The 14 Very Best Hair Dryers

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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, likeAdel Chabbi, use one in their salon; beauty veteran Linda Wells isa fan; and with plenty ofaccoladesto 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.

It’s also a favorite of three Strategist writers, including myself, all of whom have very different hair types. 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 to dry 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 fine-textured hair, a must for minimizing damage while styling. Strategist beauty writer Tembe Denton-Hurst, who has curly hair, is also a huge fan and notes that the Supersonic is the same dryer her hair stylist uses in the salon. “I’m a freak about heat damage and love that the Dyson monitors the heat internally to avoid shorting and heating beyond what the settings indicate,” she explains. “Beyond that, it dries super-fast. It can take my hair from wet to dry in about 20 minutes, whereas with other hair dryers it can take me up to 40 minutes.” As Denton-Hurst reminds us, when it comes to heat damage, “it’s both a temperature and a time game: the longer hair is exposed to higher temperatures, the more likely it is to damage the strand. The Dyson helps to avoid this.” And Strategist writer Ambar Pardilla, who describes her hair as very frizzy and curly, says, “I don’t think there’s a better hair dryer on the market than the Dyson Supersonic.” Since she only has to use the medium setting, Pardilla says she has seen a lot less noticeable heat damage since making the investment. “It always leaves my hair bouncy and smooth — thestuff of shampoo commercials. I know it starts at $400, but it’s the only hair dryer I could say might be in my will.”

And if you’re looking to save a few bucks, Dyson has just released theSupersonic 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:1.1 pounds |Heat and speed settings:4 heat, 2 speed settings|Power:2,100 watts

Two of our stylists directed me to the Parlux models for their power and resilience. The brand was created in Italy, just celebrated its 40th birthday (mazel!), and has 13 different models that are —according to Parlux itself— known for their light bodies and powerful, but quiet, motors.Rubi Jones, the Bumble and Bumble–trained stylist that weonce dubbed“the Braid Whisperer,” tells me that the Parlux Eco-Friendly 3800 model is her favorite because it ticks off all the boxes: 2,100 watts for speedier blowouts; a nozzle that is small and narrow, so it’s easier to direct the air; multiple heat and airflow settings, plus a cool shot.

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 thefastest hair dryerof 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:1.6 pounds |Heat and speed settings:5 heat, 3 speed settings |Power:1,875 watts

The Featherweight StyleMax, which is as nicely designed as all of T3’s tools, works differently than any other hair dryer I’ve ever tested. Instead of the traditional heat and speed settings, the dryer has settings for hair texture (fine, medium, coarse), as well as styling type (rough dry, smooth, diffuse, volume). After making your selections, the dryer then auto-adjusts the heat and speed settings for you to achieve your styling goals while keeping heat damage to a minimum. This feature makes the dryer great for beginners, but if you prefer to be in control of your own blowout, you can also manually set the heat and speed settings yourself. Either way, I was impressed with the dryer’s power, which left my hair completely dry in about 15 minutes. While the price point is a bit steep, the T3 also includes four different attachments in addition to the dryer: a styling concentrator, a drying concentrator, a diffuser, and a smoothing comb.

Weight:.7 pounds |Heat and speed settings:3heat, 2 speed settings |Power:1,000-1,220 watts

As much as I love the Dyson Supersonic, it’s always been a bit of a pain to travel with. But that all ends now, as the brand has released a travel-size version. It’s basically a baby Supersonic, shrunk down by 32 percent of the original’s more hefty size. It fit easily in both my work bag and my Longchamp weekender. It clocks in at under a pound, which makes it substantially lighter than the water bottle I carry everywhere. Compared to the original, it has just two speed settings and two heat settings. But despite this, the Travel is still quite powerful. It managed to completely dry my hair in roughly ten minutes, nearly as fast as the regular-size Supersonic, when using the highest speed and lowest heat. It has universal voltage compatibility, too, if you’re traveling abroad. For $300, the dryer comes with a concentrator attachment but is compatible with the other Supersonic and Nural attachments if you already happen to own a few. If not, you can purchase the diffuser, wide-tooth comb, flyaway smoother, and gentle-air attachments separately.

Weight:1.27 pounds |Heat and speed settings:3 heat, 2 speed settings |Power:1,200 watts

Or if you want something that will help you avoid using an awful hotel hair dryer, try my favorite foldable hair dryer. This T3 version (made by the brand that’s famous for its stylist- and Strategist-approvedcurling ironsand flat irons) is dual voltage, which makes it perfectly suited for travel, and comes with tourmaline and ceramic-ion technology to keep hair smooth, even in humid weather. While I still prefer the Dyson for at-home use, I can’t deny that the lightweight dryer, which weighs a little over a pound, is easier on the wrists and doesn’t add unnecessary bulk to my carry on.

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

One of Dyson’s newest innovations is theSupersonic Nural, which, like the original Supersonic, is a lightweight 1.8 pounds, has four heat and three speed settings, and clocks in at a powerful 1600 watts. Unlike the Supersonic, however, the Nural features a few extra bells and whistles. It has “attachment learning” so the dryer will remember the settings you used last and automatically set them the next time you turn it on, and it has pause detection for when you put it down on your counter. The new feature I most appreciate is the brand’s latest sensor technology, which is designed to protect scalp health and reduce heat damage by lowering the temperature and power of the dryer as it gets closer to your head. Since my scalp is a bit on the sensitive side and my fine hair is easily damaged by heat, it has made blow-drying a much more pleasant experience. It also includes five attachments — diffuser, wide-toothed comb, flyaway attachment, concentrator, and gentle air attachment — for plenty of styling options. However, if you’re someone who actually prefers high heat at the root for smoothing or if you want to be in control of the settings yourself, you’re probably better off sticking with the original Supersonic and saving a few bucks. Because of its $500 price tag, I can’t quite bring myself to give it the best-in-class crown, but I do believe if you have the money, it’s absolutely worth the investment.

Weight:17.1 ounces| Heat and speed settings:5 heat settings, 3 speed settings| Power:1,875 watts

Strategist writer Kitty Guo tested out the T3 Aireluxe, and her review is below:

I have fine hair prone to shedding and breakage, so I try to stick to the lowest settings on a hair dryer, even if it ends up taking longer. I greatly appreciated the fact that the T3 Aireluxe has five heat settings — most only have three. There are also three speed settings plus a “cool shot” button to lock in your style. I mostly stick with the lowest three heat settings if I’m just drying my hair on a everyday basis, with a bump up to the hotter settings if I’m in a rush or styling my hair for a special occasion. Because of that, I’d expected to be standing there for a while, but I was pleasantly surprised that after about five minutes my hair had mostly dried and was only slightly damp to the touch. (Though I do have shorter hair that’s about shoulder-length, so it may take more time if your hair is longer or thicker than mine.) That’s possibly attributable to the “RapidAire IQ Technology” the Aireluxe is endowed with, which claims to cut dry time in half using a wider, gentler airstream monitored by a smart microchip. The stream is also infused with ions, which apparently smooth and protect the hair cuticle; my hair is generally not prone to frizzing, though, so I didn’t notice a huge difference there. One thing that did stand out to me was how quiet the dryer was — it emitted a low, almost soothing hum rather than a noisy roar. And although it’s certainly pricey, you get your money’s worth: The dryer also comes with a drying concentrator, a styling concentrator, a detangling brush, and a round brush. I would definitely say it’s one of the gentler hair dryers I’ve experienced in terms of heat, noise, and airflow, and therefore perfect for those with fragile or thin hair.

Weight:1.7 pounds| Heat and speed settings:3 heat settings, 3 speed settings| Power:1875

Back in 2023,Guo also tested out the Zuvi Halo, which, unlike traditional hair dryers, utilizes infrared light instead of just heat. “At first glance, it had the same streamlined doughnut silhouette as the Dyson. But the Zuvi had LightCare technology, which caught my attention. Apparently, the Zuvi concentrates (invisible) infrared light into heat that gently dries just the outside of hair strands,” writes Guo. “Traditional dryers, like the Dyson and well-known Dyson dupe from Shark, use heated, high-speed air to dry out the strand; this, of course, is the goal, but if it’s too hot, it can cause damage. The energy from the Zuvi’s light source is absorbed by the water, which causes it to evaporate, rather than nuking the hair strand. The whole process is, according to the company, much gentler on hair than a traditional dryer — a crucial point for me and my fragile locks,” Guo explains. “In less than five minutes, my hair was almost all dry; just the ends were slightly damp. And I was struck that throughout the process, I never saw water steaming off my head and my hair never actually felt hot. And even though I didn’t use a drop of product, my hair had a smooth, sleek look to it — one that I’ve never achieved with simple air-drying,” she adds, noting that she hasn’t seen any breakage or scalp irritation. Zuvi then partnered with L’Oréal to release an updated version of the Halo, now called the AirLight Pro, which features the same patented infrared technology. The AirLight Pro features three heat and speed settings, is app compatible, and comes with both a diffuser and concentrator attachment.

Weight:1.92 pounds| Heat and speed settings:3 heat settings, 2 speed settings| Power:2,000 watts

Strategist writer Ambar Pardilla tested out theBaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Dryer, and her review is below:

I have very frizzy, unruly curls. The maintenance of their natural state isn’t the easiest — between styling gels and leave-in treatments — so I blow dry my hair a few times a week. Before getting out the hair dryer, I leave my hair in ahair toweluntil it’s not sopping wet and only damp (that means no drops of shower water). The rest of the routine includes aheat protectant, sectioning it off with clips, and rolling through with a round brush. It takes a lot of heat for me to get a good blowout. I had this BaBylissPro on the highest settings. There are three for heat (low, medium, and high) and two for speed (low, high). It took around 15 minutes to get through my whole head. It’s essentially idiotproof (I say this lovingly to myself). The only other button on the hair dryer is the cold-shot button. It might not have all the attachments or settings of other hair dryers, but I think that’s the beauty of it. There’s not much you need to figure out for yourself. It’s very intuitive. It’s lightweight — you aren’t nursing a limp wrist after using. But the biggest issue I have with this BaBylissPro is that the attachment, a concentrator nozzle, falls off occasionally. It’s more than just an annoyance when you’re holding the dryer in one hand and a brush in the other. Because the nozzle is where the heat from the hair dryer comes out of, it gets hot. It was the worst game of hot potato trying to get back on the first time. You have to really tighten the nozzle on the barrel of the hair dryer (it doesn’t have a click sound as, say, the Dyson Supersonic does for assurance). But boy does it give a good blowout. So much volume!

Weight:1.66 pounds| Heat and speed settings:3 heat settings, 3 speed settings| Power:1,750 watts

When I set out to test Shark’s hair dryers, I was extremely interested to see how the SpeedStyle and the SpeedStyle Pro stacked up against each other. I was initially skeptical that the Pro would be worth the extra money, but after testing both, I’m happy to crown the Pro my winner. My first impression when opening the box up was how well packaged everything was. There were really clearly labeled instructions on each piece that explained how to use the dryer as well as lots of QR codes you can scan to learn more. Unlike the regular SpeedStyle, the Pro is foldable, a huge plus for storing and traveling, and the additional attachments made styling a breeze. While it has three power and three heat settings, I only used the lower heat settings for my blowout and found it still dried my hair in around 20 minutes. While I didn’t find the Smart Scalp feature to be super-intuitive, and eventually left it off while styling, overall the Pro is worth the extra money.

Weight:.7 pounds| Heat and speed settings:4 heat settings, 3 speed settings| Power:1,700 watts

Dyson’s newest hair dryer is the Supersonic r, which is the lightest dryer it has ever produced, clocking in at just .7 pounds. The battery on the extension cord weighs more than the actual dryer does. It comes with five attachments including a diffuser, two concentrators, a wide-tooth comb, and a flyaway attachment. I especially liked that the attachments are magnetic so it’s super-easy to take them on and off, as opposed to the Shark Pro, which has twist-on attachments. While the Supersonic r is slightly less powerful than the Shark, it does a better job with its heat settings. It has three, plus a cool-shot button and, as I’ve come to expect with all of Dyson’s dryers, it never felt like it was burning or overheating my hair. I also appreciated the extra-long extension cord, though I do wish there were a storage case for the attachments. Of course, the Dyson is pricey and clocks in at double the cost of the Shark Speedstyle Pro, but if you are someone who blow-dries their hair regularly, the lightweight construction is worth its weight in gold.

Weight:16 ounces| Heat and speed settings:3 heat settings, 2 speed settings| Power:1,200 watts

While Drybar’s Double Shot brush has had the designation of best hair-dryer brush on this list for over three years running, after multiple rounds of testing, I’m ready to crown T3’s AireBrush as my new favorite. While I usually find blow-drying to be a slightly strenuous activity, the AireBrush weighs just 16 ounces, less than half the weight of the Double Shot, which is a far heftier 2.6 pounds. This also makes it easier to maneuver it around my head and allows me to get closer to my roots. Compared to the Double Shot’s three heat settings, the AireBrush offers three heat settings and two speed settings plus a cool-shot button, which I especially appreciated since my fine hair doesn’t need high heat; the lower settings were perfect for me. But if your hair is coarser, this tool still delivers if you need higher temps since it maxes out at a very powerful 1,200 watts. And for an additional $30, you can upgrade to theAireBrush Duo, which features an interchangeable paddle brush and a round brush that you can use for both blowouts and straightening. Most importantly, the nylon and tufted bristles move through my hair easily without snagging and create a shiny, frizz-free blowout every time.