Which hair dryer will make light work of the sometimes tedious and mundane job of the humble blow-dry? Which are easy to handle and make that shiny, frizz mane an obtainable day style? Well fear not, we’ve sought out the best hair dryers this year has to offer.
Dyson has really made a name for itself in the styling world as of late. The Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer is our pick of the bunch, and then there's Dyson's beautiful multi-styler hair tool that also dries, the Dyson AirWrap. Of course, before you spend your hard-earned cash, you should consider your budget and how often you blow-dry your hair…
If you're looking to completely update your hair care routine, then you can also read T3's guide to the best hair curlers, best hair straighteners, and best straightening hair brush.
How to choose the best hair dryer for you
Why you can trust T3 Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
A good hairdryer is an investment in terms of your personal style and the health of your hair. You need to consider the type of hair you have, whether it’s thick or thin, long or short, and what you want to achieve. Do you simply want it to dry your hair or do you want to use it for styling too?
Our hair is in its most fragile state when it’s wet, which is why it’s so important to choose the right hair dryer for you, and to take the necessary steps to protect your hair when drying it. This includes using heat protection spray, and always starting out on a low temperature when drying.
From here you can select a high temperature setting to style, without damaging your hair. Most dryers have a cold shot, designed to lock finished styles in place.
So check out our final list, which includes some old favourites that have been tried and tested, plus some of the newest models on the market that consumers are raving about.
Of course, only one hairdryer can take the crown of THE BEST on the market and that accolade goes to the Dyson Supersonic. Yes, it’s the most expensive on test but it’s also the best on the market – it made hairstyling a doddle – we achieved our chosen style quickly and comfortably with maximum shine, no frizz and we were able to listen to the radio while we dried too – a revelation!
The best hair dryers you can buy today
The fact that Dyson has put the Supersonic’s motor in the handle is a game-changer for hairdryer design. For users it means that the weight is better balanced – no arm ache with this sleekly styled beauty, and it won’t overheat at all either. Both the quietness and modest weight of just 618g are to be commended.
The Supersonic was an absolute joy to use. We loved it’s high-end stainless steel magnetic interface – the two differently sized nozzles and the diffuser just snap into place magnetically, so you can choose the direction and angle that’s best for your style. It’s super simple to use and boasts an in-built regulator so you’ll never overheat, and in turn damage, your hair. Using this our hair felt salon perfect – shiny and bouncy with absolutely no frizz. There’s no denying it’s expensive, but it is brilliant, and we think totally worth it. To get the best deal, check our Dyson discount codes.
The Shark Style iQ is the rival to the Dyson Supersonic... and it does a pretty good job of giving it a run for its money! It provides a powerful performance and perfectly blow-dried hair for almost half the price. If you don't want to stretch to the Dyson, this Shark hair dryer is a powerhouse product which won't disappoint.
Combining powerful airflow performance with intelligent technology, the Shark Style iQ allows you to dry and style your hair in one hit, which dramatically reduces styling time, the risk of heat damage, and leaves hair looking and feeling healthy, sleek, and shiny. See the full Shark Style iQ review for all the details.
The GHD Helios Hair Dryer is the brand’s newest addition to it’s hair styling range. The Helios is powerful and works with ionic technology to fight the frizz, so if you’re prone to flyaways, you can’t go wrong with GHD. If you’re looking for an investment, The Helios is set to last as it comes with a new brushless motor which promotes longer life as well as making it powerful and speeding up your drying/styling routine. Compared to other hair dryers, The Helios is said to have unique acoustic technology to make it quieter which is ideal if you live with other people.
Despite its stupidly long official name, the – deep breath – Revamp Progloss 3950 AC Featherlite Ultra X Shine Hair Dryer DR-3950 is a masterclass in efficiency. It's compact and lightweight (425g), but packs a serious punch when it comes to getting your hair dry quickly. There are various slick sounding features, which we'll get on to in a minute, but the standout for our reviewer is that this hair dryer has a really long power chord. 3m, to be exact. The convenience! The freedom!
Let's look at the other features then. This hair dryer comes with three heat and three power settings, plus an 'ultra cold freeze shot' for cooling your head down. Or setting your style; whatever. There's also 'Ionic technology' to reduce frizz, and the front ceramic grille is apparently infused with Keratin, Argan and Coconut oils, which are transferred into your locks for ultimate smoothness. Our tester is not wholly convinced by features like these in general, but the Revamp Progloss 3950 did leave her hair nice and smooth, so you can make your mind up for yourself on that one.
The only down side is that, probably because it's designed to be featherlight, the Progloss 3950 doesn't look especially premium. But it does perform at least as well as we'd expect for that mid-range price tag, and the lightness makes it easier and more comfortable to use, so it's a trade-off we'd be very happy to make.
Cloud Nine’s Airshot Hairdryer is designed to give you that salon fresh feeling at home. It comes with variable temperature control which adapts to your hair, protecting it from harsh blasts of hot air. Whether you’re wanting to dry it straight and sleek or with bouncy waves, the cool shot button will ensure your style is locked in place, whilst nourishing and protecting the cuticles. This product also features anti-static technology which deters frizz and flyaways.
While Panasonic may not seem like a brand that mixes with hair care, this Panasonic Nanoe Hair Dryer works with super intelligent technology to lock in moisture and leave your hair feeling soft and smooth. This hair dryer comes with a quick dry nozzle for those who are short for time, and a diffuser for those of you who like to try different styles. The different speeds and temperatures can be selected based on the condition of your hair, with a setting called “healthy” which will dry your hair at 50 degrees for a far less harsh blow dry. Overall this hair dryer is nicely designed and great value for money!
The aura is a great looking hair dryer, which also feels like a professional hair tool in the hand. ‘Cool-Wall’ technology keeps the aura’s nozzle and casing cool to the touch, even when using the high heat setting, so you can move the nozzle as much as you like for a precise and comfortable blow dry. This tech combined with the focused airflow enabled us to achieve a sleek blow dry with healthy feeling hair that while full of natural body had minimal frizz. The ghd aura is set to a maximum airflow temperature of 137 degrees – optimum for styling without damage, so you don’t have to worry about heat damage. Highly recommended.
The Remington PROluxe hair dryer promises 24 hours worth of salon-worthy hair thanks to a new intelligent OPTIheat technology and the unique Style Shot feature. Combined, these two technologies cleverly uses heat to shape, sculpt, and lock your style in place. The exclusive styling concentrator shape has been designed specifically to enhance airflow and heat distribution, allowing you to target the heat to where your hair needs it most.
We love that Remington is a reliable brand, and that this dryer is much more affordable than others on this list, making it the perfect budget option.
The T3 Featherweight Luxe 2i delivers a great blow-dry – the dryer felt like it was very gentle on our hair and the airflow was precise. This dryer is equipped with T3 Tormaline SoftAire with T3 Iron Generator technology, but all you really need to know is our hair was left shiny, without any visible frizz and felt incredibly healthy – result. The quality T3 barrel brush included with the dryer proved to be the perfect partner for a salon-worthy blow dry. The only snag with this great looking dryer is that when using it your hand can slip because the smooth handle surface, which looks great, can become difficult to grip as your hand gets warm.
The Hydraluxe Pro is a stylish hairdryer from Remington that includes the company's Hydracare technology. This uses a sensor to ensure moisture is locked into your hair, preventing heat damage.
The dryer has an LED display and three heat and two speed settings; the digital motor can blow air at up to 100 mph. There is also a cold shot mode and the dry is attached to a three metre salon-length power cord.
This satin purple hair dryer by Glamoriser offers no fewer than eight heat settings and six speed settings, with the former is indicating with a LCD readout on the handle.
A black diamonds out shine system helps to reduce frizz, giving your hair a natural shine. The Glamoriser Touch also includes ionic and ceramic technology, and is attached to a three metre swivel cord.
If you're looking for a true salon-quality hairdryer, then step this way. The Elchim 3900 claims to be the hottest and most powerful on the market, thanks to a 2400W power output. This, the company says, can reduce drying time by over 30%.
All that power is contained with an integrated silencer to keep the noise down, and at 570g it's pretty lightweight too. With its smart gold detailing, the Elchim 3900 has two speed and heat settings.
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