11 Best Hair Dryers in 2024 Reviewed by Allure Editors

Table Of Content

• Best Hair Dryers in 2024, Reviewed by Allure Editors
• How we test and review products
• InfinitiPro by Conair Quick Styling Salon Hair Dryer
• Best Blow-Dryer Brush: Revlon Salon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer
• Gold ‘N Hot 1400-Watt Professional Hard Hat Salon Dryer
• How do hair dryer attachments work?
• Our pick: Rusk W8less Professional 2000 Watt Dryer

Dyson in 2023 introduced a pared-down package, the Supersonic Origin, which includes only the dryer and a concentrator attachment. The motor sits in the handle of the dryer rather than in the head. The handle is straight and a tad thicker than that of the Rusk W8less, too. Dyson says the motor placement makes the weight of the dryer more balanced, since it’s not top-heavy. The difference isn’t huge, but over weeks of using the Supersonic, we found ourselves appreciating the configuration. If you have trouble holding a typical dryer overhead, the weight distribution of this one might make gripping easier, a reader told us.

Best Hair Dryers in 2024, Reviewed by Allure Editors

Shannon Palus reviewed hair dryers for Wirecutter from 2015 to 2017. Jessica Cruel blow drying her natural hair with the Dyson Airwrap straightening brush. The Conair InfinitiPro SmoothWrap Hair Dryer is slower and has a shorter cord than all of our picks. However, it is lightweight (a pound), and it reaches temperatures above 245 °F.

How we test and review products

It’s heavy, but you don’t have to hold it high like a conventional dryer. It has a 5.5-foot hose that attaches to a 9-inch heat-producing wand. At 2 pounds, the wand alone is heavier than any of our dryer picks.

InfinitiPro by Conair Quick Styling Salon Hair Dryer

If you have curly hair and prefer using a diffuser to dry it, you have to buy one separately (though it’s best to buy a hair dryer that comes with one). Despite what magazine lists and advertisements would have you believe, most hair dryers are one-size-fits-all. No dryer will make your hair exceptionally more voluminous and glossy than another.

The buttons are easy to use, but the cool-shot button is a little small and harder to hold down than the cool-shot button on our top pick. The RevAir is unlike any other hair-drying, heat-styling tool we’ve tested. For people with Type 3 or 4 curl patterns especially, this vacuum-like device is gentle on fragile strands and can cut down total drying time significantly.

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But at a pound and a half, it also ties for the heaviest dryer we’ve looked at. Its buttons are strangely placed and unlabeled, and it doesn’t have a cool shot. It used to be our favorite dryer that came with a straightening pick, but we now prefer the Pattern Blow Dryer. Many hair dryers come with (or are compatible with) attachments that allow you to tailor your blow-out experience to your needs.

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How do hair dryer attachments work?

Elchim offers an impressive warranty and repair program that covers all its hair dryers. At 1.2 pounds, however, the Elchim Classic 2001 is heavier than our picks, and we found the handle to be thick and awkward to hold. Most hair dryers are effective at blowing hot air toward your head—sometimes quite fast—in order to speed along your hairstyling. It’s the small differences between models that can make a big difference overall, particularly with daily use.

Our pick: Rusk W8less Professional 2000 Watt Dryer

An impressive 800 Watts of professional power and 4 Heat Settings (cool, low, medium, and high) combine for ultimate styling power and versatility. The unit’s long flexible hose and Jumbo-size Drawstring provide ample space and maneuverability for comfortable bonnet placement over all roller sizes. Storage space is minimized with a retractable handle and separate compact compartments for bonnet and cord. To minimize heat damage, look for tools that feature multiple temperature settings because high heat isn't always necessary—especially for fine hair types. If you have the time, low heat is best for stymieing damage caused by heated hair tools, and don't forget to prep with a heat-protectant. You might already be using one, though, as many leave-in products include protective ingredients.

Budget pick: InfinitiPro by Conair 1875-Watt Salon Performance AC Motor Styling Tool

Cosmetic chemist Ginger King previously told Allure readers to look for heat-protecting products whose formulas feature ingredients like meadowfoam seed oil and VP/DMAPA acrylates copolymer. Familiar additives like aloe and argan oil help, too, sealing the hair cuticle for extra defense. The Bio Ionic 10X Ultralight Speed Dryer is a tad lighter (0.92 pounds) than our top pick and has a slightly longer cord.

The Hot Tools Pro Artist White Gold Digital Salon Dryer, the Panasonic Nanoe EH-NA65, and the Panasonic Nanoe EH-NA67 were all slower, heavier, and more expensive than the Rusk W8less. The InfinitiPro typically comes with a concentrator and a diffuser. Although these pieces snap onto the nozzle, they look as if they might screw on, which can be confusing at first.

Optimal power and versatility make this 1875-Watt Professional Hair Dryer a fundamental tool for any salon. The Air Concentrator and Double Pik Attachment make drying more precise, while functionality is expanded with the appliance’s dual speed and heat settings. We found the position of the speed and heat buttons on the back of the dryer’s head less than ideal, and the cool-shot button is in an awkward spot at the very top of the handle. If you don’t change speeds and temperature a lot, though, the button locations might be a bonus, as they are hard to hit accidentally. Meanwhile, the cord has a small power bar near the plug, which itself is bulky.

However, its 9.5-foot cord ties with that of the GHD Helios for the second-longest cord among the dryers we’ve tried. One tester found that the heavier cord tired out her arms when she was drying the top of her head, though resting the power bar (which most dryers do not have) on the counter helped. The sound the Supersonic emits is a high-pitched whine, with none of the low rattle that other dryers put out. Whether this sound is more pleasant, as the company claims, is a matter of personal opinion, though. As with any dryer, the sound of whooshing air is physically impossible to eliminate.

At an impressive 11 feet long, the currently unavailable CHI Touch 2 Dryer’s cord is the longest of any dryer we’ve tested, but this dryer is more expensive and much slower than the Rusk W8less. It also has a mere one year of warranty coverage, and its nonintuitive touchscreen felt gimmicky. Compared with the Rusk W8less, the Amika Accomplice Compact Dryer (currently unavailable) is heavier, limited to a lower max temperature (215 °F), and double the price.

Unlike on other dryers, the cool-shot button is wide, so holding it down for several seconds isn’t uncomfortable. All of the dryers took more or less the same amount of time to dry hair. Sarah Han after using the Dyson hair dryer with smooth, frizz-free hair. This is a particularly good hair dryer for those who want something that doesn't sound like a jet engine taking off in your bathroom.