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2024 Best High-Tech Hair Dryers Reviewed: Dyson, Josh Harry, and more…
Celebrate the latest advancements in innovation ranking all the top brands to find the lightest, healthiest, and most eco-friendly hair dryers EVER!
Been awhile since you bought a new hair dryer? If so, you are in for a pleasant surprise, a lot has changed. Don’t worry, you’re going to love it.
The changes range from how physically light some dryers have become (my sister used to say “who needs the gym, my arms are already ripped from holding my 20lb hair dryer in the morning!”), to how much electricity they consume, to even how healthy they are for your hair.
A ladies’ hair is her calling card and it’s not to be trifled with. But you don’t always have the time to give yourself a perfect salon style blowout, am I right? Ask the billion-dollar hair-tie industry how happy they are when you skip blow-drying in the morning because you’ve run out of time.
I’m pleased to tell you, one of the greatest advancements in hair dryers is it’s no longer about time. Now, I know you’re thinking, you’ve heard this before. You may have even tried one of those dryers that “claimed” to dry your hair in half the time only to be left with a fried frizzy mop top. It was certainly true in the past that cheap higher heat dryers did damage. Saving a few minutes in the morning by frying follicles wasn’t quite the trade you were hoping for. But don’t worry, there is some great news!
Ever heard of Red Light Therapy? It’s buzzing around quite a bit lately in the salon community and it’s all over the beauty blog sites. What began as a way to treat burns from the effects of long-term space travel for astronauts has found its place into the world of beauty. Red Light Therapy—can actually help stimulate hair growth while drying your hair faster. Red Light Therapy uses an infrared bulb which has been shown to promote healthier hair while at the same time saving you from frizz and split-ends. Coupled with a high-end ceramic outlet it can help you to get increased volume and sleekness simultaneously. I’ve personally used this, and salon experts agree, if you’re upgrading hair dryers; start here.
I’m sure most of you by now have heard of hair dryers using ionic technology. Dyson makes a killer one of these and the results are fierce, just ask the Kardashians. Ionic dryers are great at boosting shine, and locking in hydration by eliminating those pesky positive frizz causing ions. Wet hair is full of positive ions. Ionic dryers emit negative ions by splitting water molecules making them evaporate faster, thus cutting your drying time. This is the reason Ionic Dryers use less heat than a traditional hair dryer, and are terrific time-savers.
Now let’s talk about weight, (of the hair dryer). Despite my sister’s wild claims of buff arms from holding up her ancient Cadillac sized dryer, the weight of a dryer can make a real difference, especially if you have lots of hair. There’s an ancient proverb that says “never challenge a stylist to a pull up contest, their arms are huge from drying all day.” Yes, I made that up, but believe me, it’s true. With the invention of all this great technology the weight of many hair dryers has been significantly reduced.
The last major innovation among hair drying is one that is near and dear to my heart; eco-friendly hair dryers. Obviously, the smaller and faster dryers have become, the less energy they consume over previous models. For any of you who’ve tripped a breaker drying their hair you know, the amount of energy that goes into heating, blowing, and ultimately drying your hair can be enormous, especially in inferior models. For those of you Going Green allow me to say this in support; we might only get one Earth, but we get a LOT of electric bills.
Every style starts with drying, from blowouts and beachy waves to even the sleekest, pin-straight styles. If it’s been a while since you’ve bought a dryer, don’t settle for a cheap low-quality, drug store brand that does damage to your hair. Poor dryers result in frizz, brittleness, and even long-term damage, like hair loss. You, and your marvelous mane, deserve better.
So, don’t settle.
A great hair dryer can get your hair fuller, shinier, and even stronger with daily use. Even your stylist will notice! With all this amazing technology on the market, your hair will be healthy, beautiful, and easy to style. And no, I didn’t forget about price.
You don’t have to spend premium prices to get a premium product, not anymore. But you don’t want to go cheap either, for obvious reasons.
While high-end salon stylists will say you can’t put a price on the most important tool in your beauty kit, I’m pleased to tell you, our top choice can be found for under $150—and includes all of the newly developed features listed above. Read on to see our top choice.
Here’s What Happened When We Put Top Blow Dryers to The Test
We are here to shine the light on these holy grails of hair because as soon as you try one for yourself to see how fast and easy it is for these tools to make you look amazing day after day, you’ll wonder why you waited so long to get one in the first place.
When considering the results of our research below take this into consideration; what’s the most important new feature to you? Red Light Therapy? Ionic? A Green model? I’ve chosen three that fit the bill. Which one is the right one for YOU?
Below we’ve added our top choices based off, the most innovative models, primary first-account results, customer reviews, and other expert opinions. We’ve done some great research, but the choice is yours.
#1 SRI Salon Dry Pro
Developed with safe and effective Negative Ion Technology, its Ceramic-Tourmaline Air Composition and Cool Shot Setting will help give your hair shine while supporting its health.
Regular Price: $159
HOLIDAY COUNTDOWN SALE: $99
PROS:
- Wide range of temperature settings helped achieve stunning styles for numerous hair types
- Cool shot setting helped seal the cuticle for a glossy smooth finish
- Ceramic-tourmaline air outlet evenly distributed heat supporting healthier-looking hair
- 9ft cord made it easy-to-maneuver and the convenient hook was great for storage in small quarters
- Has two attachments that help made styling for specific textures easier than other products we tried
CONS:
- Only available online
- Frequently on backorder
The SRI Salon Dry Pro blow dryer achieves the perfect balance of affordability and professional-quality. Both expert stylists and amateurs loved how the red light therapy, in combination with the ionic technology, helped dry wet hair quickly and left hair looking frizz-free and shiny.
The advanced infrared heating and ceramic air outlet also kept this blow dryer’s air flow super gentle and more consistent – it helps style your hair while you dry it.
The SRI Salon Dry Pro did the job of a $399 device. Plus, they have a HOLIDAY COUNTDOWN SALE going on right now, so you can snag the best price of the year!
Regular Price: $589.95
PROS:
- Sleeve, aerodynamic design comes in lots of stylish, fun colors
- Engineered to protect your hair against heat damage for smooth, shiny styling
- Intelligent heat technology available at most luxury stores like Nordstroms, Sephora, Ulta
CONS:
- PRICEY. On average, this product is at least $100-$150 MORE expensive than its competition
- Air intake through the handle means tired arms and fatigue when you’re trying to get that perfect finish
- No infrared technology means speed may not be noticeably quicker than its competition
If you’ve never heard of the Dyson Supersonic, you must be blow-drying your hair under a rock. It’s basically the Beats Headphones, Voss Water, and Louis Vuitton of the blow-dryer industry. Very cool to look at, hold in your hand, and show your status in the bathroom. But how does that status translate out the streets for your red carpet Friday night?
The Dyson Supersonic hair dryer is hands down one of the BEST there is on the market. The problem is it’s also hands down one of the MOST expensive on the market too. Sometimes splurging for brand names and cool aesthetics… is cool. Especially when you consider the intelligent heat technology from the head of the dryer and the powerful digital motor in its colorful handle.
However, it does carry a ‘novelty’ feel to it that makes you question whether it’s worth the price tag. Without infrared technology, it doesn’t appear noticeably faster at drying hair. Also, its air intake is in the handle, which forces you to hold it higher up and strain your arms.
Regular Price: $399.89
PROS:
- Lightweight design comes in a very popular mint green color
- Multiple speed and heat settings for wide range of hair types and styles
- Customer reviews praised it’s speed and efficiency that saved them time
CONS:
- The motor seemed to stop running after a mere three months of use
- The high price point, especially when other sites were selling very similar products for half the price
- It was hard to discern which was a real Harry Josh product there are many duplicates and imitation products flooding the market.
Another extremely lightweight design that comes in a very pretty and unique mint green color. We noticed a lot of praise for it’s speed and efficiency that was said to saved time, but many were unable to figure out the heat settings.
The Harry Josh Pro Dry is one of the more expensive products since it comes from a professional brand used by supermodels and actors. The high price point was off putting, especially when you will receive very similar results with products like the SRI Dry Pro at half the price.
It was also hard to discern which was a real Harry Josh product as there are many duplicates and imitation products flooding the market.
