Best Hair Dryers

Choosing the right hair dryer can be more complicated than you think. While they function basically all the same, there are some that shorten drying time and leave the hair shiny and silky-smooth which can make all the difference in styling your hair.

The best blow dryers use ceramic technology to dry your hair with even, infrared heat which is less damaging. They also will use tourmaline or titanium ionic technology which produces negative ions that reduce frizz and help seal the cuticles and lock in moisture. One other important feature is a cool shot button which blasts cold air and helps to hold a style.

Some other features to keep in mind when shopping is the wattage the dryer uses, weight and size, length of cord, noise, and heat/speed settings. For more help in styling your hair you might want to consider a flat iron.

Prices range from around $20 to over $200 for professional salon models. The good news is you can get near salon-quality results with units that cost less than $100. Below we review the top 10 best hair dryers. At the bottom of these hair dryer reviews we also have a comparison chart so you can easily compare one model versus another.


9.3
#1)

Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer

We chose the $399 Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer as the best hair dryer. It has won the most industry awards since 2017. To summarize most reviews, this thing is fast, quiet, lightweight, and won’t damage your hair due to high heat.

Dyson pretty much re-invented the blow dryer with this model. They moved the motor into the handle which changes the shape and balances the dryer much better. That motor is also acoustically tuned to be quiet enough that you can have a conversation with it on. There are 4 heat settings with intelligent heat monitoring that checks the temperature every 20 seconds so it never gets too hot. Three speed settings are provided with the fast drying mode providing very fast moving airflow which aids in drying without adding in unnecessary heat.

Another nice feature you won’t find from the competition is magnetic attachments that stay on and don’t get hot. It comes with a smoothing nozzle, styling concentrator, and diffuser. The Supersonic weighs just 1.23 pounds and has a 9 foot long cord. This thing is a joy to use and works great on all hair types.

While it is expensive we recommend the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer for most users who don’t mind spending the money to get an amazing hair dryer.


9.2
#2)

GHD Air Professional Performance Hairdryer

One of the best professional hair dryers available is the $199 GHD Air Professional Performance Hairdryer. It is a bit larger and heavier than some other models, but this award-winner provides lots of power to dry your hair faster and provide smooth, frizz-free results. This blow dryer is best used for thick hair.

The Air Professional Performance Hairdryer comes with an ion generator which is placed close to the nozzle, 3 variable temperature controls, cool-shot button, and two concentrator nozzles. It has a long 9 foot cord, but it is quite heavy at 3.4 pounds.

Overall the GHD Air Professional Performance Hairdryer is a great choice for anyone with thick hair who wants a salon-quality blowout at home.

One word of caution – if you buy from Amazon be careful of secondary sellers that do net sell authentic merchandise. You should buy from Amazon directly or a supplier that is at the very least fulfilled by Amazon, so that if there is a question of authenticity it will be easier to return.


9.2
#3)

Harry Josh Pro Tools Ultra Light Pro Dryer

The $349 Harry Josh Pro Tools Ultra Light Pro Dryer improves upon the popular Harry Josh Pro Tools Pro Dryer 2000 which many professional stylists swear by. There are two main pros as to why this is a great model. First, this dryer blows air at 94 mph so it dries hair ridiculously fast in about half the time of most blow dryers. Secondly, it weighs under one pound which is super light compared to many powerful hair dryers.

The Ultra Light Pro Dryer has 12 heat and speed settings for all hair types. It also has ion technology for a frizz-free, shinier hair that you can turn on or off with a button. The noise level is lower than most, but not totally silent by any means. A long 11 foot cord and two nozzle concentrators are included.

Since it is expensive you have to decide if the Harry Josh Pro Tools Ultra Light Pro Dryer is worth it for you. If you blow dry your hair daily or spend a lot of money on blowouts at the salon often then it is probably worth the money.


9.1
#4)

Drybar Buttercup Blow-Dryer

Another popular hair dryer for salon-quality blowouts is the Drybar Buttercup Blow-Dryer which sells for $195. It uses ionic technology to provide the shiniest, frizz-free blowouts.

The Buttercup Blow-Dryer has 2 power settings and 3 heat settings plus a cool shot. It weighs in at 1.125 pounds and comes with a 9 foot long cord.

With a price that is the lower than the top high-end blow dryers, the Drybar Buttercup Blow-Dryer is an alluring option.


9
#5)

Rusk CTC Lite Professional Lightweight Dryer

We selected the $99.95 Rusk CTC Lite as the best hair dryer under $100. It works well for all hair types and we love how light it is at just .95 pounds. This model uses ceramic and titanium for maximum heat transfer.

The air speed coming out of the blower is a bit less than some more expensive models, but still really good. There are 7 combined speed and heat settings plus a cool shot button. It comes with a diffuser and concentrator nozzle.

If you are looking to spend less than $100 for a blow dryer then the Rusk CTC Lite should be at the top of your list.


8.9
#6)

Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer

The $60 Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer is the best selling hair dryer on both Amazon and Ulta Beauty. This thing is designed to dry like a dryer, while also adding the volume of a styler all in one step. The unique oval brush design creates volume at the root and beautiful full bodied curls at the ends. Meanwhile ionic technology makes your hair shinier, while reducing frizz and static.

The One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer only has 2 heat/speed settings so you don’t have quite as much control over many other blow dryers. The brush/dryer itself is a bit large, 13 inches long with 2 inch shaft and 4 inches wide from bristle-tip to bristle-tip.

The majority of users seem to really love the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer, especially since it reduces the amount of time it takes to style their hair, and with a decent price it is a hair tool that you probably should at least try.


8.9
#7)

BaBylissPRO Porcelain Ceramic 2800 Dryer

The BaBylissPRO Porcelain Ceramic 2800 Dryer gives you a professional level hair dryer with a much cheaper price of around $80. It has a 2000-watt motor and a combination of porcelain ceramic technology and ionic technology to provide even, far-infrared heat that lets you dry hair faster, while protected it from damage. The negative ions eliminate frizz and gives you smooth, shiny styles.

The Porcelain Ceramic 2800 Dryer is powerful and fast drying, but it also is quite heavy. However, that means it is also well built, with some users reporting that it can survive falls where most others would not. There are 2 speed and 3 heat settings. The highest heat setting might be too hot for fine hair. The button placement is also in an awkward spot for some people, depending on how you hold it.


8.8
#8)

DevaCurl DevaDryer; Ionic Hairdryer with Diffuser

The $159 DevaCurl DevaDryer might just be the best hair dryer for curly hair. What makes it unique is the patented DevaFuser, which is a hand-shaped diffuser that provides 360-degree airflow. It provides gentle drying for beautifully defined, frizz-free curls.

The DevaCurl DevaDryer has 2 speed settings and 3 heat settings which provide a very large range from the hottest temperature of 230 degrees to the coolest of 70 degrees. It also has a cool shot and ionic technology.

Overall the DevaCurl DevaDryer works good, especially on curly hair, but there are lots of reports from buyers that it breaks within a year of buying it. That makes us question just how long this tool will last.


8.6
#9)

Conair Infiniti Pro 1875 Watt Salon Performance Dryer

The best cheap hair dryer is the Conair Infiniti Pro 1875 Watt Salon Performance Dryer which sells for just $25. Despite the low price this thing performs better than many blow dryers that cost much more. It has a 1875 watt motor that produces plenty of speed on its high speed setting. Three temperature settings are provided with highest reaching temps of about 130 degrees. It also uses ionic technology to reduce frizz and ceramic technology to provide even heat.

As for negatives, this Conair Infiniti Pro dryer comes with a short 5 foot cord and is loud.

For the money we don’t think you will find a better hair dryer than the Conair Infiniti Pro 1875 Watt Salon Performance Dryer.


8.3
#10)

Conair miniPRO Tourmaline Ceramic Hair Dryer with Folding Handle, Travel Hair Dryer

Our choice for the best cheap travel hair dryer is the $16 Conair miniPRO Tourmaline Ceramic Hair Dryer. It is great for traveling since it is small, while also folding up and it has dual voltage for use in either North America or abroad.

This Conair miniPro blow dryer has a 1200 watt motor with just 2 combined heat/speed settings that don’t get too hot. That means it might not be the best for thick hair. It uses tourmaline ceramic technology to provide even heat while reducing frizz. It does not have ionic technology, nor does it have a cool shot button.

If you are looking for a cheap travel blow dryer then you absolutely consider the Conair miniPRO Tourmaline Ceramic Hair Dryer, however don’t expect it to perform like a much more expensive, normal hair dryer.


Best Hair Dryer Comparison Chart

Hair Dryer Rating Best Price Speed
Settings
Temperature
Settings
Cool Shot Weight Cord
Length
Attachments
Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer 9.3 $399.00 3 4 – 212°F, 176°F, 140°F, Constant Cold Yes 1.23 lbs 9 Feet Dyson Magnetic Attachments – smoothing nozzle, styling concentrator, and diffuser
GHD Air Professional Performance Hairdryer 9.2 $199.00 2 3 Yes 3.4 lbs 9 Feet 2 Concentrator Nozzles, 1 Diffusor Adaptor Ring
Harry Josh Pro Tools Ultra Light Pro Dryer 9.2 $349.00 12 combined Heat/Speed Settings 12 combined Heat/Speed Settings Yes .95 lbs 11 Feet Traditional Nozzle Concentrator, Long Nozzle Concentrator
Drybar Buttercup Blow-Dryer 9.1 $195.00 2 3 Yes 1.125 lbs 9 Feet 2 concentrator nozzles (wide and narrow)
Rusk CTC Lite Professional Lightweight Dryer 9 $99.95 7 combined Heat/Speed Settings 7 combined Heat/Speed Settings Yes .95 lbs 8.5 Feet Diffuser, Concentrator
Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer 8.9 $59.97 2 combined 2 combined Yes 1.22 lbs 6 Feet
BaBylissPRO Porcelain Ceramic 2800 Dryer 8.9 $79.99 2 3 Yes 2 lbs 9 Feet Narrow Concentrator Nozzle
DevaCurl DevaDryer 8.8 $159.00 2 3 Yes 1.22 lbs 9 Feet Devafuser, Concentrator Nozzle
Conair Infiniti Pro 1875 Watt Salon Performance Dryer 8.6 $24.99 2 3 Yes 1.44 lbs 5 Feet Diffuser, Concentrator
Conair miniPRO Tourmaline Ceramic Hair Dryer 8.3 $15.94 2 combined 2 combined No .6 lbs 5 Feet Concentrator

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