TechGearLab

If you just need a basic hair dryer without dropping a wad of cash, have a look at the Conair 1875 Pro. While this might not be our absolute favorite model, it undeniably does its job — and for an affordable price. It features multiple heat and airspeed settings and includes a single concentrating nozzle that slides on and off. 
This hair dryer doesn't dry hair as quickly as others, seemingly due to its lower maximum airflow. The interface on this model can be a little harder to use than other models we tested, and it has a shorter cord, making it less mobile. However, it's hard to argue with the price tag on this Conair, as it costs a fraction of most other options and does a decent job of drying your hair. 

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Though not as flashy as some others, the Sam Villa Light Professional Ionic is an excellent hair dryer that we'd recommend to just about anyone. Its two concentrator nozzles do an excellent job pushing air at above-average speeds, exactly where you want it to go. This allows the Sam Villa to use lower temperatures for just as effective styling, thereby saving your hair from the ravages of too much heat. Both attachments stay solidly in place and never once got knocked off during our testing. This dryer is more compact than most full-sized dryers, making it easier to wield as you style and dry your hair &mdash; and easier to justify bringing along when you travel. Its rounded cord is plenty long without being bulky, and the handle's matte texture and ergonomic shape make it comfortable and easy to hold.
That matte finish shows fingerprints and scuffs more easily than glossy dryers, if that matters to you. And while the rocker controls are in a convenient place with just the right amount of resistance, their kiddish colors aren't our favorite, and their indented Roman numerals aren't super easy to read. If you have exceptionally thick or curly hair and want to create your style with a low-powered diffuser dryer, the Sam Villa might not be quite what you need. But if you're here for high, concentrated power in a pleasant-to-use package, this is our number one recommendation.

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The Trezoro Professional Ionic is an all-around great hair dryer, and we think it's the best option for most people. It's easy to use, ergonomic, and delivered one of the best performances in our temperature and airflow tests &mdash; even melting some of the blades on our handheld anemometer at its maximum temperature. It has three different heat settings and two airspeed settings, along with a cool shot feature to round out all of the functions you need to style your hair for any occasion. Also included are two flat nozzles for directing airflow, and the filter twists off easily for cleaning.  
On the downside, the Trezoro doesn't include a circular diffuser, and we found that the filter cap can be harder to remove than some of the other products we've tested. Fingerprints can show on the matte finish, so if this is the kind of thing that bothers you, you'll probably want to do a regular wipedown. Despite this, we don't think you can go wrong with the Trezoro.

If you're looking for a hair dryer that styles and dries without spending a small fortune, the Trezoro Professional Ionic is a solid bet. This lightweight styling tool is easier to wield with a brush in hand than others of its size. It offers a solid range of temperatures, and its two concentrator nozzles make a good pair for drying large areas of hair and styling small sections. Though its two speeds are on the lower end of the spectrum, we didn't find that to hamper this model's drying ability in any way, thanks to the effective concentrator attachments. The matte finish and bumped handle aren't quite as ergonomic as some, but they still offer a good handhold and a secure way to wrap the cord before putting it back in your drawer. 
It's not without a few shortcomings, though. Despite being lighter than many, the Trezoro is still rather bulky and not something we're excited to travel with. With "ionic" in the name, we expected better results when taming frizz, but this dryer proved to be just average. And though the end looks like it should be able to come off to give you access to clean the intake filter, we couldn't actually get it off. Any hair dryer that gets used regularly needs cleaning from time to time. The Trezoro isn't great for all hairstyles, but it's a straightforward model that performs well for a reasonable price and gets our recommendation for its good value.

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Best Hair Dryers of 2022

If the sky's the limit for your hair care routine, check out the premium Dyson Supersonic. This machine breaks the mold when it comes to looks, bringing out a futuristic style by concealing the fan blades inside the handle. It's super easy to use, meets various styling needs, and offers plenty of different heat and airflow options. The Supersonic has three different nozzles &mdash; a circular diffuser and two flat concentrators &mdash; that magnetically attach to another futuristic component. It has one of the longest cords of our test fleet, and we found it to be one of the most comfortable and ergonomic to hold. 
We have no major gripes with the performance of the Dyson, but we'd be remiss, not to mention its extraordinarily high price tag. It costs substantially more — 5-6 times more — than the next most expensive product. If you don't mind paying a premium to get the best of the best, the Dyson is an excellent product and might be the one for you.

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It’s expensive, but the unique design makes it extraordinarily nice to use: There’s no vibration whatsoever, and the simple-to-switch magnetic attachments make styling easier.

If you have textured hair and you want the best of the best, the Dyson Supersonic is the hair dryer for you. This unconventional-looking dryer is the only model we tested with the versatility to style nearly all hair types, thanks to all the included attachments. It comes with five magnetic attachments &#40;and no duplicates, like most other models&#41;, three speeds, and four temperature settings. Though it took some testing to figure out the best settings to use, it's the only one we could consistently get to actually style hair in waves and curls. Even straight-haired users have lots to get excited about, as the odd-looking flyaway attachment worked wonders at taming our locks all day, with no touch-ups required. Understated controls are easy to operate without getting in the way during use. By moving the air intake to the bottom of the handle, the balance of this dryer is much more in-hand than any other model we tested. 
The Dyson Supersonic is unlike any other dryer we've ever used, and there was a learning curve to figuring out what settings worked for different hair types. The Dyson is designed to be versatile enough for any thickness and texture of hair &mdash; and sometimes we overdried our hair while trying to find that perfect combination of heat and speed. But if you're willing to experiment, this model is the only one we tested that actually styles not-straight hair well. Of course, all those styling options and that unique design come with a very high price tag. We're also not in love with the excessively thick cord &#40;with no cord-wrangling strap&#41; and its chunky electric box dangling in the middle of the wire about 18 inches above the plug. It's no peach to stuff into a suitcase, but the styling versatility of the Dyson is more than enough to convince us to bring it along on all but the most minimalist of trips. If you're sick of torturing your hair straight every day and are ready to let your waves or curls shine, there's no other dryer we would recommend for styling textured hair than the Dyson Supersonic.

Dyson Wants to Create a Hair Dryer Revolution (Published 2016)

This hair dryer is lightweight and has a long cord, and it tied for blowing the hottest and fastest air among the models we tested. We like it just as much as dryers several times the price.

Our favorite hair dryer is lightweight and equipped with a long cord, and among the models we tested, it tied for blowing the hottest and fastest air. We like it just as much as dryers several times the price.

If you're searching for a budget hair dryer that's a step above the cheapest options, we recommend looking at the Conair Infinitipro 1875W Salon Performance. This model has plenty of airflow, a convenient interface, and an ergonomic grip. It has a hanging loop for storage and ample strain relief to keep the cord from wearing out. It has three different temperature settings, along with a cool shot button to lock. It has a twist-off filter for easy maintenance and includes a flat concentrator and a circular diffuser. This is one of the few bargain options that we have found that includes a circular diffuser, typically used to minimize frizz with wavy or curly hair. 
However, the cord is only around 6', which can be a little on the short side. We also noticed the rocker switches could bite into your hands a small amount when at their extreme positions. Fortunately, these are minor flaws, and we readily recommend this model to anyone looking for a bargain hair drying option. 

If you're searching for a basic budget hair dryer that's a step above the cheapest options, we recommend looking at the Conair Infinitipro 1875W Salon Performance. This model has plenty of airflow, a convenient interface, an ergonomic grip, and a hanging loop for storage. It has three different temperature settings, along with a locking cool shot button, and includes a flat concentrator and a circular diffuser. Its twist-off filter allows for easy maintenance.
Compared to the premium products in our test, this model is very basic, and if you are prone to frizz, you might want to choose a different model. The cord is less than 6', which can be restrictive. We also noticed the rocker switches could bite into your hands a bit when at their extreme positions. Flaws aside, if you're in the market for an affordable blow dryer, the Conair Infinitipro 1875W Salon Performance will get the job done fast at a tiny fraction of the price of the high-end models.

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Although this dryer is just as fast as pricier models, it’s one of the heaviest we tested, and its attachments can be hard to remove.

Hair Dryer Comparison