Dyson Supersonic Travel review: Small size, but incredibly big results

It’s always a good day when Dyson drops a brand new hair tool, and that’s exactly what happened earlier this week. After years of fans asking for something they can properly take on the go, the brand has finally delivered with the Dyson Supersonic Travel.

Fast forward a few days and I’ve now been using it pretty much non-stop, so I’ve got plenty of thoughts. If you’re even slightly tempted, you might want to brace yourself – because there are quite a few reasons why this could end up on your wishlist very quickly.

Price and availability

The Dyson Supersonic Travel comes in at £249.99 via Dyson, as well as retailers like Boots and John Lewis. If you buy directly from Dyson, you also get a free travel bag which is usually priced at £45. The hair dryer is also available in the US, priced at $299.99.

Right now, it’s only available in one colourway – Ceramic Pink and Rose Gold – which is easily one of Dyson’s most popular finishes. However, I expect Dyson will release it in more colours, especially if it ends up being as popular as it’s likely to be.

Attachments

In terms of attachments, the Supersonic Travel keeps things simple and comes with just the smoothing nozzle – the same one we’ve seen on the original Supersonic and the Nural. However, the hair dryer itself works with existing Supersonic attachments, which means if you already own either of its predecessors, you don’t need to rebuy anything. It's a huge advantage, and is actually the first time we’ve seen this kind of crossover within Dyson’s hair tool lineup.

They also still use Dyson's magnetic design too, although I’ll come back to that in a second, because it’s not completely identical across the board.

Design and features

Despite being 31% smaller than its predecessors, there’s a lot going on here beyond just the compact size. Design wise, it still looks unmistakably Dyson, with a minimal body and nice weight distribution. It feels balanced and easy to use, even for longer styling sessions.

You still get intelligent heat control, measuring airflow temperature over 100 times per second to prevent heat damage and help maintain shine, which is one of Dyson’s standout features. It also has a high-velocity airflow, so drying still feels quick and controlled, even though it’s been slightly optimised for portability.

That said, standout feature for me has to be the automatic universal voltage. It adapts wherever you are in the world without needing a converter, which is something Dyson hasn’t managed on any of its tools so far. You'll know how frustrating it can be if you’ve ever travelled to the US and realised your styling tool won’t work, so this completely solves that problem.

You also get three heat settings and two speed settings, along with a two-metre cable, which feels more than generous for a travel tool.

Performance

Overall, the Supersonic Travel feels like a really natural addition to Dyson’s lineup, and my experience with it so far has been great. It’s noticeably lighter and smaller, but still delivers results that feel almost identical to the Supersonic Nural.

It's important to know that there are a couple of features missing. There’s no Scalp Protect mode, but that wasn’t something I personally loved on the Nural anyway, so I don’t feel like I’m missing out. You also don’t get a cool shot button, which might matter if you rely on it to set your style, but you won't notice it if you didn’t use it before.

It’s also just really comfortable to hold and still feels powerful, which is exactly what you want from something designed for travel. I wasn’t able to test the universal voltage abroad yet, but knowing it’s there is probably my favourite thing about the whole tool.

One thing I did notice is that whilst all Supersonic attachments are technically compatible, they don’t all feel the same when it comes to the magnetic fit. Smaller attachments snapped on perfectly with no issues, but some of the larger ones – like the Flyaway Smoother – needed a bit more effort to attach and didn’t feel quite as secure. They still worked, but it wasn’t as seamless as with the smaller pieces.

All in all, the Supersonic Travel is essentially everything great about its predecessors, just in a much smaller, more portable form. For me, the features it leaves out aren’t dealbreakers, so considering how highly I rated the Supersonic Nural, the fact this delivers such similar results really says it all.

Verdict

The Dyson Supersonic Travel feels like a long-overdue addition to the brand's lineup. It keeps the performance, design and overall experience of Dyson’s full-size dryers, but packs it into something far more practical for travel. The universal voltage alone makes it stand out from pretty much everything else on the market, and whilst a few features are missing, they’re unlikely to be dealbreakers for most people. If you travel regularly and want salon-level results wherever you are, this is easily one of the most compelling options out there right now.

Alternatives to consider

When it comes to alternatives, the first one that comes to mind is the Laifen Mini High-Speed Hair Dryer. It’s also compact and has smart temperature control, but it doesn’t offer universal voltage – so Dyson still has the edge here.

I’d also still recommend the Supersonic Nural if you’re mainly looking for a hair dryer to use at home. It has more features overall, and whilst it’s still relatively lightweight, it’s better suited as a full-time styling tool rather than something you pack in your suitcase.