10 Best Hair Dryers, According to Professional Hair Stylists AP Buyline Shopping

Table Of Content

• Conair InfinitiPRO SmoothWrap Hair Dryer with Dual Ion Therapy
• Best Bonnet Dryer: Gold 'n Hot Professional Ionic Soft Bonnet
• Ghd Helios Hair Dryer
• What to look for when shopping for the best hair dryer
• Best Lightweight
• Best for Damage Control: Remington Damage Protection Hair Dryer
• Budget pick: InfinitiPro by Conair 1875-Watt Salon Performance AC Motor Styling Tool

Read on to shop the best hair dryer in every category, tested and recommended by professional stylists. NBC Select newsletter editor McKenna Moore says this blow dryer and diffuser combo has been her most consistently used option after it was recommended to her by her hairstylist. After removing excess water from her hair and letting her curls air dry as long as possible, Moore, who has fine, 3a curly hair, uses the dryer to add shine and volume without adding frizz.

Conair InfinitiPRO SmoothWrap Hair Dryer with Dual Ion Therapy

“You can’t go wrong with ceramic — it’s the most ideal and high quality,” she says. Whether you’re looking for sleek and shiny locks or to add a bit of volume, apply your chosen products to damp hair before drying. A heat protectant spray is always a good idea to help protect against frizz and damage.

Best Bonnet Dryer: Gold 'n Hot Professional Ionic Soft Bonnet

The diffuser seemed to mimic the movement of our hand when blast-drying the hair, which in turn helped to reduce any fatigue from holding the dryer. The ionic tool also boasted another pleasant surprise — we didn't need to use a straightener as usual on our wavy hair to smooth out any remaining baby hairs. With the Nanoe, we were able to create a smooth look with a slight wave at the bottom, without the need for any follow-up tools. We love a good multitasking product, and the Shark HyperAir Hair Dryer is certainly no exception to the rule; it’s an ideal choice for those seeking the best dryer-brush combo. Our fine, dense and wavy hair benefited from a 30-minute blowout, which left it smooth, without any noticeable flyaways. It works on different hair textures, too; we found that when tested on our thick, straight hair, it was whipped into frizz-free shape in under 10 minutes, whereas ordinarily it would require a 20-minute session to take our hair from wet to dry.

Ghd Helios Hair Dryer

If you're a novice when it comes to blowouts, the Pro Artist Black Gold 2000 Watt Ionic Hair Dryer might sound intimidating, but it's actually as user-friendly as it gets. Balancing a hair dryer in one hand — while using your fingers to maneuver the different modes — and using a styling brush in another is no easy feat, but with this Hot Tools dryer, the whole process is simple. Although the dryer is equipped with three heat settings and two speed settings, toggling back and forth between the different modes is straightforward, thanks to the grooves in the center of each switch. I'd consider myself a blow dryer beginner (I'm partial to blow dry brushes), but I was able to navigate my way between the heat and power settings without having to pause the drying session or accidentally pressing the wrong button. If you’re willing to splurge on a dryer, you might consider the Dyson Supersonic. It has consistently been our favorite to use since we first tested it in 2016.

The Lightweight Rusk W8less Beats All the Pricey Hair Dryers I’ve Tried. And It’s Under $100.

While there is general research on these technologies, little data is available on their benefits in the context of hair dryer design. Testers also gave it high marks for minimizing frizz, a top concern for curly hair. This compact model from Hot Tools earned near-perfect scores for drying speed in GH Beauty Lab testing and ranked high for strong airflow, yet is a more affordable pick at a fraction of the cost of other dryers.

What to look for when shopping for the best hair dryer

Foster says this lightweight professional-grade hair dryer packs a powerful punch. “As soon as you turn it on, [your hair] dries quickly,” says Foster, adding that it also stores very easily. It weighs less than a pound, so it’s lightweight enough to hold when you’re drying your hair at home, says Foster.

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(Just remember to clean the filters.) Alyssa has fine, damaged hair and has tested four dryers in the last year. Her go-to is the Olivia Garden High Performance Professional Hair Dryer thanks to the concentrated airflow, multiple heat and speed settings, and ergonomic design. This lightweight dryer weighs a little over a pound and has a 4.7-star average rating from 100 reviews at Pattern Beauty. If you want to add volume, consider using the wide tooth comb attachment, or use the concentrator nozzle attachment to focus on the roots and small sections. To keep your dryer in good condition, don’t forget to clean the filter and wipe away any product residue, like leave-in conditioner or a heat protectant, according to the brand.

Best for Damage Control: Remington Damage Protection Hair Dryer

Some high-tech hair dryers will even come with a wide-tooth comb, flyaway attachment and smoothers. “Low heat is the best way to dry damaged, fragile hair,” says Kim, who likes the Zuvi because it dries hair with infrared light to limit heat exposure. As a long-time user of this blow dryer brush, I can attest that it’s the best on the market.

Budget pick: InfinitiPro by Conair 1875-Watt Salon Performance AC Motor Styling Tool

With a strong, even airflow, it took about 20 minutes to thoroughly dry our hair, resulting in a flippy, bouncy look. The heat and high/low buttons are located on the back of the dryer's head, and to change the heat setting, all we had to do was click a button. While there were only three airflow speed settings, we found these were all we needed to attain soft, sleek healthy-looking hair. Plus, it was lightweight enough that our arms didn’t get too tired while blowing out our hair. The T3 Featherweight is a game changer when it comes to stamina, living up to its name at a mere 16.6 ounces, or just about a pound.

Its “nanoe” technology also infuses much-needed moisture into hair, allowing it to completely dry without becoming dry and brittle to the touch. This lightweight, fast-drying tool works by preventing extreme heat damage to help protect shine and uses negative ions to reduce static in hair. There's no wonder why Saunders and senior editor, Caitlyn Fitzpatrick, are so in love with it.

Unless you've got superhuman strength, holding a blow dryer above your head for minutes on end is tiring. No matter how strong your arms are, the Instyler Blu Turbo Ionic Hair Dryer feels lightweight in your hands and makes blow drying the top of your head a painless process. Those blessed (or cursed) with a head of thick, luscious hair know the struggle of finding a blow dryer that will actually dry it. This hair dryer from BaByliss not only dries thick hair in minutes, it also feels surprisingly lightweight. The Panasonic Nanoe gave us a voluminous and sleek blowout, thanks to its oscillating nozzle, which gently moves back and forth to distribute heat efficiently, dry hair fast, and prevent hot spots along the way.

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. The Conair 1875-Watt 3-in-1 Ionic Styler has a long row of grills (and a brush attachment) instead of a circular nozzle.