We’ve been conditioned to believe our hair health and color are in jeopardy when using hot tools such as a hair dryer. While there’s some truth behind this theory, the reality is a quality dryer can help you master the perfect blowout, seal your hair’s cuticle, and provide undeniable style with minimal damage to your tresses.
There’s a lot of misinformation swirling around this invention (fun fact, it was first patented in 1888 by Alexandre-Ferdinand Godefroy, a French coiffeur entrepreneur) that should not prohibit you from turning up the heat when needed. Here’s everything you need to know about choosing the best hair dryer for you — and your clients — in modern-day times.
Things to Consider
Before getting into the different types of hair dryer technologies, here’s a list of considerations to make a well-educated choice based on hair type, lifestyle, price point, and more.
Weight
Whether you have a full book of clients or a consumer looking for a lightweight hair dryer, choosing a model you can comfortably work with is vital in mastering the perfect blow-dry style and preventing carpal tunnel. Remember, the weight of a hair dryer largely depends on features such as heat and speed settings, attachments, a cool shot button, size, and the materials from which it's made. Also, while travel hair dryers are convenient, they don’t replace a full-size dryer for regular use.
Noise Level
A quiet hair dryer is vital to communicating with your client while styling their hair. Alternatively, perhaps you want to keep a client home environment when everyone else is asleep, and you’re getting ready for work.
Hair Dryer Attachments
Hair dryer attachments, such as a diffuser hair dryer for curly hair (think the StyleCraft Collapsible Professional Diffuser Dryer Attachment), ZHORN’s NoNoise Universal Sound Reducer, or the ultimate Babyliss PRO Navigator Universal Dryer Attachment help to make your blowdryer a universal tool by combating frizziness, defining curls, adding shine, gently drying, and reducing noise.
Hair Type and Texture
As you’ll learn below, hair type and texture play a significant role in choosing the best dryer for you and your clients. While it’s true that some models work better on some tresses, don’t let that intimidate you — that’s where customizable attachments come in.
Price Point
We won’t tell you what’s considered a reasonable price for a hair dryer because it all depends upon your budget, the features you’re looking for, brand recognition, and whether or not you’re looking for one of our higher-watt professional hair dryers.
Technology: What to Look For in the Best Hair Dryer
Wattage
One of the critical features to look at is hair dryer wattage. Without getting unnecessarily technical, the higher the wattage, the hotter the dryer, which means the hair dries faster, thus lessening damage caused by prolonged heat. While it might seem logical to use a lower heat to prevent fried tresses, the reality is that the amount of time puts strands at a greater risk. Look for an optimal wind-to-heat ratio.
Although wattage is typically a good indicator of how hot a dryer can get, it is not always a consistent rule; you can have lower wattage dryers that get much hotter than higher wattage ones due to several other factors such as: airflow speed, size and type heating element, etc.
It is important to note that with 110-127 Volt outlets (what we have here in the USA) it is not possible to exceed 1875 Watts, contrary to what you may think and what might even be written on the packaging of your dryer. If you were to exceed that, the circuit breaker would trip and the outlet it’s plugged into would lose power. Only in countries where the electricity runs on 220V, you can actually go well above 2000W.
AC vs. DC vs Brushless
AC/DC is an abbreviation of “alternating current/direct current” electricity.
Traditionally, professional stylists have preferred AC motors in the past, due to their power and long term reliability; despite their added weight. However, due to recent advancements in DC motors, professionals are now able to get similar power out of DC motor dryers while enjoying a much lighter product in their hands; although the motor’s lifespan is still not quite as long as AC motors.
If you want the best of both worlds, look no further than brushless motors which are now becoming the new standard for professional dryers. They are lighter than DC motors, and more powerful and longer lasting than AC motors – however, be prepared for a much higher price point.
Ionic
What does ion mean on a hair dryer, what is the benefit of an ionic dryer, and are ion hair dryers better? Good questions. Hair dryers feature negative ion technology that works to dry the hair faster while helping reduce frizz. Note that they’re not as effective on thin hair.
PST Pick: Gamma+ Aria Dual Ionic Hair Dryer
This Dual Ionic hairdryer features a hybrid motor which is ultra-lightweight and combines high-performance and velocity to dramatically reduce drying time without compromising on power. At well under a pound, it weighs just 13.4 oz. and is the lightest professional dryer in its class weighing less than an iPhone. The Aria races ahead with a breathtaking 101 miles per hour motor speed/velocity with advanced tourmaline Ionics that protect and boost the condition and shine of the hair.
Ceramic
Ceramic dryers, such as the Bio Ionic GoldPro Hair Dryer, are designed with a ceramic coating on the heating coils, which produces non-damaging infrared rays that help restore the hair’s natural moisture — especially if it’s long and thin.
PST Pick: Ceramic technology and advanced research on airflow dynamics ensure healthy hair drying from the inside out. The Milano provides more heat and pressure than the traditional dryers. It’s an ideal tool to straighten even the frizziest hair. The slim handle and ergonomics make this hairdryer a perfectly balanced tool for the busy stylist.
Infrared
Infrared technology detoxifies and sanitizes hair while reducing heat damage with each pass. The rays are known to increase blood flow, stimulating hair growth.
PST Pick: The Premium IC 2 [Intelligent Circuit] blow dryer is a prime example of technological advancement. The internal circuit board regulates heat and airflow Accuracy. The ceramic and tourmaline technology provides the hair with an ion-based conditioning treatment. This unique dryer is the lightest on the market which allows quick and easy styling, with minimum effort.
Tourmaline and Titanium
Looking for a hair dryer for curly hair that’s also thick? Look for models that feature tourmaline gemstone and titanium elements. While both reach approximately the same temperature, the benefit of tourmaline is the negative ions that help keep frizziness at bay. Tourmaline is also less likely to damage hair that’s already thin or compromised.
PST Pick: Gamma+ 3500 Tourmaline Hair Dryer
The Tourmaline-coated grill favors natural hair ionizing, leaving tresses looking healthy, shiny, and smooth. Its supercharged motor dries hair 75% faster, yet it still helps protect hair from damage and moisture loss.
Brushless Motor
Among all the technologies on this list, the brushless motor is one of the newest. The lion’s share of mainstream dryers feature carbon brushes that wear out, causing the engine to resign. Hair dryers with a brushless motor rely on magnets and electronics to propel the motor, thus extending the dryer's life to around ten years versus one to two. Another bonus? Less noise. The Bio Ionic Luxe 10X Pro UltraLight Speed Hair Dryer offers natural volcanic minerals which emit negative ions that drive water molecules deep into the hair. Hair becomes hydrated and conditioned, giving it a vibrant shine. Dryer has a patented ecodrive motor, which dries hair in under 10 minutes.
PST Pick: This long-life digital brushless motor at 110,000 rpm generates extreme air pressure — we’re talking about 360° of superior airflow for enhanced performance and optimized filtration. Infrared technology adds shine while reducing frizz for a smooth finish. It features an ultra-lightweight and compact design — half the size of conventional dryers — and only weighs 10.37oz.
The New “Smart” Dryers
Smart dryers were all inspired by the introduction of the Dyson dryer into the market years ago. These dryers are much smaller, usually quieter, always use digital brushless motors, and pack a punch in terms of power. But they are very expensive as this is still new and every manufacturer is still coming out with their version of it. We at prostylingtools believe that this is the new standard for dryers and that most dryers in the world will start to look like that moving forward.
PST Pick This hair dryer harnesses the power of Bio Ionic Moisturizing Heat™ Technology to hydrate hair from the inside out 75% faster by emitting natural negative ions that allow water molecules to penetrate deep into strands. Hair is left softer, shinier, and smoother. SMART-X™ Technology automatically balances air and temperature 100x per second to ensure consistency for maximum efficiency. Advanced intelligent features, including three speed and three heat settings with auto-memorization, allow you to personalize your styling experience.
No matter which of our blowdryers you choose, couple it with a heat protectant such as Fanola Styling Tools Thermo Shield Thermal Protective Spray to help safeguard the hair from heat during the drying process. What’s your favorite type of hair dryer?