WH tested all the top blow dryers to find the best ones (2025)

Although my hair is long and I have a lot of it, it's very, very fine. It's flat to the point of almost looking limp, and starts to look dry fairly quickly. This means I have to especially careful about the hair dryer I opt to use.

As my hair is fine and relatively easy to manage, I used to think that a fancy hair dryer with all the bells and whistles was unnecessary for me and a luxurious hair dryer would be a bit wasted on me.

How wrong I was.

I received a Dyson Airwrap as a (very generous) Christmas gift a couple of years ago, and over that time it's quickly become my favourite piece of kit - as well as the most often borrowed from my friends and housemates.

Having the freedom to swap between attachments means it couldn't be simpler to switch up my hair styles. If I want that classic bombshell blowout I'll use the volumising round brush, if I want sleek strands I'll use the brush attachment, and if I was bouncy curls I'll use the airwrap barrels.

The only thing I will say is that for others with fine hair, you do need to make sure you use a good volumising mousse and hair spray to keep your styles in place. It's a great hair dryer but it's not a miracle worker, and if you find your styles tend to drop quickly, it will be the same with an Airwrap.

Key specifications

I've stayed in a lot of hotels in my time, and one thing I've learned is that you cannot rely on the hotel hair dryer to be any good. Sometimes you get lucky, but if you're in any way particular about the dryer you use, it might be best to just invest in one you can take with you.

The ghd Flight+ Travel Hair Dryer, is lightweight enough to tuck into your carry on, but packs a punch when it comes to power. I'd assumed that because it was compact and light it would be weak, but I was pleasantly surprised by its power. It's not as strong as a full size dryer, but it takes up a lot less room in your suitcase and still gets the job done.

The dryer comes with a very slick case which looks great, but in my experience it takes up a bit too much (very precious) bag space, so I leave the case behind when I bring it with me.

Read more: Best travel hair dryers

Key specifications

As a low-maintenance haircare person (I do a 50% effort ‘curly girl’ method - max), If I’m going to spend time diffusing my curls, it’s got to be worth it. My hair usually dries fairly frizz-free after a quick scrunch of curl cream and gel post-wash, but I’m often left yearning for more definition and hold. Enter: the Bellisima Italia Diffon Supreme.

First up, if you’ve ever diffused your curls you’ll know the special kind of wrist ache that develops when you’re holding the dryer to your head. With the Diffon Supreme’s comfortable and lightweight design, this is a thing of the past. All three temperature levels felt comfortable on my head (I’m impatient, so usually opted for the highest level), aided by the silicone diffuser tips.

This stylishly designed diffuser’s extra-large size makes light work of my shoulder-length hair, achieving super soft, defined curls at 80% dry in just over 10 minutes. The lack of curl crunchiness impressed me, too – likely down to the argan oil technology, which I’m told combats common curly girl issues like dryness and frizz.

The cool air shot takes just seconds to come shooting through the perforated diffuser tips (unlike my current dryer, which takes approximately 3 working days to switch temperature) and provides a much-needed curl lock-in that results in the bounciest curls I’ve had outside of the salon.

The sleek little bag included is handy for safe storage, and the pro-level cord means you can always find a sweet spot between a plug socket and mirror.

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As someone with short, fine curly hair that’s prone to frizz, a hairdryer that allows me extensive heat and power control is an essential – step forward The Great Hairdryer from Hershesons.

First impressions, the packaging is super luxe – I’ve never had a hairdryer that comes with its own padded packing case before. Although the traditional electric blue won’t be for everyone, it certainly stands out on a dressing table.

Once you’ve delved inside (and got through the frankly fairly complicated instruction manual – I’ve also never had a hairdryer with its own self-cleaning ability before?!) you notice quite how light the tool is. Hershesons promise it weighs less than a can of Coke, and I can fully believe it. Even after a pretty intense arms workout, this hairdryer is easy to manoeuvre and hold at various angles around your head whilst your hair decides whether today is a good or bad day.

Luckily, The Great Hairdryer maximises your chances of having a good hair day, particularly when using the diffuser attachment and selecting the exact heat and power settings that suit you. You’ve got 4 temperatures and 3 speeds to choose from, plus a cool shot to set styles in place.

For my hair type, low and slow is the way to go, and you’re able to lock in the combination of heat and air flow levels once you’re satisfied, so there’s no faffing around – particularly helpful if you’re also normally running late getting ready (guilty).

Once you wrap your head round the techy elements (there’s also a smart pad that automatically stops the hairdryer when you put it on it, perfect if you’re using a barrel brush to style it up straight), this is a lightweight, quiet and luxe-feeling hairdryer that’ll see you through any curly-hair crisis.

Key specifications

We didn’t expect to let out a gasp of delight when testing the Shark SpeedStyle, but this is a styling tool that impressed from the get-go. Weighing just 660g, it’s super lightweight, eliminating arm ache in comparison to bulkier designs. Ergonomically, it’s fantastic too: the handle is comfortable to hold, the buttons are easily reachable and the compact, slimline design makes it a great travel-friendly option for weekends away.

But the real ‘wow factor’ is the power. There are three airflow levels, with the top one reaching 100mph in less than a second. Results are impressively fast. If you need to do a quick turn-around like our tester (a frequent early morning runner who often has just 10-minutes to deal with their thick, wet hair) it’s pretty game-changing. The narrow barrel also makes the SpeedStyle Pro a great option for shorter styles, as it focuses the airflow. If you’ve got longer hair, you might prefer something slightly wider, though.

Additional benefits include a ‘Scalp Shield’ mode, which regulates the temperature to one that is optimised for scalp safety, minimising hear damage, and three styling attachments: a QuickSmooth Brush, a FrizzFighting Finishing Tool and a Turbo Concentrator. Our tester, who has a thick bob that’s prone to flicking out at the front, liked the Turbo Concentrator best for creating a sleek, straight look. ‘I haven’t had to use my straighteners for anything but my bangs since testing this,’ they said.

Overall, a pricey investment, but one that’s worth every penny when it comes to its lightweight design and fast results.

Key specifications

I was really excited to try this, not only because I bagged the gorge limited-edition Champagne Diamond version, which comes incrusted with 20,000 crystals, but because who doesn’t love a multi-tasking gadget.

I appreciated that you could use this as a conventional dryer, and this one was super powerful - drying my hair very quickly. The diffuser attachment was also a joy to use, and the adjustable prongs were a nice touch – as you can target your roots to boost volume.

My experience with the other attachments was a mixed bag. When it came to the brushes, I found they pulled a little too much on my hair for my liking and I did get some breakage, but the oval brush straightened out my curls well and defrizzed rather impressively.

While the paddle brush stretched out my curls, though to get my hair dead straight I needed to use a straightening iron post paddle attachment.

The curling wands, one for the left side and one for the right weren’t the easiest to use, and the air power wasn’t as strong as others I’ve tried. But when it did work, the curls it left in its wake were gorge – they just didn’t last very long on me – even when set with hair spray.

Key specifications

This has to be the cutest hair dryer I ever did see. Its colourful exterior is so fun, and gives major ‘good vibes’.

At first glance I did wonder whether this would be a case of style over substance, how could such a teensy-weensy dryer get the job done?! However, I was very quickly proven wrong, it’s small, but mighty! The average dryer uses 800-1800 watts, and this is impressively hitting 1200, which means it dried my hair pretty fast.

Not only that but it has tourmaline and ceramic parts that banish frizz – and I was mightily impressed at how well it smoothed my hair when using the straightening nozzle.

But, let’s be real – though my hair is fine, I have a decent amount of it, and it’s long, so while I was impressed with the results – there’s no way I could blow-dry my whole head straight with this or diffuse my curls in an acceptable amount of time. With that said, it’s perfect for short hair girlies (natural or relaxed) and for smoothing out roots to maintain a blow-dry on a short trip.

Key specifications

I know a lot of women with afro-textured hair love a dryer with a hair pick attachment to help stretch out curls and coils, pre hot comb or straightening irons. But they just remind me of those painful visits to the hairdresser I used to frequent in my early teens – she was heavy-handed, and I was pocked and prodded by her hair pick attachment on every visit.

Since then, I’ve steered clear, but for the sake of you lovely lot I was willing to test this dryer – pick attachment and all. First and foremost, the air pressure on this dryer is impressive (when directed at my face it literally looked like I was in an air tunnel- see I’ll do anything for research) and it dried my hair swiftly.

While the first heat setting felt cold to me, the second was warm enough to dry my hair, while I imagine the hottest setting (which you can’t use with the pick) would work really well to straighten the most coiliest of textures.

The pick was more flexible than the ones I remember of old – but I still didn’t fare well with it personally – I felt like it tangled my long hair and there was some breakage too – with that said, I’m not a pro at using it.

I much preferred whipping out my paddle brush and using the longer of the two nozzles to stretch out my curls before taking an iron to them. It’s a shame that this didn’t come with a diffuser for us natural girlies as the tourmaline grille and ionic technology did what they’re supposed to, which is to de-frizz and lock in moisture for added shine – and I’d have liked to see how that translated to my curls.

Key specifications

You get one life, and I've spent a decent part of it drying my hair. My fine, straight strands falls around lower-back length, and are frizzy with flyaways, especially at the ends. It takes around 15 – 18 minutes to dry, which is too long to afford four to five times per week. So when the Silk’n’ SilkyAir Pro HDB003 hair dryer promised sleekness without the heat damage and in less time, I leapt at the chance to try it.

Over a few uses, I alternated the temperature between 75, 85 and 98 degrees – three of six options - all of which felt comfortable on my scalp and were handily displayed on the LED screen. Because of the brushless motor with 110,000 rpm, the powerful airflow left my hair about 70% dry in around five minutes on 98 degrees – super speedy! Both the small and large concentrator nozzles, which clicked on magnetically with a seamless snap, directed the airflow down along the hair shaft, targeting my flyaways and taming my frizz from root to tip for a much smoother and polished finish than my usual dryer.

Premium water ion technology draws water from the air, I’m told, and converts it into charged micro-water particles that strengthen strands. Perhaps that was why my hair felt noticeably softer, although the ends were still a little crispy. Overall, drying took a commendable 12 minutes or so.

It’s beautifully light, compact and quiet for such a powerful tool, too, with a conveniently long cord.

Key specifications

Clearly, there's a lot to choose from when you're picking out a hair dryer. We asked Ryan Forsythe, Trevor Sorbie’s Artistic Education Director, for his advise on how to choose what's right for you. He said that 'choosing the right hair dryer can make a big difference in the health and finish of your hair. Professional hair dryers are a worthwhile investment they’re built to last, have stronger airflow, and often include advanced technologies like ionic or ceramic heating that help protect hair and boost shine.'

He added that 'while the price point can be higher, you’re paying for better performance and less damage over time. Look for a dryer with adjustable heat and speed settings, a cool shot button to set your style, and attachments that suit your hair type. If you’re drying your hair regularly, it’s worth spending a bit more for salon level results.'

We asked him to add some more detail on how to choose the right hair dryer for your hair type, and he gave us advice on four of the most common hair types: fine, thick, curly, and afro hair.

Fine hair

'Fine hair is more prone to damage, so opt for a dryer with lower heat settings and ceramic technology for even heat distribution. A concentrator nozzle helps direct airflow for smoother results, and a lightweight dryer is ideal so you can style gently without tugging.'

Thick hair

Anyone who has left their bedroom stinking of burnt hair after using a hair dryer knows the importance of using the right device. Ryan advises WH that we should be looking for 'hair dryers with ceramic, tourmaline, or ionic technology' and they 'tend to be the least damaging.'

He explained that this is because 'they distribute heat more evenly, reduce frizz, and help preserve moisture in the hair. The key is also in how you use them always opt for lower heat settings when possible and don’t hold the dryer too close to your hair'.

Ryan gave us his top three expert tips for protecting our hair from damage when we're using a hair drier:

1. Always start with a heat protectant spray or cream to create a barrier between your hair and the heat.
2. Use a dryer with adjustable heat settings and keep it on medium or low rather than full blast.
3. Don’t hold the nozzle too close to your scalp, and try to finish with a cool shot to help seal the cuticle and reduce frizz.

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