How to Pick Best Hair Dryer According to Your Hair Type

Written by Farah Ashfaq | Last modified on:

Best Hair Dryer

Having a bad hair day is a girl’s worst nightmare. Trying to tame best hair dryer at home can be frustrating especially when you need to look your best. More often than not, a blow dryer is used to style frizzy hair, and a blow-out done right can make your day, even better it makes you look years younger ! To blow dry your hair like a pro, it is important to pick the best hair dryer for yourself.

Buying a new hair dryer is not as simple as it used to be. A quick run to the online store sure can get you a cheap basic hair dryer, but it may not be right for you. Most of us make our purchases based on price and turn a blind eye to the features listed at the back of the box, thinking who needs to read that stuff, it’s just a blow dryer! Well, the special features as well as your hair type are the factors that will help you pick the best hair dryer. Here are three common technologies used in professional hair dryers.

  • Ionic

Ionic dryers are best for drying hair quickly, as they work better at low settings. Your hair is not exposed to heat for long, which keeps them moisturized and glowing. These are professional hair dryers and are suitable for all hair types. Besides, they are possibly the best hair dryers, as they generate negatively charged ions that break the water molecules in hair to keep them well conditioned.

  • Tourmaline

Semi-precious minerals are installed inside a tourmaline hair dryer, which make it produce larger number of negatively charged ions that break the water droplets and dry hair thoroughly. They work even faster than ionic hairdryers.

  • Ceramic

Ceramic hair dryers are engineered using ceramic material that creates low intensity heat and dries thoroughly; each strand of the hair will be left dry and smooth. Because of its low heat generation, these dryers cause least amount of damage to hair.

Does Buying the Right Dryer Really Matter?

Compromising on your hair care is not an option. Once your hair is damaged, it is difficult to get the shine back. Quality hair dryers come with functions that are designed to style your hair without inflicting damage. You can turn the heat up or down depending on how coarse, thick or thin your hair is. Now there are dryers that don’t cost much, but they can heat up when used longer. Heat your hair too much and you suck the moisture out of the roots making your hair frizz up. Wattage, weight and features of the hair dryer will help you make the right choice, as best hair dryer really does matter.

Hair Stylists Expert Tips for Best Hair Dryer

According to stylist expert’s opinion, the best hair dryer comes with powerful motors that generate strong airflow, so that the hair can be dried quickly with air rather frying them by too much heat. However, there are some who do not have a unanimous opinion on the wattage of blow dryers. Celebrity hair stylist Ryan Richman thinks that for at-home hair styling, a 1,300 to 1,875 wattage hair dryer is enough to get the job done, whereas his competitor Kristin Ess suggests a blow dryer with wattage 1,800 to 2,000. The 1,875 is the common wattage used for models.

A hair stylist Gareth Bromell shares that ionic and ceramic hair dryers help condition the hair and make them glow more. A hairstylist from Jonathan and George Salon says that professional hair dryers are best for ideal hair style.

It is wise to try holding the hair dryer before purchase, to see if you will be able to hold it for long without wearing your arms. Another factor to consider is the heat and power settings of the hair dryer, so you can turn it to higher or lower settings depending on your hair type. Before making a purchase, follow the below mentioned tips to get your hands on the best hair dryer.

Features to Look for in a Hair Dryer

With the best hair dryer, you can give your hair a salon worthy blow-out and leave the house like a fashionista. It is surprising how hair dryers have evolved from noisy styling tools to ones that come with variety of features. The best hair dryer is the one that has features to turn your hair from dull to shiny without frying your hair in the process. The features you should look for when buying a hair dryer are:

  • Wattage: The ideal wattage depends on your hair type. For coarse hair, a dryer with 1,600 to 2,000 wattage is ideal as coarse, curly or thick hair tend to take longer to dry. Damaged hair can be dried using a low watt hair dryer, 1,200 to 1,500, because a high watt dryer can further damage the hair. A 1,300 to 1,800 wattage is considered perfect for straight and medium hair.
  • Temperature Control: It is best to consider hair dryers with temperature control; you can set the heat level as per need and protect your hair from damage.
  • Cool Blast: Some dryers gives you an option to blast your hair with cool air when you are done with your styling. This special feature keeps the hair from frizzing as well as brings natural shine to the hair by securing the moisture in cuticles.
  • Accessories: Diffuser and concentrator nozzle are the accessories that help you with your hair styling. Make sure you use the diffuser to keep your curls last long, while nozzles are best for straight hair style and taming frizzy hair.

Quick Guide to Finding Best Hair Dryer According to your Hair Type

The following information is included about the hair dryers we’ve reviewed:

  • Hair dryer photos
  • Brand name and dryer type/model
  • Overall weight of the hair dryer
  • Combination of features
  • Pricing (by range)
  • Where to Buy

We have reviewed some of the best hair dryers that could be suitable for your hair type.

Elchim 3900 Hair Dryer

Elchim 3900 is a 2,000-watts hair dryer that produces ionic heat to break hair damaging positive ions and makes your hair look glamorous. It contains 2 concentrators and three temperature settings as well as cool blast.

Elchim 3900

Weighing at 23 ounces, it can be heavy to hold, but the handle is designed to make it feel light. You can buy it for $195 at Amazon.

Velecta Paramount X:Q Onyx Hair Dryer

Velecta paramount is a powerful hairdryer that leaves your hair look like they were styled by a professional stylist. It uses tourmaline and ceramic technology that creates negatively charged ions to heat all the strands of hair quickly.

Velecta Paramount

As it’s a high wattage blow dryer, 2,000 watts, it is best for coarse and thick hair. It weighs 18 ounces, is quite expensive. However, the temperature controls and cool blast make it a worthy bargain. You can buy it for $239 at Walmart.

T3 Featherweight 2 Hair Dryer

T3 Featherweight 2 uses a different technology than the other products in our list. “SofAir” uses a special fan that produces a slow airflow, which soothes frizzy hair.

T3 Featherweight

The tourmaline generates low intensity heat to keep the frizz down, making it the best hair dryer for frizzy hair. The lightweight T3 weighs 13 ounces, comes with cool shot and contains a concentrator for just $131.6.

Andis 1875 W Turbo Hair Dryer

Andis 1875 is an affordable hair dryer that costs only $50. However, it does not feature ionic heating technology to protect your hair.

Andis 1875

If you are looking for a dryer to quickly give your hair a blow before leaving for work, then you should go for it. It has only 1 concentrator and weighs 28 ounces. The 1,875 wattage is perfect for medium hair.

Babyliss Pro Titanium Hair Dryer

Babyliss Pro is another budget friendly hair dryer with a powerful 2,000 wattage motor that uses titanium technology for hair drying. It provides heat quicker than ionic hair dryers, but it doesn’t dry hair as evenly as others. Titanium hair dryers are also ionic, so even heating or not, they will still leave your hair shining.

Babyliss Pro

Babyliss Pro is heavier of all weighing 32 ounces. It comes with four temperature settings, a concentrator and a cool blast. At $79 it offers a lot of good features.