Public Access - Why Dyson's $400 Hair Dryer Is Totally Worth It

I want to say that I was surprised when Dyson announced earlier this year that they were making a hairdryer worth $400, but I was not. Just as the company markets and prepares incredibly expensive variations of vacuums which supposedly work so much better, it makes a $400 version of a device which you can get at your drugstore for $15. Individuals with some spare cash can take a look and consider ordering on Dyson's website or at other electronics stores.

But while $400 may seem to be absurd, the Supersonic hair dryer is worth every penny. It fixes nearly every problem which we have with traditional hair dryers from fried hair to the excessive noise, and can save you so much time and convenience.

Not a normal hair dryer

If you look at the Supersonic, you will notice that it looks nothing like a hair dryer. It would be easy to confuse it for a strange looking microphone painted fuchsia.

But that different look is part of Dyson's innovation, because the company has changed where the parts go. Unlike most hair dryers, Dyson has put the motor, which is smaller and yet stronger than most dryer motors, towards the handle instead of towards the top. This means that the Supersonic is much less top-heavy. While it is a little heavier than a normal hair dryer, it actually feels lighter because the weight is distributed evenly. The smaller size of the Dyson also means that it is easier to move around, although one reviewer found its 9-foot long cord to be "unwieldy."

Dyson also puts the filter at the bottom as well, which eliminates the problem of hair getting caught in the dryer. This is a similar innovation you'll see on a Canister Vacuum. The catch is that it does mean dust can get in and prevent the filter from working effectively, but there is a LED light which will flash and let you know when it is time to clean it out.

Putting the motor towards the bottom is also great because the rest of the handle acts as a muffler. Dyson combines this with using more blades which makes the air assume a sound frequency humans cannot hear to create the quietest hair dryer available. It is possible to talk to your friends while drying your hair at the same time and just generally makes you less of a nuisance.

Changes in heating

While aesthetic differences are important, customers are interested in the Supersonic's drying abilities. In that regard, the Supersonic is safer and is far more efficient compared to its peers.

One of the major differences between the Supersonic and other dryers is that Dyson has installed a microprocessor which checks the temperature of the air it emits 20 times per second. When the hair dryer gets too hot, the processor regulates the temperature to safer levels. Anyone who has ever singed their hairs or burned their hands should appreciate this.

Keeping the temperature from getting too high is not just about safety. Regular hair dryers try to blast as much hot air onto your hair as possible, but this frazzles and cracks your hair. Dyson avoids this problem by keeping the temperatures lower. It also comes with magnetic attachments which can both further concentrate or diffuse your hair, creating a better dry.

But if Dyson is keeping its temperatures lower than regular dryers, then doesn't that mean that it will take longer for it to dry? The Supersonic gets around that problem with an air multiplier which blasts more concentrated air to do the job while staying at lower temperatures. The result is a hair dryer that uses air that gets your hair dry quickly without damaging it.

The price problem

All of these features may sound nice, but is it really worth dropping a few extra hundred dollars for a hair dryer?

That is one way to think about it, but let us tackle it from another perspective. Think about how much time you spend using a hair dryer every single day. It can take up a lot of your time if your hair is long, thick, or wavy. Your hair can get caught in other dryers, and then there is the problem of overheating your hair and finishing up a frazzled hair that does not look right.

Dysons fixes most of those problems with its new technology. If you spend 20 minutes per day drying your hair every day, Dyson can cut that down to five. And saving 15 minutes per day, every day, could be worth an extra few hundred dollars.

For those of us who routinely dry our hair, this is a big deal. And even if you decide that the Supersonic is not worth the extra cost, I would not be surprised to see stylists make this excellent dryer a regular part of their arsenal.