Best Hair Dryers for 2023

I don’t think I know any woman who doesn’t own a hair dryer. It’s a staple in all our bathrooms because, well, we’re impatient about letting our hair dry. Also, in winter, it’s definitely not wise to go outside with wet hair.

And then, of course, there’s achieving hair perfection before bouncing out of the house!

Have you ever gone on a trip and left your hair dryer at home because the hotel featured a hair dryer in every room on its list of amenities? I know you have, because I have also done this. I figured I’d save some room and weight on my luggage and have one less thing to pack.

Well, every time I’ve done this, I discover either some ancient model hair dryer that might just be older than my grandma, or something that lacks power. Or worse, something that has no control for heat, so you’re stuck blasting it with burning hot air and no cool-blast button. Blah!

I’ve taken to packing my hair dryer and have done so ever since I found myself at a luxury hotel that had inferior hair dryers. It’s funny though, because after talking to some of my friends, I’ve found that even in their own homes, they’ve stuck it out with an old, inefficient hair dryer.

“My mom gave me this,” one of my friends told me, pulling a behemoth of a hair dryer out from under her bathroom vanity. It weighed a ton, well, as far as hair dryers go, and when I turned it on to check it out, the poor thing sounded like it was going to burst into flames.

A good blow dryer is a smart investment though. They’re not very expensive these days, even the top-of-the-line models. You should consider upgrading to one that’s salon-quality so you can get that sweet blowout without having to visit your hairdresser every time you want one.

What makes for the best hair dryer? It should be lightweight and dry your hair quickly. It should also leave your hair looking shiny and luscious. But not every hair dryer works as well for every woman. We all have different hair, so my sweet friend with bouncy curls is going to have different needs than my other friend with the straight hair. Thicker hair has other concerns too. And frizz!

So, here’s a list of the best hair dryers for 2023:

1. Dyson Airwrap Complete Styler for Multiple Hair Types and Styles
2. Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer
3. T3 – Cura LUXE Hair Dryer
4. Harry Josh Pro Dryer 2000
5. GHD Professional Hair Dryer
6. Drybar Baby Buttercup Travel Blow Dryer
7. TwinTurbo 3800 Ionic & Ceramic Eco-Friendly Professional Hair Dryer
8. BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Portofino Full-Size Dryer
9. STYLSET by HAI – Ionic Professional Hair Dryer

Keep reading because I’m going to give you all the details you need to buy your best hair dryer ever, plus some top hair dryer models that will make you love blow-drying your hair!

How to choose the best hair dryer that suits your hair needs

As I said, your hair type and style is a big factor in which kind of hair dryer you buy. I’m going to break all that down for you so you can get an idea of what you should be looking for to get that winning blowout every time you dry your hair!

A titanium dryer is what you need if you have lots of hair

Thick hair can be a mega-pain to blow dry. Even when you have a lightweight hair dryer, your arms will tire from trying to dry all that hair. Plus, it can get hot too and then run the risk of overheating. You’ll likely overheat yourself on a summery day when the temperatures are high. No one wants to stand in a blast of heat for too long.

If you’re a thick-haired girl, titanium hair dryers are the way to go. It’s not good for you if your hair is very fine or already damaged. Because it gets to a very high heat, you’ll only cause more damage. For thick hair, it slashes drying time in half and makes it much easier.

As always, make sure you section your hair off and spray each section with heat protection spray. The high heat of a titanium dryer can do damage if you don’t take steps to protect your hair.

Some benefits of using a titanium hair dryer for thick-haired girls:

• It’s wonderfully lightweight, so it’s easy to handle.
• They are very consistent with providing high temperature, which means your drying time is drastically reduced.
• It will leave your hair smoother and silkier, even if you have curly, kinky, or frizzy hair.
• They make titanium hair dryers with ionic or tourmaline interiors too, which is really ideal if your hair frizzes.

Ionic or tourmaline hair dryers for thick and frizzy hair

And speaking of that frizz, if you have thick hair that frizzes, I want to get into some more details about ionic and tourmaline hair dryers. These let off negative ions when  you use them. Those negative ions help break up water droplets that are on your hair and dry your hair faster. So, you get less chance for frizz.

Here are some other things to know about busting up frizz for thicker hair with an ionic or tourmaline hair dryer:

• Tourmaline is going to be more expensive because it’s a semi-precious metal. But it will give you the most ionic action. If you have really frizzy hair, this is a very worthy investment.
• For either ionic or tourmaline hair dryers, you’ll have a better time drying your hair if it is notoriously difficult to dry. It makes it much easier to come out with a beautiful blowout every time.
• Sorry thin-haired gals, but ionic dryers aren’t ideal for you. They won’t give you the volume you need to make it look like you’ve got lots of bounce in your hair and will leave you looking flat.

And as tourmaline and ionic hair dryers have their differences too, I’d like to go over the benefits of each, starting with tourmaline hair dryers. With tourmaline blow dryers, you get both negative ions and infrared heat working for you to dry your hair. It’s good for those that rely on heat styling because it protects your strands (but still use that heat protection spray!), and it keeps frizz away.

As for the benefits of ionic hair dryers, they only use those negative ions. Since your hair is covered in positive ions, a little science magic happens as it dries much faster. And it leaves your hair softer.

The main difference between ionic and tourmaline hair dryers, aside from price, is that tourmaline employs infrared heat with those negative ions, so you’re getting double the help for your hair. Both types will prevent frizz though tourmaline might be best for extra frizzy hair or for anyone living in Florida or the islands where the humidity tends to dominate.

But how do you choose the best one out of these two?

Honestly, it depends on your hair. If you go through agony to smooth frizz away, spend your money on the tourmaline hair dryer, and you will never regret it. If you simply want to cut down on the time it takes to give yourself a nice blowout, go for the ionic. Neither one will cause damage to your hair, but tourmaline is truly ideal if you have regular wars with frizz.

Ceramic or porcelain dryers are what you need if you have fine or dry hair

Now, if you have very thin, fine hair, or your hair is really dry, you’ll want to choose ceramic or porcelain. These kinds are either plastic or metal on the outside. They can be good for all hair types too, though they’re especially helpful for fine and dry hair types

Here’s what you should know about ceramic and porcelain blow dryers:

• Both types use negative ions that help stop frizz
• They make short work of drying times
• Some models even have infrared technology to dry your hair from the inside out

These are a nice alternative to tourmaline or ionic hair dryers, though they might be a little heavier. I’d say choose one of these if your hair isn’t thick.

What else you should look for when choosing the best hair dryer?

The big mistake we have all made at some point, or another is simply grabbing a hair dryer off the rack and buying it just to have something to dry our hair. As you can see so far, there is much to consider when choosing from the best hair dryers. Your hair type is just one of those considerations, though. Here are the other things to think about when you shop for your next hair dryer.

The wattage

Those hair dryers that are available for use in your hotel room suck because they lack power. If you have a thick head of hair and are trying to dry your hair with one of those, you’re going to be there for a while. The wattage of your hair dryer definitely matters because that’s how powerful it is. If you have thinner hair, something around 1800 watts or higher will do.

Professional blow dryers can have wattages up to 3600, which might be something to consider if your hair is very thick. They’re more expensive of course, but the amount of time you’ll save and the impeccable styling you’ll get from it are worth it.

Besides, if you cheap out and buy a lower wattage, you’ll only need to replace it sooner rather than later. Those cheap versions never hold up for very long. It’s just better to invest in quality and keep your hair protected in the process.

Attachments

The best way to smooth and tame your hair with a hair dryer is via the attachments. These help concentrate airflow to target specific areas. You’ll always want to point that nozzle downward, which helps stop fly-away hairs. For curly-haired girls, you will also want to get a diffuser. It spreads the airflow out of the blower, so you get more controlled curls without frizz.

Can’t decide? Get both a concentrator, which is that narrow attachment to give you smooth and sleek styles, and a diffuser too. Both can help prevent frizz in their respective styles.

Multiple heat settings

Another reason those hotel room hair dryers are horrible is that they are bare-bones models. They usually have high, medium, and low settings (sometimes, just high and low). There’s no cool blast or any of that.

Get to know what the heat settings on a blow dryer can do for you:

• Low heat is best for fine, thin, or dry and damaged hair.
• Normal hair does best with a medium setting.
• Thick and coarse hair types need high heat.
• The cool shot button is wonderful for setting your style. With a round brush, you can use it to smooth hair to add volume and bounce once it’s dry.

The actual weight

When a hair dryer weighs too much, it becomes a tiresome ordeal. No wonder you dread having to wash and dry your hair! Having a lightweight model makes all the difference as you’re not straining your wrist every time. Titanium hair dryers are great in this regard since they’re so light and speedy with drying you won’t be stuck throwing out your arm muscles to dry your hair.

Ideally, you should look for a blow dryer that weighs about 1 pound. Anything more, and you’d better be ready for an arm workout!

The noise levels

Hair dryers aren’t quiet by any stretch. But here’s a random fact you can use: prolonged exposure to the noise from hair dryers can damage your hearing! There are quieter-running versions in all types of hair dryers, so try to choose one of those. They will all make noise, but some are quieter than others, and every little bit helps.

Now that you know, until you buy your new hair dryer, grab some earplugs while you dry your hair to help prevent hearing damage. Or use your diffuser if you have curly hair.

You can also dry your hair in a larger room where the noise from your hair dryer won’t bounce all around the room. This makes the sound waves go further so they won’t be coming right back to you.

The price

Yes, love. I know you’ve got a budget to stick to. We all do. But don’t turn up your cute little nose at a high price off the bat. Consider the usage you’re going to get out of it. Yes, you might spend a little more than you were hoping to, but going with quality is always the best route.

This is a lesson I learned from my mom, who admonished me, as moms do, for buying kitchen knives that were from a cheaper, lower quality brand. I had a budget when I moved out on my own and was just trying not to go into credit card debt. But Mom came over and pulled a face when she saw my butcher block.

“These are terrible knives,” she told me. “But they were the most affordable,” I’d responded. And that’s when she told me sometimes, you need to go with something more expensive. She was right because those knives, no matter how much I sharpened them, were just awful. I ended up giving them away and buying a more expensive set that I love. I would’ve saved more money simply buying the better one, to begin with. Lesson learned!

And yes, while that is about knives and we’re talking about hair dryers, it is still the same situation. It is tempting to just grab the cheapest one you see, but believe me, you’re just going to be replacing it. So while $20 looks like a bargain right now, you’d be better off going for the pricier ones because you will have them for much longer and have more beautiful, healthier hair too!

The best hair dryers

And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for…the best hair dryers! I’ve gone through the top recommendations to help you choose a hair dryer that fits your life.

– Dyson Airwrap Complete Styler for Multiple Hair Types and Styles

Let me just start by saying this one is a huge splurge, but it is worth saving for. It features a super-cool design that allows different hair types to explore different styles. So if you have curls and want straight hair, it does that. If you want to make your curls more manageable, it does that too. Straight to curly? Yup! It gives you any style you want, drying it to a smooth and silky finish without using extreme heat.

Why is this one so great? Well, if you hate drying your hair and then styling it, this one takes care of it in one fell swoop. It uses the Coanda effect, which uses air to attract your hair. Each attachment clicks on with ease and can be switched out just as effortlessly.

You get a bundle of attachments that might seem overwhelming, but they come in a convenient and lovely case for easy storage. Once you read the directions and play with it a few times, you will cry tears of joy for this awesome blowout kit because it truly gives you a fresh-from-the-salon look.

It’s incredibly high-tech, too, in that it measures its temperature 20 times per second so you will never have to worry about scorching your strands. Additionally, it’s quiet, easy to adjust to any setting you need, lightweight, and so versatile. There is one downside, though, and that’s the cost. It is very expensive, but with the 2-year warranty and the ability to style any hair anyway, it really pays for itself in the long run.

– Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer

For a nice smooth style that takes care of your hair, Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer simplifies life. It keeps from damaging your hair, leaving it with an impeccable shine. With control for the air temperature which it takes 20 times a second, you’ll never fry out your hair.

Speedy drying through concentrated airflow means you’ll be done with your hair fast. What separates this from other options is you get a smoothing nozzle to deliver straight shine, a styling concentrator that helps you get mega-volume, and a diffuser for curly styles.

The motor is in the handle, a unique twist of design that keeps this one easy and lightweight to work with. Heat shield technology means you won’t get a nasty surprise either. All in all, you get 4 heat settings and 3-speed settings to conquer your hair needs.

It’s not cheap by any means, but it is designed to tackle all hair types and styles with compact grace.

– T3 – Cura LUXE Hair Dryer

This one is considerably less money than the Dyson option, but it’s still much more than that $20 you were going to spend on a crappy hair dryer. It’s won gobs of beauty awards from Oprah’s magazine, SELF, Cosmo, and Ebony, to name a few.

What you’ll get for your investment is a blow dryer that fights frizz and dries your hair in much less time. It also improves body and shine, which makes it ideal if your hair is thinner and needs a boost of volume. The built-in ion generator makes short work of turning blah hair into beautiful.

You have 5 heat settings plus a cool shot feature. You can also digitally-control the heating, plus there’s an auto-pause sensor. It’s lightweight, so you won’t get tired drying your hair either. It includes a pure stream filter cap to funnel airflow properly, plus it has a quiet motor. You can add a diffuser for you curly-haired gals too.

I think this one is an ideal choice if you have thin, fine, or damaged hair and simply can’t make the expense for the Dyson model. It’s a professional-grade product that has continued to rank high among beauty editors everywhere, so it is definitely a safe bet.

– Harry Josh Pro Dryer 2000

Ok, so you look at this one, and you think it might be some crummy replica of a hotel room hair dryer. Wrong! While it does have that compact style, it is anything but crummy. This is the kind that the Ritz Carlton puts in their rooms (top-tier luxury hotels are the only ones to be trusted for supplying a quality hair dryer during your stay).

This is fast, quiet, light, and fantastic. You can customize the ion functionality so you can get sleek or voluminous hair with ease. The dual filtration system keeps from using too much energy. Designed by Harry Josh himself, the famed stylist who has worked on the hair of models like Miranda Kerr, you will have supermodel-fabulous hair when you use this blow dryer.

Not sure? You get a 2-year limited warranty so you’ll have plenty of peace of mind. There are 12 heat and speed settings, even on this compact thing plus ion technology and Harry Josh’s patented Cool Air Flex Technology. It gives you gorgeous hair, though the price is up there, likely because of the branding. Still, many women enthuse about this hair dryer. If you travel often, it might be a great one for you since it’s compact too.

– GHD Professional Hair Dryer

With a precision nozzle and Aeroprecis™ technology, there’s much buzz about this speedy blow-drying hair dryer by GHD. The shape is designed specifically for cutting down on dry time, even for those with very thick and coarse hair types.

Advanced ionic technology doesn’t just help you get a fast-drying experience. It also keeps your hair moisturized so it doesn’t look dried out and frizzy. You’ll find you’ve got softer, smoother, shinier hair every time you use it. You can change the power and temperature to suit your needs, plus the cool shot lets you lock in that style.

It’s lightweight, comfortable to use, and many people profess their love for how long it lasts. Definitely on the expensive side, but it’s a beloved hair dryer that is built to last. Make sure it’s an original by checking the hologram code!

– Drybar Baby Buttercup Travel Blow Dryer

Do you travel often? On a tighter budget? Both? Then this option by Drybar is a perfect choice for you. It delivers all the power of a full-sized blow-dryer in a smaller size. Utilizing ionic technology, it creates billions of negative ions to blow onto your hair, sealing the cuticle for shine and frizz-free style. The wave heater distributes heat evenly, so you spend less time drying and more time living.

It comes with a concentrator nozzle to precisely target your hair. With the lightweight design, this will be your go-to hair dryer even when you’re not on the road. Its collapsible handle can help you save precious storage space under your bathroom vanity.

For your jet-setters that trot around the globe, you won’t have to worry about a voltage when abroad. It works at 120/220-240 volts so you can use it anywhere. This versatility means worry-free style, lightweight carrying, compact folding, and beautiful styling wherever you roam!

– TwinTurbo 3800 Ionic & Ceramic Hair Dryer

Here’s another one that won’t break the bank. Packaged with 100% biodegradable recycled paper products, this hair dryer isn’t a travel size but still has a compact feel. That makes it lightweight for easy use. Don’t let the pink fool you. It’s a durable blow-dryer, made in Italy with a consistently high-performing operation.

With a quiet motor and plenty of balance, you get a prestige blowout without vibration to throw you off. That’s impressive given that it’s a twin-turbo powered hair dryer, the kind your stylist likely uses on you when you come in for your cut and blowout. It’s ergonomic and easy to use, designed for professional heavy-duty durability.

So, if you have thick hair, this is absolutely the hair dryer for you. It’s also priced affordably, so you get gorgeous and speedy blowouts in a fraction of the time at a fraction of the price. Score!

– BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Portofino Full-Size Dryer

Another Italian-made option, BaBylissPRO presents this super-powerful hair dryer that delivers on salon-quality results right at home. With 2000 watts and Nano Titanium technology, heat is distributed perfectly, giving you beautiful results. Say goodbye to static fly-away hairs and frizz and hello to your shiniest hair of all.

Choose from the 6 heat and speed settings to find your ideal combination. Also, we all know what a pain it is when the filter in the rear gets all dingy, and this one is removable, made of stainless steel, so it’s durable and easy to clean up.

It surprised me that the price of this one is so reasonable. It’s still over $100, but for all the raving people have done about this one, it seems to live up to its stellar reputation.

– STYLSET by HAI – Ionic Professional Hair Dryer

And the last one on my list of best hair dryers is this one by HAI, a Californian company. It caught my eye because it releases a sweet Jasmine scent. Um, yes, please! That sounded so extra and so lovely.

For the price, I did a double-take. It’s among the lowest of prices on my list and one of the highest-rated. What does it do? It has complete control of airflow and temperature with a dial that makes it easy to swipe and change to get your desired look. It uses negative ions and far-infrared rays to kill static and give you that shiny, healthy hair you’re dreaming of.

It also uses blue UV light technology (not damaging like UV from the sun!), which conditions the scalp. This helps improve your hair over time, starting at your roots. Women with really long and thick hair have been enthusiastic about this like crazy because it cuts down drying time and leaves hair looking luscious. Oh, and that Jasmine scent! Wow!

Conclusion

If you’re using some ancient, gigantically heavy hair dryer, stop right now. While a quality hair dryer definitely costs more than one you can pick up at the drugstore for $20, it’s going to improve your hair quality and style. Plus, it’s going to last a lot longer. It’s worth it! Why spend 30 minutes or more just blowing out your hair? No wonder you dread washing and styling it. Instead, take a pick from the best hair dryers and see how blowout-beautiful you can get your hair every day!