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The Best Hair Dryers of 2022 → Reviewed & Ranked

PriceRunner

We tested the latest hair dryers and consider the Babyliss Pro Digital 6000E as the best of the best. Let’s just say it blew us away. It is a powerful hair dryer that dries the hair quickly without needing to be especially hot. It’s also rather quiet and has many setting options.

We have named the GHD Helios as the best premium hair dryer. This is a powerful, good quality hair dryer for professionals or for styling novices, which offers an exclusive finish.

The Best Hair Dryers of 2022 → Reviewed & Ranked

How we did the test

Our tests are independently conducted and reflect the test editor's honest and objective opinions. Selection of products and test results are in no way influenced by manufacturers, retailers or other internal or external parties.

1. Babyliss Pro Digital 6000E - BEST CHOICE HAIR DRYER 2022

Powerful and quiet hair dryer with simple controls and diffusers to effectively dry your hair

Babyliss Pro Digital BA6000E

Immediately after you switch on the lightweight Babyliss Pro Digital, you're struck by the fact that this hair dryer is quieter than many other models. Silent hair dryers are yet to hit the market, making this model one of the best in terms of reduced noise. This is partly due to the digital motor, which isn’t merely quieter but also offers good airflow.

The design is on the traditional side, but the Pro Digital is still much lighter than it looks, which also makes it easy to use. You never get tired arms from holding it even if you have thick hair that takes a long time to get dry. The Babyliss Pro Digital has three accessories – one diffuser and two nozzles, and one of the latter is the narrowest nozzle on the market. With a width of just 4 mm, you can style with exceptional accuracy.

The airflow is good and it doesn’t take long before your hair is completely dry. There are three different options for air speed, including a turbo mode that increases both the flow and air pressure considerably. You can set the hair dryer to blow cold air, which is really useful when you want to set your hairstyle. These different settings are controlled via clear buttons on the handle. When you use the heat setting, the temperature reaches 70 degrees, which means that the risk of damaging your hair is significantly less. And if you use it together with a heat protection treatment, your hair will be really shiny.

This is a really good hair dryer – with diffusers, great airflow, a long cable, quiet and easy to hold. The only negative aspect is that it feels a bit plasticky, but that doesn’t prevent the Babyliss Pro Digital from being a top performer.

Effectivepowerfulquietsimple controls
A bit plastickyexpensive

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2. Xiaomi Mi Ionic H300 – BEST BUDGET CHOICE

A compact hair dryer that’s ideal if you want a quiet model

Xiaomi Mi Ionic H300

The Xiaom Mi Ionic H300 is a compact hair dryer that looks like one of the most expensive hair dryers on the market. It’s easy to see where Xiaomi took its design inspiration. This begs the question: how does it compare to a product that costs ten times as much?

Although there are a lot of differences between the Xiaomi Mi Ionic H300 and its design inspiration – including the actual motor and technology – there are actually a few similarities. Even beyond the design. For example, the Xiaomi hair dryer is really lightweight (465 grams including the lead, but without the accompanying nozzle). It also maintains a relatively low temperature, even at the maximum setting. When we measure the temperature of the air flow, it’s consistently below 60 degrees. This comfortable temperature protects your hair from heat damage.

It’s easy to switch between cool and hot air, and a small light indicates when you’re using the higher temperature (red light indicator) or the lower temperature (blue light indicator). The strength of the air flow is also regulated by a button on the handle and there are two modes to choose from.

Quiet and makes an excellent travel dryer

No hair dryer is completely silent, but the Xiaom Mi Ionic H300 is still relatively quiet compared to many other models on the market. But it’s worth mentioning that the lead is quite short at 170 centimetres – something that you need to consider if you have a long distance between your mirror and power outlet.

The white surface feels nice and fresh, but is easy to scuff and soon collects small black marks. If you’re looking for a home hair dryer that can double as a good travel dryer, the Xiaom Mi Ionic H300 will be an excellent choice. It takes up little space, is so light that even children find it fun to use, and maintains a comfortable temperature while efficiently drying your hair.

Lightweightlow temperaturecompact design
Short leadsoon gets scuff marks

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Xiaomi Mi Ionic Hair Dryer - White

£35.49

3. GHD Helios

An effective and stylish hair dryer that feels light in the hand

GHD Helios 2200W

It's hard not to be interested when GHD release new products onto the market. So it’s not surprising that there was a lot of interest in the GHD Helios. But does this new GHD product maintain the same high standards as before? The answer is definitely yes!

As with GHD's previous hair dryers, the Helios is another well-thought-out styling tool that keeps all of its promises. For example, the Helios promises to be much lighter to use. And in terms of weight, while the difference is small when you compare dryers, the GHD Helios really does feel lighter as soon as you take it out of the box.

The sound level also turns out to be much more comfortable than that of other products in the same segment. Of course it still makes a noise, but what hair dryer doesn’t? But it doesn’t deafen you, which is a clear bonus when you're doing your hair in the early morning rush.

But the GHD Helios isn’t only significantly lighter and quieter than other dryers, it’s also really effective at drying your hair. It has plenty of blowing power, but whether that has anything to do with the slightly stronger motor is hard to say.

In terms of design, from a distance, the Helios looks like just any other hair dryer. But up close you appreciate that it’s actually a really stylish looking hair dryer. The fact that it’s also available in several different colours is another little plus.

The Helios hair dryer is equipped with a silicone loop, to make it easy to hang up. The buttons are easy to access on the handle and, in addition to controls for air strength and heat, there’s also a setting for cold air. Of course, the Helios uses ionic technology producing glossy hair as a result.

The GHD Helios is truly a well thought out product, reflecting real progress since GHD's last hair dryer release. It’s easy to manoeuvre, dries your hair really fast, has an extremely generous cable length and produces really glossy hair.

Lightweightdries quicklyattractive
Expensive

4. Dyson Supersonic

Super effective and quiet hair dryer with a clever design that produces shiny hair

Dyson Supersonic

The Dyson Supersonic is clear proof that it’s possible to change how we dry our hair. The first thing you notice is the design. The Supersonic doesn’t look like a traditional hair dryer. This is because it doesn’t have the heating element and fan that you get in normal hair dryers. The digital motor is in the handle, which means the centre of gravity lies in your hand, simultaneously making the hair dryer easier to hold. The Supersonic is quite heavy, but because of how the weight is distributed it doesn’t negatively affect the experience when using the hair dryer.

The Supersonic has three heat settings, three different airflows and a cold mode. You change the settings effortlessly via small buttons on the back of the hair dryer. If you choose the highest temperature, the air never gets hotter than 100 degrees. A normal hair dryer can produce air as hot as 220 degrees. Because the Supersonic works at a lower temperature, your hair isn’t damaged in the same way (but that still doesn’t mean you can skip the heat protection treatment). It’s also nice not to get that “burning scalp” feeling. Even the material of the hair dryer and accessories stay relatively cool, so you don’t singe your fingers when you change the nozzle.

The accessories – one diffuser and two different nozzles – are magnetic, making it child’s play to attach and remove them. It’s surprisingly satisfying not to have to fiddle around with accessories that have to be screwed on or off. Instead, they just go ‘Click’. Even the noise level of the Dyson Supersonic is pleasant.

The Supersonic is a luxurious hair dryer that has nothing wrong with it. The extremely powerful airflow dries your hair quickly and the results are lovely and shiny. But the price tag would make even the most hardened shopaholic think twice. If you only blow dry your hair for special occasions, the Supersonic probably won’t be a good investment. But if you spend a lot of time and money on your hair and appreciate the experience that Dyson offer with the Supersonic, you could say you’ll be blown away by it.

Effectiveattractivequietone of the fastest for drying
Incredibly expensive

5. Cloud Nine The Airshot

Attractive hair dryer with long cable and plenty of power

Cloud Nine The Airshot

This stylish black hair dryer isn’t something you need to hide away in a drawer. It’s matte black, attractive and looks like it would be at home in a salon. The Airshot doesn’t offer any odd features - or anything particularly outstanding. It’s easy to use, simple but powerful.

When measured, the volume is about the same as the majority of other hair dryers but feels less piercing. The cable is a generous 2.7 meres in length so you can almost take it for a walk.

On the downside, The Airshot is surprisingly heavy, which makes it a pain to hold after a while. On the other hand, it does dry your hair quickly. If you simply want dry hair, the weight doesn’t become a problem. But if you want to style your hair it could become more annoying.

The hair dryer has an ionising function, which reduces the static electricity in your hair. It doesn’t have a diffuser, though – the practical funnel-shaped nozzle that’s essential for curly hair. And given the price this feels a bit stingy. Of course, you can buy one separately, but most of the hair dryers in this price segment (and even significantly cheaper products) usually come with diffusers. It does include two nozzles to direct the airflow, however.

The Airshot has two heat settings and a cooling function. An LED indicator on the back of the hair dryer shows whether the airflow is turned to hot or cold. This feels like a rather pointless feature but adds to the aesthetic.

For effective drying, this stylish hair dryer works extremely well. But if you're on a budget, there are alternatives that are at least as effective and will leave you with a healthier bank balance.

Generous cablepowerfulattractive
Rather expensivequite heavy

6. Remington PROLuxe AC9140

An aesthetically appealing and very powerful hair dryer

Remington PROluxe AC9140

The affordable Remington PROLuxe hair dryer isn't only an attractive piece of kit; it's a powerful hair dryer that at the same time is gentle on your hair. The hair dryer has an effective 2400-watt AC motor which can dry hair quickly without needing a lot of heat. The Remington PROluxe has two speed settings and three heat settings, in addition to its ‘Cool Shot’ function. In relation to the hair drying power it provides, it's a relatively light machine. Ergonomically, the hair dryer fits nicely in your hands and is easy to use. It has a long cable which makes it practical to use either professionally or at home. It comes with two different air concentrators that have different thicknesses, together with a diffuser.

The PROLuxe is aesthetically attractive with a light pink matte finish combined with shiny copper details separating its different surfaces. This makes the hair dryer a bit more enjoyable to get out and use. There aren't many negative aspects to the hair dryer worth commenting on, except maybe that the noise level is a little high. In general, the Remington PROLuxe is a very good product, which performs very well in relation to its price tag.

Attractive designvery powerfulwith diffusersaffordable
Slightly noisy

7. Parlux 3800 Eco Friendly Ionic & Ceramic Edition

A lightweight hair dryer that manages to dry hair quickly and includes two different nozzles

Parlux 3800 Eco Ceramic & Ionic

The Parlux 3800 is a compact and neat hair dryer manufactured from recycled materials. It has a ceramic ionic heating element which uses ion technology to make your hair shinier and less flyaway. While this might sound like marketing spiel, it does actually work. The controls are distinct but have a slightly confusing colour scheme – such as the cold air button being red rather than blue. Despite it not being a travel hair dryer as such, its compact format makes it easy to pack into your suitcase if needed. We also liked the fact that the hair dryer is relatively environmentally friendly, as well as being effective at drying your locks.

Low weightdries hair quicklyincludes two nozzles
Controls can feel slightly sharp on the handno diffuser included

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8. Philips DryCare PRO BHD272

A hair dryer with all the basic functions

Philips DryCare Pro BHD272

If you’re looking for a hair dryer that breathes life into your hair without draining the life out of your purse, Philips have many affordable models to choose from. The Philips DryCare PRO BHD272 isn’t one of their cheapest models, but the price still keeps it in the lower segment.

This is a reliable hair dryer that does exactly what you’d expect from it. The 2100 W motor is pretty standard when it comes to power for a hair dryer – but power isn’t the whole story. If you look at some of Dyson's hair dryers, which are known for fast drying, they have 1600 W motors – so it’s not a simple question of the higher the power, the more efficient the dryer.

The Philips DryCare dries your hair pretty quickly, which is fortunate because it feels slightly unbalanced in the hand. If you look at the weight, it’s not actually heavier than other dryers. But it feels it heavier. Your wrist quickly gets tired, which we think must be due to the design rather than the weight itself.

The hair dryer is nice to look at, and you can be proud to hang it somewhere visible using the small loop designed for this purpose. One small minus, however, is that the power cable is less than 1.8 metres in length – making it long enough for many jobs but not all. So for example if you don’t have a power outlet in the bathroom or near your mirror, 1.8 m is actually too short.

If you dry your hair often or use a hair dryer as a styling tool for more advanced hairstyles, it may be worth spending a few pounds extra to buy a dryer that feels much more comfortable to use.

Attractivegood priceefficient
Feels heavier than it isshortish cable

Everything you need to know about hair dryers

A good hair dryer can be the difference between a chaotic start to the day and a smooth morning routine. A good hair dryer is also the key to every trendy hairstyle.

When it comes to choosing which hair dryer to buy, remember that it's easier, quicker, more fun and more pleasant to dry and style your hair when you have one of the best hair dryers. Currently, there is a plethora of different models on the market - everything from luxurious super lightweight travel hair dryers and eco-friendly models through to more powerful, salon-ready hair dryers for professionals. There are even special hair dryers for fine hair. They vary a great deal in terms of their price, noise level, power usage and temperature output (in both hot and cold air functions). You shouldn't try to scrimp too much when buying a hair dryer. Cheaper models can often make your hair difficult to handle and leave it feeling static and frizzy. Through our test, we hope to have helped you buy the right hair dryer so bad hair days are a thing of the past.

The most important parameter when choosing the right hair dryer is that it is effective but also gentle on your hair. Using too much heat can burn the scalp and leave the hair feeling both damaged and lifeless. Nowadays, a state-of-the-art hair dryer doesn't just dry your hair fastest but cares for it as well, helping the hair to become soft, smooth, shiny and retain its moisture balance. Hair dryers that use ceramic technology allow for a more even distribution of heat, while an ionising hair dryer neutralises positive ions. These technologies effectively counteract tangles and static electricity, while reducing the risk of dry and brittle hair. As a result, hair becomes easier to work with and more flexible so that you can create great looking short and long hairstyles. If you're used to the previous generation of hair dryers, you'll be amazed about the softness, lustre and shine that a modern hair dryer can produce.

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