Let's get straight to it. The Dyson Supersonic Nural costs £399.99. That's not a typo. Four hundred pounds for a hair dryer. And the uncomfortable truth is that it's genuinely good — good enough that the price feels less absurd once you've used it, though it never quite stops being a lot of money for something that blows hot air.
I've spent weeks with the Nural to work out whether the technology actually delivers on Dyson's claims, and more importantly, whether you'd notice the difference compared to a £25 Remington or a £100 ghd. The short answer: yes, you will. The longer answer involves asking yourself some honest questions about what you're willing to pay for.
Key Specs
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Price (UK RRP) | £399.99 |
| Wattage | 1600W |
| Motor | Digital V9, 110,000 rpm |
| Weight | ~684g |
| Cord length | 2.9m |
| Heat settings | 4 (+ automatic sensor control) |
| Speed settings | 3 |
| Ionic technology | Yes |
| Special features | Scalp Protect mode, thermistor sensor (40 readings/sec) |
| Guarantee | 2 years (Dyson standard) |
| Dual voltage | Yes |
What the Nural Does Differently
Most hair dryers are simple machines. A heating element warms air, a motor pushes it out, and you point it at wet hair until the water evaporates. The Dyson Supersonic Nural does the same fundamental job but approaches nearly every part of it differently.
The motor sits in the handle, not the head. This sounds like a small design choice but it changes how the dryer feels in your hand. Traditional dryers are top-heavy because the motor and heating element are both in the barrel. The Nural puts the V9 digital motor down in the grip, which shifts the centre of gravity to your wrist rather than out in front of it. At 684g it's not the lightest object you'll ever hold, but the balance means it feels lighter than it is. Twenty minutes of overhead drying on thick hair is noticeably less tiring than the same job with a head-heavy dryer.
The thermistor measures air temperature 40 times per second. The Nural constantly adjusts its heating element to maintain the temperature you've selected. Traditional dryers cycle between too-hot and not-hot — the element heats up, overshoots, cools down, heats up again. You won't notice this with your hand, but your hair does. Sustained excess heat is what causes long-term damage, dullness, and brittleness. The sensor system prevents it.
Scalp Protect mode is new to the Nural. This is the headline feature that separates it from the original Supersonic. When you hold the dryer close to your scalp — as you naturally do when drying roots — the Nural detects the proximity and automatically reduces heat output. You don't press a button or switch a mode. It just does it. The idea is to prevent the scalp burns and discomfort that come from blasting concentrated hot air at skin from three inches away. It works. You notice the temperature drop when you move to your roots, and it ramps back up when you pull the dryer further from your head.
1600W, not 2200W. This looks like a downgrade on paper. Budget dryers run at 2200W. But wattage isn't the whole story. The V9 motor spins at 110,000 rpm, which is roughly six times faster than a conventional hair dryer motor. It produces high-velocity focused airflow rather than relying on brute heat. In practice, the Nural dries hair at roughly the same speed as a 2200W dryer while exposing your hair to less extreme temperatures. It also draws less power from the wall, which matters if you're running it off a limited supply.
Two Versions Explained
Dyson sells the Nural in two variants. This is new — the original Supersonic was one-size-fits-all with a generic set of attachments.
Straight + Wavy comes with:
- Flyaway smoother attachment (the flat one that sits against the hair surface)
- Styling concentrator
- Gentle air attachment (wider, diffused airflow)
Curly + Coily comes with:
- Wide-tooth comb attachment (designed for textured hair)
- Diffuser
- Gentle air attachment
Both versions have the same motor, the same Scalp Protect mode, and the same sensor technology. The difference is purely in the attachment selection. You can buy additional attachments separately, but they're not cheap — expect £30-40 each.
The split makes sense. A flyaway smoother is useless on type 4 hair, and a wide-tooth comb attachment isn't designed for straight blowouts. Pick the version that matches your hair type. If you're somewhere in between, the Straight + Wavy set is the more versatile starting point, and you can add the diffuser later.
What's Good
The weight and balance are a real advantage. I keep coming back to this because it's the thing you notice most in daily use. The motor-in-handle design genuinely makes a difference when you're drying hair for fifteen or twenty minutes. Your arm doesn't ache. Your wrist doesn't get sore. It sounds trivial, but if you dry your hair every morning, comfort adds up over hundreds of sessions.
It dries fast without cooking your hair. The combination of high-velocity airflow and sensor-controlled temperature means you get speed without the damage. Hair feels softer after drying with the Nural compared to a conventional dryer at the same speed. The difference is more noticeable on fine or colour-treated hair, where excess heat does visible harm quickly.
It's quiet. Not silent — it's still a hair dryer — but noticeably quieter than a 2200W budget dryer at full blast. The V9 motor produces a higher-pitched tone rather than the low roar of a traditional AC motor. Some people find the pitch annoying, but most find it easier to live with at 6:30am than the full-volume drone of a Remington.
The 2.9m cord is generous. You won't need an extension lead. This matters more than it should, but after years of stretching short cables across bathrooms, a long cord feels like freedom.
Ionic technology and the attachments work well together. The ionic output reduces frizz and static, and the magnetic attachments snap on quickly and rotate freely so you can adjust the airflow direction without removing them. The whole system feels considered rather than thrown together.
What's Not
It costs £399.99. There's no getting around this. Four hundred pounds buys a lot of other things. A Remington D3198 at £25 will dry your hair. A ghd Air at around £100 will dry it well. The Dyson will dry it with more precision and less damage, but the marginal benefit shrinks the further you go up the price scale. The jump from £25 to £100 gets you more than the jump from £100 to £400.
It doesn't fold. The Nural is a full-size dryer with no folding handle. If storage space is tight or you want to travel with it, this is annoying. Dyson sells a storage case separately, but it takes up the same amount of suitcase space either way.
The magnetic attachments can pop off. Magnets are convenient for swapping attachments quickly, but they can detach if you knock the dryer against something or catch the attachment on your hair. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. Clip-on attachments on cheaper dryers don't have this problem.
It's overkill for occasional use. If you dry your hair once or twice a week, you'll barely notice the benefits of sensor heat control. The technology pays off over hundreds of uses through cumulative reduction in heat damage. Two drying sessions a week won't reveal much difference compared to a decent mid-range dryer.
Dyson Nural vs ghd Helios
The ghd Air at around £100-120 is the most common mid-range comparison. It's a proper professional-grade dryer with strong ionic output, a 3-metre cord, and build quality that feels solid. It runs at 2100W and dries hair quickly.
Where the ghd falls behind is weight and balance. It's noticeably heavier and top-heavy in the traditional way. If you have thick hair that takes twenty minutes to dry, you'll feel the difference in your arm. The ghd also has no sensor heat control — it outputs whatever temperature you've dialled in, and it's up to you to keep the dryer moving to avoid hot spots.
The Dyson dries more gently, handles more comfortably, and protects your hair better over time. The ghd dries with brute force and does it well enough for most people. At a quarter of the price, the ghd is hard to argue against unless you specifically want the sensor technology and the lightweight design.
Dyson Nural vs Remington D3198
This is the value question. The Remington D3198 costs around £25, runs at 2200W, includes both a diffuser and concentrator, and has ionic conditioning. It dries hair fast. It reduces frizz. It works.
It's also heavier (575g with worse balance), louder, has a short 1.72m cord, and applies heat with all the precision of a blowtorch. It will dry your hair fine. It won't protect your hair the way the Dyson does, and it won't feel anywhere near as comfortable to hold for extended sessions.
The honest assessment: the Remington does the core job. If you're watching your budget, don't dry your hair every day, or just need a dryer that works without fuss, the D3198 is the right answer. Read the full Remington D3198 review for more detail.
The Dyson is for a different buyer entirely. Someone who dries hair daily, has noticed heat damage building up over time, and wants a tool that actively prevents it. That's a real need, not a made-up one. But it's not everyone's need.
Who Should Buy It
Buy the Nural if: you dry your hair every day or nearly every day, you've noticed heat damage from your current dryer, you have fine or colour-treated hair that's vulnerable to excess heat, you want something lightweight and comfortable for longer drying sessions, or you simply want the best hair dryer currently available and the budget isn't a problem. It's a genuinely good product.
Think twice if: you dry your hair two or three times a week. The sensor technology and hair health benefits accumulate with frequent use. Occasional users won't see enough difference to justify £400. A ghd Air at £100 will serve you well.
Skip it if: you need a travel dryer (it doesn't fold), you're on a tight budget (the Remington D3198 does the fundamental job for £25), or you're buying it because of the brand rather than the technology. The Dyson name on the side doesn't make your hair any drier.
The Verdict
The Dyson Supersonic Nural earns a 9 out of 10 because the technology is real. The sensor heat control works. The Scalp Protect mode works. The motor-in-handle balance works. It dries hair quickly without the sustained excess heat that damages it over time. For daily users, especially those with fine, colour-treated, or damage-prone hair, it's the best dryer you can buy right now.
The single point it loses is for the price. £399.99 is a lot. The Nural doesn't dry hair sixteen times better than a £25 Remington — it dries it somewhat better, more gently, and more comfortably. Whether that's worth the premium depends entirely on how much you use it and how much you value long-term hair health over short-term savings.
Browse all hair dryers we track, or check the Dyson Nural price history to see if there's a discount worth waiting for. For the full roundup, read our best hair dryer UK guide.
Dyson Supersonic Nural: Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Dyson Supersonic Nural worth £400?
It depends on how often you dry your hair. If you use a dryer daily and care about long-term hair health, the sensor heat control and lightweight balance make a genuine difference over time. The technology isn't marketing fluff — the thermistor really does measure temperature 40 times per second, and the Scalp Protect mode really does reduce heat near your scalp. If you dry your hair once or twice a week, you won't get enough use to justify the price. A £25 Remington D3198 will dry your hair perfectly well for occasional use.
What's the difference between the Nural and the original Supersonic?
The Nural adds Scalp Protect mode, which automatically reduces heat when the dryer detects it's close to your scalp. It also comes in two tailored versions — Straight+Wavy and Curly+Coily — each with different attachment sets designed for specific hair types. The core V9 motor and airflow technology carry over from the original, but the sensor system is more advanced and the attachments are updated.
Does the Dyson Supersonic Nural work on curly hair?
Yes, particularly the Curly+Coily version which comes with a wide-tooth comb and diffuser designed for textured hair. The sensor heat control is useful for curly hair because it prevents the excess heat that causes frizz and disrupts curl pattern. The lower wattage also means less aggressive airflow, which curly and coily hair types benefit from. If you follow the curly girl method, the diffuser attachment works well for setting curls after product application.
Why is the Dyson only 1600W when budget dryers are 2200W?
The V9 digital motor spins at 110,000 rpm — roughly six times faster than a conventional hair dryer motor. It produces high-velocity airflow that compensates for the lower wattage. In practice, the Nural dries hair at a comparable speed to 2200W dryers while exposing your hair to less extreme heat and drawing less power from the wall. Wattage measures energy consumption, not drying ability.
How long does the Dyson Supersonic Nural last?
Dyson provides a 2-year guarantee as standard. The brushless digital motor has no carbon brushes to wear out, so it should outlast conventional hair dryer motors by a significant margin. Many original Supersonic owners report five-plus years of daily use without issues. The motor is the most durable part — the filter mesh at the base needs regular cleaning (twist off and wipe), and attachments are the components most likely to need replacing first.