Dyson Is Releasing the World's Most Expensive Hair Dryer

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Dyson, makers of uniquely designed and expensive vacuum cleaners, hand dryers, and heaters, is launching a uniquely designed and expensive hair dryer. It marks the company's first foray into beauty, and will launch this coming September at Sephora and on Dyson's website.

The Dyson Supersonic, which will retail for $399, has been four years, $71 million, and 600 prototypes in the making. It features four heat settings, a cool shot, and three airflow settings. It claims to be able to stabilize the dryer temperature so it doesn't get too hot, which can cause hair damage, and to control airflow to ensure a fast, controlled drying and styling session.

This is like no hair dryer you've ever seen. While most hair dryers are top heavy and have a barrel that's longer than the handle to accommodate a motor at the back, this one has an itty-bitty but very powerful motor in the handle instead. The stubby dryer with the hollow barrel looks odd, but it's actually much easier to hold and makes it feel lighter in the hand and less awkward. I got to try it for ten seconds at a preview meeting, and it's much quieter than my current dryer, though it's by no means silent. It will come in slate grey/fuchsia and iPhone-esque white/silver colorways.

Photos: Dyson

The Dyson Supersonic from all angles, without attachments.

The best feature, however, is the magnetic locking mechanism for the three included attachments: a styling concentrator, a smoothing nozzle, and a diffuser. You know how expensive lipsticks make that satisfying clicking sound when you replace the cap? Imagine clicking your concentrator in and having it never pop off mid-dry. From a person who has used too many annoyingly loose attachments, it's a great innovation.

Jen Atkin, Kardashian hair guru and the founder of new buzzy hair care line Ouai, is the brand ambassador for the new dryer. Expect to see teasers on her social media — and possibly near the heads of her famous clients — during the upcoming spring and summer.

So let's talk about this price. Yes, it will be the most expensive dryer on the market, pushing the mint green $300 (now on sale for $200) Harry Josh dryer off of its rarefied bathroom shelf. Will the Dyson be worth it? Surely much ink will be spilled and many follicles smoothed in order to find out this fall.