I tried out the new Supersonic r from Dyson, so you don’t have to. If you already own the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer, as I do, this is not some life-changing leap forward in hair-drying technology. It’s basically the same experience, just wrapped up in a cuter, more ergonomic body.
The biggest difference is definitely the shape. The curved “r” design genuinely feels nicer to hold and easier to manoeuvre around your head. It feels lighter in the hand and less awkward when drying the back of your hair or doing a proper blowout.
But in terms of actual drying speed? I personally didn’t find it faster at all compared to my regular Supersonic. Maybe if you were coming from a very old hair dryer, you’d be blown away, but coming from another Dyson, the difference felt pretty minimal.
I did, however, notice the noise. It is quieter, but not dramatically quieter. Being a millennial, I am used to the notion that louder things are more powerful, so it took me a while to double-check that the quieter one was just as powerful, if not slightly more so.
Weirdly, though, my dog immediately noticed the change in sound, so clearly the pitch is different enough for pets to pick up on. Which made it easy to blow-dry him, too, and he’s a standard poodle with a lot of wool.
For hair styling, it still gives that smooth Dyson finish everyone likes. Less frizz, fast, soft, shiny hair. But again, if you already own a Supersonic, you already know what that experience is like. The attachments are all great and work as designed.
My biggest issue by far is the plug situation. I absolutely hate it. Negative aura points.
For such a beautifully designed luxury product, the giant wall brick plug feels so clunky and impractical.
It sticks awkwardly out of the wall, doesn’t fit properly behind furniture, and becomes genuinely annoying in real homes and bathrooms.
If you have under-sink drawers, tight vanity spaces, or furniture sitting near plugs, good luck. It also looks bulky and ugly on a multi-board, which completely ruins the sleek aesthetic Dyson is clearly going for.
It honestly feels bizarre that so much thought went into making the dryer itself look sculptural and futuristic, only for the cord setup to feel so awkward and industrial.
Overall, I think the Supersonic r is a really nice refinement of the original Dyson dryer. It feels more premium, more polished, and more enjoyable to hold. But if you already own a Supersonic and it works perfectly fine, I don’t think this is a must-upgrade situation.
It’s cute. It’s luxurious. It’s lovely to use, even though the plug is horrid. If you can get past the plug design, it is very chic.
But it’s also NZ$849, and for that price, I personally wanted a bigger leap forward than what feels like a very polished redesign.
