Dyson Supersonic Nural

Should you buy the Dyson Supersonic Nural?

The Dyson Supersonic Nural is a hair dryer for someone who dries their hair every day, cares about scalp comfort, and has decided the price is acceptable. At $379.00 it ranks #3 of 12 in hair styling tools, and it is the highest-quality dryer we list. The Scalp Protect sensor is the reason to buy this over the original Supersonic. If you want blowout-brush styling in one device, look at the Shark FlexStyle or T3 Aire 360 instead; if you want a fast, capable dryer for a third of the money, the Shark SpeedStyle Pro is the value option.

Where it earns its score

• Scalp Protect sensor. A time-of-flight sensor drops heat as the dryer approaches your scalp, so the roots get less heat than the lengths without you touching a dial.
• Pause Detect. Set it down and the motor idles, which saves noise and heat between sections.
• Smart attachments. Each of the 5 attachments remembers the heat and airflow you last used with it.
• Top-tier quality and satisfaction. Quality scores 95 and Satisfaction 94, both the highest in the category, on the strength of the 110,000 rpm V9 motor.

What to know first

• Warranty is the weakest ViperScore factor. Two years of parts and labor coverage scores 66, which is thin for a $450 tool.
• Value is the trade-off. Value sits at 72 because cheaper dryers get you most of the way there.
• The sensor can misread at the back of your head. Reviewers report it occasionally drops heat when the dryer is not actually near the scalp.
• It is a dryer, not a styler. There are no curling barrels here; that is what the Airwrap i.d. is for.

Questions buyers ask