The 8 Very Best Hair Dryers

Weight: 1.8 pounds | Heat and speed settings: 4 heat, 3 speed settings | Power: 1,600 watts

Of course, it’s hard to talk about the best hair dryers without mentioning the Dyson Supersonic. It’s become the most-talked-about new hair invention of recent years. Celebrity stylists, like Adel Chabbi, use one in their salon; beauty veteran Linda Wells is a fan; and with plenty of accolades to its name, it’s definitely a top-of-the-line choice if you’re a professional or are just super-serious about at-home blowouts. Chabbi told me it’s great for all hair types, including women who wear extensions, and will leave every head of hair smooth and shiny.

Of all the hair dryers I’ve tried in my life, the Dyson is far and away the best in its class for its fast dry time (it takes less than ten minutes for my long hair), lightweight construction, and quiet motor. Plus the dryer never exceeds 300 degrees, ensuring I don’t accidentally apply excessive heat to my hair, a must for minimizing damage while styling. And if you’re looking to save a few bucks, Dyson has just released the Supersonic Origin, a simplified version of the dryer that comes with only one smoothing attachment, but it is $30 cheaper than the original Supersonic (which comes with five).

Weight: 1.98 pounds | Heat and speed settings: 3 heat, 2 speed settings | Power: 1,875 watts

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, this hair dryer from Remington is extremely popular among Strategist readers and with hairstylist Fiona Guidice, who noted that getting a dryer with a diffuser and concentrator nozzle for less than $25 is a steal, considering the fact that many diffusers on their own cost more than that. The dryer also has plenty of heat settings, high wattage, and a cool shot to help set your style, which is an impressive number of features at that price.

Weight: 0.9 pounds | Heat and speed settings: Adjustable temperature and speed settings | Power: 1,800 watts

Across the board, when I asked what made for a good-quality hair dryer, everyone mentioned the word “lightweight.” If that’s your priority, you wouldn’t be wrong to reach for the 1.8-pound Dyson or Parlux 3200, but you’d probably be better off with Bio Ionic’s 10X Ultralight Speed Dryer, which the Cut last year also dubbed the fastest hair dryer of all. At under one pound, Andrew Fitzsimons says it’s remarkably lightweight even after using it for long periods of time as a professional. “I can imagine women at home appreciate the lightness, too, as we all know that a self-blowout can feel like a Pilates class,” he says.

Weight: Less than one pound | Heat and speed settings: 3 heat, 3 speed | Power: 1,875 watts

Harry Josh made a name for himself as the man behind Gisele’s beachy waves, and the signature mint green of his line of hair tools is instantly recognizable to beauty lovers. It’s unsurprising that his Ultra Light Hair Dryer is Dermstore’s best-selling option. And true to its name, the dryer is very lightweight, clocking in at under a pound. The Cut’s former beauty director Kathleen Hou calls this the Bentley of hair dryers for its speed. “It’s probably faster than the car you drove in high school, since it blows air at a consistent speed of 94 miles per hour,” she says. “On top of all that, it’s so quiet that you can actually have full-on conversations while using it.

Weight: 2.6 pounds | Heat and speed settings: 3 heat settings | Power: Not available

Drybar’s Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush took the top spot in my story dedicated to the best hair-dryer brushes, which is not surprising for a brand known for its speedy blowout salons. “It takes the crown,” says Elizabeth, meaning it both figuratively and literally. Not only is it best in class but it also creates lift and volume starting at the crown, she explains. The brush features a combination of tufted and nylon bristles, which allows for both tension and control so you can achieve a super-sleek blowout.

As I mentioned in the criteria above, temperature control lets you tailor your blow-dry to your hair type. The Double Shot has three — cool, medium, and high. I used the medium and cool settings only, which gave my fine hair shine and bounce without subjecting it to damaging higher heats (a problem I encountered with the more viral Revlon One-Step). I also noticed that the strategically placed vents on the brush allowed for greater airflow, which resulted in a speedy blowout. And it’s powerful enough to be fast, confirms stylist Takisha Sturdivant-Drew, whose celebrity clients include Kerry Washington and Renee Elise Goldsberry. I found that the brush worked particularly well with my longer length, though if you have shorter, thinner hair, I would recommend trying Drybar’s smaller model: the Single Shot.