Dyson launches smallest and lightest hairdryer yet– but is it worth the £450 price?

I have a confession to make: I am extremely lazy when it comes to drying my hair. If a hair tool promises to cut my drying time in half, protect my strands from heat damage and—crucially—not leave my arms aching like I’ve just done an hour-long Pilates session, I’m basically a captive audience. So, when I got my hands on the new a few weeks ago, the latest version of the brand's iconic hair dryer that has just officially launched in the UK today, April 2, I had one pressing question I needed to answer, in the name of honest beauty testing—would I pay £449.99 for it?

We'll dive into the full product details below, but by way of a quick summary, the (and it is shaped like an 'R'!) is designed to be 30% smaller, 20% lighter and just as effective as its predecessor. If you think you've seen it before, it's because the tool was originally made for professional-only use, and was unveiled at Fashion Week last February. Sensing a need for a easily manoeuvrable tool with hair health at its core, Dyson has now released it to the UK public.

Pros and cons of the r Pros:

• Featherlight feel: At just 325g (that’s about the same weight as a can of dry shampoo), it’s one of the lightest premium hair dryers out there—perfect if you’re sick of your arm aching mid-blowout or if you have mobility issues.

• Compact yet powerful: Despite its smaller size, this dryer still delivers a powerful airflow, cutting down drying time significantly.

• It's made for all hair types: Though small in size, it's powerful enough to dry thick, curly and coily hair fast.

• Intelligent heat control: Dyson’s fancy tech measures air temperature 100 times per second to prevent excessive heat damage, meaning smoother, shinier hair in the long run.

• Advanced radio frequency identification sensors: These automatically fine-tune the heat and airflow to protect your hair from unnecessary damage. Even better, once you've customised your ideal settings, the dryer stores them, so each time you attach a specific nozzle, it instantly recalls your preferences—saving you time and effort.

• Magnetic attachments: The five included styling attachments (hello, flyaway smoother!) click on and off with ease, making styling sessions feel seamless.

• Sleek, travel-friendly design: Its more compact frame makes it easier to throw in your suitcase, ideal for jet-setters who don’t want to compromise on their styling routine.

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Cons:

• The price tag: At just under £450, this is not a budget buy. It’s a serious investment—so it’s worth considering how much you actually use your hair dryer before taking the plunge.

• Understanding the attachments takes time: With five different attachments, it can take a bit of trial and error to figure out what works best for your hair type.

• Voltage issues when travelling: Dyson products are designed for the specific voltage and frequency of the country where they were purchased, so you may find your tool doesn't work abroad (I had issues in the Caribbean).

• Only one colourway: It's currently only available in the Ceramic Pink colourway, which is perfect for me, but a more unisex shade could have helped to broaden its customer. There will be a purple shade launching this summer, however.

The attachments breakdown

The comes with five Straight-Wavy or Curly-Coily attachments to suit your hair type (you can make your choice when buying the tool online)

Powerful air attachment: Produces high-velocity airflow to dry hair fast.

Pro concentrator: Focuses air precisely where you need it.

Gentle air attachment: Evenly diffuses and smooths airflow so it’s gentler on the scalp.

Smoothing nozzle: Helps deliver 2x ions for decreased frizz and a smooth, natural finish.

Flyaway attachment: Attracts longer hairs and hides flyaways on finished styles, using the Coanda effect

Our Head of Beauty’s experience: Is it worth the investment?

When I first unboxed the my immediate thought was, “Wow, this is so light!” I’m used to hair dryers feeling like I’m lifting weights, but this one barely felt like I was holding anything at all.

I have long, thick hair (thanks to tape extensions) that takes forever to dry, so I was eager to put this to the test. Using the high heat and airflow settings, I managed to go from damp to dry in around 12 minutes – very fast. But what really impressed me was the finish. My hair looked polished without needing to run my straighteners over it afterwards, which is a huge win.

The flyaway attachment was a favourite of mine, as I expected it to be since it's my go-to one on the original Supersonic. With other non-Dyson hairdryers, I have to use separate smoothing brush or straightener to tame flyaways, but this little tool made a visible difference in seconds. The heat control also meant my hair didn’t feel scorched or dry afterwards, just soft.

I also really love the idea of the advanced radio frequency identification sensors, and how the R can store my favourite settings. I haven't done this yet as I'm still getting to grips with all the attachments, but it looks simple enough to do. The tool is high tech without really feeling scarily techy, if you know what I mean?

So, would I use this after every wash? Yes. Because it was so quick, even I, as an guilty-as-charged airdryer, can make time to use this. Plus it's so easy to manoeuvre that I don't feel I need to learn a new skill to make my hair look good. But I suppose the real question is, would I fork out almost £450 for it? If you’re someone who styles their hair frequently and wants a top-tier tool that protects your hair from heat damage while being incredibly lightweight, this is a solid investment. If you’re more of a wash-and-go type, you might not get the most out of it.

Theis undoubtedly a luxury buy, but it delivers on its promises: it’s super lightweight, quick-drying and protective against heat damage. If you blow-dry your hair often and want the best of the best, it’s worth considering. But if you’re after something more affordable that still feel lightweight,BLOW Hair Dryer, £139.30, or Pro 3-in-1 High-Velocity Hair Dryer System, £159.99, are great options.