From the lightweight to the super speedy, if you’re in the market for one of the best hairdryers 2023 has to offer we’ve tried out the latest to see if they’re right for you.
While it's not a frequent or recurring beauty purchase, when you’re suddenly in the market for a new hairdryer you want to make sure you’re investing in the best hairdryers 2023 has to offer. Because that one purchase should be lasting you quite some time (fun fact: beauty director SJ’s Parlux hairdryer - loved by hairdressers because they go on for years - has just celebrated its 19th birthday!).
And if it has been a while since you last bought a hairdryer, then you won’t be surprised to learn that the technology and specifications have moved on quite considerably. That’s why, if you’re looking to find the best hairdryers 2023 for either yourself or to snap up for someone else as a gift, then we’ve done all the heavy lifting for you and tested the newest and the best so you can make an informed decision. Thank us later.
9 of the best hairdryers 2023
1. The one with edited attachments: Shark SpeedStyle Rapid Gloss Finisher & High-Velocity Hair Dryer, £199.99
USP: Shark have cleverly curated two versions of this hairdryer. There is a ‘straight and wavy’ option that comes with three attachments to achieve that style or ‘curly and coily’ that comes with attachments for that. Meaning you don’t end up with attachments that you’re never going to use.
Weight: 770g
Power: 1600w
Heat settings: 3; 65°C, 80°C and 100°C
Speed settings: 3
Cable length: 2.44m
Attachments: With the ‘straight and wavy’ option you get a directional nozzle, a brush attachment and a finisher attachment that smooths and reduces frizz. With the ‘curly and coily’ option you get a the brush attachment, the finisher attachment and a diffuser.
Any extra buttons? Cool shot button
Our verdict: “The first thing that struck me about this is how light it is. When I checked the specifications I was surprised that it wasn’t lighter in weight than some of the others I’ve tested as it certainly felt like it. The next thing is just how quick it is at drying hair without feeling like you’re blasting it with heat. I shaved off at least 5 minutes off my drying time compared with others. The hairdryer regulates the temperature as you dry, preventing your hair from getting too hot but it also cleverly adjusts the heat setting depending on which attachment you're using taking out all the guesswork."
"The pitch of the engine is really soft and fairly quiet - you can easily talk to someone while drying your hair, should you wish. As someone who predominantly uses one attachment (a nozzle), I appreciate that this comes with only three attachment options so I don’t end up with yet another diffuser that gathers dust in my drawer. However, if you are a hair chameleon you can buy this hairdryer with all the attachments just at a slightly higher price point.” Beauty Director, SJ Corfield-Smith
2. The one for fine hair: Revamp Enigma Precision Hair Dryer, £199.99
USP: Not only is this hairdryer quick, efficient and very quiet it comes with a unique attachment that promises to add volume to the roots.
Weight: 1.14kg
Power: 1600w
Heat settings: 4
Speed settings: 3
Cable length: 3m
Attachments: There are four attachments in total. A diffuser, a concentrated nozzle, a smoothing and flyaway attachment and then the ‘fast dry & lift booster’ which looks a little like a smaller diffuser.
Any extra buttons? Cool shot button.
Our verdict: “I have fine and fragile hair that I want to get volume into without frying it and causing it to break. I was intrigued by the ‘fast dry & lift booster’ attachment that comes with this as I haven’t seen anything like it before. I first roughly dried my hair without any attachment and then popped it on - all the attachments are magnetic making it very easy to switch them - you use it like a diffuser and place it into the hair at the roots and it lifts the hair, drying at the same time to create maximum lift root. I was worried it was going to feel hot as it’s so close to the scalp but it didn’t. Then, for the mid-lengths and ends of your hair you can use the direct nozzle or the flyaway attachment depending on the blow-dry look you like to achieve." Editorial Director, Victoria Woodhall
3. The compact one: Mdlondon Blow Hairdryer, £195
USP: Unique design, and the fact it’s super quiet and light and small. Michael says lots of people assume it’s a travel hairdryer but it does contain the same sized motor as the most expensive hairdryer on the market.
Weight: 360g
Power: 1600w
Heat settings: 3; 60°C, 80°C and 100°C
Speed settings: 3
Cable length: 3m
Attachments: Comes with two magnetic directional attachments. The diffuser attachment is sold separately for £25
Any extra buttons? It has a self-cleaning button that you hold down for five seconds and the hairdryer self-cleans the filter. Michael recommends doing this every three to four months. There is also a cool shot button to make your blow-dry style last longer.
Our verdict: We have previously reviewed the Michael Douglas Mdlondon Blow Hairdryer when it launched but Victoria GTG’s Editorial Director also added: “I really like how targeted the air-flow is with this hairdryer. It makes getting lift at the root and smoothness in the length so much easier. It also looks so chic, the two current colours are inspired by Farrow & Ball paints (there are three more to come next year) and the copper buttons are a really nice finishing touch. While this costs just under £200, I think you are getting a lot of amazing quality technology for your money. I’ve used the Dyson and - perhaps controversially - I prefer this for its lightness and look.” VW
4. The eco one that's cheap to run kind to hair and planet: Zuvi Halo Hairdryer, £329
USP: It uses infrared light energy, instead of high heat, to mimic the natural evaporation of the sunshine and wind. This way of drying is also meant to protect the integrity of the hair better thanks to less heat and uses 60 percent less energy.
Weight: 534g
Power: 680W (2.5 times less power than a traditional hairdryer)
Heat settings: only one that doesn’t get hotter than 44ºC
Speed settings: n/a
Cable length: 2.85m
Attachments: 3; a diffuser, a styling nozzle and a gentle air attachment.
Any extra buttons? No
Our verdict: “Don't ditch the manual, you do have to invest some time reading how it works as it’s like no other hairdryer, but it is worth it for the way it protects fragile hair and uses less energy. It doesn’t have heat settings as it dries with a straight 44ºC heat (as opposed to a standard 60ºC) and - uniquely - with light energy which shines green on your hair. Using light energy helps retain the internal moisture in the hair to make it hair smoother, shinier and keep colour protected for longer.
"There are four modes: care (for everyday drying), fast (as it sounds!), soft (for sensitive scalps and fragile hair) and style (for nozzle styling) and it's as quiet as the Dyson, although the sound is a little sharper.
"Because this only gets to 44ºC, it certainly doesn’t feel as hot as you may be expecting. Depending on your hair type (our textured hair tester found it much slower and didn't get her hair poker straight) this may be positive or negative. So who is it for? Anyone with very fine or damaged hair or anyone who is genuinely concerned about the damage ‘regular’ styling tools cause. Plus anyone who’s trying to minimise their carbon footprint as it uses far less electricity. Our third tester did the maths and worked out that (before the energy price hike) using the Zuvi for ten minutes daily would cost around £17.15 per year, whereas a normal dryer would rack up a £42.30 bill.
"I like it as a rough dry hair dryer and for diffusing when I wear my hair curly. To get sleekness, I go over my dry hair with a hot brush, which is definitely kinder to my hair and the planet than hot brushing my whole head. ” VW
5. The reliable one: ghd Helios Professional, £179
USP: This is a hairdryer that started life in the salons. It has been designed for consistent and constant use.
Weight: 780g
Power: 1875W
Heat settings: 2
Speed settings: 2
Cable length: 3m
Attachments: 1 nozzle
Any extra buttons? Cool shot button to set your style
Our verdict: “Designed for hair professionals but also available to ‘normal’ people, you are paying for a hairdryer that can withstand being used all day every day (like the pros would) without losing power and capability. For us, regular folk what that means is you know this is going to last you a considerable amount of time! It does come with a 2 year warranty but we doubt you’ll need it. The weight is distributed to the middle of the dryer which makes it very easy to hold and move around. It’s not the lightest of hairdryers but it’s also not so heavy that it’s achey on the arms. It comes in 9 different colour ways, all of them brilliant." SJCS
6. The speedy one: Hershesons The Great Hairdryer, £295
USP: Along with its unique design it has to be how quickly it dries hair.
Weight: 294g
Power: 110,000 rpm
Heat settings: 3
Speed settings: 3
Cable length: 3m
Attachments: 3; a narrow nozzle, a wide nozzle and a diffuser
Any extra buttons? A cool shot button
Our verdict: “Wowzers, this dries your hair quickly. It must have shaved off at least 15 mins off my usual drying time. The air comes out very targeted which means the rest of your hair doesn’t fly around as much and my hair was left super smooth and I’m sure it’s down to this. There are three-speed settings. I’m the sort of person who just whacks everything on the highest and the hottest setting but the fastest setting was a little bit too much for me and my fine hair, however, I can imagine it will make drying thicker hair speedily an absolute dream. And it’s so light! They compare it to the same weight as a can of Coke, but I think it’s lighter. My arm can quite easily ache after a serious blow-drying session, and this must be the lightest hairdryer I’ve ever used.
" It also comes with a very handy stand that you can slot the hairdryer back into. So if you’re the type of person who blowers their hair every day and keep your dryer out all the time, this element will be exceptionally appealing. The stand also means you can bypass having to clench the dryer in between your legs each time you’re trying to create a new section to work on. My only slight negative (along with the fact that it is quite a big investment) is that the attachments require a bit of pushing to get them on, I thought they might click on magnetically.” SJCS
7. The luxury one: Dyson Supersonic, £359.99
USP: The unique tunnel-shaped top section means that all the weight of the dryer is in the handle which makes it easier to manoeuvre. It also contains an intelligent heat control that measures the air temperature over 40 times a second to regulate the heat from the dryer and prevents damage to the hair.
Weight: 659g
Power: 110,000 rpm
Heat settings: 4 - constant cold at 28°C, cooler at 60°C, regular at 80°C and fast drying at 100°C
Speed settings: 3 - high, medium and low
Cable length: 2.8m
Attachments: 5; a flyaway attachment, styling nozzle, gentle air attachment, diffuser and wide-tooth comb attachment
Any extra buttons? It has a cold shot button to set your hair after styling
Our verdict: “Because of the way air flows through the Dyson - it’s very targeted and direct - your hair doesn’t end up blowing around as much compared to more conventional hairdryer designs, which for thicker hair or hair that’s prone to tangle easily is a huge plus. When this first launched I remember thinking how much lighter it was to my usual Parlux, however, there are lighter ones on the market now so whilst this still isn’t heavy it is no longer feather-like. Like all Dyson products, it is very cool to look at and works like a dream.
"The attachments click on effortlessly and the sound it makes is just perfect, a lovely low white noise sound that doesn’t grate on your ears. In fact, when my youngest daughter was a baby it was the sound of this hairdryer, and no other, that could soothe her to sleep when she was particularly irritable. So for that, I will always be eternally grateful. In terms of using it, it definitely dries my hair quickly and seemingly with less fuss and bother. The smoothing attachment is particularly genius, you hold it against the hair and it almost sticks to it like a magnet so the air perfectly flows down reducing frizz and my friends with textured hair say the diffuser is next-level. However, it is a lot of money but if the price is no object then you won’t be disappointed.” SJCS
8. The family-friendly one: Babyliss 3Q Hair Dryer, £125
USP: Sturdy and reliable
Weight: 790g
Power: 2200W
Heat settings: 3
Speed settings: 2
Cable length: 3m
Attachments: 1 nozzle
Any extra buttons? A cool shot switch
Our verdict: “This is such a great no-fuss but super effective hairdryer and it’s such a great price that will last you forever - it comes with a ten-year guarantee! This is the kind of dryer that everyone in the family can and will use - teens, husbands, whoever - and it won’t diminish in reliability and power. On the packaging it talks about how it uses ionic conditioning to help diminish frizz as well as 40% higher air pressure to dry hair quickly and I can confirm it made light work of my fine hair and it was left looking very smooth after my usual blowdrying with a round brush and a little serum in my hair. It’s not the sexiest or lightest hairdryer on the market but this is like the Volkswagen Golf of hairdryers. It won’t let you down, it will keep on going and it will deliver every time.” SJCS
9. The haidressers' favourite: Parlux Digitalyon, £161.96
USP: Parlux is the hairdresser’s brand of choice.
Weight: 395g
Power: 2400W
Heat settings: 4
Speed settings: 2
Cable length: 3.3m
Attachments: 2 nozzles; a slim and standard size
Our verdict: “ I have had my existing Parlux for 18 years and it’s still as good as the day I bought it, which I hope will make you see what an investment you’re making in a dryer from this brand. It may be a brand you’re familiar with - chances are your hairdresser uses a Parlux - or it may be that you’ve never heard of them before, and this is because they tend to be pitched mainly towards professional stylists.
"But why should they have all the good stuff? This hairdryer doesn’t come with anything fancy like some of the others, but it has everything you need for a brilliant blow-dry. It goes super fast and it does get quite hot so if you have thicker, coarser hair or you simply don’t want to spend an age doing your age - this will be a dream for you. It’s not the quietest of hairdryers either but it has that reassuring pitch that you hear in the salon when great hairstyles are being created. I honestly couldn’t recommend a more brilliant and reliable hairdryer than this.”