The best hairdryers
The staple of haircare and styling is the humble hair dryer. With huge advances in technology, the hairdryer can now deliver exceptional results, fast dry time and a glossy finish with minimal damage to hair. There are a huge variety of dryers available so, what key features should you look out for?
Of course, power behind the dryer is important, more power means more oomph behind that heated gust of wind, but even the cheapest on the market can produce an amazing 2000W - (that's speed drying power). The heating element of a hairdryer can make or break a quality dryer. The best quality tools use a ceramic heating element that produces infrared heat, producing a salon-worthy blow-dry without any long-term damage.
You might notice the word ionic, associated with hairdryers and this buzzword essentially refers to your dryer producing negative ions. You may be thinking, 'why are ions relevant in hair tools? ' Well, they actually break up the water molecules in damp hair, creating a faster result and spread moisture evenly to create a better pro-like finish. Think glossy and smooth, rather than frizzy and parched. Other features to make note of include a salon-length cable, useful for sparse plug sockets and a range of attachment nozzles, all make for effortless, achievable styling. Here are the top tools to try.
BaByliss has been producing great hair care tools for decades and their 2100 Elegance dryer is a worthy addition. With the all important ceramic heating tool within the motor and 2100W power system the dryer is a steal for just ￡30. It's incredibly light and easy to hold for a long time but the only drawback may be the 2m length cable so a plug socket nearby is a must and it only has two speed settings to choose from.
The sleek, black engineering of ghd hair tools make them extremely popular and ghd make no exceptions with their quiet and powerful Air dryer. This lightweight dryer is comfortable to hold, produces a concentrated blast of air at 2100W and uses advanced ionic technology to give a mirror-like shine to freshly washed, lackluster hair. Variable power and temperature, including a cold shot setting, give you maximum control. If you're fed up with the noisy, heavy machines of years gone by, you may be surprised at the soft, minimal hum the ghd Air creates when in use.
Elchim 3900 Healthy Ionic Dryer, ￡98
If a salon finish blow dry is what you're aiming for, the 3900 from Elchim is a professional standard product not to be passed up. The tool delivers 2400W and is the most powerful dryer on the market. With three temperature settings and three speed settings, the amount of control is excellent. A lightweight model with 2.7m cable, you can see why the experts recommend this piece of technology.
Some serious engineering is behind the latest model from Dyson. Synonymous with the vacuum cleaner, the brand have spent years crafting the perfect beauty accessory to improve hair drying. The ergonomic design is completely different to others in the market and is strikingly beautiful. The patented Air Multiplier technology means airflow is amplified to produce a high-velocity jet of air and the 1600W motor, cleverly placed in the device's handle, spins on average 6 times faster than other hair dryer motors. Precise temperature/speed controls and magnetic attachments mean super easy switch ups between styles has never been so quick.
Panasonic EH-NA65-K Smooth and Shiny, ￡59.99
When hair is prone to breakage, the common culprit can be a harsh, hot hairdryer. The Panasonic EH-NA65-K uses Nanoe technology, (pronounced Nano-e) to maintain the integrity of the hair while producing an effective stream of air. The electrostatic atomised water particles, replacing negative ions common in other dryers, penetrate the hair to maintain an optimum water balance in the hair. Resulting in smooth, hydrated locks without the frizz or long term damage.
Despite the steep price tag, the T3 does deliver in terms of technology. The integrated volume booster has an amazing five heat and two speed settings and an auto pause sensor that pauses power as you let go of the dryer handle, (amazing news for blow driers that prefer to section off hair and find the on/off switch a hassle.) The T3 truly is a salon professional product that you can use at home.
Ultra compact, light and incredibly easy to maneuver the HD130 is the perfect travel companion. This device is completely foldable, small enough to carry around, yet is big on delivery. Infrared heating elements prevent damage occurring to your natural hair texture and the 1600W packed into the motor is an astonishing amount of power for such a little machine. If you are always on the go and find that hotel hair dryers can be a little unpredictable, sometimes absent, then worry not, the HD130 is just at hand.
An aesthetically pleasing hairdryer may not be at the top of your priority list, however it's time to reconsider as the Parlux 3200 comes in a range of delicious, sugary colours. Not to be underestimated with its tiny 20cm size, it packs a powerful 1900W motor which produces one of the most powerful airflow's for its size. The hard part is choosing the red, black, brown, silver, pink or purple?
To achieve 24 hour salon worthy style, the Remington Proluxe is the perfect blow dry companion. With OPTIheat technology that produces heat where the hair needs it, a style shot feature to set hair in place and an exclusively designed nozzle to concentrate airflow and heat distribution, making it easier to focus on one area at a time and prevent frizz.
Toni & Guy Daily Conditioning Dryer, ￡23
For regular hair washers that cannot go a day or two without a blow dry, the Daily Conditioning Dryer from Toni & Guy may be suitable. The compact size is impressive and doesn't compromise on power. The 1800W motor produces a powerful yet controlled stream of ironically charged air, minimising unwanted frizz to create shiny, manageable locks.