I just tried Dyson's compact new hairdryer — and I can already tell it's going to be my favorite travel companion

There's no worse feeling than washing your hair on holiday only to find there’s no hairdryer – but then, even when one is supplied, it’s often underpowered and won’t deliver anything like the results you can achieve with a good hairdryer at home.

After dominating the market for pro-grade consumer haircare, beauty and cleaning brand Dyson has plans to expand further with the newly announced Supersonic Travel, which is available in the UK and Australia from today.

With an almost identical design to its predecessor, the Supersonic, the latest Dyson hairdryer was designed with frequent travelers in mind. Automatically adapting to various global voltages, the key element that sets the Dyson Supersonic Travel apart is its compact size, saving even more room in your suitcase for souvenirs.

According to Dyson, it can achieve 75% of the drying efficiency of the original Supersonic, all while being roughly a third smaller in size at just 8.7in / 22.2cm long (vs 11.3in / 28.3cm). And as someone who immediately ran to the device during a press briefing earlier this year, I can confidently confirm that size makes a significant difference.

Dyson Supersonic Travel: AU$449 at Dyson Australia

Retailing at £249.99 / AU$449, the Supersonic Travel is the latest addition to Dyson's haircare lineup. As a fresh take on the Supersonic, the Travel is a compact styling device that can work seamlessly with previous Supersonic attachments and can fit more easily into any carry-on bag.

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Voltage for everywhere

During a secret Dyson press briefing I attended in February, the brand had placed the Supersonic Travel next to the Supersonic Nural to allow for direct comparisons. I found that once turned to max speed, the Travel's velocity was slightly lower, but still packed a mighty punch – well beyond any travel hairdryers I’ve previously used. Speed aside, I was also surprised by its weight, which is noticeably lighter than the Supersonic's. As per the official specs, it is around 25% lighter than the original, weighing just 0.72lbs / 330g.

The device has three heat and two airflow settings, so you can customize your preferred styling mode, and it’s compatible with the full range of existing magnetic Supersonic attachments. (It’s worth noting that while it can be used with attachments, first-time Dyson buyers will find that only the concentrator nozzle is included in the box.)

What impressed me most about the Supersonic Travel, though, was its global voltage compatibility, in which the device can automatically adapt to any country's wattage. As an avid traveler myself, I was delighted to discover that voltage changes won't impact the speed or damage the motor of the device, which can be a common issue for airstylers while travelling.

While I didn't get to fully dry or style my hair with the test device at the preview event, I still came away thoroughly impressed. The Supersonic Travel may not be the most revolutionary addition to Dyson’s haircare range and there’s arguably still room for improvement — it doesn't come with a multi-country plug adaptor and isn't cordless like the Dyson Corrale for total portability, for example — but if you’ll excuse the pun, it definitely blew me away, even during my limited hands-on time.

The Dyson Supersonic Travel is available to purchase at Dyson UK for £249.99 and Dyson AU for AU$449, with launch dates for other locales (including the US) still TBC at the time of publication.

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