The 20 Best Hair Dryers of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Table Of Content

• Best Splurge: GHD Helios Professional Hair Dryer
• The 8 Best Affordable Hair Dryers of 2024, Tested & Reviewed
• Do I need a diffuser or a cold shot button?
• How did we test and review the best hair dryers?
• Hair Type
• Best Brush Dryer for Thick Hair: Amika Hair Blow Dryer Brush
• The 14 Best Hair Dryers for Every Hair Type and Texture

It’s important to note that different hair types have varying requirements regarding heat and airflow settings. Another thing to consider is having multiple heat settings, which are really important if you’re thinking about the health of your hair. “You want to have as many heat settings as possible (most dryers have two to three heat settings) to dial into a temperature that’s right for your hair,” says Lopez. He explains that hair is very delicate when it’s wet, and what you do with it from wet to dry is crucial in maintaining the health of your hair and avoiding breakage, dryness, and color fading. Having a cool shot button helps set the style in place and minimize frizz. As a general rule, the more powerful a dryer is, the hotter the element will get and the faster it can dry your hair.

Best Splurge: GHD Helios Professional Hair Dryer

We chose the best hair dryers under $100 based on extensive editor-approved testing. We also chose the best affordable hair dryers based on insight provided by our expert hair stylist source, coupled with comparisons of hundreds of customer reviews to share the most satisfactory options at wallet-friendly price points. This T3 AirLuxe comes recommended by Foster because it’s great for all hair types and has a compact, sleek design.

The 8 Best Affordable Hair Dryers of 2024, Tested & Reviewed

Thin hair is more susceptible to damage, so you'll want to opt for a hair dryer with a medium-wattage. One of the best hair dryers for fine hair is the Panasonic Nanoe EH-NA98 and the Zuvi Halo hair dryer, both of which leave your hair feeling soft while emitting a lower temperature to gently dry the scalp area. Your hair type will determine how much heat your hair can handle, as well as if you need to take any extra care of your hair while drying it to keep it healthy and looking its best. Dyed or damaged hair should always be dried at lower temperatures, for example, and curly hair types will want to use a diffuser to evenly dry their hair. Contrary to what you may have been taught, hair dryers are not one-size-fits-all. You should consider your hair density and hair type before deciding which tool is best for you—and there are many different designs, with many of the most popular ones including ceramic, ionic, and tourmaline.

Do I need a diffuser or a cold shot button?

The 10 Best Hair Dryers for Men in 2024 - Top Blow Dryers for Men - Men's Health

The 10 Best Hair Dryers for Men in 2024 - Top Blow Dryers for Men.

Posted: Thu, 21 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

You can also achieve a fuller look when you’re blowing out your hair if you let it partially air dry,” he says. For anyone who likes to dry their hair into a particular style, such as using tension to straighten it or a round brush to add flicks or a root lift, a cold-shot button is essential. This is because the cooler air sets in place whatever style you have just created, locking it in for longer. The best one for you will depend on the condition of your hair and how long it usually takes you to dry. Picking it up, you'll probably notice what we would class as the only real downside – it's fairly heavy. The main USP is Hydracare technology, which checks your hair as it dries and automatically adjusts the heat to prevent damage.

Here you'll also find an Ion Generator, which saturates the airflow with negative ions, designed to create a smoother finish. Our testers found this worked well – we'd recommend this model to anyone who struggles with frizz. There's a perfectly acceptable range of speed and heat settings, including a cool shot option to set your style. So, how do you figure out which of the best hair dryers is perfect for your hair? Do you want to do more to reduce hair breakage than simply applying some heat protectant spray? Have you considered those with cool shot buttons or nano technology to protect your hair and scalp?

Hair Type

Also, consider whether you want a hair dryer that has ‘iconic technology’. To give your hair the TLC it deserves, you'll want one of the best hair dryers, but you might just be surprised by how many options there are. From ionic dryers to multi-stylers and brush dryers, there's a lot to choose from these days. This professional-level hair dryer delivers high-pressure air flow for a quick and effective blow dry. "The GHD Air is powerful and can truly be an ace in the pocket to anyone with long and/or thick hair," says Brown. Lab pros found it lightweight and "very comfortable to hold with easy-to-reach controls." Though it was slightly more noisy than others tested, it can also double as a travel hair dryer due to its smaller build.

Best Brush Dryer for Thick Hair: Amika Hair Blow Dryer Brush

Read on for the 13 best affordable hair dryers, according to experts and rave reviews. Her affordable hair dryer picks were based on product reviews, ratings, and personal testing, along with information from experts. The best affordable dryers are compatible with diffusers and concentrators (and preferably come with them), so you can style your hair rather than, ya know, just blowing hot air at it. You should always take hair damage into consideration because you don't want to make matters worse by frying your hair. According to Stewart, if you have heat damage, try drying hair on a low setting with warm or cool air instead of with hot air on a high setting.

If you’re looking for a simple hair dryer that works quickly, DryBar’s Buttercup Blow-Dryer is hard to beat. Our panel appreciated the lightweight body and ability to change between drying modes, finding it quick and easy to create silky-smooth results using the attachable nozzles. Not only that, but the majority of testers said that they were satisfied with its performance and would continue to use it post-trial.

GAMA Professional IQ2 Perfetto Hair Dryer

This ionic hair dryer produces 200 million negative ions which balance the static electricity in the hair to lock in moisture and add a soft, silky finish. The high-speed motor is perfect for drying all hair types in record time, and the noise muffling technology won’t wake up the entire house. It’s also super lightweight (0.9 lbs.) and compact which is perfect for on-the-go style and travel. This ultra-sleek hair dryer is perfect for fine hair thanks to the extra gentle, infrared heat that protects hair from damage. With a professional AC motor, six speed settings, cold-shot button, and removable rear filter, Ellsworth raves about this select.

Florence is our Senior Beauty Writer, specialising in expert-tested beauty and grooming reviews — from toothbrushes to the latest skincare launches. She’s committed to sharing recommendations for products that truly work and make people feel confident and healthy. Prior to this she was at Tropic Skincare, where she worked closely with biochemists in the lab, delving into the functions of each fresh, natural ingredient and conveying its efficacy to her audience in easy-to-digest terms. Powerful yet compact, this tool delivered shiny, smooth results quickly, with testers appreciating its intuitive design and easy-to-use settings. The majority of our panel agreed it lived up to the hype, leaving hair shinier, smoother and healthier.

It's also the perfect product to prep the under-eyes for a smooth concealer application. As a freelance makeup artist and former Sephora employee, here are some of my favorite makeup, skincare, and hair-care products under $20. Online beauty sales are expected to grow by nearly 50% through 2027, but it can be hard to choose the right shade or type of item when buying products on your phone or laptop.

The 13 Best Hair Diffusers For Curly Hair, Tested and Reviewed by Editors - WWD

The 13 Best Hair Diffusers For Curly Hair, Tested and Reviewed by Editors.

Posted: Mon, 29 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Meanwhile, the cord has a small power bar near the plug, which itself is bulky. Although this dryer is just as fast as pricier models, it’s the heaviest of our traditional hair dryer picks, and its attachments can be hard to remove. There’s no need to splurge on a dryer for one-off trips, and Conair strikes again with a model designed to be a compact, lightweight travel buddy. Even though the voltage is versatile for international travels, the tiny model still offers 1875 watts of power to dry your hair quickly. Well it's possible with this multitasking hair dryer-paddle brush hybrid by Revlon.

Jessica Cruel blow drying her natural hair with the Dyson Airwrap straightening brush. Look for safety verification emblems such as those from ETL (Electrical Testing Laboratories), UL (Underwriters' Laboratories) or TUV or SUD (both part of the Technical Inspection Association) on the hair dryer's packaging. "These certifications are essential to ensure that the tools are tested for safety and found to meet safety requirements," Wizemann explains. Despite its strong airflow, the tool is also very light, though it didn't dry hair as quickly as other models tested.

That said, there are many sophisticated, high tech hair dryers available for less money. For example, BaByliss' PRO Keratin Lustre Hair Dryer, stocked on LookFantastic for £80, is genuinely great. With a 2300W long-life AC motor that styles your hair super quickly and neatly, it uses ionic technology to control static, while its keratin infusion injects moisture into dry hair. The function of a hair dryer isn’t exactly complicated – they blow hot air into your hair to dry it. While many claim to be the best, these are the key features that are present on the very best hair dryers we’ve tested.

Coelho calls out the Remington D2400 dryer, but it's not available in the U.S. This pick from CHI is a pretty spot-on match for the Remington, right down to its foldable handle and 1400 wattage. "We recommend selecting dryers with long-lasting motors and designated heat distribution systems to prevent overheating the hair during drying," says Sergio Bove, Vice President of U.S. The Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab has been testing hair tools, including hair dryers — plus hair dryer brushes and travel hair dryers — for over a decade. In the GH Beauty Lab's most recent test, scientists evaluated 41 hair dryers over eight weeks (for a total of 320 hands-on testing hours), recording 2,244 data points to determine the winning models. There’s nothing cute about lugging around a bulky hair dryer, but this pick is the perfect option for your next trip.