I found that out first-hand when I used the high-velocity Powerful Air attachment, which is more or less the default attachment (the dryer’s instructions explicitly state to not use the dryer without one of the attachments), to rough-dry my hair most of the way. “For most hair types, [it’s best to] dry hair to approximately 90% before using a brush,” Farel tells me. And I got there in what felt like mere seconds using the highest speed setting and second-hottest temperature. It was also at this point that I realized I’d been raw-dogging it and forgot to apply any styling cream or heat protectant. But thankfully, the Supersonic R’s technology has been developed to skirt heat damage.
The attachments—which, in addition to the Powerful Air attachment, include Pro Concentrator, Flyaway, Diffuser, and Wide-Tooth Comb attachments —have RFID sensors in each attachment, “which communicate with the hair dryer, automatically adjusting the motor and heater to deliver optimal airflow and temperature for each attachment,” says Nyeow. “The RFID sensors also precisely remember the last used setting on every attachment.”
I switched to the Pro Concentrator attachment, which focuses a more precise airstream right where you’re aiming, to use with my brush, and I’m pleased to report that, while I’m not suddenly a pro at using both hands for a blowout, the Supersonic R absolutely improved my ability to maintain control. While the shape feels unfamiliar at first, it almost immediately becomes more intuitive than any other design, older or newer.
Before giving my hair a bit of a smooth-down with Andrew Fitzsimons Prism Shine Softening Crème (I might have forgotten to use something on my damp hair, but I wasn’t about to go into the wild without locking out Florida frizz), I used the Flyaway attachment, which ingeniously lifts longer hairs to the front and pushes flyaways into the rest of the hair to make them less visible. (That’s the whole aerodynamic Coanda effect thing that Dyson is so well-known for: a spinning vortex that attracts the hair to help control it.) All in all, I was able to dry and style my lob in less than 15 minutes, which, for me, is a personal separate-brush record.
Allure commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann, whose hair is a few inches longer than mine, tied with me. (Not that it’s a race.) “It took me about 15 minutes to dry my hair while hovering and diffusing, and I think if I’d been drying it straight or going for a more blowout-y look, it would have been even quicker,” she says, raving about how lightweight it is. “I was happy to see that this new dryer came with a diffuser attachment, plus the flyaway-wicking tool and the concentrated tip that made my bangs look exactly how I like them in literally five seconds. My waves came out a little fluffy and less defined than when I air-dry, but that’s pretty par for the course for fine hair with a looser curl pattern like mine.”
I’m not gonna lie: Using the Supersonic R is going to take some practice since I’m so used to the technique (or lack thereof) that goes into using a dryer brush, but thanks to its inspired new shape and next-level technology, it won’t take nearly as much practice as other, less inventive blow-dryers.
