How to choose a hair dryer?
Types of hair dryers
Hair dryers do not have a generally accepted classification, but they can be divided into several types:
Ordinary for home ones. These are classic hair dryers for home use, which are not too large and heavy, so they are convenient for self-drying hair. A lot of modern models (especially not from the budget category) have all the necessary functions and various attachments to create beauty salon-like styling.
Professional models are created for use by stylists and hairdressers, although, of course, no one forbids using them at home. For a reliable and long-lasting hair dryer, focus on the type of motor it uses. Inexpensive models often have DC motors, while professional ones typically feature more durable AC motors. High-end dryers may even come with brushless motors, known for efficiency, precise temperature control, and extended lifespan compared to AC motors. It's important to note that professional models might be heavier and designed with specialists in mind, potentially making them less convenient for personal use, especially for those unaccustomed to the specific button layout and elongated body.
The distinction between home and professional hair dryers is subjective, as manufacturers often market products for both settings. An illustrative instance is Dyson hair dryers, considered a benchmark in the styling equipment market. These dryers excel in rapid, low-temperature hair drying, preventing overheating and over-drying. With versatile settings and a range of styling accessories, Dyson dryers serve as valuable tools for both home and beauty salon use.
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| Dyson hair dryers are suitable for both home and professional use. |
Travel hair dryers are compact in size, light in weight, and in most cases are equipped with a folding handle, thanks to which they take up even less space in a suitcase or bag. Such models are designed for travel, business trips and vacations, so they are primarily convenient to transport. Unfortunately, compactness often requires sacrifices, and travel models cannot boast high power and advanced features. However, they can also be used at home, not only on the road, but drying will take a lot of time and will not be as gentle as home and professional devices.
A hair dryer brush offers a convenient solution for users who wish to both dry and style their hair efficiently. Acting as a hybrid of a standard hair dryer and a round brush, it streamlines the drying and styling process, saving significant time. Many models feature an automatic rotating nozzle, ensuring ease of use and symmetry in styling, making them suitable even for those without much experience. The package typically includes round brushes of varying diameters, a straight brush for straightening, and a concentrator for regular hair drying. Despite the appeal, these brushes often have lower power, around 1000 W or less, leading to longer drying times. To save time, it's recommended to initially dry the hair with a standard hair dryer and then use the hair dryer brush for styling slightly damp hair.
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| A hair dryer brush both dries the hair and styles it at the same time, saving your time. |
Power and temperature
Power is the main technical characteristic of a hair dryer, which determines its performance. Therefore, the more powerful it is, the less time you will spend on drying your hair. Usually the power of travel models is up to 1500 watts, models for home use — from 1700 to 2000 watts, and professional models — more than 2000 watts. But more doesn't always mean better. While a powerful airflow will do the job faster, it can also affect the quality of drying and the health of the hair. To properly choose the optimal power, start from the length, density, health and characteristics of the hair. For dry and brittle hair, a medium power setting (1600 — 1700 watts) will be sufficient. Owners of short hair should not choose the maximum indicators, as with a powerful airflow to style such a hairstyle will be uncomfortable. But the high power of 2000 watts is suitable for dense, long hair.
Since the length can change along with the hairstyle, and the health of the hair can be improved or, conversely, ruined by unsuccessful dyeing or frequent use of curling irons and straighteners, we advise you to choose a hair dryer with high power and with different air speed modes. Thanks to this feature, other family members can also use the same device. In most cases, 1800 – 2000 W is more than enough for normal home use without harming the hair.
Temperature plays a crucial role in hair drying, and selecting appropriate temperature conditions is essential. Manufacturers often don't specify exact heating figures, emphasizing the importance of choosing a gentle temperature to avoid hair damage. Excessive heat can lead to moisture loss, dryness, split ends, and an overall unhealthy appearance. Prioritizing a more gentle temperature, even if it extends the drying time, is recommended. Some hair dryers come with special programmes and sensors to ensure gentle drying by monitoring and regulating temperatures, preventing overheating. For instance, the JIMMY F8 offers modes like warm air, cold air, soft, and alternating warm and cold air. The Philips ProCare HPS920 features a ThermoProtect mode for gentle drying at around 55 – 57°C.
But such models can already be considered professional, which means they are not cheap. If you don’t want to overpay, we recommend choosing a hair dryer with separate temperature and power settings. They provide a larger selection of combinations, which means everyone can choose the best combination for their hair type. Usually there are 2 to 3 air flow and heating modes to choose from, but premium professional hair dryers may have more.
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| Separate settings make it possible to choose the best combination of temperature and power. |
Attachments
The hair dryer has only two standard attachments:
A concentrator is a narrow nozzle that creates a directed air flow to shape each strand individually. The concentrator is used in pair with a comb, mainly a round brush, and is used for styling rather than drying hair. With the help of one such attachment you can create different hairstyles: curl the ends of strands, smooth the hair and add volume at the root. Concentrator is an indispensable tool for any hairdresser and stylist, and is often used at home, so it is included in the package of most models. The attachments can differ in shape, length and width of the tip itself. For example, wider concentrators are suitable for normal drying of hair, and narrow ones make no sense to use without a comb..
A diffuser is a round attachment that helps to add volume to the hair, beautifully style curly hair and create a creative frizz effect on your head. Keep in mind that the diffuser gives shape to curly and wavy hair, but it can not curl straight strands — for this you need a curling iron. The best you can get out of it in this case is a little volume at the roots.
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| The concentrator and diffuser are standard attachments for hair dryers, but this does not mean that they are included in the package of any model. |
But standard attachments do not mean the only ones. Travel hair dryers are often equipped with minimal accessories - only the device itself and no additional attachments. Home devices can be equipped with a diffuser and a concentrator together or separately. But this imagination of manufacturers is not limited, and they can experiment with the size, shape and purpose of attachments. For example, they can add a massage function for the diffuser or design a special attachment for more delicate drying. Dyson comes with a variety of unusual attachments, including straightening and curling attachments. In addition to the attachments themselves, the set can include useful accessories such as combs, storage cases, hair clips and more.
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| The Dyson Supersonic HD07 comes with 5 magnetic attachments. |
When it comes to a hair dryer brush, the standards are completely different. A round brush of different diameters is a mandatory feature: a large one for light waves and a smaller one for curls. And one model can offer several brushes of different diameters to work with any hair and hairstyles. In addition to the brushes, it can also come with a straightening comb, a concentrator for drying and round curling attachments (like a curling iron).
Useful features
If temperature and power settings are among the must-have features, then there are also additional features that are not necessarily present in every hair dryer, but are quite useful.
Ionization. While styling, the built-in generator releases invisible ions that positively impact the hair's health. These ions, though unseen, effectively eliminate static electricity, preventing hair from becoming electrified after wearing hats or clothing. Moreover, they coat the hair scales, aiding in the retention of natural moisture. The visual result is smoother, silkier, and shinier hair. Unlike a decade ago when ionization was exclusive to expensive models, this feature is now popular across various price ranges, including budget-friendly devices.
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| Ionization prevents electrification and makes hair more shiny and silky. |
Turbo mode. When you turn it on, the hair dryer switches to increased power and produces a high-speed air stream. But the air temperature does not increase, so the turbo mode prevents hair from drying out. It is used for faster drying, but for styling it is better to choose a lower speed — this way the hair will not fly to the sides, especially on short hairstyles.
Cold air. If the turbo mode is considered a rather rare function, then cold blowing is found in almost every hair dryer — in home and professional ones for sure. Cold air helps cool the finished styling and fix the result. This mode can also be used for the most delicate drying, although it will take longer. This function is especially relevant in the summer, in hot weather — drying hair and pleasantly cooling in one fell swoop.
Overheating protection ensures safety: at critically high temperatures, the device turns off automatically, thereby preventing breakdowns and extending service life. The presence of a protective mechanism is especially important for professional hair dryers that are subjected to prolonged loads, but it would also be useful at home.
Design features
When choosing a hair dryer, you should also pay attention to its design. And we do not mean the beautiful appearance (although for many people it is also important), but the design and sizes, which affect the quality of operation and ease of use.
Sizes and weight. A hair dryer should strike a balance in weight, being neither too heavy for extended holding nor excessively light, considering the necessary internal components. The choice between an elongated or compact design depends on the user's preferences and needs. For professionals, an elongated body facilitates strand separation with a spout or attachment, while for individual use, shorter models like Dyson are popular for self-drying convenience. Travel models are the lightest and most compact, weighing around 300 – 400 g, but may sacrifice functionality. The optimal size and weight for a hair dryer are subjective, and it's advisable to personally handle the device before purchase to gauge comfort during use.
Heating element coating. The temperature of the blown stream is controlled by the heating elements, so their coating also affects the health of the hair. There are two types of coating. Metal is a budget option, which, fortunately, is no longer practically used. The fact is that such heaters do not evenly distribute heat and heat up too intensively, which can lead to drying out the hair. Therefore, it is better to choose ceramics, and more specifically — a metal heater, which is placed in a special ceramic tube. It maintains the set temperature during the entire drying procedure and does not overheat. In advanced models, ceramic can be supplemented with a coating of tourmaline, which has ionization properties.
Cable length. A cable with a length of 1.8 m or about 2 m is considered to be a certain standard for devices for drying and styling hair. But it all depends on the type of device. Travel hair dryers often have shorter cables in order not to take up a lot of space. Professional hair dryers have longer cables (about 3 meters), allowing the master to move freely. For home use, this is also convenient, because you do not have to look for a place right next to the socket. At the same time, a cable that is too long can get tangled underfoot. Therefore, first of all, start from personal needs and take into account where the socket is located, and if it is an extension cord — is it on the floor or on the table.
Removable grill. Often, fallen hair during drying ends up inside the hair dryer, and over time, dust also accumulates there. Therefore, the fan blades must be cleaned periodically. It is more convenient to do this with a grill that can be removed and provides direct access to the air intake.
In general, the choice of a hair dryer should be taken seriously, because the condition of the hair depends on it, and your appearance in general. Also, a properly selected hair dryer is the key to a beautiful and stylish hairstyle. Fortunately, the range in stores is wide, so you can easily choose the necessary model, taking into account the type and length of hair, the desired result and the available budget. For this purpose, we have convenient filters on our website by price, type of device, accessories, power, functions and other characteristics.
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