The Best Hair Dryers In 2024

What To Look For When Buying A Hair Dryer

The best hair dryers do far more than just blow hot air. They’re powerful, compact and packed with tech to turn out everything from sleek and shiny bobs to bouncy, full-bodied waves. Considering an upgrade? Here’s what to look for…

• Power and wattage: Determine how hard and fast the hair dryer’s motor works. A higher wattage means more heat and faster drying times – between 1500W and 2000W is usually enough for most hair types.
• Type of material: Choose from an ionic, tourmaline, ceramic or porcelain hair dryer, each with benefits for different hair types (more on those below!).
• Attachments: A diffuser is essential for curly hair, while a concentrator nozzle helps with straightening.
• Size and portability: Drying your hair shouldn’t be a workout, so look for lightweight options. Compact sizes are great for travel.

Ready to tame your tresses and beautify your blowouts? We sat down with The Good Guys portable appliance expert, Tracy Ellis, to learn what to look for in the best hair dryers and created a handy round-up of our top picks for 2024. Check out these hair dryer heroes …

Best Overall Professional Hair Dryer

For salon-quality results at home, you need a hair dryer that performs all the same tricks that your hairdresser’s can.

“Look for a high variety of speed and heat settings so you can personalise your blow-dry; a powerful, high wattage motor that will get the job done quickly; and innovative attachments that will help achieve the results you want without needing a hairdresser on hand,”  says Tracey Ellis, The Good Guys Buyer – Portable Appliances.

The one you want: Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer - Black/Nickel

• Five magnetic styling attachments, including the Flyaway attachment for a smooth, shiny finish. These Dyson hair dryer attachments are also compatible with older versions of the machine
• Dries hair quickly while preventing extreme heat damage with intelligent heat control
• Four precise heat settings and a cold shot to set hair after styling

Best-Value Hair Dryer

The best, most affordable hair dryer for you will depend on how often you blow-dry your hair, your hair type, and your budget.

“At a minimum, you should expect a good-value hair dryer to give you quick results without major damage to your hair, so look for models with ionic or infrared heating and precision heat control,” says Tracey Ellis. “Usability is important too – there’s no point bringing home a hair dryer that you struggle to lift!” 

The one you want: Shark SpeedStyle Rapid Gloss Finisher And High Velocity Hair Dryer

• Ionic technology and a ceramic coating enhance shine and smoothness
• Styles hair with minimal heat to preventing damage
• Five styling attachments – RapidGloss Finisher, Quicksmooth Brush, Turbo Concentrator, Express Touchup Brush, DefrizzFast Diffuser – and a travel pouch included

Best Hair Dryer For Frizzy Hair

Taming damaged and frizzy hair can sometimes be a struggle, but with the right tools and know-how it doesn’t have to be! In a hair dryer, limiting extreme heat is key, which means looking for models with variable temperature settings.

 “Ceramic or porcelain models will also help with even heat distribution for a gorgeously shiny finish."

The one you want: VS Sassoon 5Q Brilliance High Performance Hair Dryer

• A smart digital motor with high-velocity airflow dries hair for better long-term hair protection
• Advanced anti-frizz technology delivers more frizz-controlling active ions to eliminate static
• Ceramic technology to smooth hair with an ultimate shine boost as you dry

Best Hair Dryer For Fine Hair

Fine hair requires a bit more maintenance to avoid breakage – and that starts with a hair dryer that puts you in control. Overdrying can cause further thinning, so prioritise models with low heat settings but fast air speed. Infrared hair dryers are a game changer for thin hair too, drying hair from the inside out to help lock in the moisture and prevent breakage.

The one you want: Remington One Dry And Style Hair Dryer

• 2000W with eight heat and speed combinations to customise drying and styling
• Thermacare sensor protects hair from overheating
• The Dual Ionic System conditions hair while reducing frizz

Best Hair Dryer For Thick Hair

Drying thick hair can sometimes feel like a colossal task requiring supreme patience and Herculean arm strength. If that’s the case for you, you might not have a powerful enough hair dryer. Wattage is particularly crucial if you have thick or coarse hair, and you’ll want a hair dryer with at least 2000W to get the job done fast and well.

The one you want: VS Sassoon Super Power Hair Dryer

• Powerful 2400W dryer with a salon-grade motor to deliver hassle-free drying and styling
• Ionic Conditioning and tourmaline minerals to give hair a smooth, shiny finish
• Ceramic Technology ensures even heat distribution and fast drying, even on thick hair.

Best Hair Dryer For Curly Hair

It’s all about the attachments – and it’s a diffuser you want. These handy styling tools are designed specifically for even heat distribution and maintaining the natural structure of curls.

“Most of the best hair dryers will come with a diffuser attachment, but also look for models that offer additional attachments for helping with issues like flyaways and frizz that can be common with curly hair,” says Tracey Ellis.

The one you want: Remington Pro Air Turbo 2400W Hair Dryer

• Comes with a concentrator nozzle for focused drying, a diffuser for defined curls and waves, and a round brush for extra volume and shape
• Ceramic Plus Technology to leave hair smooth and conditioned
• 2400W of drying power, two speed settings, and a Turbo Boost function

Best Lightweight Hair Dryer

Bulging biceps on only your hair-drying arm isn’t a great look, so quit strength training just to lift your styling devices! Especially if you have long or thick hair, an easy-to-lift hair dryer is a must but don’t compromise on power – the best will have both!

The one you want: VS Sassoon Hydro Smooth Fast Dry Hair Dryer

• Super lightweight at just 0.423kg and with a 2.5m cord for flexibility
• Powerful 2100W for quick dries
• Advanced Plasma Ion Conditioning tech to help smooth and condition the hair

Best Travel Hair Dryer

The faint breeze that blows from a standard hotel hair dryer is never going to be up to the task of fab holiday styling, but suitcase space is valuable real estate. Make sure there’s room for that extra pair of heels with a travel hair dryer that is compact, powerful and will work in any socket (with a travel adapter, of course). You can even find models with foldable handles – like the jet-setter below – that will fit on your carry-on.

The one you want: Remington Jet Setter 2000 Hair Dryer

• Convenient dual voltage for travel
• A foldable handle and removable concentrator, ideal for slipping into any bag
• 2000W for superfast drying with two different heat and speed settings

Shop The Best Hair Dryers At The Good Guys

At The Good Guys, we get good hair days! And, we have a huge range of hair dryers, straighteners and curlers at Pay Less Every day prices. Visit us in-store or online to shop from leading brands (yes, we have the latest Dyson hair dryer and Shark hair dryer) and find your perfect hair hero.