We've tried *many* hair dryers but only these few make the cut
Hair dryers have come a long way since the days of hour-long blow dries and crispy ends. Now, there are a whole host of techy options that dry and style your hair at lightning speed, while also protecting your lengths from further heat damage. They even look good on your dressing table (we’re looking at you, Dyson)
With a huge influx of innovative gadgets on the market, their price tags have unfortunately reached new highs too. But, here’s the good news: you don’t need to spend a fortune on a salon-worthy dryer as there are many budget gadgets out there that can rival the spenny players.
Best hair dryer deals to shop now...
We know it’s exciting, but before you get shopping, here are some things you should look for when finding right hair dryer for you.
How we test hair dryers
We’ve had a lot of different hair types come through our doors – ones that are pin-straight and fine, some that are curly and packing volume, and others that are tightly coiled – so, naturally, we’ve also worked our way through many models of hair dryers. It’s an essential, right?
The ones that feature in our edit surpass our expectations when it comes to speed, ease of use, noise levels and, of course, how well they created the overall result. We also keep tabs on things like additional attachments, the cool shot feature and whether or not it has ionic technology. Yup, big shoes to fill but we’re only here to give you the best.
The very best hair dryers for every budget
Helios
Another ghd icon is the Helios. It has two power settings and two heat settings (like the Air), but what you’re paying for is an “engine” boost, with a power increase of 100W.
You can feel the difference – super-speedy drying with a smooth finish and very few flyaways. In fact, people might find they have less of a need for straighteners with drying technology as good as this. If you’re in the market for a ghd, and you're willing to splurge a little more, opt for the Helios.
Air Hair Dryer
The ghd Air holds a firm place in this best dryer edit. It has an uber-powerful motor and incorporates ionic technology which helps to smooth frizz and create that coveted salon-like shine. It does have a little less horse power than the ghd Helios (more on that to come) but it is cheaper.
So if you’re looking to invest in a shiny new ghd but want to save some £££, go for the trusty Air.
Nanoe Hair Dryer with Diffuser
This hair dryer is giving Star Wars, but we're so here for it. The Panasonic Nanoe Hair Dryer is at the top of our list for anyone looking to define those curls. Equipped with a diffuser and styling nozzle, it does a masterful job at distributing heat so that your hair result is sleek and frizz-free (Monica Geller, you're not invited).
As for the technology, the Nanoe drying power uses electrostatic atomised water particles which, in layman’s terms, means less water is sucked out of your strands as you dry, keeping the moisture balance on point. It’s healthy hair for the win.
Smoothstay Coconut Oil-Infused Hair Dryer
Achieving a salon-like finish needn’t mean wincing before clicking ‘pay now’. Today, some cheaper gadgets easily prove their worth.
Revlon’s tool deserves a place in your cart if you have fine, frizzy hair. It has a powerful, 2000W airflow to seal down flyaways, and it boasts ionic technology to help keep moisture in your strands for a sleek finish. Oh, and the coolest part? The grill is infused with coconut oil to ramp up that silky shine.
Buttercup Blow-dryer range
If you never quite manage to achieve a silky finish when you blow dry, it may be worth looking at Drybar's Butterup dryer – and not just for the adorable colour.
The powerful 1875-watt motor emits air at lightening speed, helping to decrease dry time by 20%. Dreamy for those rushed Monday mornings.
Then, there’s the ionic technology which reduces frizz and flyaways. Pair this with the concentrated nozzle and you’re on your way to polished and shiny lengths.
ONE Dry & Style Hair Dryer
Just another high-tech dryer that looks like it has come from a galaxy far far away – and, honestly, we’re so here for it. Remington's ONE Dry & Style Hair Dryer not only looks stylish, but it also delivers on both speed and convenience.
It comes with four attachments to suit all hair textures – including a diffuser and concentrated nozzle – and the 2000W motor generates air speeds of up to 120 km/h, resulting in 25% faster dry time. Yep, tested by Remington itself.
FlexStyle Build Your Own Air Styling & Hair Drying System
Wanting to combine all your styling tools (we’re talking dryer, straightener and curler) into one high-tech gadget? All eyes over here, please. Shark’s all-in-one styler is the most flexible piece of kit to streamline your hot tool collection.
The core of this styler is a hairdryer (a mighty powerful one at that), but you can attach a variety of tools, including hot brushes, auto-wrap curlers, a diffuser and tooth comb, to style with ease and with less damage too.
You can nab one now – but run, don’t walk, as everyone has this on their wish list.
SpeedStyle Hair Dryer & RapidGloss Finisher
Shark’s SpeedStyle is the hair dryer to end all hair dryers. Srsly, this three-part gizmo is serving up some major competition in the hair drying arena. The hair dryer itself is a sleek and high-powered barrel that dries and smooths frizz in moments. Then the real allure lies is the variety of attachments – there's a Rapidgloss finisher, QuickSmooth Brush and DefrizzFast Diffuser, all designed to define curls and boost shine. And it's on sale! This truly is the crème de la crème.
2300 Styler Dryer
All hair types can use BaByliss’ new 2300 Styler Dryer, but it’s especially great for curly folk. Have you seen how big that diffuser is? Alongside the help of a curl cream, finally you can make those ringlets ring again.
Cupping the diffuser onto damp strands, start by drying the ends of your hair and then move up to your roots. This may seem like a looong process but, luckily, the 2300W motor shuttles out air at 122 km/h, making this a super powerful and speedy gadget.
HD120UK STYLE iQ Ionic Hair Dryer & Styler
Shark’s Style iQ employs high-velocity, ionised air which dries hair faster with less damage. It has three speed and three heat settings and comes with a concentrated airflow nozzle and diffuser.
Better yet, you can sit back and relax during this drying experience as it automatically adjusts heat and air flow. Plus, the sleek barrel looks pretty stylish too.
Enigma Precision Hair Dryer
True to its name, Revamp’s dryer is the best on the market for achieving hair perfection, srsly 👌 The super-concentrated attachment offers precise airflow, resulting in a pin-straight and polished finish. And for curly gals, the diffuser attachment spreads the airstream to enhance natural curls and waves.
The dryer’s power is impressive too; it generates an air speed of 175km per hour and releases 170 million positive and negative ions which helps to reduce frizz and keep lengths shiny and silky.
Also, can we appreciate how sleek and stylish the barrel is?
Air Power Pro
Last-minute girlies, listen up! BaByliss’ new Air Power Pro is for all of you who like to press the snooze button a few extra times (promise, we’re not pointing fingers).
The sleek styler boasts lightening McQueen speed (read: 200km/hr airflow) and a 1700W digital motor. The two working together will smooth and dry your lengths at rapid pace.
Then, you’ve got all the desired features, like three speed settings, four heat settings and ionic technology, to ensure you emerge with hair to brag about. Mwah!
Air Wand Hair Dryer
The words ‘wet to styled’ just hit differently. Whether you’re pressed for time in the morning, are looking to streamline your collection of hair tools, or you find styling too much of a faff (bc, same) BaByliss’ new Air Wand is here to sort you out.
The three-in-one styler is a dryer at its core, but comes with two attachments to straighten and add body. The volumising attachment has a bevelled design which adds movement to limp lengths, while the straightener uses ceramic plates to lock down flyaways. It also has three speeds and four temperature settings. A yes from us.
Supersonic Nural hair dryer
There is a lot to love about Dyson’s OG Supersonic (keep on scrolling for more deets on that one) but the Nural is the dryer we never knew we needed. We’re all about scalp health on team Cosmo (happy scalp = happy hair) so we're thrilled that Dyson has jumped onto the bandwagon by launching a dryer that's specifically designed to look after your noggin.
Featuring the brand’s latest technology, the Nural sensors automatically adjust airflow and temperature to keep your scalp protected as you dry. Recognising that 55°C is the perfect temp to dry your lengths, while keeping your head happy, the Time of Flight sensor will ensure this temperature is maintained no matter how close to or far away the dryer is from your head. And, just like the original Supersonic, it comes with a range of attachments so you can sleek your style or curl your coils. Cheque pls.
What features should you look for in a hair dryer?
Most stylists would recommend a wattage of at least 2000W to thoroughly dry your lengths, although the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer is the exception with just 1,600W – but the clever digital motor technology still ensures a powerful dry.
It’s also worth looking for something with a cool-shot setting: this will help set your style after you've dried it, and smooth those cuticles down, too. Also, most dryers today will come with a range of temperature, speed and power settings so you can adjust your blow-drying experience to suit your hair type.
If you want a little more, some will come with a range of attachments – from diffusers to nozzles – which help to dry your hair at a faster speed, define curls or smooth down frizzy flyaways.
Just remember to point the dryer downwards to calm excess volume or lift it from your roots to boost lacklustre lengths – not to forget the all-important heat protection spray too.
Which dryer is best for your hair type?
Do you have fine, curly or coily hair? Those with thicker lengths will find a high-voltage dryer to be more time efficient, while the best hair dryers for curly hair will come with a lower heat setting, ensuring you can define those glorious curls without sapping their essential moisture.
If you have dry, fine strands, ionic technology is a crucial characteristic that you should look for in a hairdryer. In a nutshell, they emit negative ions which encourage your hair shaft to close allowing moisture to stay locked in. So, think of them as healthier hair dryers. What’s not to love?
All you need to do now is find the right dryer for your hair type, which is where we come in. From an all-in-one gadget, to a high-street budget buy, see the top hair dryers worthy of your money.
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