HAIRSTYLING BEAUTY
A
ccording to the latest
Philips Global Beauty
Index, 79% of women
use a hair dryer at home,
making it the most popular beauty
tool in the world. With countless
models available, ranging from
simple lightweight bargains to
high end, high-tech models, it
makes sense to seek guidance.
I tested dozens of dryers in order
to whittle down the list you see
here, looking at everything from
weight, ease of control and cleaning
to a rundown of special technical
features, how well it cares for the
hair and ease of styling.
Read on to discover the perfect
dryer for your hair type, styling
needs and budget...
GHD FLIGHT, £59
➤ WHAT THEY SAY It’s a universal
holiday-hair dilemma: do you use
valuable baggage allowance on
your powerful but clunky dryer, or
take something smaller but accept
substandard styling? The answer, says
GHD, is neither. The Flight is 422g,
around half the weight of the GHD Air,
yet packs in 70% of its power.
➤ WHAT WE SAY The controls are
simple: two hot settings, one cool and
that’s your lot. The hottest it’ll ever
get is 65C, plenty if you’re holidaying
somewhere balmy and though the
cool setting could be colder, it still has
a decent de-frazzling effect. Probably
the best thing about the Flight is its
physical form – made from sleek
black plastic, the handle folds inwards
to make it less awkward to pack and
the quoted 422g includes the nozzle
and cord so it feels incredibly light. Of
course, no travel dryer is going to fully
match the performance of a full-sized
model, but this comes pretty darn close.
➤ WEIGHT 422g POWER 1,000 or
1,400 watts WARRANTY 2 yearsBABYLISS 3Q, £120
➤ WHAT THEY SAY It’s easy to see
why the Babyliss 3Q is popular with
professionals – it’s clearly designed
with salon-standard blow-dries in mind.
The motor is digital and brushless,
promising ultra-fast airflow, which cuts
drying time and damage. Brushless
motors also generate less friction for
a quieter dry and usually have a longer
life (this one comes with a 10-year
guarantee). The 3Q is an ionic dryer- it sends out negatively charged ions
that interact with frizz-causing positive
charges and break down water
molecules for a sleeker finish.
➤ WHAT WE SAY The settings are as
customisable as you could wish for,
while the filter is easily clicked off for
cleaning out hairs. Smooth is the word
I’d use to describe the 3Q overall,
from the velvety matte casing to the
muscular airflow that shifts to precise
temperatures in a millisecond and the
ultra-skinny nozzle that creates a super-
sleek blow-dry using the cooler settings.
➤ WEIGHT 567g POWER 2,200 watts
WARRANTY 10 years for motor, 5
years partsBEST FOR FRIZZ
BEST TRAVEL