What Do the Different Attachments on Hair Dryers Do?
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"These certifications are essential to ensure that the tools are tested for safety and found to meet safety requirements," Wizemann explains. In GH Beauty Lab testing, we take into account each hair dryer's weight, the length of its cord and its noise level, which can affect ease of use. The tool was also lightweight and the attachments are simple to put on and take off, though sound evaluations found it to be noisy.
Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer
11 Best Hair Dryers in 2024 Reviewed by Allure Editors - Allure
11 Best Hair Dryers in 2024 Reviewed by Allure Editors.
Posted: Fri, 12 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
In the Beauty Lab's most recent hair dryer test, experts evaluated the tools in the Lab and at home for ease of use, performance, drying time and whether they cause hair damage, among other factors. Over 2,000 data points were then tallied to identify the best hair dryers on the market for every hair type, from curly to fine, frizzy, thick and more. We usually see four types of attachment included in our hair dryers. The Concentrator nozzle which focuses the airflow to a targeted area. The Diffuser attachment spread out the air coming out making it much gentler to the hair. And The Styler is basically a brush that allows you to blow dry and brush your hair at the same time.
Most Quiet: Harry Josh Pro Tools Ultra Light Pro Dryer
Much like a hair pick is used to create volume, the pick attachment does the same! Shorter picks are best suited for shorter strands while longer hair requires a longer variety. Using the right nozzle in the right way can maximize your style, just as going rogue can leave you with frizzy, poofy hair. Former digital deputy beauty director Sophia Panych agrees about the efficiency. This is a particularly good hair dryer for those who want something that doesn't sound like a jet engine taking off in your bathroom. According to Dyson, the Supersonic measures 79 decibels on average and emits less noise than the average hair dryer.
How to Find the Best Blow Dryer for Your Hair Type
However, the measured air speed was only 45 mph, and we found the handle thick and awkward to hold. One tester found that the heavier cord tired out her arms when she was drying the top of her head, though resting the power bar (which most dryers do not have) on the counter helped. The sound the Supersonic emits is a high-pitched whine, with none of the low rattle that other dryers put out. Whether this sound is more pleasant, as the company claims, is a matter of personal opinion, though. As with any dryer, the sound of whooshing air is physically impossible to eliminate. We found that on the top setting, most dryers blew air at about 40 mph as measured a couple of inches away from the nozzle.
This type of attachment is not that widespread yet but it gained a lot of popularity lately. To get the most out of the diffuser you must make sure that the moisture level of your hair is maintained. You don’t want your hair to be super dry and risk damaging your curls. First set the heat setting to lowest and make your way up as needed. You can also dry upwards near your head to dry the roots of your hair if you need to. The diffuser head forces the air coming out of the dryer to spread out and up through the tines.
April (she/her) is the beauty director at Good Housekeeping, Prevention and Woman's Day, where she oversees all beauty content. She has over 15 years of experience under her belt, starting her career as an assistant beauty editor at GH in 2007, and working in the beauty departments of SELF and Fitness magazines. Finish styling by adding extra volume with a few sprays of TRESemmé Pro Pure Volume Invisible Styler.
That blowing air was around 200 °F (more if we held the dryer in place for a few moments). Although some dryers achieved faster wind speeds than others, interestingly that didn’t end up translating to notably or consistently faster dry times once we used them on our hair. The packaging for hair dryers is adorned with a ton of buzzwords and specs. Most of these “features” are useless at best and pseudoscience at worst. The tool was also easiest to maneuver and comfortable to hold, though it was heavier than other models and more effort was required for proper placement and removal of the attachment.
How we picked and tested
Perfect for those with wavy or curly hair, this attachment helps to reduce the intensity of your blow dryer's air flow while also taming frizz. The most common diffusers, like the kind that comes with the Revlon Light and Fast Hair Dryer ($30), use their prongs or "fingers" to lift hair, creating sculpted, softly volumized styles. More uncommon is a flat design, like the Segbeauty Diffuser Attachment ($19), which essentially does the same thing but with less oomph. Founded in 2010 in the States, Drybar began as a blow dry chain before expanding into hair tools and styling products a couple of years later.
And because any hot styling tool like a hair dryer will damage hair to some degree, it's also crucial to protect strands from the effects of heat. Before blow-drying, "always prep hair with a leave-in styling product that provides heat protection," Alvarez suggests. ✔️ Adjustable heat and speed settings, which allow you to customize the level of heat and power the hair dryer emits according to your hair type and preferences. Testers also gave it high marks for minimizing frizz, a top concern for curly hair.
The motor sits in the handle of the dryer rather than in the head. The handle is straight and a tad thicker than that of the Rusk W8less, too. Dyson says the motor placement makes the weight of the dryer more balanced, since it’s not top-heavy. The difference isn’t huge, but over weeks of using the Supersonic, we found ourselves appreciating the configuration.
“As soon as you turn it on, [your hair] dries quickly,” says Foster, adding that it also stores very easily. It weighs less than a pound, so it’s lightweight enough to hold when you’re drying your hair at home, says Foster. If you want a slightly more affordable option, opt for the Pro Dryer 2000 from the brand.
If you’re willing to splurge on a dryer, you might consider the Dyson Supersonic. It has consistently been our favorite to use since we first tested it in 2016. The motor sits in the handle, making the nozzle shorter and easier to maneuver. The handle doesn’t vibrate at all, which wasn’t true of other “luxury” models we tested. It has a long, 9-foot cord, and it’s less grating noise-wise than other dryers.
In fact, the Supersonic checks the temperature over 40 times a second to prevent damage to your hair, according to the brand. I love diffusers since they’re meant to create a bouncy hairstyle. Their surface is wide and usually rounded to disperse the airflow on large hair areas. Hairdryer diffusers are also known for their frizz-minimizing properties.
You get a styling concentrator, a flyaway attachment, and a wide-toothed comb, plus a “gentle” air attachment and a diffuser. Although this dryer is just as fast as pricier models, it’s the heaviest of our traditional hair dryer picks, and its attachments can be hard to remove. Each of the top-tested hair dryers in the GH Beauty Lab's most recent test has a cold-shot button, which can help to close the hair's cuticle and lock in the style, preventing frizz once you're finished drying.
It also comes with a removable filter, which Lothrop says is important to clean regularly. If you don’t care about weight, consider the InfinitiPro by Conair 1875-Watt Salon Performance AC Motor Styling Tool. Commonly found in drugstores, this dryer produces airflow that’s faster (65 mph) than that of our top pick and almost as hot (205 °F). At 1.3 pounds, however, it may feel heavy after you spend a couple of minutes holding it above your head. The 6-foot cord, though shorter than those on our other picks, is longer than those on most other inexpensive hair dryers. The buttons are easy to use, but the cool-shot button is a little small and harder to hold down than the cool-shot button on our top pick.
Barbara Booth is a former editor at Select who has published several guides on self care and beauty products. For this article, Barbara interviewed celebrity hairstylists and salon owners to get expert-recommended tips on best hair dryers and researched dozens of top-rated options on the market to recommend other options to consider. When shopping for a hair dryer, our experts recommend looking at certain factors including your hair type, technology and settings to help you safely dry your hair with the help of these devices. Below, we break down how to determine which hair dryer is best for you.
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