The best lightweight hair dryer

From thin, delicate hair to textured and curly, everyone can get a perfect blow out with this full sized but extremely lightweight dryer from Conair. Featuring three heat settings and two speed settings, you can easily switch to the combination best suited for your hair type and style. A handy cool shot button helps to lock that finished look in place.

Yet no matter your hair type, this dryer helps to reduce frizz and lock in shine thanks to ionic technology. Tourmaline ceramic technology provides uniform heat, cutting down on the total drying time while causing less damage. 

With a 5 ft cord, removable filter for easy cleaning, and included concentrator nozzle, this basic but featured packed hair dryer will get the job done easily!

Key Features

• 1875 W of power
• 3 heat settings and 2 speeds
• Cool shot button
• Includes concentrator nozzle
• 3.6 in x 9.2 in x 10.3 in
• 1.4 lbs

Revlon’s compact hair dryer weighs just over 1 lb and measures just under 10 in tall, making it perfect for travel or small bathrooms. This dryer is a great basic model, featuring a low or high speed setting along with a cool shot button to help lock that blowout in place.

A hanging ring aids in easy storage, while the anti-slip bumper ensures a comfortable, secure grip. The removable end cap makes it easy to clean out trap lint.

For a low maintenance, no-frills compact hair dryer, you can't go wrong with this model from Revlon.

Key Features

• 1875 W of power
• Two speed settings
• Cool shot button
• 3.4 in x 9.4 in x 7.2 in
• 1.18 lbs

This powerful salon quality hair dryer from Jinri has all the added tools needed to achieve any number of styles. A standard concentrator helps to concentrate air flow, ideal for achieving straight locks, while a diffuser is ideal for wavy or curvy hair. A styling pick attachment is great for curly, textured hair to aid in straightening.

The AC motor provides airflow speeds up to 90 km/hr, which can be adjusted between high and low speed settings. This model also includes heat settings of cool, warm, and hot, with the ever so handy cool shot button to lock styles in place.

The technology of this hair dryer is also impressive, featuring negative ions that help seal in moisture, and infrared heat that evenly dries hair by penetrating the cortex of the hair cuticle, drying from the inside out. The result is not only faster drying, but reduced heat damage as well.

Key Features

• 1875 W AC motor
• Two speeds, three heat settings, and cool shot button
• Negative ion and infrared heat technology
• Includes diffuser, concentrator, and comb attachments
• 10.6 in x 3.5 in x 8.3 in
• 1.65 lbs

For the ultimate travel or space-saving hair dryer, this handy folding option from CONFU should be your go-to. Coming with a convenient carrying bag, the handle easily folds in and out for ultimate portability, ideal for taking to the gym or on your next vacation. But don't let it's compact size fool you, this dryer is loaded with features.

Tourmaline ceramic negative ionic technology aids in reducing frizz and locking in moisture for shiny, healthy hair. The seven blade pump design is a marked improvement over normal three blade dryers, delivering high efficiency air flow at a low noise level. The attached transparent air flow nozzle helps with overall air flow and directionally while preventing accidental burning.

Adjustable for your needs, choose a cool low flow, a medium warm flow, or a high hot flow. Due to its folding design, there is no cool shot button with this model, which might not be ideal for some. Also, due to the lower wattage of the motor, this dryer may not be ideal for those with very thick, long hair.

Key Features

• 1600 W of drying power
• Folding design with included velvet carrying bag
• Negative ionic technology
• Three temperature/speed modes
• 7.5 in x 3 in x 10.2 in
• 1.06 lbs

Hair dryers differ from brand to brand, which is why you want to make sure you’re in the know before purchasing one. Read on for our tips.

Ionic Technology

With there always being a new trend in hair care, some people might be wary of the so-called transformative powers of ionic technology. Though it’s impossible to say if ionic technology will change your life, science does show that negative ions make an impact.

Negative ions help to break down water molecules, which in turn speeds up the hair-drying process. This means that you’ll be saving time every time you dry your hair. Also, if you experience pain in your arms, shoulders, or back, the less time you spend drying your hair, the better!

Added Parts

Nozzles and add-ons might seem like an added bonus, but depending on your hair type, they might actually be a necessity.

For example, if you have thick, curly hair, blow drying without using a diffuser could be a recipe for disaster. Curly hair is more likely to dry out and frizz up if high heat is applied too directly. To protect your hair and also maintain shimmer and shine, a diffuser can make a world of difference. Diffusers spread the heat over a larger area so your curls stay intact.

Concentrators have the opposite effect. For fine, straight hair, concentrators are the way to go. Concentrators spotlight certain sections of the hair, smoothing out curly hair and evening out its texture. To maximize smoothness and straightness, concentrators are best used when accompanied by a comb or brush.

Technically, these extra nozzles are a pleasant addition, but they can really transform your hair and your blow-drying experience. Depending on the texture of your hair and what you want to do with it, selecting a dryer that comes with additional parts may be in your best interest.