It’s a simple truth: Where there’s a Dyson product, there’s a dupe, and that holds especially true for Dyson beauty products.
The brand entered the beauty sphere in 2016 when it released the now-legendary Supersonic, a hair dryer with an innovative design that maximized airflow and minimized hair damage. Eight years later, it remains the most highly-praised hair dryer on the market, making it clear that Dyson’s beauty tech bet was more than a success. While it’s an impressive product, it also retails for $429 — a price that you don’t need to pay for an exceptional at-home hair dry (especially during Black Friday season, but more on that below).
What makes the Dyson Supersonic so special?
The Supersonic first made waves because, in typical Dyson fashion, it brought an upgraded, futuristic design to an everyday product.
Dyson is known for this aesthetic, but the sleek look also has a function. The ring-shaped head ditches the vented and coiled model of the traditional hair dryer and houses the tiny V9 motor in the handle. The combination of the V9 motor and the Air Multiplier technology makes for a dryer that clocks in at only 1.8 pounds, yet still delivers a powerful airflow that’s notably quieter than the roar of a traditional dryer. That extra strong airflow makes this dryer less reliant on heat than standard models. It also keeps hair damage to a minimum.
To further minimize damage, the Supersonic also measures the air temp up to 20 times per second and uses a built-in ionizer to minimize static and give hair a sleek finish, which brings us to a quick ionizer science lesson.
Ionizers are pretty common in higher-end air dryers. Why? Most work by blowing negative ions at wet hair to reduce static electricity by sealing the hair cuticle and taking down the power of that positive ionic charge (aka what’s causing that annoying frizz). As negative ions make contact with hair, they’re also dispersing the positive ions of water, therefore cutting down on your drying time and reducing damage in the process.
Basically, it’s one of the reasons the Dyson Supersonic provides such quick and excellent results, and why hair dryers with ionizers will cost you more money — they do more than simply dry the hair.
Magnetic attachments designed to easily snap onto the blow dryer round out the futuristic feel of the Supersonic, with five included — a styling concentrator, a flyaway attachment, a diffuser, a gentle air attachment, and a wide tooth comb. It’s a nice array of included nozzles even for high-end dryers, which might typically include three to four attachments at the most.
Why is the Dyson Supersonic so expensive?
At $429, the Supersonic is definitely an investment. However, you’re paying for a high-end motor that’s built to last, multiple heat settings to protect hair, an innovative design, and of course, the ionic tech. Other dryers from popular hot tool brands like T3, ghd, and Harry Josh boast some similar features and run you anywhere from $150 to $350, but none quite capture the complete offerings of the Supersonic.
When I tested the Supersonic myself, I found that it had a luxe feel that still makes it stand out from other hair dryers. At the same time, there are dupes that deliver similar features and elements of the performance at a much lower price.
Is the Dyson Supersonic worth it during Black Friday?
Absolutely, though its discounted price of $329.99 is still outside most beauty budgets. As of this writing, the Supersonic is marked down $100 at Amazon, as it was during October Prime Day. That makes it a little easier to justify. It certainly won’t get any more affordable after Black Friday. (We’ve also seen the more affordable Supersonic Origin get the $100 off treatment, but we still recommend going for the original while it’s on sale).
Opens in a new window
That said, Black Friday is also a great time to grab Supersonic dupes for even cheaper. A week ahead of Black Friday, all of the Dyson Supersonic dupes in this guide are on sale, too.
What is the best dupe for the Dyson Supersonic?
There are a lot of options for luxury blow dryers and a lot of dupes that look like Dyson but skimp on quality. A good rule of thumb: Avoid the $40 Amazon knockoffs that copy Dyson’s signature fuchsia and nickel design. I promise they won’t perform the same.
Instead, I tested a bunch of hair dryers, some that look similar to the Supersonic, and some that look nothing like it, to find the best hair dryers that replicate the Supersonic experience: That is to say, they give a hair dry that feels quick, easy, and at least a little luxurious.
Below, you’ll find my deep dive on the five best Dyson Supersonic dupes.
