Unsure Which Dyson Hair Tool to Choose? We Put Their Cutting-Edge Stylers Through Real-Life Testing

Few beauty tools spark as much conversation as Dyson’s. After all, the brand reshaped at-home styling in 2016 with the launch of the original Supersonic Hair Dryer—a lightweight, powerful device that changed the way we think about airflow. A few years later, they turned heads again with the launch of the Airwrap Multistyler, the first hair tool to harness the Coanda effect (the tendency of air to wrap around a curved surface) to style hair without extreme heat.

Since then, Dyson has continued to refine and upgrade its tools, with each new model offering frontline technology and insightful innovation. But with so many versions now available, it can be hard to know which one is right for your hair type, your routine and your budget (when each tool comes with a price tag well into the hundreds, it’s not a decision to make lightly).

So, the Marie Claire UK team put the latest launches to the test—including the Supersonic Nural, the Supersonic r, the Airwrap Coanda 2x and the Airstrait—comparing each to its predecessor and weighing up whether they’re truly worth the investment. Here’s our in-depth Dyson hair tools review…

How we tested each Dyson hair tool

Each device was judged on its efficacy, innovation and results, with every element assessed, from the packaging and instructions to ease of use, the overall experience and the final outcome. Each editor tested their device over several weeks to ensure a fair and thorough trial. There are the results...

Airwrap Co-anda 2x Multi-Styler and Dryer

The latest iteration of the Dyson Airwrap, the 2x uses Dyson’s most powerful haircare motor yet, the Hyperdymium™ 2. Spinning at an eye-watering 150,000rpm (that’s nine times faster than a Formula 1 engine), it delivers 30% more power and twice the air pressure. This means that hair dries as quickly as it would with a full-sized professional dryer, and it creates curls, waves and sleek styles faster—and all without extreme heat.

There’s also a layer of personalisation via the Dyson app, a memory function to store your settings, and upgraded attachments compared to previous models. In other words, it’s an upgrade on the Airwrap ID and the original in every meaningful metric.

To really put the Airwrap 2x through its paces, I started with sopping-wet hair straight out of the shower. According to the instructions, hair should be around 80% dry before styling, and I reached that point in just two minutes flat with the Fast Dryer attachments.

Then, I ued the 40mm Coanda curling barrel to finish my styling. It took a bit of getting used to, and there were a few sections where my hair was blowing is every direction, but I managed to get the hang of it quite quickly. It was impressive to see my hair being drawn in, wrapped, styled and set in seconds. and I worked my way around my head, switching the direction of the airflow halfway through.

From dripping wet to a full, bouncy blow-dry, the entire process took just nine minutes. At £579.99, it’s undeniably a serious investment—but it truly does it all, and in record speed. I finished with a texture mist and a little hairspray, and the style held relatively well. There was some volume drop-off straight away and the curls softened throughout the day, but with my fine, slippery hair, that feels inevitable.

Dyson Supersonic Nurale Hair Dryer

The key innovation of the new hair dryer is the intelligent Nural sensors, which activate the scalp protect mode. An invisible infrared beam measures the distance between the hair dryer and your hair, and then changes the heat and speed modes accordingly to protect the skin on your scalp.

The dryer comes with five attachments - the Gentle air attachment (allows for fast and gentle styling by evenly dispersing airflow); the Styling concentrator (much like the ones that come with your traditional hair dryers, this one is wider and thinner for more precise styling); the Wide-tooth comb (designed to be used on curls and coils to help lengthen or add volume); the Flyaway attachment (smooths short hairs to prevent flyaways) and the brand new Wave+curl diffuser, which uses reversible airflow to better define waves, curls and coils.

You can use this dryer in exactly the same way as the original Supersonic - where you control the temperature and speed settings - but the Nural will remember your preferences depending on the attachment.

Overall, I think this is a brilliant hair dryer. I used another dryer whilst I was in a hotel recently and it struck me just how hot my scalp was becoming when I was using it. It was then that I appreciated how innovative the technology really is. As for how it compares to the original Supersonic? I see it as an upgrade—you can use the Nural in the same way as the original, with the added benefit of the scalp technology. If you're going to invest in one or the other, I'd buy the Nural.

Dyson Supersonic r Hair Dryer

I am yet to find a Dyson tool that I don't get on with, but I will admit that I wasn't sure whether there was a need for another Supersonic hair dryer when the others (original Supersonic and Supersonic Nural) are already so brilliant. I've known about the 'r' for a while now, as it originally launched last year for professionals only, which again slightly confused me as to where this one sits amongst the lineup.

I've been testing it for almost a month now, and the thing that stands out is how quickly I can dry my hair. I have long, fine hair, and a lot of it. Blow-drying my hair typically takes so long that I have long been in the air-dry camp. But using the 'r' has made the process so quick that I would consider changing my allegiances. It's lightweight, comes with useful attachments and no longer makes drying my hair a chore.

Dyson Airstrait Straightener

The Dyson Airstrait is a genuine piece of engineering art. It’s the only straightener that uses the Dyson Hyperdymium motor to deliver powerful, directional airflow that smooths and aligns hair—without hot plates or extreme heat. I’ll admit I was initially sceptical. Setup feels a little intense: you have to press the Test and Reset buttons on the plug first for safety, then choose your settings, from wet or dry mode to airflow strength and temperature. Once you clamp down on your section, it senses the hair and fires a burst of high-powered air, before returning to low flow when you’re done.

My hair normally needs several passes with a traditional straightener, and even then, the ends tend to flick. But with one single pass, the Airstrait took my wet hair to bone dry and poker straight.

If I’m being picky, it left my hair almost too straight. Adding movement proved tricky—the device is more difficult to manoeuvre than straighteners, and you can’t twist or flip it in the same way. Turn it upside down and the airflow sends your hair upwards; try to curl with it and the results fall flat.

But the time-saving element is unbeatable. If you’re like me and just want to look polished with as little effort as possible, the Airstrait is a no-brainer. As long as you love poker-straight hair.