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Hair DryersYou are here: Family >> Hair DryersUpdated October 2007Best hair dryersThe Revlon RV544 1875-Watt Tourmaline Ionic Hair Dryer (*est. $30) blends two new drying technologies: ionic and tourmaline -- at a reasonable price. (Many tourmaline dryers cost more than $200.) A professional, controlled review by Good Housekeeping finds that the budget-priced Revlon Tourmaline Ionic hair dryer beats more expensive tourmaline models, owing to its lightweight build, quiet performance and fast drying times. Plus, reviewers at Amazon.com give the Revlon Tourmaline Ionic great feedback, citing shorter drying times and sleeker hair. A full complement of features includes two heat/speed settings, an ion indicator light, a quiet motor and a diffuser attachment. A few experts also say good things about the Revlon Quiet Ceramic Professional (*est. $20) . For example, editors at O magazine say "You can actually hear the phone ring over the gentle whir of this powerful 1,875-watt two-speed dryer." But owners posting feedback on Amazon.com say the Revlon hair dryer isn't nearly as quiet as its name suggests. We found good reviews for some Vidal Sassoon ion hair dryers, including the now-discontinued Vidal Sassoon VS501 1875W Ionic Sensor Touch Dryer (*est. $25) . Although no longer being produced, this model can still be found at some online retailers. The VS501's Sensor Touch feature automatically turns the hair dryer off and on when it's put down and picked up. It has three heat and two speed settings, a cold shot feature, an extra-long 9-foot power cord and an airflow concentrator attachment. Vidal Sassoon offers a three-year warranty on this blow dryer. While professional hair dryers are much more expensive than home models, there are also some significant differences. For one thing, professional hair dryers are usually rated to last longer -- generally about 1,200 hours, compared with about 500 for inexpensive home blow dryers. Professional hair dryers are also generally larger and able to generate more airflow than consumer-level compact blow dryers. Among professional hair dryers, we found the best reviews for the T3 Tourmaline Professional Featherweight (*est. $200) . The T3 hair dryer is different from other blow dryers because of its crushed tourmaline jewels, which are said to generate more negative ions than any other mineral. The gemstones are injected into all the dryer components. The T3 also has a ceramic coil to prevent hair damage caused by overheating. Other features of the T3 hair dryer include two speeds, an 1800-watt motor and a total weight of only 13 ounces. Fans of the T3 hair dryer are passionate about it, and many owners say they'd happily pay $200 again for the T3 hair dryer. We did notice that a significant number of owners had thick, curly hair, which led us to surmise that people with thick or long, curly hair will see the most difference in drying time. However, a number of reviewers did report that using the T3 seems to result in sleeker, shinier hair. The Tourmaline T3 hair dryer line also includes a T3 Overnight travel hair dryer (*est. $130) and the T3 Evolution (*est. $240) , the top-of-the-line blow dryer for professional stylists. It is important to note that T3 Micro will not honor their dryers' four-year warranty for products purchased from unauthorized retailers -- and that information is stated clearly on the manufacturer's website (www.t3tourmaline.com). We've seen a few scathing owner-written critiques at Amazon.com -- which is not an authorized seller -- and elsewhere regarding that policy. The T3 Featherweight hair dryer beats out the CHI Ceramic Ionic Hair Dryer (*est. $170) in reviews. A couple of years ago, this CHI hair dryer was the professional model of choice, primarily because it had been rated as the best overall by The Wall Street Journal in its 2004 tests of five ionic hair dryers. Though we haven't seen any recent professional reviews, the CHI is still well reviewed by contributors to Folica.com, many of them professional stylists. The CHI Ceramic Ionic Hair Dryer combines ionic and ceramic technology like the consumer-level Conair hair dryer above, but the CHI dryer is a professional-rated model that has a life expectancy of 1,200 hours versus the 500 hours of retail blow dryers. Reviewers say the CHI is quieter than many other dryers, but it doesn't have any separate heat or speed settings, whereas the much less expensive Conair and Revlon basic dryers have three heat settings and two speeds. The T3 Featherweight hair dryer also has two speeds. One remarkable difference between the CHI and the T3 Featherweight is weight. The CHI weighs three pounds -- three times as much as the slightly more expensive T3 Featherweight blow dryer. If you're looking for a travel hair dryer with the same power as a full-size model, a number of owner reviewers like the Conair Ion Shine Travel Ionic Styler 162 (*est. $30) . Conair's Ion Shine dryers earn high marks from their owners, and the Ion Shine Ionic Styler 162 has ionic technology, two heat/speed settings, dual voltage (for use overseas), and a "cool shot" feature, along with a two-year warranty. The Hot Tools Anti-Static Ionic Travel Hair Dryer (*est. $25) is also worth considering, and is a top pick among reviewers at Folica.com. However, while reviewers say it performs as well as full-size hair dryers, they add that the concentrator attachment falls off too easily. This ionic hair dryer has a folding handle, dual voltage, two heat/speed settings and a one-year warranty. Important Features: Hair dryersThe most important feature of a blow dryer -- airflow -- depends on its motor. However, unless you buy your dryer from a beauty supply store that lets you test it first, there's really no way to determine motor quality before you plunk down your money. Powerful motors reduce drying time, but some also sound an awful lot like jets taking off in your bathroom. Blow-dryer manufacturers are addressing this by developing quieter motors. For example, several of the Conair Ion Shine hair dryers feature Conair's Quiet-Tone motor. Experts say the best blow dryers have the following features:
Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our * Also see our Comparison Chart.
As our Consensus Chart illustrates, almost every well-reviewed hair dryer today has ionic, ceramic and/or tourmaline technology. The Revlon RV544 1875-Watt Tourmaline Ionic Hair Dryer costs far less than many other models that use tourmaline technology and actually outperforms several of them in a head-to-head test. For those who want the power and long life of a professional-grade hair dryer, the T3 Tourmaline Professional Featherweight Ceramic Ionic is an easy choice. It is lightweight compared to other professional hair dryers, has a long warranty -- as long as you buy it from an authorized reseller -- and has important features such as dual speeds and a cool shot. The Conair Ion Shine Travel Ionic Styler 162 delivers lots of power and has a folding handle for travel or storage.
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In addition to the sources in All the Reviews Reviewed, we found the following websites helpful: Hair Boutique.com has some useful information about blow dryer features. Folica.com has good hair-care articles. Misikko.com has an informative article on how to select a professional dryer. Manufacturers' websites are good places to find product specs and information: Advertisement
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* Pricing information is approximate as of the time this report was written and is based on observed market selling prices and/or list prices. Actual selling prices may differ.
