The world’s most revolutionary hairdryer just launched, and you can't get your hands on it (yet)

Compact, powerful, and available only to the pros, Dyson’s newest hairdryer is as innovative as it is hard to come by. 

Compact, powerful, and available only to the pros, Dyson’s newest hairdryer is as innovative as it is hard to come by.

Amid a flurry of excitement, hair spray, and last-minute alterations backstage at Christian Siriano’s New York Fashion Week show, there was a familiar hum. A mainstay backstage, the high-pitched whirr of the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer provided the soundtrack to the chaos of a show about to commence. The caveat? The hair dryer’s whipping hair into shape looked considerably different to the OG Supersonic which launched in 2016 and single-handedly revolutionised the hair drying market with its intelligent heat control and rapid drying time.

The latest addition to the brand’s expanding line of hair care devices is the Dyson Supersonic r, a compact styler which packs decades of research and innovation into one streamlined, nifty device. The fact it was launched backstage at fashion week wasn’t by accident: the Supersonic r is currently only available to professional stylists, a group researchers at Dyson HQ recognised for the hours they spend styling hair each day. Since 2017, the UK-based brand has surveyed almost 700 stylists to understand the demands of their job and found the average hairdresser sees four to 16 clients daily (read: many, many hours spent blow-drying) increasing the risk of repetitive strain injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome.        

Courtesy of Dyson.

Enter the brand’s tiniest and most precise hair dryer yet. No heavier than a can of hairspray, the r is 30 per cent smaller and 20 per cent lighter than the original Supersonic and boasts an ergonomic ‘r’ shaped design to curb arm and hand strain. Building on the technology and knowledge the brand has developed since it made the switch from vacuums and air purifiers to our beauty cabinets eight years ago, the Supersonic r boasts an incredibly small heating mechanism that marries precise heat and airflow to powerfully and precisely target sections of the hair and curb drying time.

Courtesy of Dyson.

How do you use the Dyson Supersonic r?

How does this tech innovation stack up IRL? Mere mortals (ie. not professional hair stylists) will be struck by the size and weight of the device. When styling my own tresses with the Supersonic r on a recent visit to Dyson’s UK office, it does take some adjustment and manoeuvring to ensure the air is positioned to dry the intended section. Muscle memory from years using the original and larger Supersonic, meant I wasn’t holding the device as close as I could to the strands, particularly at the roots.

The other key takeaway? The fast, precise airflow. When using the ‘pro concentrator’ attachment I dried the front strands of my hair in a fraction of the time, and despite the high humidity that day, when I clocked my reflection in the bathroom mirror later that afternoon, they were still as sleek and smooth as when I left home that morning. When r eventually becomes available to everyone (watch this space) I imagine throwing it in a suitcase for trips away or in my gym bag for on-the-go styling.

Courtesy of Dyson.

How does the Dyson Supersonic r work?

Still, this is a pro-first device, and with them in mind, Dyson engineers have also considered how to streamline heat and airflow when swapping out attachments. The Hyperdymium™ motor and intelligent Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) sensors are basically cluey antennas which adjust the force and heat of the device to suit each attachment (think low airflow and temp for curls using the gentle air attachment, medium heat for the flyaway attachment, or high heat and power for the initial rough dry mode). Plus, the devices main power buttons (including the nifty cold shot button) are situated on the opposite side of the wand to the OG Supersonic, taking into account the positioning of a stylist hands when working their hair magic on a client.  

Albeit, all the hallmarks of a Dyson styler are packed into the Supersonic r. Whether drying your own tresses or in the salon, the device is fitted with intelligent heat technology, measuring the air temperature over 20 times per second (to prevent extreme heat damage, a common problem of many other hair dryers). Plus, it has three airflow settings and four heat modes meaning you can dial up or down the intensity of the hairdryer to suit your hair type. And as with the original Dyson Supersonic, the r is set to fly off the shelves: available from June this year, hair stylists can register their interest on the brand’s website. As for the rest of us? Sit tight, we might be waiting just a little while longer.

Value for money: no word on price but if it’s in line with Dyson hair stylers it will be dearer than its competitors, but well worth it.   

Good for: professional hair stylists clocking hours a day heat styling.

Where to get it: join the waitlist at Dyson.com.au

This is an independently written road test which was not commissioned or paid for by the brand. However, the writer attended the demonstration as a guest of the brand.

Originally published as The world’s most revolutionary hairdryer just launched, and you can't get your hands on it (yet)