Top 5 compared
The best hair dryers
Faster drying, less frizz and arms that don’t ache halfway through a long blow-dry.
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The top 5 at a glance
A hair dryer pushes heated air over wet hair to dry it and, with a brush, to shape it. Most are 1875W models with a few heat and speed settings and ionic, ceramic or tourmaline tech that their makers say tames frizz. High-speed dryers are the other kind: they trade raw heat for a fast brushless motor that keeps the temperature down, and they tend to be lighter.
Attachments push or snap onto the nozzle: a diffuser spreads the air gently for curls, and a concentrator narrows it for a smooth blowout with a round brush. Dryers made for Canadian outlets run on 120 volts, so take one abroad only if it’s dual voltage, and pack a plug adapter for it.
What matters
- Separate heat and speed controls, so fine hair can stay on low.
- A cool shot button, to set the style.
- A diffuser in the box, if you have curls or waves.
#1Slopehill Professional Ionic Hair Dryer (1800W, with diffuser)
$30–$50
This full-size 1800W dryer has three heat settings on their own switch, two speeds and a cool shot, plus a diffuser for curls and concentrator nozzles for a smooth blowout, so straight, wavy and curly hair are all covered out of the box. Ionic airflow helps with frizz, and Slopehill rates the motor for more than 1,000 hours of use.
What owners say: Owners say it dries hair fast and has plenty of power for its size, and they’re pleased with how it looks and with its value; noise is the one split, with some finding it louder than they’d like.
A closer look: For straight styles, use the concentrator on the middle heat and aim the air down the length of the hair, then finish each section with the cool shot to set it. For curls, switch to the diffuser on the low speed and cup the ends into it instead of moving the dryer around, which keeps the curls together.
- Motor rated 1,000+ hours
- Separate heat and speed switches
Best for: Sleek blow-dries or diffused curls
- Power
- 1800W, AC motor, 21,000 rpm
- Settings
- 3 heat, 2 speed, cool shot
- Attachments
- Diffuser, concentrators
- Frizz control
- Ionic
- Weight
- –
#2Remington Ionic Compact Hair Dryer (1875W, D5000)
$30–$50
Full 1875W power in a body small enough for a gym bag or a carry-on, at about 450 g. Three heat settings and two speeds cover fine and thick hair, ionic conditioning cuts static and frizz, and the filter at the back comes off for cleaning, which keeps the airflow strong.
What owners say: There’s a surprising amount of power in so small a dryer, owners find, and they like the light weight, the build and how quickly it dries; it packs easily for trips, and no common complaint comes up in their reviews.
A closer look: The middle heat is Remington’s eco setting, which uses less energy than high and still dries most hair well. Clip on the concentrator when you want a smoother finish with a round brush. The hang loop means it can live on a hook by the mirror rather than in a drawer.
- Fits a carry-on bag
- Eco middle heat setting
- Removable rear filter
- Hang loop for a hook
- Shock-protection safety plug
Best for: Travel, the gym and small bathrooms
- Power
- 1875W
- Settings
- 3 heat, 2 speed, no cool shot
- Attachments
- Concentrator
- Frizz control
- Ionic
- Weight
- 454 g (1 lb)
#3Remington Impact Resistant Hair Dryer (D4200)
$30–$50
Made for the knocks a dryer takes on a bathroom counter, with a soft rubber wrap that absorbs shocks and a five-year limited warranty behind it. Inside is an 1875W motor with tourmaline, titanium and ceramic tech, three heat settings, two speeds and a cool shot, and a concentrator and a diffuser come in the box.
What owners say: Build and power impress owners, its looks appeal, and most feel it was fairly priced; heat output, weight and drying time divide them, with some wishing it ran hotter or weighed less.
A closer look: Choose it for a busy family bathroom, where a dryer gets dropped into the sink or knocked off the counter and the rubber wrap takes the blow. Keep the diffuser for curls and waves on the low speed, and hold the cool shot for a few seconds at the end of each section to set the style.
- Shock-absorbing rubber wrap
- 5-year limited warranty
Best for: Households where dryers get dropped
- Power
- 1875W
- Settings
- 3 heat, 2 speed, cool shot
- Attachments
- Diffuser, concentrator
- Frizz control
- Tourmaline ceramic
- Weight
- 658 g (1.45 lb)
#4Laifen SE Lite High-Speed Hair Dryer (with diffuser)
$100–$150
A high-speed dryer that weighs just 345 g: its brushless motor spins at 100,000 rpm, so it dries with fast air rather than fierce heat, and a temperature control stops it overheating. It puts out 150 million negative ions to calm frizz, and comes with a diffuser for curls and a nozzle for smoothing.
What owners say: Owners are impressed by how fast it dries and how little noise it makes, and they rate the temperature settings, the power and the price; weight is the one split, light to some and heavier than expected to others.
A closer look: Because the airflow does most of the work, start on warm rather than hot and keep the dryer moving; the maker pitches it at fine and colour-treated hair as well as thick. The nozzles attach magnetically, so they snap on and off in a second. Brush the removable filter clean every so often to keep the airflow up.
- Magnetic snap-on nozzles
- 19 m/s airflow
- Heat control stops overheating
- Removable filter for cleaning
Best for: Fast, gentle drying
- Power
- 1400W, brushless, 100,000 rpm
- Settings
- 3 temperatures incl. cool, 2 speeds
- Attachments
- Diffuser, smoothing nozzle
- Frizz control
- Ionic
- Weight
- 345 g (0.76 lb)
#5Conair 908NC Compact Travel Hair Dryer (1600W, folding)
$20–$30
A folding travel dryer that weighs about 450 g and tucks into a carry-on, a gym bag or a drawer. Its 1600W motor has two heat and speed settings, and it’s dual voltage, so with the right plug adapter it works abroad as well as at home.
What owners say: A good little travel dryer with more power than you’d expect from something so compact, and owners are happy with its size and weight; they’re split on the heat and on how long it lasts.
A closer look: Dual voltage doesn’t change the plug, so pack an adapter for the country you’re heading to, and read the instructions on using it abroad before the first trip. At home it earns its place at the cottage, in a student residence or in the guest bathroom, folded away in a drawer between visits.
- Folding handle
- Tucks into a carry-on
Best for: Trips abroad and the cottage
- Power
- 1600W, dual voltage
- Settings
- 2 combined heat/speed, no cool shot
- Attachments
- None listed
- Frizz control
- No
- Weight
- About 450 g (1 lb)
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Slopehill 1800W | #2Remington compact | #3Remington D4200 | #4Laifen SE Lite | #5Conair 908NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best compact | Best premium | Best budget | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.6 |
| Price | $30–$50 | $30–$50 | $30–$50 | $100–$150 | $20–$30 |
| Power | 1800W, AC motor, 21,000 rpm | 1875W | 1875W | 1400W, brushless, 100,000 rpm | 1600W, dual voltage |
| Settings | 3 heat, 2 speed, cool shot | 3 heat, 2 speed, no cool shot | 3 heat, 2 speed, cool shot | 3 temperatures incl. cool, 2 speeds | 2 combined heat/speed, no cool shot |
| Attachments | Diffuser, concentrators | Concentrator | Diffuser, concentrator | Diffuser, smoothing nozzle | None listed |
| Frizz control | Ionic | Ionic | Tourmaline ceramic | Ionic | No |
| Weight | – | 454 g (1 lb) | 658 g (1.45 lb) | 345 g (0.76 lb) | About 450 g (1 lb) |
| Best for | Sleek blow-dries or diffused curls | Travel, the gym and small bathrooms | Households where dryers get dropped | Fast, gentle drying | Trips abroad and the cottage |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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