UPDATE: Nov. 29, 2024, 6:35 p.m. EST This post has been updated with the most recent pricing and availability on Dyson Supersonic dupes during Black Friday, plus some more hair dryer deals.
Black Friday may be a great time of year to pick up the $429 Dyson Supersonic on sale (it is currently down to $329), but as someone who's tested Dyson's beauty tech lineup and the many dupes it's inspired, I wouldn't necessarily recommend going straight for the Supersonic just because it's $100 cheaper.
For starters, the Supersonic does drop down $100 in price over the course of the year, not just Black Friday — if you're willing to wait a few weeks from when you think to buy it, you'll almost certainly be able to score a deal. But maybe more importantly, you can actually save a lot more money if you opt for a dupe — and as of Black Friday on Nov. 29, each of the top picks I've personally tested for the best Dyson Supersonic dupes are on sale.
As it stands, Mashable recommends five different hair dryers to serve as worthy Dyson dupes, with each being suited to different needs, whether you want the cheapest dupe on the market (less than $100) or the dupe that'll minimize damage to your hair (infrared light does some heavy lifting here). Below, you'll find more info on each of the five picks on sale.
The Laifen Swift is compact, lightweight, dries hair quickly, and looks and sounds like a Dyson Supersonic. While you won't get the five attachment versatility that you do with the Supersonic, you might find that you prefer the simplicity of the Swift (or that this is a sacrifice you can make for a hair dryer that clocks in under $100 on sale). Attachment-wise, it's maybe a better one-to-one dupe of the Supersonic Origin, but at a much more reasonable price point.
With cheaper dupes, I like to test out their longevity as much as I can — I've used the Swift regularly for just under two years, and haven't seen it show its age at all. Yes, the hottest setting is a little too hot for me and the attachment options are limited, but in my experience, those have been the biggest cons. If you are looking for a diffuser, Laifen also offers a model that includes one for just a few dollars more.
Usually, the Dreame Gleam hair dryer is our best Supersonic dupe under $100, but Black Friday upped the ante. If you have a Prime membership, you can grab this hair dryer on sale for just $64.99 at Amazon. If you don't have Prime, you can also pick this dryer up directly from Dreame's website. So what's the $33 difference between the Dreame and the Laifen dryers? To be honest, not a whole ton, but I can't personally attest to how the Dreame holds up over time (I tested it for the first time in Oct. 2024). What I will say is the Gleam doesn't have a diffuser attachment you can bundle, it doesn't sound like a Supersonic, and it is the slightest bit bulkier than the Laifen Swift.
The Zuvi Halo certainly isn't the cheapest dupe we recommend, but it's maybe the most unique. Unlike other options, this dryer doesn't try to outright copy Dyson's idea for a heat-minimizing dryer so much as offer an alternative that's just as innovative, thanks to the ring of infrared lights it uses in tandem with its airflow. While I was initially skeptical of how much these lights would actually do anything, I found that the Halo often left my hair feeling soft and shiny, and used noticeably cooler air than either of the above two dupes.
Instead of heat and air settings, the Halo has "care" modes you choose from, which automatically set the heat and intensity of the air you're getting. That might be a bit annoying for someone who craves more customizability, but for set-and-forget types, this feature might just be a godsend. At this sale price of $209, the Halo is still less than half the price of the Supersonic at full price, and $120 cheaper than the Supersonic on sale.
Shark is known for making some of the best Dyson dupes on the market, and though the SpeedStyle Pro Flex doesn't look anything like a Supersonic, if your goal is smooth hair and a good selection of attachments, this is the hair dryer to get. In addition to a standard drying nozzle, the Pro Flex comes with a QuickSmooth brush, a diffuser, and a FrizzFighter finishing tool. Each of these attachments automatically adjust the heat and speed setting for what Shark would consider the most optimal for each, but unlike the Zuvi, you can easily manually adjust each, too.
As for storage, this configuration of the ProFlex doesn't come with a storage case, but the folding neck does make the hair dryer a slightly less awkward shape to store. At $179, you'll save $50.99 on this hair dryer, grabbing it at the lowest price we've ever seen.
If you've been eyeing the Dyson Supersonic, there's also a good chance you've checked out the Dyson Airwrap. If the $600 price tag scared you away, fair (though it is now $100 off for Black Friday). Sale price or not, that multistyler is expensive, and for many, the most interesting attachment can be the Coanda-air powered curling wands. With so many dupes on the market these days, this is no longer a Dyson exclusive option, even if you're looking at a more traditional hair dryer.
The Dreame Pocket hair dryer is super compact, with a neck that folds down and up, meaning you can use it as you would any hair dryer, fold it down for storing, or fold it up to use the curling nozzle (it also comes with a smoothing nozzle). While it does only go in one direction, it still gives a pretty, bouncy blowout — it didn't really curl my hair, but neither does the Airwrap curling wands, as both are more targeted at providing wavy blowout than true curls. The pocket also comes with a convenient storage bag that fits everything into a surprisingly compact package. I recommend it at full price, which makes it even easier to say it's worth giving a go at $99.99. (For a period of time on the actual day, this dryer dropped all the way down to $69.99 as an Amazon lightning deal.)
Laifen Swift Lite — $63.99 $99.99 (save $36)
T3 Fit Compact — $104.99 $149.99 (save $45)
T3 AireLuxe — $139.99 $199.99 (save $60)
Shark SpeedStyle — $159.99 $199.99 (save $40)
