Price: When shopping for a hair dryer, we recommend starting with your budget. At full price, most of the hair dryers on this list are over $200, but they’re often on sale for less. If you use your hair dryer every day and your hairstyle depends on it, then a pricier dryer could be worth the extra cost. However, if you only use a hair dryer occasionally for simple drying, you’ll want to go with our Conair Ion Shine 1875 budget pick under $50. As for the most expensive model on this list, it’s the Dyson Airwrap Co-anda2x at $750.
Wattage: The higher the wattage, the more power, which can correlate to higher heat intensity and faster drying times. If the latter isn’t important to you, then a lower wattage may be best. The hair dryer with the lowest wattage on this list is the Shark Glam at 1,500 watts, while the highest is the Conair Ion Shine 1875 at 1,875 watts.
Attachments: If you do your own blowouts at home, you may want your hair dryer to come with a brush or concentrator attachment. For curly hair, a diffuser will be necessary. For those who like to curl their straight hair, the curlers that come with the Shark Glam or FlexStyle can come in handy. The Glam even comes with a straightener, which can help tame frizzy hair. If attachments are important to you, make sure you check which ones come with the hair dryer you’re eyeing.
The pink Dyson Airwrap Co-anda2x and all of its attachments
Weight and size: If your hair typically takes longer to dry, you may not want to hold a heavy, bulky dryer for that long. That’s why weight and size can be important to consider, especially if you have a disability that affects the amount of weight you can hold in your hand. The lightest hair dryer we tested is the Dyson Supersonic r at 0.7 pounds, while the heaviest is the Conair Ion Shine 1875 at 2.05 pounds.
In terms of size, we like the Shark Flex Pro because its foldable handle reduces its footprint by half. That’s why it was selected as the best hair dryer for travel.
Special features: Some dryers have a “scalp protect” feature that reduces temperature and airflow when it detects the dryer is close to the scalp, helping prevent heat damage. Others adjust the heat and airflow based on the attachment being used, a process called attachment learning or, for Shark products, “IQ styling.” As for ionic hair dryers, they are designed to release negative ions that neutralize the static electricity-causing positive ions, thereby reducing frizz.
Heat and speed settings: Hair dryers have varying heat and speed settings, and some even offer a “cold” setting to reduce heat damage. On this list, the most you will see is four heat and three speed settings, while the least is two heat and two speed settings for our budget pick: the Conair Ion Shine 1875. If you have damaged hair, you may want to consider a dryer with a lower heat setting to prevent further heat damage.
The speed and heat controls on the Shark Flex Pro
Warranty: A warranty can give you peace of mind when you purchase your hair dryer, allowing you to replace the dryer or certain parts if there’s an issue. If your hair dryer has a limited warranty, you’ll want to read the fine print to understand exactly what is covered. The best warranty on this list is the two-year limited, offered by both Shark and Dyson. However, if you buy the Turbo 2600, you only get a one-year warranty.
