A good hair dryer is a tool that can help you achieve your ideal at-home blowout—whether you’re seeking pin-straight locks or bountiful curls. You want one that dries your hair quickly, without leaving your strands feeling crunchy or dry, and that’s easy to handle. It also needs to be quiet enough to avoid hearing damage and have the right amount of wattage for your type of hair (in most cases, higher wattage means more heat).
If you’re looking to keep things low-maintenance, opt for a model with a detachable filter and an antimicrobial coating to prevent buildup. And for the best styling options, try a hair dryer that comes with attachments like a diffuser or concentrator nozzle. It can help you tame frizz, give you more shape, or add volume to your roots.
Another option that can keep your maintenance to a minimum is a model with nano titanium ionic technology, which supposedly emits 1,000 times more moisture while drying your hair and scalp. That can help smooth away flyaways, reduce static, and leave your locks with a shiny finish. Plus, it’s lightweight and easy to hold, making it a favorite among pros.
And if you’re the sort of person who doesn’t really like holding a handle, consider this model with a unique, gripless design that has you actually hold the barrel itself. It’s not the lightest, but it was a top pick of Strategist’s beauty writer Rio Viera-Newton because “it gives you so much control when taming unruly roots.” The only downside: You might feel your hands get super sweaty. good hair dryer