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HAIRSTYLING BEAUTY
BEST BUDGET
TRESEMMÉ POWER
DRYER 2200, £20
➤ WHAT THEY SAY Comparing hair
dryers for every budget isn’t apples to
apples. Of course, a £200 model will
have features that a £20 one lacks.
But this is a very good dryer indeed
for a very minimal investment.
➤ WHAT WE SAY It’s made of a light
slippery plastic, making it easy to flip
this way and that as you dry. Using the
concentrator nozzle sorted out any
fluffiness without flattening out my roots.
There’s an ion generator and a ceramic
grille, which prevents hotspots during
drying. The thought given to preventing
damage is impressive, which makes
this a
solid
choice
for low-
maintenance hair types.
➤ WEIGHT 500g POWER
2,200 watts WARRANTY 3 yearsDYSON SUPERSONIC
DRYER, £299
➤ WHAT THEY SAY Not everyone has
hundreds of pounds to budget for a
hair dryer, but if you do it’s easy to see
why the Dyson Supersonic has such a
devoted fan base. The USP is power,
generated from a 13-blade digital motor
positioned in the handle, which sends
13 litres of air per second up to the head,
which is then multiplied to 41 litres and
checked 40 times per second to
maintain a precise temperature.
➤ WHAT WE SAY The Supersonic’s
controls are pleasingly pared back,
three speed and three heat, plus a
cold shot button. Tap the power on
and it whooshes right to full speed,
it’s noticeably quiet and a dream
to control thanks to that
handle-based motor. The
styling concentrator and
smoothing nozzles left a
lovely shine on my fine hair
without flattening it down
and there’s a third diffuser
attachment for curls too. This
dryer is pretty peerless – as
for whether you have £300 to
spend, I’ll leave that up to you.
➤ WEIGHT 659g POWER
1,600 watts WARRANTY 2 yearsBEST POWERFUL
BEFORE YOU BUY...
The three most important
considerations you need to make
when buying a hair dryer are your
hair type, styling behaviour and,
of course, budget. If you have
low-maintenance hair and only
blow-dry every now and then you
can easily rub along with a basic,
lightweight model, whereas if you
have thick unmanageable hair and
spend hours creating a professional
blow-dry most mornings, invest in
something with a few more bells
and whistles as well as a higher
price tag. Noise levels are best
considered if you use your dryer on
others, whereas weight becomes
more important the longer your
hair takes to dry. If you have curly
or textured hair, avoiding arm ache
is essential. Finally, think about the
condition of your hair – if damage
is an issue look for ceramic or
tourmaline grilles, even heat
distribution and a number of heat
and speed settings. Frizz and
dryness are best tackled with ionic
technology and lower heat, and if
your hair’s in good nick, a lot of
power and plenty of attachments
for styling may be more of a priority.PANASONIC NANOE EH-NA65, £69.99
➤ WHAT THEY SAY This comes with some big claims, namely that it maintains
1,000 times more moisture in the hair, while still drying it. Confused? I was, too,
before I did a deep dive into the technology. Essentially, it takes micro droplets of
water from the air, splits them into even tinier particles and sends them into your
hair with an ionic charge to hydrate from within as well as moisturise your scalp.
➤ WHAT WE SAY Even on its highest heat this isn’t scarily
scorching – a good thing in my book. Despite a slightly
clunky appearance, this isn’t heavy to hold. The
two sliding switches on the handle are easy to
operate and offer four heat settings. This
isn’t a dryer you buy for its good looks – it’s
all about the technology and performance.
It’s quiet, kind and gives a lovely softness
and shine, particularly to coarser hair types.
➤ WEIGHT 600g POWER 2,000 watts
WARRANTY Two yearsBEST FOR CURLS