Want a fancy hair dryer without a fancy price? Here are 4 Dyson Supersonic dupes worth the hype

Who's it for:

Though it's not an exact replica of the ring-barreled Supersonic, the Laifen Swift bears the closest resemblance to Dyson's design, barring all the random iron and fuschia knock-offs that are inexplicably (or perhaps, very explicably) $40 or less. 

At $139.99, the Laifen’s price inspires more confidence in its overall performance and longevity. Beyond the design, it also has magnetic attachments (though you’ll have to pay a bit extra to get more than than one, the included smooth nozzle) and that signature Dyson air sound I’ve come to know through my time using the Airwrap. However, what kept me reaching for it over and over again was its simplicity. For anyone who needs their blow dryer to be easy to use above all else, the Laifen is the way to go.

Why we picked this:

While doing my first round of testing for this story, I became a daily blow dryer user to help style my bangs. I’ve had the cut before, but held off on recutting them solely because of the necessary effort to styling them. Something about dragging out the blow dryer every single day really didn’t gel with my minimal-effort lifestyle. The Laifen felt compact and lightweight enough that pulling it out for just a minute or two every day didn't feel like a hassle. Though I no longer use it daily, I do use it regularly when I'm not testing other products, and it's held up for over a year with no signs of stopping.

I can’t say the dry time feels astonishingly fast, but it doesn't lag either. The two air speeds are strong, and I almost never found myself needing to go beyond the first one, even when doing an all-over rough dry to my wet hair before bed. The negative ions at work provided me with a super smooth dry, too. The heat options are more limited with only a cool, warm, and hot setting. I found the hot one gets hot, and even the warm one can feel a bit intense close to the scalp, so I recommend sticking with the lower two settings.

For the days I felt like diffusing my wavy hair, switching the attachments was beyond easy. Though this is when I found myself most wishing for a temperature setting or two more, the hottest setting never felt scorching. A long press of the temperature button auto-cycles through each temp, which both felt a little extraneous and like it achieved the mid-temperature I was looking for.

Some particular design choices I like that add to the all-over simple vibe are the single switch and turning on the dryer and switching the airspeed, and the one button for adjusting the temperatures. The ring light at the back of the dryer changes color from blue to orange and red as you switch through the dryer’s three temps, or oscillates on this purple tone for the long press. At $139.99, thi

Note: At the time of writing, the Shark HyperAIR is no longer available on Shark's website. We've reached out to confirm that the dryer has been discontinued, and we'll update this guide accordingly once we hear back. In the meantime, it's still available from other retailers, including Best Buy and Amazon.

Who's it for:

Shark already successfully (out)duped the Dyson Airwrap, so I had high expectations for them to do it again with the HyperAIR. Though the overall experience didn’t feel as one-to-one Dyson-like as the FlexStyle, the HyperAIR is still an excellent hair dryer, and just like the FlexStyle, it has some tricks up its sleeve. 

I tested out the version of the HyperAIR that comes with the concentrator and styling brush, though there's also a version that swaps that brush for a diffuser for the same price. If you're attracted to the Supersonic's versatility, then the HyperAIR is the right alternative for you.

Why we picked this:

As a more expensive Dyson Supersonic dupe, the HyperAIR has most of the bells and whistles you might want. It has three different airflow settings and three different heat settings, plus a cold shot button. It has a negative ionizer that helps you achieve a sleeker dry, and the IQ attachments snap on magnetically and automatically adjust to the optimal heat and airflow setting for that attachment. That was a particularly nice feature, as the heat and airflow settings are located in the back of the barrel, and are awkward to reach mid-styling (though this does mimic the design of the Supersonic). The cool shot button was easily accessible along with the power switch on the dryer's handle.

Shark’s blow dryer really impressed with how it worked with the attachments. I was skeptical of the rotating styling brush at first, but within about three seconds of bravely using it on my tangly, wet hair (famously the most knot-prone state for my waves) my skepticism all but vanished. The smoothing and detangling bristles effortlessly undid any knots, made my hair look sleek, and dried sections entirely within a few passes. For the back of my head, I rotated the brush 180 degrees as Shark recommended, and found it actually made styling my hair so much easier, and made me waver slightly on my firm if-I-can’t-see-it-I-don’t-care styling stance. While I had one experience where the brush wouldn’t lock into place after pressing down the button once, it fixed itself after a few rotations and didn’t happen again. 

The concentrator attachment also delivered a solid performance, directing airflow with ease. I especially like the slider on it that lets you toggle between a more dispersed pre-style air flow or an extra-targeted precision styling airflow. It felt like a smart combination

Who's it for:

A good recreation doesn't always make for a good dupe, which is why I appreciated that Zuvi Halo didn't try to be a Dyson Supersonic. The Zuvi Halo combines the power of airflow and infrared light, which the the brand calls its LightCare technology, to speed up dry times while using less heat and minimizing hair damage. Basically, it has the same goals as the Supersonic with a different method.

If you have a higher budget and your hair health is your top priority, the Zuvi Halo was the most gentle hair dryer I tested. It consistently left me with the shiniest-looking and softest-feeling hair.

Why we picked this:

Zuvi claims the LightCare tech (i.e. the ring of infrared lights used in three out of four of the styling modes) dries the surface of hair without baking it from the outside in, and while retaining inner moisture. The dryer's product page says this leads to hair that's "+38% shinier" and has "+109% internal moisture," among other parameters that are next to impossible to test independently. I can say that my hair was noticeably shinier and less crispy feeling than it usually is after heat styling — even when compared to the Supersonic.

As for drying time, without any attachments and with the assistance of a round brush, it took about 16 minutes to dry my hair as compared to the 15 minutes it took with the Supersonic. This was with the dryer's "care" setting (the remaining settings are fast, soft, and style). Each of the settings automatically adjust the air flow and heat, leaving you with no way to pick custom settings. Someone who's more particular with their blow dry settings might find this annoying, but I found there was enough variety between them that it didn't really hinder my ability to dry and style my hair. The hottest of the settings, fast, did feel noticeably hot, but this dryer does claim it tops out at 111 degrees Fahrenheit. That tracks — it never felt scorching, or even as hot as the Laifen Swift on its lowest heat setting.

The Zuvi Halo also comes with three magnetized attachments, including a gentle air dry attachment, a diffuser, and style concentrator. Unfortunately, both the diffuser and style concentrator block the light tech. Still, the dryer functioned well even without the full light power. Plus, the gentle air attachment lets the light through, so it's not an across the board flaw of all the attachments.

While some reviews praised this dryer for keeping noise down, we didn't find it to be any less quiet than the Supersonic (which is admittedly on the quieter end of hair dryers).

If you're intimated by the $329 investment of the Zuvi Halo (which is still $100 cheaper than the Supersonic), the brand does offer a 30-day return period if you're not completely satisfied with your purchase. Zuvi also offers

The good

Affordable Uses ionic technology Dries hair in a decent time span Comes with a concentrator attachment Has a four year warranty

The Bad

Nothing exciting on the design or function front Can run hot if you're not careful

The Bottomline

Specs

• Air speeds: 2
• Cord length: 9 ft
• Heat settings: 4
• Weight: 0.93 lbs

Who's it for:

Unlike every other dryer on this list, the BabylissPRO Nano Titanium doesn't do anything exciting. It looks nothing at all like the Dyson Supersonic. But also unlike every blow dryer on this list, it won't put a $200-plus price tag on drying your hair.

If you're interested in the Dyson Supersonic because you're getting your first hair dryer and it's simply the one you've seen most on your For You page, then you might want to take a moment and ask how often you'll really be using a hair dryer. Once, twice, maybe a few times a week? If your answer is yes to any of the above, I recommend considering this budget option.

Why we like it:

Save yourself the cash and get yourself a dryer that'll perform the basic function of drying your hair without incurring a ton of damage. How does do it do that if it's so run of the mill? Well, it has the trusty ion generator, plus three different heat settings (though the highest one does run quite hot). The included concentrator attachment can direct the air flow so you get a pinpointed dry and cut down on styling time, and the barrel is easily compatible with plenty of diffusers.

Prior to testing for this article, this was the hair dryer I used whenever I couldn't be bothered to air dry. While it never sparked an overwhelming joy and sometimes felt too clunky to extricate from the depths of my bathroom cabinet, it got the job done without taking a ton of time. It's lasted a couple years without issue already, and though it's a little loud, it's perfectly lightweight. My BaByliss has been with my through thick and thin, and if it ever breaks on me, I know I have a four-year warranty to fall back on.