I tried 5 Dyson Supersonic dupes that are actually worth the hype

How we tested

I started the Supersonic dupe search by wading through a sea of copycat listings with fake-sounding brand names and looking at hair dryers from established brands to select a pool of front runners. Then, I set out to test these Dyson Supersonic dupes.

The newest additions to this list of recommendations are the Dreame Gleam hair dryer, the Dreame Pocket, and the Shark SpeedStyle Pro Flex, which I added in October 2024. In the same month, I removed the Shark HyperAIR from my recommendations — though it’s still in stock at Amazon and Best Buy, it’s no longer a part of Shark’s beauty tool lineup. I also replaced the BaBylissPRO with the Dreame Gleam as the best pick under $100 — though the BaByliss is still a solid hair dryer, it felt more like a standard blow dryer than a Supersonic dupe. Plus, it’s less widely available these days.

In determining the best dupes, here’s what I considered:

• Design: Did the dupe look like the Supersonic, and if so, did that design make the dryer easily maneuverable and maximize airflow like the original? If the look seemed to be a copy merely for the sake of flattery (or rather, capitalizing on a dupe-hungry consumer base) or seemed to outright sacrifice functionality, I passed.

• Reviews: To see if a product lives up to the hype, it first has to have plenty of hype. So before testing a dryer for myself, I looked at customer reviews. I wanted to see which Supersonic alternatives were attracting shoppers, and how many legit reviews those products were earning.

• Damage minimizing: Dyson claims that the Supersonic gives you a better dry with less damage. It’s no secret that if you blast your hair with super high temperatures, it’s going to dry faster, but that heat is terrible for your hair’s health. That’s why I kept my eye out for claims of damage-minimizing techniques — like automatic temperature regulating, customizable temperature controls, and ionic technology — to make my selections. In testing, I paid attention to how my hair felt right after drying, and in the days that followed. I used the same heat protectant before each testing session.

• Other stand-out features: I looked for hair dryers with features such as automatic temperature regulation, extra-helpful styling attachments, built-in ionizers, and infrared light. I then evaluated those features in my review.

• Potential product life: There’s not really a point in spending less on a dupe if you’re going to have to replace it way more often. I chose the product pool based on the idea that you would spend less on an alternative to the Supersonic and actually save money in the long run.

As mentioned earlier, I owned the BaBylissPRO prior to the testing period, so I used it a few more times to refresh my memory and affirm my overall impressions of the dryer. As for the Laifen hair dryer, I used it regularly over the course of a month, allowing me to get a strong sense of what daily use felt like. I paid extra attention to how comfortable it was to use, if I personally wanted to reach for it day to day, if it seemed to make good on its claims, and how my hair health felt over the course of the month. When adding the Zuvi dryer, I made sure to hands-on test it over a period of two weeks. For the Dreame and Shark dryers, I made sure to use each attachment available over the course of a couple of weeks, and dried my hair from a slightly towel-dried state.

As of February 2025, I’m in the process of testing the L’oreal Airlight Pro, which at $475 costs even more than the Dyson. Still, I’m testing it because it uses the same light technology as the Zuvi Halo, which makes sense, as it was developed in partnership with Zuvi.

Considering the Zuvi Halo retails for $349 (and is frequently on sale for under $300), the Airlight Pro will have to be pretty impressive to replace the Halo, but it’s not impossible, which is why I’m testing them head to head. I’m also considering it as a possible Supersonic Nural dupe as the Airlight Pro has smart temperature regulation with its different attachments, as well as a companion app. However, I’ll wait to test the Nural itself before determining the Airlight Pro is a good dupe.

For a quick sense of what my hair is like: I have fine (but not thin), wavy hair that sits somewhere between a 2A and 2B pattern. I typically prefer to air dry as my hair is prone to dryness at the ends that can be exacerbated with regular heat styling. Though it’s wavy, it typically straightens easily and can hold a straight style for one to two days.