What to look for in a professional hair dryer?

Your hair can define your look – and with the right tools, you won’t ever have to suffer a bad hair day ever again. Dyers are a must for every woman, as you can’t always have the luxury of time to air-dry your hair.

But with regular dryers, the inconveniences are always there – the loud noise, hair getting into the vent, static electricity, and dry, rough hair. How then do you get rid of these nuisances and just have easy, fast, and healthy hair drying?

The answer? Knowing what to look for in a professional hair dryer. If you want to invest in a good quality hair tool, invest in a top quality professional hair dryer. But then, another problem arises, and that’s knowing which dryers are actually good for your hair.

Our Picks: Top 10 Best Professional Blow Dryers

For professional dryers with the right wattage, ionic technology, and ceramic/tourmaline make, we’ve picked 10 of the highly-rated dryers in the market. These are usually what you find in salons being used by hairstylists themselves.

1. Parlux Professional 3800 Ionic & Ceramic Edition

For the environmentally conscious, this dryer is by far the greenest available in the market today. It features unique recycled plastics and a recycled outer package, reducing your carbon footprint.

>> Check price and discounts on the Parlux

Its main features include a 2100 watt motor and ceramic ionic technology, which distributes heat evenly so you get consistently dry hair at every angle.

The motor is K-laminated, producing a total of 2000 hours of drying time and ensures 75 cubic meters of airflow per hour. Powerful and covers a wide area of hair, this is the answer to fast drying with a conscience.

There are 4 variable settings, which also makes it a versatile professional hair dryer for different hair types. It also makes for precision drying. A cold shot button is also featured, which helps to seal in any style.

Two nozzles are also included when you buy this dryer, giving you pinpoint and precise styling capabilities.

2. Solano Supersolano Professional Hair Dryer

For a professional-grade blow dryer, the Solano Supersolano is exceptionally lightweight. At only 1 pound in weight, it’s easy to use and gives you strain-free maneuverability – giving you ample time to style your hair in any way you like.

>> See reviews, price & availability on the Solano

Want red carpet waves or super sleek straight hair? You can absolutely achieve perfectly smooth and shiny hair with this powerful dryer.

Recommended and used by hair stylists, the Solano features 1875 watts of power, emits far infrared heat, ceramic for even heat distribution and tourmaline features for added shine and smoothness.

Built and designed in Italy, its unique selling point is delivering salon quality hair with its powerful yet gentle heat. It dries your hair fast but without the use of too much heat. This eliminates damage and saves you an incredible amount of time styling your hair.

3. TwinTurbo 3500 ExtraCompact Dryer

If you’re looking for a good quality blow dryer that’s completely safe and durable, this TwinTurbo 3500 ExtraCompact Dryer is the choice for you. It features a built-in nickel chrome heating element, a safety thermostat, and a built-in anti-overheating device that gives you the peace of mind it will never burn you or your hair.

Check out reviews & price on the Twinturbo

Its powerful motor produces 2000 watts of power, and it features 2 speed and 4 temperature settings. The more options for temperatures, the more versatile it is to use on many different hair types. Use the lower settings for fine hair and use the higher temperatures for thick, coarse hair. When you’re working with different people, this dryer definitely has all the features you need.

It also guarantees to cover a total of 73 cubic meters of air flow, which equates to lightning fast drying time. This saves you so much time to focus on other things such as styling your hair.

4. Babyliss Pro Portofino 6600 Nano Titanium

When you’re styling hair, wrist strain is among the biggest problems. Whether you’re doing your own hair, or someone else’s, drying hair and styling as you go can be exhausting on your hands and arms.

Luckily, this Babyliss professional hair dryer answers this very problem. It’s super lightweight, compact, and comes with a 9-foot cord for absolutely easy maneuverability. With an Italian motor, this was made specifically for the hair stylists in mind while also being easy to use for anyone for that matter.

See the latest deals on the Portofino

At 2000 watts, it features an ionic generator with nano titanium components, giving you results of conditioned hair that’s soft and shiny.

There are 6 heat & speed settings, giving your precise temperatures for a range of different styling needs. Whether you or your client has fine or thick hair, this one dryer will do perfectly.

This powerful yet gentle on the hair professional dryer is flexible to use for any of your hair styling demands.

Watch this video review of the Babyliss Portofino by xoBeautyJunkie:

5. Fhi Heat Platform Nano Salon Pro 2000

This Fhi Heat Platform Nano Salon Pro dryer has all the bells and whistles of a modern professional dryer. But aside from the added details, its basic foundation is a solid hair styling tool that does the job of giving you salon-quality hair in minutes.

Check out user reviews & price on the Fhi Heat

The dryer features technologies you may never have heard before, such as low EMF, and the exclusive Nano-Fuzeion Technology, which provides negative ions that reduce static electricity and thereby eliminates frizz and flyaways.

With negative ions to seal in vital moisture and repels humidity, giving you super smooth and shiny hair. It features 3 heat settings and a cool shot button (which locks in a single click – you don’t have to press it all the time!) for endless possibilities for styling and instant sealing-in of any hairstyle.

The dryer also comes with a nozzle for speed-drying, a straightening comb attachment, and a finger diffuser.

6. Rusk W8less Lightweight Dryer

Dryers are a pain when they’re loud and noisy. If you have to style your hair early in the morning and you’ve got kids or your partner sleeping near the bathroom, you’ll absolutely wake them up. Quiet dryers are heaven-sent, and this professional hair dryer by Rusk will change your mind about using dryers in the morning.

See price and availability on the Rusk

Keeping noise to a minimum, it features a powerful 2000-watt motor w/ ion generator. It uses a ceramic grill infused w/ tourmaline, which are all elements that are safe to use on your hair or that of your client’s. You can rest assured that no strands of hair will be burnt by this gentle yet mighty dryer.

There are 7 heat speed settings, as well as a cold shot button. If you want to enjoy the most precise styling you can have, then this definitely fits the bill.

And the most surprising of all, despite its barrage of features, is how incredibly lightweight it is. It weighs a small one pound, which means you can style however you want with no strain on your wrists whatsoever.

Quiet, powerful, flexible, gentle, and conditions hair in minutes, this is by far one of the best lightweight professional dryers you can get your hands on.

7. GHD Air Professional Performance Hair Dryer

A popular and award-winning choice, this GHD Air is packed with a beautiful design in a sleek body.

There are 2 speed and 3 heat settings, and absolutely perfect to use on all types of hair. Use the maximum setting for thick, long hair, and use the lowest temperature for fine hair. Get to create options that are tailor-fit for whatever your or your client’s hair needs are. It’s versatile and makes for the perfect styling tool. It also comes with a cool shot button so you can seal in the style right after you dry.

Check user reviews & pricing discounts on the GHD

Dryers are one of the top culprits of dry and frizzy hair – but not this one. It features an advanced ionic technology that locks in moisture, giving you softer and shinier hair that lasts longer throughout the day. All you need is a small dab of hair cream and you’re good to go.

8. T3 Featherweight Luxe 2i

This ionic dryer is one of the most preferred by many professional stylists. It cuts drying time in half compared to regular dryers, and improves the condition of hair that results to smoother and shinier locks. With 2 speeds and 3 heat settings, it’s one of the most versatile in the market. Whether you have fine hair or thick, coarse hair, this dryer will work perfectly.

Check out the  T3 Featherweight Luxe 2i

Its other features include a cool shot button and a 9-foot cord that allows for easy mobility. The ergonomic handle is easy on the wrist, allowing you to use this tool for all kinds of styles without any strain. The Luxe 2i engine is its most unique feature – so powerful that it dries hair so fast, preventing any kind of damage.

9. Bio Ionic Powerlight Pro-Dryer

An incredibly lightweight professional dryer, this tool doesn’t scrimp on power. With 1875 watts, it’s strong and powerful enough to dry the thickest of hair in only a matter of minutes. And despite producing maximum heat, it’s super safe and healthy to use on your hair every day.

See reviews and price on the Bio Ionic Power Light 

Its Nanolonic minerals hydrate and condition hair, preventing all kinds of dryness and roughness. Using this dryer will make your hair look so shiny that your hair will look like it was styled at a salon. No damage is done whatsoever – making it the perfect companion for anyone who wants great-looking locks every day.

This is the ultimate hardcore frizz fighter – giving you smooth and kinky-free hair in a matter of minutes.

10. Sedu Revolution Pro 6000i

With 6 speed and heat settings, this is one of the most versatile dryers in the market. With a 1875 wattage, cold shot button, and a Tourmaline ionic generator, no other dryer can get better than this in terms of features. This is the ultimate dryer for the professional stylist.

Get the Sedu Revolution 6000i 

This is also the most technologically advanced hair dryer in the market, with a weight so light that it won’t put a strain on your wrist no matter what hairstyle you are trying to achieve. With the capacity to reach 2000watts of power, it has an unsurpassed airspeed that sets hair in a jiffy.

When you want your hair to look great everyday sans the damage, investing in a good quality professional hair dryer is the next best thing to actually going to a salon. Always remember the 4 factors to a good quality dryer – high wattage, multiple settings, ionic technology, and ceramic/tourmaline materials. For the best-rated and the most powerful and healthy dryers, choose from these 3 tools to get the job done in a matter of minutes.

Which one to choose?

Before you decide which model or brand, there are things you need to consider when choosing the perfect professional dryer for you.

Here are the 4 things you need to consider when looking for a professional hair dryer:

1. Wattage

The higher the wattage, the hotter and faster the dryer works. Low wattage dryers won’t be able to fix long and thick hair in a few minutes – it would probably take you about 20-30 minutes tops. And the longer you expose your hair to heat, the more damage is done. In turn, you get dry and coarse hair that will make you regret using that 1000-watt dryer in the first place. It’s always best to choose one with at least 1300 watts or better yet, a dryer with a wattage of 1875 to 2000 watts for the speediest results.

2. Multiple Settings

A dryer must have at least 2 heat and speed settings. You won’t always need to dry your hair in maximum heat. If your hair isn’t that wet, you only need to apply minimum heat. And if your dryer doesn’t have this feature, you won’t be able use it on different occasions. Your dryer must be versatile enough to use on different types of needs.

3. Technology

Ionic technology speeds up power by up to 70%. And as mentioned, the less time you expose your hair to heat, the healthier your hair is. Look for a dryer that uses ionic technology as it protects your hair rather than damage it. The negative effects of styling tools have always been known but hair tools with this technology does the opposite – it releases negatively charged ions that help evaporate water from the hair, which means less heat is used. This results to smoother hair with less dullness and frizz.

4. Materials: Choose Ceramic and Tourmaline-treated Elements

Ceramic materials have unique heat-conduction properties that warm hair safely and effectively. Metallic and plastic materials cause the cuticle of hair to frizz, damaging your hair and stopping you from using your dryer -which defeats the purpose entirely. Ceramic and tourmaline-treated materials are gentler and healthier on your hair.

Other resources to check out:

• Both the Twin Turbo and Parlux are recommended by the pros over at Vouge
• A hairstylist is only as good as her tools – Roundup of the very best blowdryers over at Harpersbazaar.com
• The Best Hair Dryers For Professional Hair Stylists – About.com