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Looking to achieve a salon-worthy blowout every day? Or even looking for a convenient yet high-quality hair dryer that will dry your locks within minutes, without the frizz?

Well, if so, you’re at the right place!

Everyone deserves a salon-worthy blowout, so I’ve spent hours hunting down and reviewing the very best blow dryers for a bouncy blowout every single time– all in the comfort of your own home too!

It’s not always the easiest task to find a good quality hairdryer; with so many on the market, there’s no wonder you can get confused. Plus, it is a challenge with a massive price difference between the big brands and any other hairdryer. 

But what if I told you this…

To make life easier for you, I have done all the research for you and filtered out the bad from the good; I have also considered every hair type when creating this guide, so if you have straight, frizzy, curly, or coily hair, I have a blow dryer for you. 

Stay tuned; you won’t want to miss this!

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The Best Hair Dryer For All Hair Types

1.

Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer

best hair dryer for frizzy hair

Now I’m sure everyone has heard of the legendary Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer; while many of you may have the vacuum, you may be wondering should you really be spending 400 bucks on a hairdryer?

If you use your blow dryer on a daily and looking for salon-worthy blowouts, then it’s definitely worth the splurge. 

What I love about the Dyson SuperSonic is that it measures air temperature over 40 times a second to regulate heat. This is brilliant for protecting hair against extreme heat damage and helps restore your hair’s shine. 

The Dyson Supersonic is engineered not only to protect hair from extreme heat damage, but it is the fastest drying and offers controlled styling. It increases smoothness by 75% and increases shine by up to 132%, decreasing frizz and flyaways up to 61%!

Pretty amazing, right?

But wait, get this, this set comes with the Dyson Supersonic, a styling concentrator, smoothing nozzle, and it even comes with a diffuser making it the best hair dryer for all hair types. It even comes with a storage hanger too!

I found that it is measurably stronger than most hairdryers on the market; it is lightweight and easy to handle and will dry your hair much quicker than any other hairdryer on the market.– it gets bonus points for being super quiet too. 

You will be blown away (pun intended). 

Pros
  • Smooths by 75%, increases shine by up to 132%, and decreases frizz and flyaways by up to 61%
  • Comes with all the attachments you need
  • Measures air temperature 40 times a second 
  • Lightweight and balanced design
Cons
  • None

Latest deal: Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer

2.

REVLON One-Step Hair Dryer Brush

best hair dryer brush

After trying out this bad boy by Revlon, it has become a staple in my hairstyling kit– you wouldn’t believe it’s under 50 bucks! This all-in-one styling blow drying brush makes salon-like blowouts a complete breeze.

You may have heard it as a social media sensation, but is it worth the craze?

Absolutely, and I’m saying this with a completely unbiased opinion, and confidence as over 300,000 glowing reviews agree with me– you heard me, 300k reviews!  

You can style, dry, volumize in one easy piece of kit. Plus, there is also 30% less frizz with max drying power, and this dryer also helps reduce hair damage. The oval barrel smooths out your hair while the round edges help increase volume.

This is also reinforced by the unique airflow vents, which help speed up drying and minimize heat damage. Talking about decreasing heat damage, this Revlon drying brush also has multiple settings for complete customizability. 

But that’s not all… 

Talking of convenience, this dryer comes with a professional swivel cord, making drying much easier for tangle-free, effortless styling. It even comes with a cool tip to make styling that much easier. 

It has been proven that your hair is most fragile while wet, and you should only brush your hair while dry, so why would you use a blow drying brush to dry your hair? Surely it would cause damage?

Well, actually, no, the tangle-free combination bristles of nylon and artificial boar bristle technology help ease tangles out of hair and prevent breakage when styling. 

For under 50 bucks, does it get better than this? It is the best budget hair dryer on the market.

Pros
  • Unique airflow vents to speed up drying time
  • Tangle-free combination bristles
  • Affordable
  • Reduces frizz by 30%
Cons
  • Ceramic barrel gets hot

Latest deal: REVLON One-Step Hair Dryer Brush

3.

HOT TOOLS Signature Series Ionic Ceramic Salon Hair Dryer

best ionic hair dryer

Coming in hot at number three is Hot Tools– see what I did there? If you have very long, thick hair that takes forever and a day to dry, this is the one for you. 

If you have long, thick hair, there is definitely going to be a handful of times where you’ve told them you’re on your way, but in reality, you’ve just got a comb through your wet locks– we’ve all been there. 

This 1875 watt powerful dryer was a godsend. 

So, where do I begin? Well, for starters, the six heat/speed options provide styling versatility and great performance and all different hair types and textures– making it the perfect hairdryer if you’re a stylist. 

Even a cold shot button helps set the style with a cool burst of air for a longer-lasting hold. To top it all off, it comes with additional attachments like a diffuser and a concentrator. 

So whether you have curly or straight hair, this blow dryer is ideal for everyone. 

Many of us often forget that it takes much longer to dry if we have low porosity hair, so having a powerful dryer that is up to the job with minimal damage is super handy. 

Your bouncy salon blowout awaits!

Pros
  • Six heat/speed options
  • Comes with additional attachments
  • Ideal for long, thick or low porosity hair
  • Ionic technology
Cons
  • Not ideal for curly hair

Latest deal: HOT TOOLS Ionic Ceramic Salon Hair Dryer

4.

GHD Helios Professional Hair Dryer

best professional hair dryer

So we all know the flawless and legendary GHD straighteners but are their hairdryers worth your time and money? Absolutely, their ionic technology is out of this world!

Drastically cut drying time in half with the ultra-powerful DC motor, which creates powerful airflow of up to 75mph, maximizing drying performance while dramatically cutting down styling time.

The AeropecisiTM Technology combined with the contoured nozzle offers concentrated temperature and airflow, creating effortless blowouts and head-turning volume every single time. 

Plus, this GHD Helios Hair Dryer offers 30% more shine. 

But let’s talk about ionic technology; ionic hairdryers produce millions of negatively charged ions which break down the positively charged water molecules. Negative ions don’t open up the hair shaft so hair remains smooth and sleek with minimal damage. 

This ionic technology can also massively reduce frizz and flyaways, with 2x more hair alignment and smoother results. In comparison to the GHD Air, the Helios is much more lightweight, powerful and quieter– tick tick tick!

No more waiting up your roommates in the morning GHD’s are definitely worth the splurge! They’re still quite pricey but much more affordable than the Dyson. 

Pros
  • Ionic technology to reduce frizz and damage
  • AeropcisiTM technologu
  • 30% more shine
  • Super quiet
Cons
  • None

Latest deal: GHD Helios Professional Hair Dryer

5.

REVLON Lightweight & Compact Travel Hair Dryer

best travel compact hair dryer

Are you looking for a small, compact, and cheap travel hair dryer that you can haul with you on the go? Well, let me introduce you to another brilliant hairdryer by Revlon. 

Revlon is winning when it comes to convenience. 

This design is small and compact for starters, which is all you need when traveling; it will quickly dry and style your hair in a jiffy with the two heat and speed settings. It even comes with a cool shot setting to set the style. 

The removable end cap also makes easy cleaning and maintenance.

In terms of travel convenience, it comes with a hanger ring for easy storage along with anti-slip bumpers and a lightweight, compact design. Whether you’re staying with friends for the weekend or on a spontaneous work trip to the big city– Revlon has your back. 

Now it is only 10 bucks so you cannot expect the world and more from this product but for traveling it will be sure to do the job and be a handy helping hand when you need it most. 

This little compact, cheap design will be your best friend when traveling. 

Pros
  • Ideal for traveling
  • Small compact design
  • Removable end cap
  • Two heat and speed settings
Cons
  • Cheap quality

Latest deal: REVLON Travel Hair Dryer

6.

Harry Josh Pro Tools Pro Dryer

best quiet hair dryer

Whether you want a voluminous, bouncy blowout or a sleek finish, Harry Josh Pro Hair Dryer 2000 is here to bring a salon-quality blowout to the comfort of your own home.

 No one should have to spend hundreds of bucks down the salon for perfect hair. 

The first thing that caught my eye about Harry Josh Pro Hair Dryer is that it consumes low energy and reduces it by 70%, so not only does it give a salon-worthy finish, your bills won’t be through the roof either. 

It additionally comes with a cool shot button to help minimize free and help keep your style intact. Plus, the ergonomic design helps increase comfort and optimize control.  

But that’s not all…

It is also equipped with multiple heat and speed settings so you can completely customize how you want to dry your hair. It even comes with an ion setting which you can turn on or off, which is super handy. 

It comes with two nozzle attachments so you can effortlessly salon-quality blowout that will last.

Pros
  • Salon quality styles
  • Ergonomic design
  • Multiple heat settings
  • Includes an ion setting 
Cons
  • Pricey

Latest deal: Harry Josh Pro Tools Pro Dryer

Best Hair Dryer- A Buyer’s Guide:

The key to a salon-worthy blowout is the right technique and a good-quality hairdryer.  Now while many cheaper options still offer a salon-like finish, they cause a whirl of damage as a result– so it’s better to invest!

Next up is working out what purpose you’d like to use the blow dryer for. If you have curly hair, you might want a hairdryer with a diffuser attachment or smoothing technology if you’d like to blowdry straight. 

You should also consider the technology you’d like to have, such as temperature control or ionic technology. These features can help protect your hair from damage and help prolong the hairstyle for longer. 

But don’t worry, I’m here to help you with it all. Stay tuned; I will break down everything you need to know shortly.

How To Blow Dry Hair

Every girl knows that nothing beats a good salon blowout; no matter how hard you try, it seems almost impossible to achieve the same results at home. But what if I told you that you could achieve this look at the home if you got the right technique, products, and tools?

You probably just read that and said ‘yeah right’ in your head, but it is actually quite possible, and I’m here to show you how!

For starters, I would always recommend using the nozzle when you blow-dry your hair; it quickens drying time and helps you achieve a smooth, sleek, bouncy finish that you crave.

Hairdryer:

When it comes to finding a hairdryer, you should look for at least 1,8000 watts with multiple heats and air settings. The best setting for rough drying your hair is medium heat; it saves you a lot of time, and then when you want to shape, switch to high heat.

You need heat to shape your hair, so if a bouncy blowout is what you’re after, then you’ll need to whack up the heat to achieve this– don’t forget the heat protectant; a heat protectant is your best friend.

I would also recommend doing a cool shot afterward, as this will help hold your styles in place and prevent heat damage.

Round Brush:

If your blowdryer doesn’t have a built-in brush like some of the options I have selected for you today, then grab yourself a round brush, ideally one with a ventilated design. A round brush can create waves or smooth strands without needing to use your flat iron.

The bigger the surface area of the brush and the more ventilated the design, the faster the drying time. Here’s a tip, ceramic material tends to heat up while causing minimal damage making it ideal for styling.

Products:

Now onto the products, you use all depend on your hair type, hair porosity, and what works for your hair. The products play a huge role in achieving the perfect blowout, so you must choose the right ones.

If you have straight hair, the products you use may be quite basic; it might just be a leave-in conditioner and your heat protectant. Still, if you have curly hair and you’re looking to diffuse your hair (I’ll show the technique shortly), you may have gels, creams, leave-in conditioners, as well as your heat protectant.

Whatever you use on your hair and works for your hair type and hair porosity, ensure that you don’t skip your heat protectant; a hair protectant is a liquid gold for protecting your strands against heat damage.

It also helps eliminate frizz, reduce blowdrying time and help your hairstyles last longer.

But enough about me rambling of what you’ll need, onto the technique!

Step One:

Right the first thing you’ll want to do is blow-dry the hair against the direction it lays; this encourages the root of the strand up straight rather than fall directly onto your scalp.

Hold your round brush vertically and roll it away from your face; as you roll the brush to the ends of your hair, re-roll the brush back up and repeat until the section is dry. 

Step Two:

Work in sections and once each section is completely dry, rather than unwrap the hair from the brush, twist it as you pull it out as it will leave hair with a bouncy blowout. 

If you want to create volume at the root, hold the brush horizontally and lift it straight up as you blow-dry the section backward, this should provide your roots with a little lift. You can also blow dry your head upside down to start with to help with volume. 

Step Three:

Make sure you are constantly moving your hairdryer back and forth until your hair is 100% dry. Before you style your hair with your flat iron, make sure your hair is completely dry; otherwise, this can cause heat damage. 

Then once you’re happy with the look, apply some finished products such as an oil or serum, be sparing with this, like too much oil can weigh down your style. 

How To Diffuse Hair

If you have curly hair, then your hair care routine can take some time and patience. Sometimes we don’t have time to leave our curls to air dry or plop our curls; a diffuser attachment was built.

A diffuser is an attachment for your blow dryer that disperses air evenly to reduce frizz and keep it from disrupting the natural curl pattern.

It helps dry your curls more evenly and gently without causing frizz. It is a brilliant way to keep in curl styles for longer and leave your curls looking defined for days to come.

Using a diffuser will help define curls and add major volume; instead of your hair blowing around wildly and causing damage from the heat of a regular blow dryer, a diffuser cups and nestles hair in one place.

It comes in a bowl-like shape with prongs that are designed to cradle hair. These prongs can also help lift the root to add any volume and lift the hair from the scalp. You can even use this while your head is upside down for any extra volume.

Your hairdryer may not come with a diffuser, so you may need to buy the diffuser attachment separately, but they’re universal and easy to get hold of.

You don’t just need to have curly hair to use one though, it can give a little wave to even straight hair; if you haven’t tried it already, I would recommend getting your hands on a diffuser attachment if you don’t have one in your blow dryer kit.

But how do you use one? Let’s break it down, shall we?

Step One: Wash your hair:

So whether you have curly or straight hair, the first thing you’ll want to do is wash your hair. This can either be with your co-wash or sulfate-free shampoo for curly hair and for straight hair, this can be your regular shampoo. 

Be sure to give your scalp a good massage; this is the step that really washes your hair. I always massage the shampoo or massage my scalp under running water for a good minute or two. 

Remember the sulfate-free shampoo, ladies, especially if you have curly hair.

When conditioning my hair, I love to comb through the conditioner using a wide-tooth comb; it helps masses with the detangling as the comb slips through, it also ensures that the cuticle is hydrated.

If you need that little extra hydration when applying conditioner, after combing through, scrunch the ends of your hair before rinsing so the conditioner is absorbed into the cuticle.

You can either detangle before or after you’ve rinsed out your conditioner, but be sure to use a leave-in conditioner if you do it afterward.

Remember, patience is key; start from the bottom and work your way up. No tugging or snagging on your precious curls as this can damage the curl shape and cause breakage.

If you have straight hair, you can skip the combing step and wait until your hair is dry to brush it through– I would recommend detangling with your fingers. 

Step Two: Apply styling products:

Got a comb through what feels like a bird’s nest? Brilliant, now it’s time to apply your curl-defining styling products. Don’t forget your heat protectant too, while you may only be using low heat; any direct heat can damage curls without a heat protectant.

Whether you’re using gels, creams, or mousses, here’s a pro tip: I like to work in sections to ensure every curl is defined. Grab yourself a water spray and work through each layer and each section.

Spray down each section with the water spray until it is soaking wet, apply your styling products to that section and then use your styling brush and twirl it through that curl until it looks defined. Then scrunch until you’re happy with the shape. 

You want to be sure each section is soaking wet before applying products. This really helps curls defined and adds even more volume when diffusing. 

For straight hair, you can apply your chosen products; everyone benefits from a leave-in conditioner, so if you’re not using it in your hair care routine already, then you’re missing out! 

Once I’ve applied the styling products, I give my hair a quick towel dry with either a microfibre towel or cotton t-shirt. I will give a scrunch to remove excess water but still damp.

Step Three: Set your hair diffuser to a medium/low heat:

Whether you’re using a diffuser attachment or a hairdryer, you want to be sure that that bad boy is on a low heat and low speed.

This is the key to frizz-free curly hair; if you can use it on the coolest and lowest setting possible, you’ll have the best results. 

I know this may take longer than using higher heat, but trust me, it’s worth your patience; it will prevent heat damage and leave your curls frizz-free. 

Step Four: Flip your head upside down:

Before using a diffuser, you should flip your head upside down or to the side; this is a brilliant way to create lift at the roots and create volume.

You should gently lower sections of your curls into the diffuser bowl and gently move the diffuser towards your roots.

You want to use the similar motion you would use when scrunching your curls but instead of using your hand, scrunch with the diffuser.

Once you’ve reached the root, hold for around 30 seconds, then lower and move onto the next section.  This is why the settings must be cool.

Step Five: Repeat:

Repeat the previous step until your hair is 80-90% dry; you want the ends to be still slightly wet once you’ve finished, this will help retain the moisture.

Just make sure you don’t leave the house before your hair is 100% dry. Otherwise, this will cause frizz.

Once your hair is completely dry, you may notice a hard cast surrounding your curls; this is caused by the gels or creams you’ve applied.

The tip is the “scrunch out the crunch” using a small amount of curl-defining cream, and this will leave your curls looking smooth, getting rid of the crunch without losing the definition.

You can have a little play around, shaking and fluffing the roots for a little volume. Want to know more? Check out my full guide here.

How To Protect Hair From Heat Damage

As you know, protection is always better than a cure, especially when it comes to heat damage. Hence, protecting your hair before using your blow dryer or flat iron is super important for minimal damage and extraordinary results.

Make Sure To Deep Condition & Moisturize Before Use:

Before using any heat tools on your hair, you need to remember to wash your hair and deep condition using a hair mask before use. Leave the hair mask on for the recommended time, as this will help penetrate and nourish the cuticle. 

A deep conditioner will also work to smooth the cuticle, making it easier to straighten. I would recommend towel drying with a microfibre towel or cotton t-shirt rather than your regular bath towel as this can rough up the cuticle and cause frizz. 

Once you’ve gently removed the excess water from your strands using a microfibre towel, apply a leave-in conditioner as this will form a protective coating over your hair strand– preferably one with a heat protectant. 

Let Hair Air Dry 50-70% Naturally:

Blow drying your hair as soon as you get out of the shower can actually be quite damaging for your hair strands; hair is most prone to heat damage while soaking wet, so if you have an hour or two on your hands, then leave your hair to air dry then blow-dry. 

Then once your hair has been left to dry for a little while, the blow dryer will help straighten your hair, along with preventing knotting and tangling on the hair’s ends. 

Point the nozzle downwards and around 15-25cm away from your hair, working in sections to ensure each section is dried fully. Blow-dry your hair on medium-high heat and finish on a cool setting to protect your cuticles.

Never Forget Heat Protectant:

Let’s be honest here; we’ve all forgotten the heat protectant when styling our hair in the past, simply whether we’ve started styling our hair and have an “oh crap” moment or forgot altogether. 

But your heat protectant is the most crucial thing you should remember, especially when heat styling. Our hair strands are very similar to our skin; while we cannot feel it burning our strands, it does equally as much damage over time. 

You wouldn’t intentionally burn yourself with 450ºf heat, so why apply it to your hair without a heat protectant?

All the other steps are irrelevant if you don’t use a heat protectant. If you don’t use a heat protectant, your hair will become very dry, brittle, and prone to damage and breakage, along with frizz and tangling. 

Go For A Blow Dryer With Customizable Heat Settings:

This is quite common for hair dryers to have customizable heat settings, I know that the cooler heat setting tends to take much longer to dry but it causes the least damage and prevents frizz.

My best advice is to start on a low setting and then once your hair as briefly dried then start to turn up the heat while styling, this should help prevent the use of other styling tools. 

I find that blow dryer brushes are brilliant for this as you can create tension and styles using the brush easily, which prevents you from grabbing the flat iron afterwards. Check out my full guide as how to use one here. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

How much should you spend on a hairdryer?

It’s not always about the price. It’s mainly about the technology and wattage of the hairdryer. The higher the wattage, the more heat the hairdryer will produce and faster dry your hair.

It is recommended that you go for a wattage between 1500 and 1800W. Technology is another important factor to consider, such as ionic technology; this helps style your hair with minimal damage.

Other features like a cool shot will help hold in style, prevent frizz and seal the cuticle to seal in moisture.

How hot does a hairdryer get?

On average, hairdryers will range between 80ºC/180ºF and 140ºC/280ºF, with a maximum heat of around 140 degrees. This is hot enough to burn your skin, so make sure you use a heat protectant on your hair.

How does a hairdryer work?

Hairdryers use a motor-driven fan that transforms electric energy into convective heat. The air flows over and through the heated element, which warms the air through convection. 

The hot air then blows out the end of the barrel directly on the section hair, and the combination of heat and air works to dry the strand.

How to dry hair without a blow dryer?

It is fairly straightforward to drying hair without a hairdryer; all you need is the right products and the right technique to protect your hair from damage. Your hair is most fragile while wet so bear this in mind. 

Want to know how? Check out my full guide here

How do you style curtain bangs? 

So you may have heard of one of the many ways to style your hair using a blow dryer but have you just recently took the leap and cut in curtain bangs? Your hair for the next week may be a mess and trust me it’s normal. 

If you’re looking for ways to style your curtain bangs as they settle then you need to check out my full guide here

How do you blow dry short hair?

Is your hair on the shorter and you’re looking for a way to blow dry your short hair like the pros? Well check out my guide here for all my top tips and tricks for blow drying short hair. 

If you’re a man and want to know how to blow dry your hair and achieve natural volume using a blow dryer check out my guide to blow drying men’s hair here

Summary

So there you have the best hair dryers for every hair type. You don’t need to spend an arm and a leg down the salon to have a bouncy blowout– just the right products, hairdryer, and technique, and you’ll be good to go. 

Give one of these blow dryers a go today; you’ll be shocked by the results.

jess rowley

Jess Rowley

Cheif Editor & Nail Technician Expert

ABOUT

Jess Rowley, a veteran nail tech, has been studying beauty over the last 11 years and has completed the nail technology program in California. Watching the latest trends in beauty, Jess searches for the highest quality products that make your nails feel loved.