Anyone who has ever sacrificed half a suitcase to a full-size Dyson knows the pain: great hair tools are heavy, bulky, and—crucially for travellers—not usable abroad. Dyson's new Supersonic travel hair dryer tackles all three problems at once, and after two months of testing, a reviewer at Condé Nast Traveler says it's earned a permanent spot in her bag.
The numbers are what make this one interesting. The travel version is 32% smaller and 25% lighter than the original Supersonic, and it's genuinely pocketable—about the size of a large smartphone. It weighs into a weekender or a carry-on corner without a second thought, which is exactly the point. The tester packed it for a bachelorette trip to Rosemary Beach, Florida, where her Airbnb didn't provide a dryer, and it proved its worth immediately.
The key feature is dual voltage. Neither the original Supersonic nor the Airwrap can safely plug into foreign outlets, which is a real nuisance if you're heading to Europe or anywhere else with 220-240V power. This one can, meaning it's the first genuinely travel-friendly tool in the Dyson lineup. Power hasn't been sacrificed either: it heats up in seconds, dries long hair in around 10 minutes straight from the shower, and leaves a glossy finish rather than the dry, brittle result you often get from cheap hotel dryers.
Design is simple—on/off, three heat settings, two speeds—and the shorter 6.5-foot cable is less of a tangle than the original's 8.6 feet. A Styling Concentrator attachment helps with frizz, and the dryer is compatible with attachments from the original Supersonic, so existing Dyson owners can mix and match without buying new parts.
The one sticking point is price: $300 is a lot for a hair dryer. The tester's verdict is that it's worth it for frequent travellers, or for anyone who wants a full-power dryer that doesn't dominate a small bathroom shelf. Notably, she's been using it as her everyday tool at home in New Jersey, not just on trips—its compact size turned out to be a lifestyle upgrade as much as a travel fix.
Who is this for? Frequent flyers who want carry-on-only living, anyone travelling to countries with different voltage (that dual-voltage feature is the real clincher), and hotel-skeptic travellers staying in vacation rentals where hair dryers aren't guaranteed. If you only travel once a year and a $300 price tag feels steep, your hotel's dryer might survive the relationship. But if hair tools have been the thing keeping you from travelling light, this genuinely changes the maths—it's small enough to tuck into a bag and powerful enough that you won't feel like you've packed a compromise.