7 best hair dryers for curly hair 2023: Tested & reviewed

Table Of Content

• Drybar Buttercup Blow Dryer
• Adam Scott on Being a ‘Diverse Facial Hair Styler’ and Grooming
• Best for Defining Curls: Gold 'N Hot Professional Ionic Stand Bonnet Dryer
• Olivia Garden High Performance Professional Hair Dryer
• Bio Ionic 3-in-1 Styling Iron
• What to Consider When Buying a Hair Dryer for Curly Hair

In the meantime, these are our reviews of the best curling irons you can buy. Our hair looked great when we finished plopping with the hand attachment. We had a few flyaways, but it was nothing compared to how it usually looks. Equipped with one of the longest nozzle attachments we tested meant that we could direct heat in specific sections. We were particularly pleased that using the nozzle in such a targeted way didn’t result in a scorching sensation. Quiet and controlled, the airflow and temperature were reflective of the dryer’s professional standing, and our hair and scalp didn't feel scorched, or even slightly overheated, at any point during the trial.

Drybar Buttercup Blow Dryer

Its diffuser enhances curls and waves, and for locking in styles, it comes with a cold shot button. Some reviewers just disliked that it felt heavier than other dryers they'd used. A wide-tooth comb ideal for creating a stretched blowout and a diffuser featuring a deep bowl and long prongs for defined, smooth curls. Last year, Shark expanded its lineup with the Speedstyle (a traditional hair dryer) and the Smoothstyle, a 2-in-1 hot tool. This is a great option if you’re looking for a lightweight dryer that’s easy to use and can give you both straight and bouncy hair, says NBC Select editor Lindsay Schneider in her review of both products after receiving them from the brand. You can use the Smoothstyle on wet hair mode to dry it off, or on dry hair mode, which activates the heated ceramic plates to style your strands, according to the brand.

Adam Scott on Being a ‘Diverse Facial Hair Styler’ and Grooming

However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Once you've completed each section, apply a dime-sized amount of hair oil to add a bit of shine. Start by washing your hair with your choice of a sulfate-free shampoo followed by a moisturizing conditioner. We suggest using a detangling brush while your hair is coated with the conditioner. Read more about our experience with the brand in our full Drybar Double Shot Blow Dryer Brush review.

Best for Defining Curls: Gold 'N Hot Professional Ionic Stand Bonnet Dryer

I’ve never used a hair dryer with an LCD screen; it felt like I had stepped into the future. The screen displays the intelligent StyleAdapt Technology with three styling modes that learns, adapts and personalises the heat to your hair’s styling needs. My hair felt nice after using the diffuser with the diffuser setting, however, it felt a little heavier compared to other dryers. To get more of a beachy wave, I wrapped the hair around the barrel myself and then turned the Airwrap on, which helps to manipulate the hair into a wave pattern rather than a spiral. Like I would after using any curling device, I let the curls set and then run my fingers through my hair so I'm not left with super-tight princess curls.

Weighing less than a pound, this travel blow dryer is a favorite of Schneider’s when she wants to dry her 2b/2c, sometimes 3a, curly hair straight. It’s also easy to store because it comes with a dust bag, can fold in half, takes up less space than traditional dryers and has a detachable nozzle, says Schneider. If you plan on fitting this in your luggage, the dryer also has dual voltage for overseas travel, according to the brand. We always enlist a range of testers for any review, but hair-care products and tools are another story.

11 Best Hair Dryers in 2024 Reviewed by Allure Editors - Allure

11 Best Hair Dryers in 2024 Reviewed by Allure Editors.

Posted: Fri, 12 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Having curly hair is one thing, but having thick curly hair is another thing altogether. As someone who has dealt with a head full of dense curls my entire life, my favorite discovery was the ghd Helios 1875W Advanced Professional Hair Dryer. At first glance, you might want to keep scrolling because of the price, but I've deemed this one worth the investment. One tester reported less frizz and added shine, praising its ease of use. The dryer has a generous cord length, but users found the included concentrator attachment to be a bit wobbly. Theresa Holland is a seasoned commerce writer and product reviewer specializing in cosmetics and at-home beauty treatments.

So when the blowout salon chain launched a line of styling tools in 2013, thick and curly-haired fans rejoiced. The Buttercup uses negative ions to seal hair cuticles while quickly drying your mane to its smoothest, shiniest state without causing damage. To accentuate your curls, consider getting the Bounce Diffuser attachment, which isn't included with the dryer. With 1875 watts of power and tourmaline ionic technology, it dries curly hair impressively fast, and the uniquely wide barrel allows you to dry larger sections of hair at once.

This pick from Kim Kimble has three heat intensity settings and two speeds, along with a cold-air function to set your hairstyle into place. We also love that it features a high-powered AC motor and an ergonomic design so you can easily style from every angle. Reviewers note that it quickly dries hair, but the cord is a bit bulky.

What to Consider When Buying a Hair Dryer for Curly Hair

The BaBylissPRO Nano is a super-light, ergonomic hair dryer that leverages titanium ionic technology to dry curly hair quickly without damage while safeguarding it from the effects of humidity and extra dry, cold air. Plus, Spino mentions it has multiple settings, allowing you to cater to your hair's specific needs. Barbara Booth is a former editor at Select who has published several guides on self care and beauty products. For this article, Barbara interviewed celebrity hairstylists and salon owners to get expert-recommended tips on best hair dryers and researched dozens of top-rated options on the market to recommend other options to consider. Foster says this lightweight professional-grade hair dryer packs a powerful punch.

Options are seemingly endless on the attachment front, but your hair type will drive your decisions there too. With a super chic vortex design that helps to control airflow and a matte caramel colorway, the Pattern’s good looks are only the beginning of its story as a curl-enhancing hot tool. Designed with "curlies, coilies and tight textures" in mind, the Pattern Blow Dryer absolutely delivers. The only thing we didn’t like was the dryer’s cord, which was surprisingly thick, with a large, rectangular power strip right in the middle. It also felt trickier to pull around our sink corners than others we’ve tested.

Claire Sullivan is the Senior Beauty and Lifestyle Commerce Editor for WWD and Footwear News. She’s spent over five years researching, reporting on, and writing about the beauty industry for publications like Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, InStyle, and Byrdie. She has type 2B hair, so she’s well versed in troubleshooting curl-related woes, and finding the best tricks and tools that deliver a great hair day. Sullivan wrote the original version of this story and updated it in November with new hair dryers for curly hair, testing review notes, and additional expert tips.

Drybar's Baby Buttercup Travel Blow Dryer is made for frequent fliers with curls that need maintaining. Not only does the small shape of this hair dryer make it easy to store in any suitcase, but the handle is also collapsible, which makes this beauty tool even more convenient. If you're concerned that the size of this dryer will impact its efficiency, there's no need to fret. Combat frizz with negative ion technology and fast dry time thanks to Laifen's ultra-quiet, quick-drying hair dryer. Our Beauty pros named this powerful dryer a 2023 Beauty Award Winner as it had the strongest airflow in Lab evaluations. While the dryer may have a compact size (ideal for travel), it dries hair fast and has easy to-reach controls.

Even with the funky lime green hand attachment, the dryer is lightweight and easy to maneuver. Compact yet effective, this blow dryer dried half of our fine hair in just a few minutes, without ever making us feel like we were frying our hair. Even at low speed, it felt pretty powerful, but not like our hair was burning. Our hair dried smoothly, with tons of volume, instead of flat against our head. The pro-grade dryer comes with an ionizer switch at the top that lets you customize your blowout to your needs. All you have to do is simply press 'volume' or 'smoothing' and let the ionic blow dryer do its thing.

I personally went for the smoothing option as my wavy hair was looking particularly unruly on the testing day. I'm happy to report that the smoothing option does exactly what it says it will — I was left with a sleek blowout, even on a humid summer day in New York City. Even on the lowest setting, the airflow proved powerful; and across each of the settings, it remained consistent and even. It also worked quickly, drying our thick, chest-length hair in a mere 15 minutes post-shower. A breadth of temperature and settings give you a lot of flexibility when styling your hair, particularly as different sections of curly or natural hair can differ in texture.

Two users specifically praised the powerful air pressure and well-regulated heat output, and another raved about the absence of frizz after using this dryer. The airflow on the famed Dyson model is subtle, and it doesn't get too hot, meaning it'll keep your hair cuticle more intact, resulting in less static. Hairstylist Sky Kim notes that while this hair dryer is expensive, it might be worth the investment for better control of heat and airflow.

If you have specific hair needs, are looking for particular attachments, or have the budget to splurge, invest more to get a dryer with all the bells and whistles. If your hair is on the finer, side you should be using medium heat and speed settings.” T3 Aireluxe has five heat settings and three speed settings. It didn’t take much effort to get the hair dryer up and running — it’s designed in the traditional way in terms of the shape, button placement, and cord length. We used the highest airflow setting to get the power we needed to zhuzh our fine hair, but kept the heat setting between two and three (although we did try out the hottest setting and it was, indeed, quite hot). Within 10 minutes — even on a low heat setting — our hair was totally dry, smooth, and fluffy in the best way possible. As someone with natural hair, my checklist for what constitutes being a good hair dryer for my hair varies from my friends with poker straight locks.