Find the Best Hair Dryer
If you want to get salon-level blowouts at home, you’ll need a great hair dryer. The Cut’s beauty team tested dozens to find the best ones to protect your hair from heat damage and add shine.
Thin, fine strands need a dryer that’s gentle yet effective. This lightweight option from ghd earned top marks in GH Beauty Lab testing for its airflow and temperature settings.
- Dyson Supersonic
Since its launch in 2016, the Dyson Supersonic has made waves (literally) in the hair industry. It boasts a powerful digital motor, intelligent heat control, and magnetic attachments that are engineered for different hair types.
According to the brand, the Supersonic uses Air Multiplier technology to produce a concentrated jet of air to dry hair faster and with more precision. It also helps shield hair from extreme heat damage and prevents breakage by 132%.
The re-engineered wide-tooth comb attachment has robust teeth to help lengthen and shape curly and textured hair as it dries, while the nozzle diffuser creates defined curls. The smart thermal sensor measures the exit flow temperature over 40 times per second to prevent extreme heat damage and maintain optimum styling conditions.
- IQ Perfetto
IQ Perfetto is the lightest professional blow dryer on the market. Its powerful, high-speed motor is exponentially more efficient than other hair dryers and dries your hair 30% faster. It also emits less heat, has a smaller footprint and is much quieter.
It ranked near the top in GH Beauty Lab instrumental tests and among our expert testers for its quick dry time, powerful air flow, quietness and easy-to-use controls. Its ambidextrous buttons make it easy for right- or left-handed people to use.
It’s foldable and dual voltage, so it’s a good pick for travel. Plus, it’s bright yellow, so you can spot it in a crowd of luggage. Stylists love it for its compact size and sleek design. Plus, it weighs about one pound.
- Bio Ionic
If you’re after a lightweight hair dryer that won’t make your head feel like a workout, this one fits the bill. It’s also super sleek and features a wide range of settings, including a diffuser and nozzle attachment for taming curly or kinky hair textures.
Bio Ionic touts the power of its proprietary ion and mineral complex, which it says “locks in moisture as you heat style,” making your strands healthier and more manageable. GH Beauty Lab testers said it delivered, with results that were among the best for smooth and shiny hair.
Many blow dryers boast special technologies on their packaging, such as ceramic/ceramic-tourmaline or far-infrared radiation, but these aren’t necessarily necessary for a quality tool, GH Beauty Lab testing shows. Instead, look for a dryer that’s lightweight and has high airflow to speed up drying time.
- Halo Hair Dryer
The Halo is a hair dryer that’s been called ‘the Tesla of hair care’ and it’s easy to see why. It’s impossibly sleek, works with light to dry hair faster and uses 60% less energy than a traditional dryer.
Its unique patented technology mimics the natural evaporation of sunlight and wind on your hair, drying only the surface, not damaging the interior. This is supposed to leave your hair healthier and shinier and able to hold dyes longer.
It comes with three attachments – the concentrator (for Style mode), the diffuser for curly hair and the gentle air disperser, which is ideal for sensitive scalps or fragile hair. There is also a cooling burst mode that you can activate by pressing and holding the Mode button.
- Paul Mitchell Neuro Dry
The Paul Mitchell Neuro Dryer is an impressive hair dryer. It has a backlit touch-screen that lets you adjust the heat, airflow, and ions. It also has a cool shot button and tourmaline ions to reduce frizz and add shine.
This hair dryer has a good warranty. It comes with a two year manufacturer’s warranty.
Caroline loves the Neuro Dry because it gives her a “bouncy 90s blowout.” She likes how lightweight and handle-free the hair dryer is. She does wish it were cordless though.
Another thing that she really likes is the nine foot power cord length. The long cord can make it easy to use. It can get a little heavy though at around two pounds. That may cause some people to get tired easily when using it for a long period of time.best hair dryer
