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The Best Hair Dryers of 2024: Wondering Which Hair Dryer is Worth It? We Did the Research So You Don’t Have To!
Discover the tools to minimize damage and maximize results for preventing split ends, frizz and static.
Looking for a new hair dryer that gets you that salon-quality blowout from the comfort of your own home? Want something that saves you time getting ready but doesn’t sacrifice hair health, volume or shine? What about something that doesn’t break the bank while you’re at it?
As a hair stylist for over ten years, I get asked a LOT of questions about hair health: “How can I repair dry and brittle hair?”, “How do I get rid of frizz and restore shine?”, “What can I do to boost volume and make my hair look fuller?”
Are you surprised to learn that my answer to ALL three of these questions is: Get a better blow dryer?
Your hair is most vulnerable to damage when it’s wet, so if you’re using a mediocre blow dryer made of low-quality materials, you’re stuck in a self-defeating cycle of damaging and re-damaging your hair.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen the same scenario: clients come to me with heads of damaged, frizz-ridden hair, hoping there is something I can do to help. The truth is: It’s how you treat your hair at home that will determine its long-lasting health. Especially during this time of social distancing, when many salons are temporarily closed, it is important to invest in a healthy hair routine that you can maintain from home.
This is why it’s necessary to have a salon-quality hair dryer in your hair care arsenal. The modern technology used in these products helps make it possible to gently dry your hair faster, without causing damage, and can support increasing your hair’s strength over time.
What To Look For In a High-Quality Hair Dryer
Below are the FOUR FEATURES your blow dryer needs to have in order to help keep your hair frizz-free, voluminous and healthy, year in and year out.
- Ionic Technology – Ionic dryers break down water molecules that can help cut drying time significantly, allowing hair to retain its natural moisture.
- Red Light Therapy – Infrared light can help stimulate hair growth, and provides consistent heat that dries hair evenly. This prevents the scalp from overheating or drying out. Healthy Scalp = Healthy Hair.
- Ceramic and/or Tourmaline Air Outlet – Cheap products use cheap metals in the grill that overheat and damage hair. Grills that use Ceramic and Tourmaline help provide mild heat that is evenly distributed, giving your hair a smooth, glossy finish.
- Multiple Heat Settings and a Cool Shot Button – Different types of hair call for different levels of heat. If you have fine hair, you don’t need to use the highest heat setting to achieve great results, so blow dryers with only one heat setting force you to do unnecessary damage. A cool shot button is an extra bonus that helps set your hair and seals the cuticle.
To make it easier for you, we tested blow dryers that ranged in function and price and have listed our favorites below! Our TOP PICK can be found for less than $150—and includes all four of the recommended features listed above.
Remember, the quality of your hair is dependent on the quality of your blow dryer, so it’s worth the investment!
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#1 SRI Salon Dry Pro
Developed with safe and effective Negative Ion Technology, its Ceramic-Tourmaline Air Composition and Cool Shot Setting will help give your hair shine while supporting its health.
Regular Price: $159EXTENDED CYBER MONDAY SALE: $95.99
PROS:
- Wide range of temperature settings helped achieve stunning styles for numerous hair types
- Cool shot setting helped seal the cuticle for a glossy smooth finish
- Ceramic-tourmaline air outlet evenly distributed heat supporting healthier-looking hair
- 9ft cord made it easy-to-maneuver and the convenient hook was great for storage in small quarters
- Has two attachments that help made styling for specific textures easier than other products we tried
CONS:
- Only available online
- Frequently on backorder
The SRI Salon Dry Pro blow dryer achieves the perfect balance of affordability and professional-quality. Both expert stylists and amateurs loved how the red light therapy, in combination with the ionic technology, helped dry wet hair quickly and left hair looking frizz-free and shiny.
The advanced infrared heating and ceramic air outlet also kept this blow dryer’s air flow super gentle and more consistent – it helps style your hair while you dry it.
The SRI Salon Dry Pro did the job of a $399 device. Plus, they have a EXTENDED CYBER MONDAY SALE going on right now, so you can snag the best price of the year!
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Regular Price: $589.95
PROS:
- Sleeve, aerodynamic design comes in lots of stylish, fun colors
- Engineered to protect your hair against heat damage for smooth, shiny styling
- Intelligent heat technology available at most luxury stores like Nordstroms, Sephora, Ulta
CONS:
- PRICEY. On average, this product is at least $100-$150 MORE expensive than its competition
- Air intake through the handle means tired arms and fatigue when you’re trying to get that perfect finish
- No infrared technology means speed may not be noticeably quicker than its competition
If you’ve never heard of the Dyson Supersonic, you must be blow-drying your hair under a rock. It’s basically the Beats Headphones, Voss Water, and Louis Vuitton of the blow-dryer industry. Very cool to look at, hold in your hand, and show your status in the bathroom. But how does that status translate out the streets for your red carpet Friday night?
The Dyson Supersonic hair dryer is hands down one of the BEST there is on the market. The problem is it’s also hands down one of the MOST expensive on the market too. Sometimes splurging for brand names and cool aesthetics… is cool. Especially when you consider the intelligent heat technology from the head of the dryer and the powerful digital motor in its colorful handle.
However, it does carry a ‘novelty’ feel to it that makes you question whether it’s worth the price tag. Without infrared technology, it doesn’t appear noticeably faster at drying hair. Also, its air intake is in the handle, which forces you to hold it higher up and strain your arms.
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Regular Price: $399.89
PROS:
- Lightweight design comes in a very popular mint green color
- Multiple speed and heat settings for wide range of hair types and styles
- Customer reviews praised it’s speed and efficiency that saved them time
CONS:
- The motor seemed to stop running after a mere three months of use
- The high price point, especially when other sites were selling very similar products for half the price
- It was hard to discern which was a real Harry Josh product there are many duplicates and imitation products flooding the market.
Another extremely lightweight design that comes in a very pretty and unique mint green color. We noticed a lot of praise for it’s speed and efficiency that was said to saved time, but many were unable to figure out the heat settings.
The Harry Josh Pro Dry is one of the more expensive products since it comes from a professional brand used by supermodels and actors. The high price point was off putting, especially when you will receive very similar results with products like the SRI Dry Pro at half the price.
It was also hard to discern which was a real Harry Josh product as there are many duplicates and imitation products flooding the market.
