According to celebrity hairstylist Larry Sims, “A good dryer is one with strength without excessive heat that can damage the hair. A dryer with ion technology is good because it helps the hair dry faster and absorb moisture without drying the hair out.” Beyond the strength and technologies, you should consider the speed and heat settings available, the wattage and weight, and if it offers a cool-shot button to seal the look—especially if you’re looking to follow with a hair straightener or curling iron.
Celebrity hairstylist David Lopez recommends getting really clear about what you’re using the dryer for. Are you using it to just take your hair from wet to dry? Are you someone who blows out your hair at home? Are you expecting a lot of power from it? Do you have very thick, curly hair? All these questions really dictate the dryer you end up using. “For example, if you’re someone that blows out your hair and you like to style your hair with the blow-dryer, you want to make sure that there are concentrators that come with the dryer or are available to purchase separately,” says Lopez.
Another thing to consider is having multiple heat settings, which are really important if you’re thinking about the health of your hair. “You want to have as many heat settings as possible (most dryers have two to three heat settings) to dial into a temperature that’s right for your hair,” says Lopez. He explains that hair is very delicate when it’s wet, and what you do with it from wet to dry is crucial in maintaining the health of your hair and avoiding breakage, dryness, and color fading. Having a cool shot button helps set the style in place and minimize frizz.
Finally, weight is also something to keep in mind. Doing your hair can turn into a workout after 10 minutes of blow-drying if your dryer is too heavy. Browse our top recommendations for the best hair dryers, below.
At a Glance
- Why We Love It: Hairstylist Erinn Courtney—who’s known for her work with Rickey Thompson, Nazanin Mandi, Storm Reid, and Willow Smith—says this is her favorite dryer. “I love that the technology is made to prevent overheating or burning the hair because healthy hair is my main priority,” she says, noting particular excitement for a comb attachment suitable for curly and coiled textures.
The Los Angeles–based makeup artist and hairstylist known as Jay Artistry notes how he has been using the Supersonic for years and that no other dryers compare. “It helps to smooth hair by 75% without causing heat damage. It has various attachments and is a truly unique tool!”
If that’s not enough to inform your buy, celebrity hairstylist Graham Nation says he loves everything about the Supersonic because it’s quiet, powerful, and easy to use. “When working with clients, I love to be able to hold a conversation and still give an amazing blowout.” He also loves the attachments, dubbing its diffuser one of the best he’s ever used. This and the Dyson Airwrap make an excellent duo.
- Wattage: 1600 W
- Attachments: Flyaway Attachment, Styling Concentrator, Diffuser, Gentle Air Attachment, Wide-tooth Comb
- Weight: 1.8 pounds
- Heat Settings: Low, Medium, High, Cool Shot
- More to Know: Uses a brushless digital motor
- Why We Love It: Jimmy Paul, who has lent his talented hands backstage at Self-Portrait and Thom Browne, turns to this tool when speed is of the essence—hello, serial multitaskers and new moms. “Elchim makes my favorite blow-dryer because it dries hair very fast,” he explains.
- Wattage: 1875 W
- Attachments: 2 Integrated Hair Concentrators
- Weight: 510 gr/18 oz
- Heat Settings: Low, Medium, High
- More to Know: Reduces drying time by more than 30%, Offers protection against electromagnetic fields
- Why We Love It: Sandrine Diah, better known as Tresses X Sandrine, is a stylist for Cardi B. This dryer is one of her favorites “because it’s very powerful, gets the job done fast, and is an overall ideal blow-dryer that will not damage the tresses,” she says.
- Wattage: 1875 W
- Attachments: Concentrator Nozzle, Silicone Diffuser Attachment
- Weight: 2.8 pounds
- Heat Settings: Low, Medium, High, Cool
- More to Know: Has a clean filter indicator light, Ion feature reduces frizz
- Why We Love It: Diah loves this dryer for travel. “It’s very lightweight, easily functional for usage, and perfect for a traveling stylist,” she says.
- Wattage: 1500W
- Attachments: Speed dry nozzle attachment
- Weight: Less than 1 pound
- Heat Settings: Low, High, Turbo, Cool
- More to Know: LED lighting on the handle
- Why We Love It: The GHD Helios is surely one of the most acclaimed hair dryers in the market right now. Celebrity hairstylist Charlotte Mensah notes that this is her favorite because “it’s powerful and works with ionic technology to fight frizz. It helps to achieve a salon finish that’s two times faster than your regular hair dryers. The beauty of the concentrator nozzle is that it directs the airflow, leaving the hair soft, smooth, and shiny.”
Celebrity hairstylist and GHD ambassador Justine Marjan loves this model too. “It’s lightweight and powerful and ergonomically designed to decrease pressure on the wrist. I use this blow-dryer for smooth, shiny strands and fab big blowouts and with the diffuser attachment for soft, bouncy curls.”
Sims loves the comb attachment, how smooth and shiny it makes the hair, and that it’s relatively quiet.
- Wattage: 1875 W
- Attachments: Concentrator, Diffuser
- Weight: 1.7 lb
- Heat Settings: Low, High, Cool Shot
- More to Know: AeroprecisTM technology assists in concentrated temperature and airflow distribution
- Why We Love It: Smith considers this a favorite because it “achieves sleek styles effortlessly.” Plus, curly locks benefit from the extremely fast drying. It doesn’t hurt that it’s light, quiet, and easy to store; has a long cord; and comes with a diffuser.
- Wattage: 2000 W
- Attachments: 2 Concentrator Nozzles, Diffuser
- Weight: Under 1 pound
- Heat Settings: 3 Heat Settings (302F-446F)
- More to Know: Auto Clean, Auto Diagnosis, Cool Shot
- Why We Love It: Laura Polko, whose clients include stars from Emma Chamberlain to Alessandra Ambrosio, is a fan of the T3 AireBrush Duo, notably for its smoothing and volumizing attachments. “Life is so much easier without having to hold a brush and a dryer,” she says. “Also before going in with any attachments, I can rough dry without [them] and then add on for my desired style in way less time.”
- Wattage: 900 W
- Attachments: Round Brush, Paddle Brush
- Weight: 1.46 Pounds
- Heat Settings: 5 Heat Settings (148F-185F)
- More to Know: T3 Ion Flow Technology
- Why We Love It: “I love this blow-dryer by Harry Josh,” says Serge Normant, the French expat who often works with Julia Roberts, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Julianne Moore, among others. A fashion-world favorite, “it’s powerful, easy to travel with, and handmade in France!” he says.
- Nation echos these sentiments of this Harry Josh model. “I travel a lot for work, and this dryer holds up from job to job and is lightweight also!” he says, adding that the attachments are easy to use, especially to diffuse hair, with unmatched heating and cooling capabilities.
- Wattage: 1875 W
- Attachments: Narrow Nozzle Concentrator, Wide Nozzle Concentrator
- Weight: 1.16 lb
- Heat Settings: Low, Medium, High, Cool
- More to Know: 3 speeds, Ion button
- Why We Love It: “My favorite blow-dryer has always been the Parlux 3800,” says Roszak. “These dryers last forever, truly for years and years. The Parlux dries the hair quickly and is powerful enough to dry and smooth all hair types without being too strong, which can ultimately flatten the hair.”
- Wattage: 2100 W
- Attachments: 2 Concentrator Nozzles
- Weight: 2 lb
- Heat Settings: 4 Heat Settings
- More to Know: Cool shot, 2 Speeds
- Why We Love It: This device is both a dryer and a straightener, which, Diah notes, “makes the job easier and healthier—not applying heat to the very scalp of clients [makes] for a healthy, painless dry!”
- Wattage: 800 W
- Attachments: Detachable Wand Rest, Base Unit, Hose, Wand
- Weight: 10.68 lb
- Heat Settings: Low, High, Cool Shot
- More to Know: Friction free reverse air technology
- Why We Love It: Smith reaches for this dryer because it repairs hair while in use. “This dryer leaves hair with minimum breakage and maximum softness and shine,” she says. “Plus, it has an easy-to-hold arch dryer handle.”
- Wattage: 1200 W
- Attachments: Detachable Nozzle
- Weight: 1.6 lb
- Heat Settings: Low, High, Cool
- More to Know: All Bioprogramming products are designed to be used together
- Why We Love It: The T3 AirLuxe is “the best of the best and consistently gives you smooth, shiny blowouts every single time,” according to Lopez. It comes with two concentrator nozzles: a styling concentrator for precision and a rough dry concentrator for drying the hair and giving volume. It also has snap-on attachments, including a comb attachment that you can purchase separately if you have coily hair and you’re looking to do a pre-stretch before you do a silk press. “It has five heat settings as opposed to three or two, so you can really dial into your temperature, and it’s incredibly lightweight, much quieter than your typical hair dryer,” he adds.
- Wattage: 900 W
- Attachments: Round Brush, Paddle Brush
- Weight: 1.56 pounds
- Heat Settings: 5 Heat Settings (148F-185F)
- More to Know: T3 Ion Flow Technology
- Why We Love It: This hair dryer uses infrared heat and natural ions to minimize heat damage, eliminate static, for smooth, shiny hair every time. Not only that, but it has multiple heat and speed settings so you’re able to personalize your experience depending on your hair type. For those who own a salon, it’s lightweight enough to be used all day and it has a ten-foot-long cord, allowing for easy movement.
- Wattage: 2000 W
- Attachments: Two snap in concentrator nozzles
- Weight: Less than 1 pound
- Heat Settings: Low, Medium, High
- More to Know: Removable noise for over 50% quieter operation
- Why We Love It: While this hair dryer is safe to use for all hair types, it was specifically designed for curly, coily, and tight-textured hair. It comes with everything you need to shape, stretch, smooth, and define your curls, thanks to its four attachments: a diffuser, brush, wide-tooth comb, and concentrator nozzle. And did we mention it’s beautiful? The terracotta shade looks great on any vanity.
- Attachments: Brush, Wide Tooth Comb, Concentrator Nozzle, Diffuser
- Weight: 1.12 pounds
- Heat Settings: Low, Medium, High
- More to Know: Black owned, Powerful AC motor to reduce drying time
- Why We Love It:
- The first of its kind, the Dyson Airstrait isn’t exactly a hair dryer but rather a straightener designed for use on wet hair. It offers both wet and dry styling modes, utilizing the optimal heat level and controlled airflow to dry and style the hair simultaneously. Despite its concept, it was made without hot plates to prevent extreme heat damage and to protect the hair’s natural shine.
- Wattage: 1,600 W
- Attachments: N/A
- Weight: 2.2 pounds
- Heat Settings: 175 F, 230 F, 285 F
- More to Know: Glass bead thermistors regulate airflow to prevent extreme heat damage, Non-slip heat mat included
- Why We Love It: If you have frizzy, coarse hair, you may be surprised by how well the Zuvi dryer works to soften your strands and make them silky smooth. It’s incredibly powerful yet gentle on the hair, so you don’t have to worry about frying it or losing any moisture. Additionally, it offers 5 heat settings, 4 speed settings, and 3 attachments, giving you ample room to experiment with what works best for you.
- Wattage: 680 W
- Attachments: Styling Concentrator, Gentle Air Attachment, Diffuser (optional)
- Weight: 1.2 pounds
- Heat Settings: 111 F
- More to Know: 10 foot long extension cord
- Why We Love It: At under $50, this Hot Tools dryer is a great deal for those who don’t want to splurge but don’t want to compromise on quality. It uses infrared heat to fight frizz and seal the cuticle, making it suitable for all hair types and resulting in voluminous, healthy hair quickly. With six speed and heat settings, there’s a lot of room to figure out what works best for you. Moreover, there’s a cool shot setting, allowing you to set your style in place and ensure your salon-worthy blowout doesn’t frizz up as soon as you step outside.
- Wattage: 1875 W
- Attachments: Concentrator, Diffuser
- Weight: 1.3 pounds
- Heat Settings: Low, Medium, High, Cool
- More to Know: Removable lint filter for easy cleaning.
How to Blow Dry Hair Without Heat Damage
According to Lopez, one way to mitigate heat damage is to use a heat protectant (he’s partial to Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil). “To further help with breakage, partially let your hair air dry because when your hair is very wet, it is a little more stretchy. You can also achieve a fuller look when you’re blowing out your hair if you let it partially air dry,” he says.
