A hair dryer is a quick and easy way to get your hair dry and ready to go. When used correctly, the best hairdryers can even helping with styling as well.
If you’re looking to invest in a fantastic product to help you blow dry your hair effectively, take a look at our reviews of the best hair dryers around to help you choose the right product for your budget and needs.
1. Parlux Alyon Air Ionizer Ceramic Hair Dryer (Top Pick)
The Parlux Alyon is lightweight, durable and powerful. It uses ionic technology to ensure healthy drying without static or frizz.
The set comes with 2 concentrator nozzles that help reduce frizz to achieve smoother results. The Alyon hair dryers can dry thick hair faster, they deliver a more stable temperature distribution and offer high speed and high heat options for reducing drying time when you’re in a hurry.
This dryer is ergonomic, innovative and has a built-in silencer so it operates quietly to optimise user comfort. This is a professional dryer that is ideal for use on all hair types.
What We Like:
- Great for thick hair
- Quiet operation
- Professional quality
What We Don’t Like:
- Does not come with a diffuser
2. GHD Air Professional Hair Dryer
Kings of heat styling GHD have designed a hair dryer that is made to give you professional airflow and salon results in your own home.
All the options are there to give you the choice of how to style your hair. Two nozzles, variable power and temperature, and even a cool air setting. However, it is the power behind the product that really makes it stand out.
The 240v ac motor and bio ionic technology enable customers to style their own hair type effectively just like the hairdresser does it.
Left handed? Don’t worry, the ergonomic handle design works for left and right handed users.
Customers will love that there is a 3 metre cable with the hair dryer, enabling you to style your hair without being restricted by the bounds of a short power cord.
What We Like:
- Negative ions technology
- Various temperature settings
- Long cord
- Powerful motor
What We Don’t Like:
- Expensive
- Fairly heavy at 1500g, so not suitable as a travel hair dryer
3. Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer
Leading vacuum giant Dyson offers consumers a stunning looking hair dryer designed to use the most modern technology to dry hair. As the latest in styling technology the Dyson Supersonic is top-of-the-range.
The product uses a microprocessor which ensures that the heat applied to the hair is never exceeding a hot temperature that could damage the hair.
The V9 motor powering the dryer is also modern in design, being placed inside the handle rather than the head for optimum weighted comfort.
If you struggle with dexterity issues you might appreciate this feature even more.
For complete flexibility in styling for your hair type, there are magnetic attachments included with the product that help you style curly hair, create volume and straighten.
You can also choose from four temperature settings, three speed settings and a cold shot option to further extend your styling control.
What We Like:
- Beautiful design
- Powerful motor
- 4 style attachments
- Lightweight (560g)
What We Don’t Like:
- Expensive
- Users may need to watch a few tutorials to learn the various features
4. Parlux 385 PowerLight Hair Dryer
The 385 from Parlux is an attractive hair dryer made to help you dry and style your hair easily, and quietly.
It uses a K-lamination motor which despite being so strong, is very quiet to use because of the clever incorporated silencer built into the machine. So you won’t have to worry about disturbing the household too much when it comes to using your hair dryer.
If you’re looking for lots of control over your drying, the Parlux uses 4 temperatures, a cold shot and 2 settings for speed for optimum flexibility in styling.
Are you an eco-conscious consumer? You’ll love that the speeds on the hair dryer have been designed to be eco-friendly, so the planet doesn’t have to suffer for your good hair & beauty day.
What We Like:
- Curved handle, easy to hold
- Eco-friendly settings for speed
- Lightweight (450g)
- Powerful motor
What We Don’t Like:
- Does not come with a wide range of accessories
- Cord is not as long as salon-ready products
5. Silver Bullet K2 Hair Dryer
The slick-looking silver bullet hair dryer is designed to be extremely quiet, which means it could be the best hair dryer for you if you often need to style your hair when other family members are asleep.
There’s no need to compromise on power for low noise output though, as the K2 uses a 2200 watts long-lasting motor perfect for producing hot results.
Looking for lots of settings options from your dryer? The K2 has an impressive 6 heat settings and 2 settings for speed, a cold shot button and two concentrator nozzles enabling you to use the product exactly how you want to.
What We Like:
- 6 heat settings
- Low noise output
- Strong motor
- Lightweight (540g)
What We Don’t Like:
- Does not come with a diffuser attachment
- Cord is not salon length
6. Remington Aero 2000 Hair Dryer
The Remington Aero has minimal bells and whistles for hair and beauty, but the powerful motor means you won’t compromise on drying time. The large design contains a high-quality motor that pushes a strong output of airflow out of the nozzle, or out of the two included concentrators.
Despite the simple design, you do still have some control over your styling flexibility with 3 heat and 2 speed settings, not to mention a handy cool shot.
What We Like:
- 3 heat settings and cold shot
- 2 settings for speed
- Powerful motor
- Easy to use
What We Don’t Like:
- Cold shot may not be a complete icy blast
- Heavier than other options (794g)
7. VS Sassoon VSP6500A Digital Sensor Dryer
The VS Sassoon Digital Sensor Dryer offers ultimate hair protection so you don’t have to worry about heat damage when you’re styling your hair.
This is an Italian designed and engineered hair dryer that uses a digital sensor to maintain an optimal temperature of 70 degrees C. This prevents hot spots and helps protect your scalp, hair fibre and ends from damage. The airflow is also automatically optimised to ensure you enjoy fast, salon quality from this pro dryer. The high ionic technology helps to tame frizz and eliminate static.
If you add an attachment the dryer senses it and will regulate the temperature and airflow accordingly. This is a smart dryer that finds the sweet spot between being high tech and convenient. Dry your hair with ease and then “lock in” the style with the cold shot setting.
What We Like:
- Keeps the heat constant to avoid heat damage
- Digital sensor maintains optimal settings
- Fast styling
What We Don’t Like:
- No obvious downsides
8. Parlux 1800 Eco Hair Dryer
The Parlux 1800 Eco is the best hair dryer for anyone looking for a lightweight, energy-saving option. This hair dryer is compact, low voltage and low energy. It has a Ciaramella K-LAMINATION motor which is both durable and powerful.
The Parlux 1800 Eco is well balanced and ergonomically designed, making it comfortable to hold and use. This helps to prevent you from getting tired or uncomfortable when holding it for long periods of time which is particularly good if you have thick or long hair. The materials used for this dryer are highly recyclable so it’s perfect for anyone who is environmentally-conscious.
Another positive is that this dryer is quiet when in use, it also comes with a nozzle for quick and easy styling. There are 4 temperature settings as well as a cold shot button. There are 2 speed settings and the 3m cord length gives plenty of space to manoeuvre.
What We Like:
- 4 heat setting options
- Energy saving
- Lightweight and powerful
What We Don’t Like:
- Only comes with 1 nozzle
Hair Dryer Buyer’s Guide
Buying a hairdryer is a big decision if you love to use heat to dry and style your hair on a day to day basis. While there is quite a broad price range when it comes to dryers, even the most affordable hair dryers still have a relatively high price point so you’ll want to ensure you choose the best option for your hair care routine.
To help you get the best product available in Australia, take a look at the below points to consider on your search for your perfect hair dryer.
Choosing Your Hair Dryer Brand
Are you asking yourself: which Parlux hair dryer should I buy? Is Dyson or Revlon the best brand? Should I only choose GHD because it is meant to be the best? Being brand-led is common with hair products because the brand has usually already proven itself as a leader in the industry.
However, be aware that you can sometimes spend more for a brand name, when the product may actually not be right for you. When looking for the best hair dryers, keep the brand in mind but don’t base your purchase on brand alone as it won’t guarantee you the best product for your hairstyle and style needs.
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Ease-Of-Use
Hair dryers come in so many different shapes and forms, but they aren’t all that easy to use. Compare the size, weight and switches of the models. Very heavy designs can be an ache for the wrist, modern designs might take some getting used to, and stiff and straight handles can be very uncomfortable.
The heat and speed controls should be easy to change and they should be positioned so it’s not easy to accidentally knock them while you are using the dryer.
Think about how you like to use a hairdryer when assessing the design of your potential new purchase. It might be fantastic in what it can do, but that won’t count for much if it feels horrible for you to use.
Styling Tools
Many hair dryers come with at least one concentrator nozzle to help with styling and getting the desired finish. The attachments are important as they help to direct the air flow making the performance more effective.
The difference between attachments will normally relate to different styles. Blowouts with the right attachments or diffusers will help to bring body and volume to your hair while keeping your hair’s softness, shine and conditioning intact.
The right attachment will help fight frizz and give the best results so be sure to look at what accessories the blow dryer comes with so you can get the best experience without needing to spend more.
Power Cord Length
One of the factors that is often overlooked is the length of the power cord. A longer power cord is better, especially if you tend to dry your hair in front of a mirror and want freedom of movement.
The cord length tends to be between 2-3 metres depending on the model, the size should be specified in the product information.
Hair Dryer FAQs
Most consumers will benefit from a strong motor and a long cord for effective and easy use. Anything beyond that really comes down to preference. If you love to play with your style then you’ll want a couple of concentrators, some speed and heat settings and a cool shot for shine. If you want a hair dryer best to blow curly hair, then a diffuser is a must.
Bells and whistles are always a bonus but only if the core product is effective, so always check Amazon reviews to ensure the dryer is effective in the most basic way. Beyond that, who wouldn’t want lots of speeds, tools and extras?
You’ll see the terms ionic and ceramic a lot when you’re shopping for a hair dryer, but what do these even mean? In essence, ceramic dryers use ceramic heating elements to heat the air, while an ionic dryer produces negative ions to break down the water in the wet hair.
Which is better? Realistically, both work well in combination with a strong motor and a well-designed overall product so this factor should not be a deciding factor when you choose a hair dryer for your beauty needs.
Parlux are one of the most well known brands of appliance in the beauty word and with good reason. Their hair dryers in particular are known for being high quality, lightweight, powerful and durable. For the reasons listed in this article, our top pick from their range is the impressive Parlux 385.
