Best Affordable Hair Dryer Brands

by VOGUEWhether your hairdryer is a tool you use everyday or only on special occasions, choosing the right model is pretty important. No, it’s not just a lot of hot air – hairdryers vary enormously and you need to bear in mind the factors that are most important to you and your hair, whether it’s noise volume, weight, heat, drying time or even cable length. From Dyson to Hershesons to GHD, see Vogue‘s pick of the best hairdryers – and what makes each of them stand out – below.

 

GHD Aura

If you like stats, this has them all: 60 per cent quieter, 82 per cent cooler and 38 per cent more shine… but otherwise it’s best described as elevating a slightly mundane task into something more elegant. So quiet and with such a concentrated air flow that hair looks noticeably sleeker. The only downside is the extraordinarily long cable. Good if you’re in a salon (or your socket is in a challenging location) but makes storage a bit problematic.

 

Hershesons Ionic Professional Hair Dryer

If anyone knows hair, it’s Hershesons, and the Ionic Professional Hair Dryer has all the hallmarks of a great all-purpose dryer. It uses ionic technology to reduce the size of water droplets on the hair for speedier drying and less static (crucial), and has high-speed and high-temperature settings perfect for when you’re in a rush. Also it comes in a fetching white, which makes a nice change from the usual black. A great suits-all option.

 

BaByliss 3Q Dryer

Promising fast drying and a super smooth finish, the 3Q doesn’t fail to deliver. It dries thick, long hair in no time at all and without the acrid smell of frizzing which often accompanies drying at hot speed. The choice of heating settings and air pressures gives total control over the hair styling; rough drying, smoother brushing or a curling motion. The only minor weakness is that the noise reduction feature isn’t quite as effective as it claims, the motor is muted but ever-so-slightly shrill and strained. However, if you want shiny, bouncy hair in minimum time, the 3Q is still the one.

 

 

Dyson Supersonic in Fuchsia/Iron

There was a lot of hype surrounding the launch of the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer and it’s not hard to understand why; it’s much lighter than other dryers, it’s quiet, it dries fast and leaves hair smooth. Plus, it looks snazzy (which, let’s be honest, is pretty hard for a hairdryer).

 

Panasonic Nanoe Hairdryer

The Nanoe has some great pros such as being easy to hold and lightweight, with three good attachments for the nozzle. The quick dry attachment is the best, however the lack of power means that those with thick hair might prefer another model.

 

Parlux Advance Ice

This small hairdryer is powerful and mighty with great concentrated air flow and attachments to allow various styling techniques when drying. The result? A sleek and smooth finish. However, for a hairdryer that claims to be light, that is certainly not the case. It is quite heavy which makes it tricky for travel, but is small enough to be wrapped and put in a drawer at home for regular use (it also comes in 10 different colours which is always a bonus).