Table Of Content

Most of these “features” are useless at best and pseudoscience at worst. Among the models we tested, it tied for blowing the hottest and fastest air. When you buy a diffuser that doesn’t come with your blowdryer you can run the risk of it not fitting—but not with this adaptable head.
Our pick: Rusk W8less Professional 2000 Watt Dryer
Aside from sulfates, you’ll also want to avoid bars with drying alcohols, such as ethanol (Ethyl Alcohol), isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol) and denatured alcohol (SD alcohol), because they’ll remove moisture from your hair. Of the Dyson Supersonic lookalikes, the Karrong F350 seemed the most promising to us, but it ended up being half as fast, with no way to control speed separately from temperature—the hotter it got, the faster it got. The Conair InfinitiPro SmoothWrap Hair Dryer is slower and has a shorter cord than all of our picks. However, it is lightweight (a pound), and it reaches temperatures above 245 °F. At an impressive 11 feet long, the currently unavailable CHI Touch 2 Dryer’s cord is the longest of any dryer we’ve tested, but this dryer is more expensive and much slower than the Rusk W8less.
How we picked the best hair dryers
This lightweight hair dryer felt very professional and was noticeably quiet when I used it. I noticed that my hair dried very quickly (probably due to the eco-precision motor that provides more power) and my hair had a lot of volume. Fine hair can be finicky — it's tricky to style, and too much heat can damage thin strands easily.
Conair Rainbow Ion AC Dryer
Unlike on other dryers, the cool-shot button is wide, so holding it down for several seconds isn’t uncomfortable. This diffuser sets itself apart from the pack for its unique design that has a large surface area—making for quick drying and faster results. The removable diffuser is evenly spaced for added definition, texture, and increased volume.

This hair dryer tends to die out within a year or two – even faster if you don’t take good care of it. The T3 Featherweight Luxe 2I Dryer is the lighter, less expensive version of the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer specifically designed to suit the needs of frequent travelers. You get a powerful hair dryer that comes packed in a compact, lightweight, and ergonomically designed tool. Since the hooded device dries curly hair slowly, it doesn’t strip your strands of moisture or create frizz.
8 best hair diffusers for travel of 2024, according to experts - NBC News
8 best hair diffusers for travel of 2024, according to experts.
Posted: Wed, 28 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Best Premium Hair Dryer for Curly Hair: Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer
If you're looking to add a diffuser attachment, check out our best diffusers for curly hair. One tester reported less frizz and added shine, praising its ease of use. The dryer has a generous cord length, but users found the included concentrator attachment to be a bit wobbly. Testers found it easy to use and praised its controls, though a few found it uncomfortable to hold. It's important to note that the Neuro Dry is one of the heaviest hair dryers evaluated. Theresa Holland is a seasoned commerce writer and product reviewer specializing in cosmetics and at-home beauty treatments.
Best Hair Dryer for Curly, Frizzy Hair
Similar to the noted downside of our budget pick, which is also from Conair, the button placement on this higher-end model caused a bit of a pause for us. Located on the side of the device and positioned close together, the buttons are sensitive and we found it became too easy to switch settings accidentally. It’s lightweight and easy enough to grab, but if you happen to handle it the wrong way, you'll likely interfere with any saved settings.

This viral hair dryer brush is one of the most-wanted tools out there right now. All you have to do is choose from one of its three heat settings and roll it through separated sections to create a salon-quality at-home blowout. It works for every single hair type you can imagine, including curly hair—check out our in-depth review for proof here. Vaccaro, Stuger, Uehara, and Karkalis helped us create a rubric to judge in order to give each of the 31 hair dryers in this test a fair shake. We even paid attention to other important details, including each dryer’s weight, cord length, button placement, noise level, and accompanying attachments, that impact the overall experience. Specially designed for those with curly, coily or tight-textured hair, the ultra-chic Pattern blow dryer is intended to deliver powerful airflow and less drying time.
According to Reviews, These Are the 20 Best Hair Dryers for Curly Queens
Sign up for WWD Shop’s newsletter to get the scoop on the best in beauty and style with in-depth reviews of exciting new releases and buyer’s guides to find the products you need to try ASAP. Take the Drybar Baby Buttercup with you wherever you go for an easy blowout every time. Achieve incredibly shiny hair with this super lightweight hairdryer from GAMMA+.
The built-in ion generator works to minimize static frizz and improve shine. Despite its budget-friendly price, this model doesn't compromise on features, coming with both concentrator and diffuser attachments, plus hair clips. Two users specifically praised the powerful air pressure and well-regulated heat output, and another raved about the absence of frizz after using this dryer. Foster says this lightweight professional-grade hair dryer packs a powerful punch.
Roughly, half way through drying my hair, I switched to the flyaway attachment, which I ran over the top of my hair. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if it would actually do anything to my curls, but my hair seemed to be more compact and my boyfriend also noticed (which is excellent praise). I was also pleasantly surprised that it features a comb attachment, which is great for blowing out/stretching out natural or relaxed hair. Blow dryers tend to be bulky and take up a lot of space, so it's usually left behind when you're packing your suitcase.
If you want, you can use this unit to style your hair using rollers as well. Keep in mind that rollers larger than two inches won’t fit under the hood, so it’s better to stick to smaller sizes. Offering a wide array of features and innovative technologies – all for less than $30 – the Remington D3190 Damage Protection Hair Dryer comes with an 1875-watt motor. While there is more than enough power to dry even the thickest mass of curls, it’s a bit louder than most dryers.
You can find a hair dryer for less than $20, but keep in mind that most cheap models deliver a lot of heat without a lot of power, which means it'll take longer to dry your hair, and you'll face the risk of heat damage. If you have specific hair needs, are looking for particular attachments, or have the budget to splurge, invest more to get a dryer with all the bells and whistles. Claire Sullivan is the Senior Beauty and Lifestyle Commerce Editor for WWD and Footwear News.
Celebrity hairstylist Ro Morgan called out this unconventional diffuser attachment as a must-have for those with damaged hair since it massively cuts down on any direct heat applied to the hair. As the cute green color chipped off when we dropped it, the hair dryer may not be as durable as some of the other options on this list. Ion technology generates negative ions, which reduces both static and drying time in one fell swoop and our top ionic pick earns the distinction for its noticeable reduction on both counts.