The best hair dryers are the ones that suit your hair type and your lifestyle, and once you find one that fits, you'll be ready to style your hair with ease for years to come. It's one of the best hair tools that you can have in your haircare kit and some would even argue that it is the only tool you need to style your hair. No matter what your length, style, or colour, there’s a hair dryer out there for everyone.
We all know that excessive heat damage from hair dryers, hair straighteners, and hair curlers can lead to damaged hair, but hair dryers have come on in leaps and bounds over the years, with brands improving the power of the tools so it takes less time to style your hair. They have even perfected Cool Shot technology that effectively dries your hair with no heat whatsoever and there are even hair dryers out there that adapt to the condition of your hair whilst styling your hair. So clever, right?
Best hair dryers at a glance:
• Best overall: ghd Helios Hair Dryer - Buy now on Amazon UK
• Best for fine hair: Remington PROluxe You Adaptive Hair Dryer with Diffuser - Buy now on Argos
• Best for curly hair: BaByliss Hydro-Fusion Hair Dryer, Blue - Buy now on John Lewis
Hair dryers also do so much more than just dry your hair in a flash, they help enhance volume, revitalize limp ends, and will hold your hand whilst you try to achieve the perfect salon-quality blow dry in the comfort of your own home.
If you want hair to rival the likes of Kate Middleton but are a little overwhelmed with all the choices out there, we've narrowed down a list of the best hair dryers on the market right now and have answered any hair-related questions you might have.
Best hair dryers
Best overall hair dryer
Description
ghd hair tools remain popular for so many reasons and the ghd Helois hair dryer has been made to
Pros
- Versatile
- Salon quality
- Very powerful
Cons
- Some found it a little heavy
Best all-rounder hair dryer
www.argos.co.uk
Description
This smart, gold-trimmed Italian number looked good, coming with its own bag and accessories, but
Pros
- Ergonomic design
- Intelligent heat control
- Four attachments included
Cons
- Found to be quite heavy to use
Best hair dryer for curly hair
www.johnlewis.com
Description
Drying naturally curly hair can seem like a tedious task, but the BaByliss Hydro-Fusion Hair Dryer
Pros
- Light to hold
- Stylish
- Loads of rave reviews about the diffuser
Cons
- Some reviewers say they would like a longer cable length
Best lightweight hair dryer
www.lookfantastic.com
Description
Hairdryers can be heavy and hard to constantly hold when you have weak wrists or arthritis. This
Pros
- Ultra lightweight
- Powerful
Cons
- Magnetic attachments fall off easily if knocked
Best hair dryer for fine hair
www.argos.co.uk
Description
Remington's PROluxe Intelligent StyleAdapt Technology learns and adapts the heat it generates to
Pros
- Adapts to your hair type
- Cool function at a touch of a button
- Dries hair quickly
Cons
- Heavy
Best hair dryer brush
www.boots.com
Description
Pros
- Great value for what you get
- Able to achieve the blow dry look at home
Cons
- Not great for thick hair
Best hair dryer for attachments
www.dyson.co.uk
Description
If you're willing to splash out a bit more cash to get something that is guaranteed to be
Pros
- Dries hair quicker than standard hair dryers
- Stylish and lightweight design
Cons
- You will need to find storage for all the pieces it comes with
Best multi-use hair dryer
sharkclean.co.uk
Description
Compact, ultra-lightweight, and comfortable to use, the Shark FlexStyle 5-in-1 Air Styler and Hair
Pros
- Five attachments for different styles
- Brushes have actual bristles on them
- Very lightweight
Cons
- Certain attachments work better on certain hair types and lengths
Best value hair dryer
www.boots.com
Description
This model feels, sounds and behaves like a professional salon model, but the price tag is
Pros
- Lightweight
- Fast results
- Custom settings
Cons
- Some found the button placement a little tricky
Best hair dryer for frizz control
Description
Untamed is the most revolutionary hair dryer on the market - with a diffuser attachment to gently
Pros
- The dryer nozzle diffuser controls the oil flow, allowing it to gently disperses into hair
- Three heat and power settings
Cons
- The argan oil bottle runs out quickly (but can be opened and refilled)
Best hair dryer FAQs
Do hair dryers damage your hair?
The short answer is yes, but not as much as they used to and there is so much you can do to prevent severe heat damage. Even the best hair dryers can break the hair and make it weaker. This leads to frizz, which leads to using a flat iron, and that in turn leads to more damage. Unfortunately, this is going to be an ongoing cycle of damage to your hair, especially if you use your hair dryer every single day. The best thing you can do as a frequent hair curler is to use a heat protection spray and/ or to try using methods that don't rely on heat.
What is a diffuser?
A hair dryer diffuser attachment is a large, round, and plastic attachment that you can slide onto the nozzle of your hairdryer. A diffuser works by spreading the airstream over a wider area in a more controlled way.
Diffusers are the perfect hair attachment for those with curly to wavy hair types as they can help to keep the natural curl pattern. However, you can easily blow curls out of shape and into a frizz without a diffuser.
How long will my hair dryer last?
Depending on the brand of hair dryer and how well you look after it, experts say that the best hair dryers should be replaced every two to seven years.
Hannah Mellin has been working in the Journalism industry for over a decade and has written for an array of brands. When she's not writing, perfecting her skincare routine, researching or testing products, she's renovating her Victorian terrace and chilling in the garden with her sausage dog Waffle.
