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Lab pros found it lightweight and "very comfortable to hold with easy-to-reach controls." Though it was slightly more noisy than others tested, it can also double as a travel hair dryer due to its smaller build. Briefly, ions are atoms or molecules made up of protons and electrons. Personally, whenever I see the word "wattage" listed on a hair dryer, it reminds me of high school science, which makes me immediately want to disengage. "A dryer's wind power is measured in watts, so the higher the number, the quicker the drying time," she says. If you have coarse or thick hair, opt for a dryer with 1800W or more. "Fine and short hair can still get great results using a dryer with much less airflow," says Coughlin.
Best lightweight hair dryers
Abergel noted that, for example, using a concentrator nozzle that precisely hits hard-to-reach areas is key to achieving salon-level results. "It concentrates the air and aids in directing the airflow exactly where you want it to go," Abergel previously explained. This concentrated airflow also helps the cuticle of the hair lay flat so that it will be shinier and less frizzy, according to Los Angeles-based hairstylist Kiki Heitkotter.
22 Best Hair Dryers for All Hair Types - The Cut
22 Best Hair Dryers for All Hair Types.
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Fast and light
One of its smartest features is an innovative on/off lab-tested ION generator switch–simply turn it on to create a sleek, smooth style and off again for a more voluminous look. The power cord is quite long but this could be a pro if your plug socket is far away from your mirror. If damage and dryness are two of your main hair concerns, then T3’s Aireluxe hair dryer is a great option. It’s pretty techy with a custom-engineered fan (that the brand says significantly reduces airtime) and a smart microchip that offers 15 heat and speed combinations.
12 Best Affordable Hair Dryers of 2024, Tested and Reviewed - Cosmopolitan
12 Best Affordable Hair Dryers of 2024, Tested and Reviewed.
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Selected.Our top picks
Ionic hair dryers emit negatively charged ions into the air, which in turn helps to break down water molecules more quickly and efficiently. By doing so, your hair dries much faster, which reduces the amount of time your hair has to be exposed to heat. The less time your hair is exposed to high heat, the less it will suffer from heat damage. Additionally, the negative ions generated by ionic hair dryers help to eliminate static electricity and frizz. This leaves the hair looking smooth and sleek, without the need for additional styling products. Overall, an ionic hair dryer can help to shorten your drying time, reduce heat damage, and give you healthier-looking hair that’s easier to style.
Hair Type
Plus, it’s compact enough to store or travel without added hassle, and the accompanying storage bag and stand prove useful both at home and on the road. We thought the design of the handle was great and it fit nicely in our hand during the whole process. While the buttons are located on the handle's right side, making it easy for right-handed people, it can be more difficult for lefties to navigate.
Best Hair Dryers of 2024, Tested by Experts
Speed and heat are the only features that matter for drying your hair efficiently, and with a 55 mph airflow that exceeds 245 °F, the Rusk W8less Professional 2000 Watt Dryer is one of the fastest and hottest dryers we tested. It weighs less than a pound, it has an 8-foot cord (one of the longest we found), it’s notably comfortable to hold, and overall it has the best combination of features we deem important. The W8less comes with a concentrator, which is helpful for straightening hair, but it does not come with a diffuser. A blow dryer with multiple heat and speed settings or attachments is only a good investment if you'll use them. A. African-American hair is often challenging because it is usually thick and coarse yet can also be brittle — especially if it has been relaxed or has gone through other processes.
Weighing less than a pound, this travel blow dryer is a favorite of Schneider’s when she wants to dry her 2b/2c, sometimes 3a, curly hair straight. It’s also easy to store because it comes with a dust bag, can fold in half, takes up less space than traditional dryers and has a detachable nozzle, says Schneider. If you plan on fitting this in your luggage, the dryer also has dual voltage for overseas travel, according to the brand. 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.
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. Testers loved its smaller, easy-to-store size and that it left their hair less frizzy. They gave it top marks for its easy-to-reach controls and comfortable shape, and both Lab assessments and consumers found it to be quiet. When narrowing down your search, consider the different attachments hair dryers come with. Attachments help you achieve different looks more easily than blowing your hair dry with the standard nozzle. She also consulted with Jeremy Tardo, a Los Angeles-based colorist at Benjamin Salon and a member of Byrdie's Beauty & Wellness Board, to learn more about what to keep in mind when shopping for an ionic hair dryer.
It does all of this while reducing and preventing damage, earning it our ‘Best Overall’ award. We tried it out for ourselves and loved the powerful, even airflow and quick drying time that felt pretty effortless. We also think it’s very good value for the amount of clever tech it offers. The high speed with low heat dried our hair fast — in four and a half minutes to be exact, without any attachments. After drying, we used the concentrator, which smoothed out our hair nicely and reduced the look of frizz. Despite loving the blow dryer's sturdy, compact body and easy-to-use attachments, we were less impressed with the cool setting — it more so felt like we were out on a windy day.
We noted that despite its compact size, the IQ2 produced a surprisingly loud noise, making it difficult to hear others while the product was in use. For a truly professional-quality tool, though, the cost and the volume are no doubt justifiable. Although the 1,875-watt Revlon Compact Styler is a wallet saver at around $10, the savings do not make up for the dryer’s added heft, its lack of attachments, and its reduced wind speeds compared with those of our picks. The Remington Damage Protection Hair Dryer D3190 comes with a diffuser and a concentrator, but it’s bulkier and heavier than other models we tested. Customer reviews of the 1,900-watt Parlux 3200 Hair Dryer were pretty good at the time of our research, and the compact design of this model is nice. But the buttons are positioned on the side, and they made the dryer hard for us to hold without getting poked in the hand.
GH Beauty Lab testers found this lightweight Olivia Garden blow dryer dried hair quickly, thanks to its robust airflow and temperature yet didn't feel hot on the scalp, making it ideal for those with fine or thin strands. It was easy to hold and operate and received a perfect score for maneuvering attachments, plus has a generously long cord. A game-changer on the market, this one-of-a-kind Dyson design (the motor is in the handle!) dried hair faster than any model in the history of GH Beauty Lab hair dryer testing. In Lab evaluations, it dried an eight-inch hair sample in only 54 seconds and had strong airflow. But with so many brands on the market and seemingly endless factors to consider, from your hair type and concerns to each blow dryer's technology and your desired features, it can be tricky to know where to start. That's where our Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab scientists come in, rigorously testing hair dryers in the Lab on human hair samples and consumer testers to assess their attributes and performance.
Finally, it comes with a diffuser for wavy and curly hair, and a concentrator nozzle for sleek, straight looks. In addition to being incredibly lightweight, the blow dryer has some pretty unique settings. First, it has a turbo ionic option that helps speed up drying time. Despite having two settings (hot and cool), we wanted more heat settings, especially a medium option, for a more customizable drying experience. 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 tool was also easiest to maneuver and comfortable to hold, though it was heavier than other models and more effort was required for proper placement and removal of the attachment. "It's the right size and doesn't look like a travel dryer until you fold the handle — I like that it could do double duty for home and away." We consulted with six hairstylists to learn more about what to know when shopping for a hair dryer and evaluate the dryers we tested. You’ll often see tourmaline and ceramic as part of the hair dryer’s description. Tourmaline is a semi-precious stone, which is partly why the dryers cost more.
Although some dryers achieved faster wind speeds than others, interestingly that didn’t end up translating to notably or consistently faster dry times once we used them on our hair. The Ghd Helios uses ionic technology, which means it can dry long, thick hair quickly without damaging it, according to our experts. It’s also lightweight at just 1.7 pounds, and has an ergonomic design, making it easier to style your hair, according to the brand.
If you don’t care about weight, consider the InfinitiPro by Conair 1875-Watt Salon Performance AC Motor Styling Tool. Commonly found in drugstores, this dryer produces airflow that’s faster (65 mph) than that of our top pick and almost as hot (205 °F). At 1.3 pounds, however, it may feel heavy after you spend a couple of minutes holding it above your head. The 6-foot cord, though shorter than those on our other picks, is longer than those on most other inexpensive hair dryers. The buttons are easy to use, but the cool-shot button is a little small and harder to hold down than the cool-shot button on our top pick. Many hair dryers come with (or are compatible with) attachments that allow you to tailor your blow-out experience to your needs.
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