Ten years ago, Dyson kicked off the hair gadget arms race with its $400 Supersonic hairdryer. Today, it’s back with a slightly smaller and cheaper travel-size version.
As the name suggests, the $299.99 Supersonic Travel is meant for people on the go — whether that’s a business trip or a jaunt to the gym before work. Dyson claims that it’s 32 percent smaller, 25 percent lighter, and capable of fitting in purses and carry-on luggage. It uses the same basic tech as the Supersonic, though it now automatically adapts voltage to the country you’re in. And folks who already invested in the original Supersonic don’t have to worry about buying new attachments. The new hairdryer is backwards compatible. (Otherwise, the various attachments are sold separately.)
Technically, this isn’t the first Supersonic update. In 2024, Dyson introduced the $569.99 Supersonic r, which was aimed at professional hairstylists before eventually trickling down to consumers last year. That hairdryer had a much slimmer design to alleviate wrist pain, as well as RFID attachments that automatically adjusted heat and airflow.
Since the Supersonic arrived on the scene, Dyson has gone all in on hair. That includes multiple versions of the viral Airwrap curler, Corrale straightener, and Airstrait wet-to-dry hair straightener. Its various hair gadgets (and their premium price tags) have enjoyed viral popularity among beauty influencers, spurring an influx of dupes like the Shark Flexstyle. (Because of course Dyson isn’t the only vacuum maker that’s discovered hair gadgets also utilize airflow.) L’Oréal also recently got into the hair tech game with the Colorsonic hair-dye wand, plus its own AirLight Pro hairdryer and Light Straight flat iron.
Oddly enough, Dyson’s beauty journey has since expanded beyond gadgets, too. It also now makes hair oils, serums, styling creams, and scalp treatments.