The 12 best hair dryers of 2024 for every hair type—tried and tested by our beauty team

Much like the best hair straighteners and the best curling wands, the best hair dryer is a tool that can make or break a hairstyle. They're essential. So if yours isn't cutting it then let us help you find the hair dryer that's worth putting your trust in.

Yes, the best hair brush, scalp treatments and hair oils play a part in creating your 'do, but a good blow dry is the foundation of any hairstyle, so it's worth taking the time to figure out exactly what your hair needs and which of the best hair dryers will work best for your hair type.

Whether you're into a low-maintenence glow dry or want to stay up to date with the latest hair trends, a hair dryer that works for your hair type is always worth the investment. We asked the experts what to look for when searching for the best hair dryer, and tried and tested them all to give you our honest opinion. Enter: the best hairdryers of 2024. 

How to choose the best hair dryer

The truth is that while a lot of hair dryers look very similar, they're not all created equal, and some will be better suited to your hair type and particular needs. You need to look at power, speed and the attachments in the box.

"I love all of the tech to sit inside," says Adam Reed, celebrity hairdresser and founder of Adam Reed London and Arkive Headcare. "I also like a bit of weight, a long barrel and a good wide nozzle. For me, the most important part is the way the air meets the hair. A controlled stream of air allows control of the hair." 

Bernardo Vasconcelos, celebrity hairdresser and founder of salons BCO London and Blu Kuwait, and TRYO Hair Extensions, on the other hand, looks for power in a hair dryer, plus one that minimises heat damage as much as possible. "A good hairdryer has to have the power to style and dry the hair without causing too much damage," he says. "It should also be designed to not overheat if you're using it for a long time. 

"It also should be light, especially if you have a lot of hair, as if it's too heavy it will hurt your arm and it will then be harder to achieve the desirable look."

You also want to check which attachments come with the best hair dryer. "It’s important to use the nozzles that come with a dryer," celebrity hair stylist Michael Douglas tells Marie Claire. "I see lots of people throw them away when they get a new dryer. Those nozzles are key to create shiny, smooth blow dries as they concentrate the heat to move the hair in one direction."

How to choose the best hair dryers for curly hair

Choosing the best hair dryer for curly hair is no easy feat, you want to look for all the key features as you would for any hair dryer, but in a tool that works for curls.

"A diffuser attachment is key for curly hair—it essentially diffuses the heat and stops the hair being blown everywhere so the curls are contained and can form easily," says Douglas. "When drying curly hair specifically, you want high heat and low speed so that you are creating minimum disturbance, while concentrating the dryer on sections to allow the curls to form."

The best hair dryers to buy in 2024: Quick links

• Best hair dryer for all hair types: mdlondon Blow Hair Dryer, £195 | Harvey Nichols
• Best hair dryer for curly hair: Bellissima Italia Diffon Supreme, £130 | Argos
• Best travel hair dryer: ghd Flight+ Travel Hair Dryer, £109 | Cult Beauty
• Best hair dryer for fine hair: ghd Helios Professional Hair Dryer, £179 | Lookfantastic
• Best hair dryer for thick hair: Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer, £329.99 | Dyson
• Best hair dryer for damaged hair: Cloud Nine The Airshot Hair Dryer, £159 | Argos
• Best infrared hair dryer: Nicky Clarke Infrared Pro Hair Dryer, £129.99 | Boots
• Best energy-saving hair dryer: Zuvi Halo Hair Dryer, £309 | Zuvi
• Best multi-styler hair dryer: Shark SpeedStyle 5-in-1 Hair Dryer, £239.99 | John Lewis
• Best hair dryer for dry hair and scalp: Panasonic Nanoe Moisture+ and Mineral Hair Dryer, £329 | Amazon
• Best hair dryer for attachments: Revamp Enigma Precision Hair Dryer, £199 | Boots
• Best hair dryer under £100: BaByliss 2300 Hair Styler Dryer, £90 | Lookfantastic

What to look for to find the best hair dryer for your hair type 

Power

If you have particularly challenging hair, then you want to know that your dryer is going to be able to deal with it.

"Power is one of the most important things to look for in a hairdryer," explains Douglas. "Ideally look for a 1600w motor—this is key to get the results you need as you’ll be able to style your hair quicker and with more control." 

Speed

It's important that your hair dryer can dry hair quickly with a high-speed setting, but also have the ability to slow down for controlled styling. Reed recommends using the medium settings of both heat and airflow to allow for a really great finish.

Ionic technology

The water in your hair post-hair wash is positively charged, and ionic technology creates negative ions to counteract the moisture—it's basically a fancy word for anti-frizz and smoothing science. You find the same technology is some of the best hair straighteners too.

Cool shot

You might have spotted the cool setting on your dryer and never bothered using it because maybe it didn't make sense to you. But the cool shot is actually like popping the cherry on top of the cake—it seals the hair cuticle, leaving hair looking shiny. "A cold button is absolutely essential for finishing and setting the hair," says Reed.

As well as cooling you down after a long hair-drying session, temperature controls are important. "Make sure your dryer has a range of adjustable heat settings and use the cool shot button, which most people forget but it’s really useful," Douglas tells us. "When you use heat to style your hair, your hair goes through the glass transition stage as it cools down, and using a blast of cool air at this stage will quicken this process and prolong the style you’ve created." 

Cord length

"Long cables are a great feature too," says Douglas. "There’s nothing worse than not being able to see in a mirror when you’re drying your hair, as plugs aren’t always where you need them."

Weight

If you have super-long, thick hair you want to make sure you're checking the weight to avoid any arm ache. Even if a hair dryer is super speedy, powerful and smoothing, if it's heavy, you'll never enjoy using it. Douglas agrees: "A lightweight dryer is a bonus as everyone knows the feeling of achy arms when you use a heavy hairdryer for any length of time. This is especially the case for thick hair, which tends to take longer to dry." We couldn't agree more—small but mighty is the aim.

Best hair dryers of 2024: Tried and tested by Marie Claire UK's beauty team

The Marie Claire UK beauty team put many hair dryers to the test to find the very best for your hair type and needs. We took into consideration how quickly our hair dried, how many settings there were, whether we were able to smooth hair easily, the weight of the tool and how easy it was overall to blow dry our hair.

1. mdlondon Blow Hair Dryer

When a celebrity hairstylist with over 30 years in the industry releases a hair dryer, you know it's one to watch. It's not just our beauty team that rates Michael Douglas's Blow as one of the best hair dryers: it won the best hair dryer award in our 2023 Marie Claire UK Hair Awards, with Adam Reed praising it for its incredible results and lightness. 

It's small but mighty; weighing in at 360g, it's one of the lightest hair dryers we've ever tried, but with a whole lot of power. The Blow meets all the criteria we're looking for in the best hair dryer plus a little more, with three speed settings and an ionic generator, and it's self-cleaning. There's a long and short nozzle in the box for smooth hair, and the option to add a diffuser attachment to the basket for curly hair. It's built with a silent motor so you can still listen to your favourite podcast while you dry (which will take half the time with this power).

Freelance beauty editor Laura Mulley says, "You may have seen a few hair dryers of this shape around now, but mdlondon's was the first, and arguably still the best. After using a 'traditional' hair dryer for decades this feels like a revelation, delivering a decent amount of power from such a small and light gadget. Love the blush pink colour of mine, too."

2. Bellissima Italia Diffon Supreme

The key to curly hair is knowing how to take care of it. It tends to be drier than its wavy counterparts, so direct high temperatures can frazzle. Diffusers (and nourishing styling creams) are curly hair's best friend.

A hairdryer and diffuser in one tool, and while this may make it sound heavy and clunky, it's anything but. The shape makes it super easy to hold and shape curls in the way you wish, and with a digital heat control and ionic technology to balance out the positive and negative ions, it's the best hair dryer for curls that stay smooth and shiny. 

Laura says, "Admittedly this isn't the right hair dryer for my poker-straight hair, but I tried it out in the name of research—and I was really impressed. It looks odd but it's actually very easy to hold, and you can rest it on the head without it burning the scalp, or tuck your lengths into its nozzle. If I had curls, I think they would love this."

3. ghd Flight+ Travel Hair Dryer

Let's be honest, when looking for the best travel hair dryer, you don't want it to take up too much space in your luggage but you do want it to give you one heck of a blow-dry— and you can rely on ghd. This travel version is basically as good as its full-sized dryers, because it doesn't compromise on its power and it folds neatly down. Perfect.

"My hair doesn't respond well to the plasticky hair dryers you often find in hotel bathrooms, so I often pack this one, just in case," says Laura. "I have the old version of the ghd Flight+—which has lasted me years—but I love the little travel case that the new ones come with."

4. ghd Helios Professional Hair Dryer

Fine hair doesn't require as much drying time as other hair types, but if you've got a lot of it it can still be a task. Ghd's Helios is an amalgamation of its much-loved Air and the discontinued Aura. Most hair dryers use carbon brushes that wear out over time, causing the motor to stop working, but brushless motors like the Helios use magnets and electronics to drive the motor, which in turn extends the life of your dryer. This motor type is also lightweight, super quiet and delivers a strong airflow for fast, smooth results.

"My absolute go-to," says Laura. "It's not too big and not too small, powerful yet easy to control the airflow and, although ghd tools aren't the cheapest, it has lasted me for years."

5. Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer

Thick hair takes longer to dry, which is a pain—and not just for your arm). What you need is a smart hair dryer that speeds the process up, whilst still being kind to your strands and your biceps. Enter the Dyson Supersonic. 

No doubt you've heard of it—arguably now the most famous hair dryer in the world. Yes, it's expensive, but it is beyond clever. Not only has it been designed so that the motor sits in the handle, rather than the head (thus redistributing the weight), but it's also a super speedy motor, which speeds up your blow-dry time. If you're prepared to part with the money, it really is worth it, with hair experts and beauty editors obsessed with it. 

We've also rated the Dyson Airwrap as one of the best curling wands on the market.

6. Cloud Nine The Airshot Hair Dryer 

There are so many things that can damage your hair: heat, colour, sun—and, of course, heat styling. Cloud Nine's Airshot, however, takes away some of that risk. With tourmaline and vitamin-infused heating elements, the Airshot literally takes care of your hair while you blow-dry. It's also got anti-static technology to keep flyaways to a minimum and leave your hair smooth and shiny. How clever.

Laura says, "Cloud Nine tools are often favourites with hair professionals, and this is a great hair dryer: powerful, speedy and comes with two different sized nozzles (although no diffuser). My one quibble is that it's hard to avoid your hand pressing down the buttons when holding it."

7. Nicky Clarke Infrared Pro Hair Dryer

The eponymous hair care brand of the iconic British hairstylist Nicky Clarke has been given a revamp, launching its professional-grade range of infrared styling tools. What does an infrared hair dryer do that your bog-standard one doesn't, you ask? It increases blood circulation to the scalp, helping to reduce hair loss and prevent hair loss at an early stage, while also drying hair from the inside out and up to 50% quicker. Huzzah!

"I hadn't heard about infrared technology in hair tools until drying the Nicky Clarke Infrared Pro Hair Straightener, but now I'm totally sold on it," says Laura. "This isn't the most powerful motor in this list but you wouldn't be able to tell as it's powerful and dries hair quickly, and I like the idea that it might be doing my hair and scalp some good deep down."

8. Zuvi Halo Hair Dryer

One of the more unusual hair dryers to hit the market, Zuvi is doing things differently. Rather than excessive heat, it uses light energy to dry the water on the hair's surface—this boosts shine, keeps hair smooth, retains internal hair moisture and helps to prevent hair dye fade. 

Not only that, but it's also far more energy-efficient than other hair dryers. It uses 60% less energy than your typical hair dryer, which makes this the perfect choice if you're looking to reduce your carbon footprint and be kinder to the planet. According to the brand, if everyone around the world used a Zuvi Halo, it would be the equivalent of taking nine million cars off the roads.

"First up, this looks really cool—from a similar school of sleek design as the Dyson Supersonic," says Laura. "It's light, the attachments click in place in a very satisfyingly smooth way, and the shorter nozzle makes such a difference. I liked how gentle it felt on my scalp and what good condition it left my hair in, but it did take longer to dry than a traditional hair dryer."

9. Shark SpeedStyle 5-in-1 Hair Dryer

This 5-in-1 tool combines the shape and size of a compact hair dryer like the mdlondon one with the multiple styling attachments of something like the Dyson Airwrap. Cleverly, the Shark SpeedStyle detects which styling head is attached, and lets you know the right speed and heat setting for each for optimum results.

"I'm not normally one for complex—and, dare I say it, gimmicky— beauty tools, but I found this really easy to use," says Laura. "Even without any attachments it's a really good hair dryer: light, powerful and quick. Once you get the hang of using the add-ons instead of, say, a regular brush, the results are really good; I especially like the RapidGloss Finisher, which—like Dyson's device—uses the Coanda effect to smooth flyaways." You can also read our full review of the Shark SpeedStyle here.

10. Panasonic Nanoe Moisture+ and Mineral Hair Dryer

Instead of ions, Panasonic's newest hair dryer uses 'nanoe' technology, which helps moisture to penetrate the hair and skin. This makes this particular device ideal for anyone with a dry or easily irritated scalp—or face. The end has a build-in nozzle to direct air flow but it also comes with a clip-on one, and a diffuser attachment.

Laura says, "I've become quite obsessed with shorter-nosed hair dryers like this one, which delivers just as much power but with more control. I especially like the alternating hot and cold setting, which saves me reaching for the cool shot when I get too hot."

11. Revamp Enigma Precision Hair Dryer

There are hair dryer attachments, and then there are Revamp's hair dryer attachments. As well as the usual nozzle and diffuser, there's also a flyaway tamer and a uniquely-shaped volume booster, and they all click smoothly on with magnets.

"For, perhaps, a lesser known hair tools brand, this feels very luxe," says Laura. "The attachments click so satisfyingly into place, and the hair dryer's motor switches on and off instantly—no warming up or fading out. Once you've got the hand of the unusual shapes of some of the nozzles, they really work."

12. BaByliss 2300 Hair Styler Dryer

With hair dryers seemingly getting more and more high tech—and expensive—every year, this new BaByliss tool is a great 'basic' model with everything you need, and for all hair types—it's the only one we tested that comes with a pik attachment for curly or coily hair.

"If it's a simple, effective hair dryer that the professionals use—and for under £100—this is a great option," says Laura. "It's powerful, the attachments are useful and it contains ionic technology. I just wish the buttons had been placed somewhere else."