle about it. I'd even go as far as to say I don't think it's especially overpriced.
I had a chance to try one out (and if this 700-word op-ed isn't enough, you can read even more of my thoughts in my Dyson Supersonic Nural review) and it's very much not your standard hair dryer. It has hi-tech features that aren't included in even the best hair dryers on the market. For example, there's a sensor in the barrel that can monitor how close the hair dryer is to your scalp and adjust the heat accordingly, to maintain what feels like a constant temperature on your head. It means you can tackle precise styling, with the dryer right up close to your hair, without burning your scalp or frying your locks.
The Nural knows when you've put it down, and responds by dropping into low-power mode, so you're not blasting your dressing table with hot air. And it also knows which attachment you've put on it, and remembers your temperature and airspeed preference for each.
In fact, there's a lot more visible innovation than was included with the original Supersonic. That one was also very expensive, and still managed to gain enormous popularity just by dint of being comfortable to wield and very good at moving air. (Read our Dyson Supersonic review if you want a more in-depth description than that.)
None of the hi-tech features included with the Nural are essential additions, but they're not just gimmicks either – each addresses a little pain-point of hair styling and streamlines the process. The hair dryer market isn't exactly known for its fast-paced innovation, and I, for one, am pleased that someone is investing in new developments, even if that does come with knock-on costs to the consumer. (And, based on recent news that Dyson will be laying off more than a quarter of its workforce in order to cut costs, to the brand itself, too... but I'm going to set that aside for now.)
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The Dyson effect
At the risk of sounding like I'm in the pocket of Big Vacuum, I've been on a tour of the Dyson labs and these guys aren't messing around. They're serious about their engineering, they do all the testing and product development properly, and they're genuinely trying to create innovative products.
A good example to flag is the AirWrap, a hugely successful and popular styler that uses the Coanda effect to bend and shape hair as it dries. The Coanda effect isn't a made-up marketing name for something we've seen before, it's a scientific phenomenon that you can literally see working, and which Dyson figured out how to harness in an entirely new way.
This kind of envelope-pushing is good for the market in general. When the first Supersonic got released, we saw established styling brands scrambling to catch up in response to this unexpected interloper, and it wasn't too long before copycat models started cropping up, offering a similar streamlined build at a lower price. Pushing complacent brands to up their game can only be a good thing.
Are you paying extra just for the engineering expertise? No. There are some additions to the Nural that are purely for style purposes (it's hard to argue that you're really gaining anything from the fact that the inside glows different colors to show the temperature, for example), but style is a selling point in itself. Heck, it's a selling point with Dyson's vacuum cleaners, and that's not a specifically style-conscious audience. Everyone likes a good-looking gadget, and this is an audience that's more Insta-invested than most. And sure, you're also paying a premium for the cachet of that Dyson name.
On balance, I'm pleased the Supersonic Nural exists, even though I personally can't afford to buy one. And the key thing here is that if it's too expensive for you, there are literally tons of cheaper alternatives on the market that you're welcome to purchase instead.
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