Amount: When shopping for a hair dryer, we recommend starting with your budget. At full price, most hair dryers on this list are over $200, but they often sell for less. If you use your hair dryer every day and your hairstyle depends on it, then a pricier hair dryer may cost more. However, if you only use the hair dryer occasionally for easy drying, you’ll want to go with our budget Conair Ion Shine 1875 under $50. As for the most expensive model on this list, it’s the Dyson Airwrap Co-anda2x at $750.
Power: The higher the water, the more energy, which can be associated with higher temperatures and faster drying times. If the latter is not important to you, then a lower rating may be best. The lowest wattage hair dryer on this list is the Shark Glam at 1,500 watts, while the highest is the Conair Ion Shine 1875 at 1,875 watts.
Email attachment: If you do your own blowouts at home, you may want your hair dryer to come with a brush or concentrator attachment. For curly hair, a diffuser will be needed. For those who like to curl their straight hair, curlers that come with Shark Glam or FlexStyle can be helpful. Glam even comes with a straightener, which can help tame frizzy hair. If attachments are important to you, be sure to check which ones come with the hair dryer you’re looking at.
Dyson Airwrap Co-anda2x in pink and all attachments
Weight and size: If your hair usually takes a long time to dry, you may not want to hold onto a heavy, bulky dryer for that long. That’s why weight and size can be important to consider, especially if you have a disability that affects weight you can’t hold with your hand. The lightest hair dryer we tested is the Dyson Supersonic r at 0.7 pounds, while the heaviest is the Conair Ion Shine 1875 at 2.05 pounds.
In terms of size, we like the Shark Flex Pro because its foldable handle cuts its footprint in half. That’s why it was chosen as the best hair dryer for travel.
Special features: Some dryers have a “scalp protect” feature that reduces the temperature and airflow when it detects that the dryer is close to the skin, helping to prevent heat damage. Others adjust heat and airflow based on the attachment being used, a process called attachment learning or, in Shaka’s products, “IQ style.” As for ionic hair dryers, they are designed to release negative ions that reduce the ions that cause static electricity, thus reducing fading.
Heat and speed settings: Hair dryers have different heat and speed settings, and some even offer a “cold” setting to reduce heat damage. In this list, most you will see four heat and three speed settings, while at least two heat and two speed settings of our budget choice: Conair Ion Shine 1875. If you have damaged hair, you may want to consider a dryer with low heat to prevent further heat damage.
Speed and heat control in the Shark Flex Pro
Guarantee: A warranty can give you peace of mind when buying your hair dryer, allowing you to replace the dryer or parts if there is a problem. If your hair dryer has a limited warranty, you’ll want to read the fine print to understand exactly what’s included. The best warranty on this list is a two-year limited warranty, offered by both Shark and Dyson. However, when you buy the Turbo 2600, you only get a one-year warranty.
