Choose a hair dryer by your hair first and the numbers second. Fine hair needs control more than force: a gentle heat, a lower speed and a narrow concentrator nozzle. Thick hair is best served by strong power and generous airflow, so it dries before your arm tires. Curly hair needs a diffuser and a low speed, so each curl dries in its own shape. Everything else, from the cool shot to the length of the cord, is about how comfortably the dryer does that job.
What Do Watts and Airflow Mean?
Wattage is the power the dryer draws, and it tells you roughly how much heat and air it can produce. The dryers we have chosen here run from 1,875 to 2,500 watts. More watts are useful for long or thick hair; they matter less for short or fine hair.
Airflow is the amount of air that leaves the nozzle, and it is what actually does the drying. Some makers give it as a volume, in cubic metres an hour, others as a speed, in kilometres an hour. Either way, a strong, steady stream moves water out of the hair more readily than heat alone, so good airflow often lets you use a step less heat. As for the motor, an AC motor is the kind long used in salon dryers; a brushless motor is the newer design, built to be compact for its power.
Parlux's Superturbo HP pairs 2,400 W with 84 m³/h of airflow, two speeds and four temperatures, and Parlux makes it in Italy. Babyliss's Paris Hair Dryer uses a 2,000 W AC motor with airflow of 100 km/h. Ghd's Helios is built around a brushless motor with airflow of up to 120 km/h and three heat settings. Moi's Professional Hair Dryer has a 2,000 W AC motor and airflow of 70 to 105 m³/h.
Heat, Speed and the Cool Shot
Heat and speed are separate controls, and it helps to treat them that way. Speed sets how much air moves; heat sets how warm it is. Use a high speed with a medium heat to take the water out of the hair, then turn the speed down as you shape it with a brush. Most of us need the hottest setting far less often than we think.
The cool shot is a button that sends unheated air. Hair settles into its shape as it cools, so a few seconds of cool air over a section you have just smoothed or curled helps it hold. Moi's Professional Hair Dryer offers six speed and temperature settings with a cold-shot button. Two or three heat levels suit most routines; more simply give finer steps.
Concentrator or Diffuser?
Most dryers come with a concentrator: a narrow, flat nozzle that focuses the air into a slot. It is the attachment for smoothing. Point it down the length of the hair, from root to end, and the air presses each section flat as it dries, which is what gives a blow-dry its polish. Without it the air spreads, and the finish is softer and fuller.
A diffuser is a wide bowl, often with fingers, that spreads the air into a gentle, even flow. It is the attachment for curls and waves. Cup the curls in the bowl and dry them with little movement, and the curl pattern is kept. If your hair is curly, choose a dryer that comes with one.
Babyliss's D773DE Hair Dryer comes with both a narrow concentrator and a diffuser, alongside three heat settings, two speeds and a removable rear filter. Parlux's Alyon's Hair Dryer includes a diffuser and two nozzles. Parlux's Digitalyon Hair Dryer comes with a diffuser and a concentrator nozzle, and pairs a 2,400 W motor with 88 m³/h of airflow.
Ionic, Ceramic and Tourmaline: What the Words Mean
These are the words most often printed on a dryer, and they describe how the heat and air are delivered rather than how much there is. An ionic dryer releases negatively charged ions into the airflow, which makers describe as reducing static and frizz. Ceramic is used to spread heat more evenly. Tourmaline is a mineral added to some grilles and coatings for similar reasons. Read each as the maker's own description, and judge the dryer first on its power, airflow and attachments.
Artero's Tropic Professional Line Hair Dryer has a tourmaline grille, which Artero describes as reducing frizz, with two speeds, three heat levels and two nozzles. Bio Ionic's Gold Pro is finished with 24K gold ceramic detailing and offers dual heat. Steinhart's Ceramic-Ionic Turbo uses ceramic and ionic technologies, which Steinhart describes as smoothing the hair and reducing frizz, with a brushless motor and its own cold-shot button. Id Italian's Air Lissimo GTI-2300 Glamour describes its ceramic airflow as distributing heat evenly, with two heat and two speed settings.
- Tropic Professional Line Hair Dryer
- Gold Pro 1875W Spa 24K Gold Ceramic Dual Heat Superior Hair Dryer
- Ceramic‑Ionic Turbo Hair Dryer
- Air Lissimo GTI-2300 Glamour Professional Hair Dryer
Weight and Cord
Weight matters most when your hair is long or thick and the dry takes a while, so think about how long you will hold it for, not only how powerful it is. A compact body brings the weight closer to your hand, which makes a dryer easier to control.
The cord deserves the same attention. A longer cord lets you move easily in front of a mirror some way from the socket: Id Italian's Air Lissimo GTI-2300 Glamour has a 2.78 m cable, Moi's Professional Hair Dryer a 2.5 m cable and Parlux's Superturbo HP a 3.3 m one.
Which Hair Dryer for Fine, Thick or Curly Hair?
Fine hair dries quickly and flattens easily, so a moderate wattage is plenty and control matters more. Use a medium heat and a lower speed, lift at the root with a round brush, and finish with the cool shot. A concentrator keeps the air exactly where you want it.
Thick hair holds water and takes longest. Look for higher wattage, strong airflow and a good range of settings, so the dry is shorter. Rough-dry on a high speed until the hair is most of the way there, then fit the concentrator and work section by section.
Curly and wavy hair needs a diffuser and a little patience. Use a low speed with a low to medium heat, cup the curls rather than moving them about, and leave the hair alone as it dries. A dryer with separate heat and speed controls makes this easiest, because you can keep the air gentle without making it cold.
Heat Protection Before You Dry
Whatever your hair type, a heat protection spray is a sensible first step. It goes on before the dryer, and each of these is designed to help protect hair during heat styling. Ghd's Heat Protect Spray is a lightweight spray for damp or dry hair. Macadamia's Thermal Protectant Spray is a light mist with frizz control. Rene Furterer's Thermal Protecting Spray is made for use before blow-drying, straightening or curling. Redken's Quick Blowout is sprayed through towel-dried hair, then blow-dried section by section.
- Heat Protect Spray
- Thermal Protectant Spray
- Thermal Protecting Spray
- Quick Blowout Accelerated Blow-Dry Heat Protection Spray
If you decide one thing first, decide the attachment your hair needs: a concentrator for smooth hair, a diffuser for curls. The power, the settings and the weight follow from there.
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