Dyson Supersonic hairdryer

Should hairdryer manufacturers be quaking in their not-very-innovative boots? Maybe. Dyson is getting in on the act with a new dryer, the Supersonic, that’s just been launched in Japan.

At around £300 it’s not cheap (who ever heard of a cheap Dyson?). But after £50m of investment, if it lives up to its claims it could just shake up the hairdryer market in a way the company has already done with vacuum cleaners and fans but failed to do with washing machines (the one product are he tried not linked to sucking or blowing).

So, it’s quieter than regular dryers but is also meant to be less damaging to hair, and that’s what really counts. Based on similar airflow principles to Dyson’s fans, it has a tiny air pump in the handle.

That means high air flow but low pressure, removing the issue of overheating. It also means the weight of the device is spread more evenly so it should be more comfortable to use.

Founder James Dyson said his company has around 40 more new products in development but that a hairdryer was a no-brainer as “there just happens to be a huge field in airflow.”

He said the problem with regular dryers is that styling attachments and how close the dryers have to be to the hair both slow down drying and overheat the hair. When it’s overheated, the hair’s cortex develops water bubbles that explode and last holes in hair fibres. Eek.