A beauty editor's real review of the Dyson Supersonic Nural

When Dyson launched the Supersonic hair dryer in 2016, the brand completely changed the way we thought about drying our hair.

Since then, the leaders in home and beauty technology have turned their attention to air styling with the Dyson Corrale and the Dyson Airwrap respectively. 

Now, Dyson is revolutionising the very hair tool that put them on the map in the first place, bringing to market a hair dryer that sings the same tune about limiting heat damage. However, this newcomer — the Dyson Supersonic Nural — is forcing us to take a closer look at our scalp health with a range of world-first features in the category. 

"If you’re able to limit heat damage, you can get a healthier scalp; and healthier hair. Our new Supersonic Nural™ has a time of flight sensor which recognises your head and reduces the heat as it gets close to your hair, preventing heat damage to both your scalp and your hair," James Dyson (Founder and Chief Engineer) said in a statement released by the brand. "Innovation only comes from investing in research and development. Our obsession to truly understand the root of the problem continues, as we build up some of the most sophisticated hair laboratories in the world."

"From our research into the science of hair, we know that there is a connection between the quality of hair and a healthy scalp," Dyson's Head Of Research, Shawn Lim, went on to say. "The scalp tissue comprises different layers, with the outermost layer serving as a barrier against external stressors. But when your scalp is damaged, moisture loss can occur, a key factor in our development of the Scalp protect mode feature. This helps to maintain scalp moisture levels, and allows for gentle drying."

Dyson Supersonic versus Dyson Supersonic Nural

Although the Nural may look very similar to its predecessor, the Dyson Supersonic, it couldn't be more different. Dyson's new Nural technology boasts Nural™ sensors, which work in conjunction with the hair dryer's intelligent features; Scalp protect mode, Attachment learning and Pause detect.

"This product is groundbreaking for scalp care, however it also allows for a seamless transition between styling tools, with it’s attachment learning technology," Renya Xydis (Dyson Styling Ambassador) said in a statement released by the brand. "This will revolutionise the way I style my clients hair, as well as how they can replicate the style at home."

Scalp protect mode ensures that the Dyson Supersonic Nural maintains the optimum temperature for scalp comfort and speedy hair drying (55°C), regardless of whether the hair dryer is held at a distance from the hair or is just an inch away from the scalp. Time of flight sensors project an invisible infrared beam, which continuously measures the distance between the hair dryer and your hair. Capsule illumination utilises a variety of coloured LED lights in order to communicate the hair dryer's heat settings to the user. In Scalp protect mode, the lights will automatically change between cool blue or yellow (low heat), to orange (medium heat) and red (high heat), depending on the distance the machine is from the head. 

Attachment learning means that the hair dryer is able to remember your styling preferences. For example, if you are using the Gentle Air attachment on a low heat setting and a high speed airflow setting, the hair dryer will remember this. This means you can easily rotate through the hair tool's multiple attachments without having to manually reconfigure your desired settings every time you reattach the attachment.

The Dyson Supersonic Nural™ also uses pause detect technology to deactivate the heater, airflow and noise functions of the hair dryer using a motion-sensing accelerometer which detects breaks in between styling passes or if the tool has been set down to rest on a hard surface. 

The hair dryer has a new styling attachment called the wave and curl diffuser, which is a two-in-one styling attachment that can be used on gently wavy hair and very coily hair types too. The attachment features a traditional curl diffuser, which sits inside a domed bowl that uses reverse air cycle technology to quickly enhance hair's natural curl pattern without damaging the scalp with direct heat. 

How much does the Dyson Supersonic Nural cost?

Dyson Supersonic Nural prices start from AU$749 and the hair dryer will be available to purchase exclusively for Dyson Owners from April 8th, while the general public will be able to purchase the Dyson Supersonic Nural from Thursday April 11 at dyson.com.au and Dyson Demo stores.

BEAUTYcrew's Beauty Editor reviews the Dyson Supersonic Nural

Truth be told, this is only the second Dyson tool I have ever used in my life. Prior to getting my hands on the Nural, I road tested Dysons' portable Corrale straightener in 2020.

Back then I had long hair to play with, but these days styling my hair is a bit more of a struggle. I'm currently growing out a buzzcut and the most frustrating thing hasn't been the awkward phases, but the fact that I can go to bed with a perfectly smoothed and styled mullet pixie cut, and somehow, every morning I awaken to find a bird's nest on my head. 

I was determined to find a way to reset my hair in the mornings without having to wake up a half hour earlier, and I found the solution in the Dyson Supersonic Nural. 

At first, I thought the tool's intuitive heat styling technology would've been the feature that impressed me the most, but in truth, I barely paid attention to it. I don't know about you, but I personally prefer a simple set of clearly indicated machine buttons and functions, which is something the Nural lacks. The minimalist design means the machine looks sleek with low profile buttons and coloured lights, which indicate the heat settings of the hair dryer. But without pouring myself over the machine's manual every morning, it was incredibly difficult to intuit the exact function of each button and LED. 

Instead it was the Dyson's precision air flow styling and innovative attachments that impressed me the most. 

I used the flyaway attachment with Coanda airflow the most. It allowed me to smooth my roots down, coif my frizzy ends in less than 10 minutes and it left my hair feeling silky and soft. Plus, I didn't require additional hair products to protect or smooth my hair before or after styling with the attachment as the heat settings were so low and non-damaging. 

I employed the help of my partner to test out the new Nural-exclusive wave and curl diffuser attachment. Despite having curly hair her whole life, she'd only ever had her curls diffused by hairdressers, but she found the attachment easy to use as a novice. She used the traditional curl diffuser all over her head, gathering her hair in sections, flipping her head upside down and holding  it close to her scalp, which she said wasn't uncomfortable at all thanks to the low heat settings. But the wave diffuser impressed her the most, as it helped to define the curls on the top of her head that were prone to looking frizzy, especially at the root. Using a combination of the two, she was able to get the kind of defined, voluminous and bouncy curls she was used to only seeing after a salon appointment. Apparently it's the best her hair has ever looked after she's styled it herself. 

All in all, if you love the innovations that only Dyson hair tools can offer then we can't fault the piece of tech — it really is at the forefront of at-home hairstyling. We'd consider purchasing the tool simply for the flyaway and Nural-exclusive wave and curl diffuser attachments alone. But it's also important to mention, that if you prefer a simpler mode of styling then the many settings of this machine may be overkill for you. 

Looking for an airstyler with an affordable price tag? These are the best (and most affordable) Dyson Airwrap dupes in Australia.

Main image credit: @sooyaaa__