A hair dryer for our Home Tech Device of the Year? Here's how the Dyson Supersonic Nural blew us away

We spot tons of cool location tech being released each twelvemonth – java machines that present cleanable drinks astatine nan push of a azygous button, robot vacuums that tin do a amended cleanup occupation than you can, and truthful on. But this year, nan merchandise that impressed america nan astir was a hairsbreadth dryer – nan Dyson Supersonic Nural, to beryllium precise – nan recently crowned victor of nan Home Tech of nan Year prize astatine nan TechRadar Choice Awards 2024.

This is nan follow-up to nan original Supersonic, which earnestly shook up nan haircare marketplace erstwhile it deed shelves successful 2016. One cardinal logic for its fame was nan streamlined shape, doing distant pinch nan chunky barrel, putting astir of nan weight successful nan handle, and frankincense making it overmuch easier to wield. In a marketplace that was, astatine that point, beautiful stagnant, that was a game-changer.

Dyson could person gone pinch iterative improvements successful its next-gen version, but instead, it decided to shingle things up again by throwing a full load of tech astatine it. One cardinal takeaway from my clip arsenic TechRadar's Homes Editor is that tech for nan liking of tech is not a bully point (I, personally, do not request app power for my microwave). But here, it's not conscionable for nan liking of it.

These are improvements that each reside niggles and annoyances that, truthful far, we've conscionable put up with. None of them are essential, but they judge made my styling regular smoother than ever erstwhile I tested this dryer retired for my Dyson Supersonic Nural review.

For instance, this hairsbreadth dryer knows erstwhile you've put it down and will driblet into low-power mode aft a 2nd aliases truthful successful response. That intends you don't person to fuss astir switching it connected and disconnected erstwhile you want to return a region successful styling to drawback a comb aliases immoderate heat-protect spray, and it's instantly fresh to spell arsenic soon arsenic you prime it up. That's a characteristic that nary of nan different entries successful our best hairsbreadth dryer ranking tin offer.

Sensors, sensors everywhere

The attachments besides person sensors, truthful nan Supersonic Nural will retrieve which settings you for illustration to usage pinch each, and there's nary request for manual accommodation each clip you threat a different 1 on. This is doubly useful because nan attachments present spell measurement beyond nan basal diffuser-and-concentrator combo. You've sewage a wide range, considering different hairsbreadth lengths and types, too. These toggle shape nan Nural from 'just a hairdryer' into a instrumentality that tin compete pinch immoderate of today's best multi-stylers.

I emotion some of these things, but neither is nan header feature. That is nan 'Scalp Protect Mode'. These days, group are progressively alert of nan harm that regular power styling will do to your hairsbreadth successful nan agelong run. Dyson has travel up pinch a solution you won't find anyplace other connected nan market: nan Nural tin set really basking aliases acold nan airflow is based connected really acold it is from your caput to support what feels for illustration a changeless somesthesia connected your scalp.

That intends you tin get up adjacent to your caput for precision styling without burning your locks. The wrong of nan tube will besides glow bluish done to orangish arsenic nan somesthesia adjusts (okay, this spot isn't strictly necessary, but it is cool). During my testing clip pinch nan Nural, I recovered myself utilizing Scalp Protect mode automatically, uncovering location was nary existent discuss successful drying times.

Such an precocious dryer will beryllium overkill for many, and nan sky-high costs – astatine database price, $499.99 / £399.99 / AU$749 – will put others disconnected too, but this benignant of invention tin only beryllium a bully point for nan wider market. (I've covered why I deliberation the Nural's value tag is fine, actually, successful a abstracted article, truthful I won't get into it excessively overmuch here.)

It's difficult to innovate meaningfully successful nan location appliances marketplace and moreover much truthful to present improvements that are genuinely useful, but Dyson has knocked it retired of nan parkland pinch nan Supersonic Nural. It is simply a worthy victor of our Home Tech of nan Year grant 2024.