Collapsible diffusers: For all your travel needs, these diffusers do the same as your classic cup-type, but can collapse for easy storage. The Supersonic creates smooth, shiny styles and dried our hair superfast. This is the ultimate combination of quietness, speed and hair-drying finesse. The lengthy cable, non-slip mat and beautifully crafted leather case help seal the deal. In every respect, the BaByliss 3Q hair dryer is a minimalist’s dream. Rather than throwing in flashy features for the sake of it, BaByliss perfects those necessary to deliver excellent and fast styling results. For those in the market for a great quality, lightweight and powerful hair dryer, the 3Q is an easy recommendation. The water in your hair, post hair wash, is positively charged, the ionic technology creates negative ions to counteract the moisture. Fancy words for anti-frizz and smoothing science. You find the same technology is some of the best hair straighteners too. Cool shot

Whether you're into a low-maintence glow dry or want to stay up to date with the latest hair trends, a hair dryer that works for your hair type is always worth the investment. We asked the experts what to look for when seraching for the best hair dryer and tried & tested them to give you our honest opinion. Enter: the best hairdryers of 2023. How to choose the best hair dryer? The Hersheson gives you three temperatures, three speed levels and a cool shot. ‘It’s very quiet and the attachments are good,’ Timothy says. ‘I particularly like the diffuser, which was great for curly and wavy hair. A minor issue I experienced with the control panel is its position on one side of the handle; if I switched hands to style the other side of my head, the controls became more difficult to use one-handed. With over five years’ experience in beauty and health journalism, Florence has written for ELLE, Women’s Fitness, Sister Magazine, National Geographic Traveller and many more, with a strong sustainability angle thread through much of her work.

Since launch, Dyson has also added a range of attachments to join the nozzles and diffuser. The “Gentle air dryer” attachment resembles the hem of a skirt and uses its waves to diffuse the airflow, making it softer without reducing drying time; it’s perfect for fine or damaged hair. A new wide-tooth comb attachment, designed for curly or coily hair, detangles the hair while drying to prevent damage and make it easier to style. Hand shaped diffusers: Zendaya seems to swear by this kind of diffuser. Popularised by DevaCurl, the brand says that this funky-looking diffuser gets right to the roots for a speedier drying time. The ergonomic hand shape also allows you to scrunch your curls during the drying process, rather than in-between. It’s surprisingly quiet given the power, measuring around the 84 decibel mark on its highest setting. “Overall, I think this model is fantastic for all hair types as it is very light and easy to work,” says Timothy. “I really enjoyed using it in my salon on all my clients and I didn’t get any hand ache, as it’s so light to hold. It comes with two concentrator heads to suit different hair types and works particularly well for smoothing out curls.” Avoid excessive colouring. One of the biggest problems I see is unnecessary, excessive colour damage - either too much colour or repeated over and over on the same hair. This leaves it thin, fragile and dull. Find a colourist that cares about hair health and who wants your hair to look its best for as long as possible, rather than making you return asap to spend again." The Dyson Airwrap alternatives prove hair dryers have come a long way in terms of development and what you can get for your money.

If you have curly hair, you’ll already know that gentle care is essential if you want to maintain its shape and shine. Harsh heat treatments that strip moisture impact all hair types, but curls suffer the effects of dullness and frizz worst of all – so it’s essential to equip yourself with the best hair dryer to gently care for your curls.Digital (EC) motors: Hair health has been on the drying industry’s mind for some time, and the latest “digital motors” (also known as EC or electronically commutated motors) allow for increased air velocity with reduced heat, so you don’t need a high wattage to experience powerful drying results on a lower heat setting. Lower heat settings are ideal for all hair types, but especially for curly hair, which can easily become dehydrated as a result of heat styling.

The dryer comes with a traditional diffuser attachment and concentrator nozzle, as well as a Gentle Air attachment that diffuses the airflow with a wavy edge to distribute heat and air more evenly. There’s also a wide-tooth comb attachment designed to detangle curly or coily hair while drying. There’s no denying this hair dryer is expensive, but the healthy results mean it could be your curls’ new best friend. Key specs – Heating element: Ionic; Temperature settings: 3; Power: 2,200W; Speed settings: 3; Cable length: 3 metres; Cold shot button: Yes; Accessories: Concentrator nozzle; Weight: 768Syd Hayes, Session Stylist to the stars and Babyliss Ambassador looks for a few things when choosing a hair dryer. "Firstly it has to be powerful, there are lots on the market that just don’t have enough power to get through every different hair type. Secondly, heat is also important. I don’t want to overheat hair, but you need to know it's there. And thirdly the weight of the hairdryer is key. I go to the gym for heavy weights I don’t want to be lifting them all day with my dryer." Hayes says. Overall, though, the BaByliss 3Q hair dryer produced impressively smooth, sleek results in record time. Typically, it would take around half an hour for me to blow-dry my hair; with the BaByliss 3Q this time was cut to just over 20 minutes. This impressive performance makes it easy to overlook the 3Q’s few downsides. Don’t get too close – for too long – when drying hair. Resting the nozzle on your hair for an extended period will guarantee over-drying and damage. Try to keep a one-inch distance between your hair and the dryer and heat-style less often." Some models come with a concentrator nozzle, designed to make it easier to direct the airflow accurately onto a section of hair. These nozzles are great if you blow-dry around a round brush for a salon-style blowout.

You might have spotted the cool setting on your dryer and never bothered using it because maybe it didn't make sense to you. But the cool shot is actually like popping the cherry on top of the cake - it seals the hair cuticle, leaving hair looking shiny. "A cold button is absolutely essential for finishing and setting the hair," says Reed. It did well at smoothing out wavy hair at home. It does, however, only have one head, which may make it a little too large for some hair types as one size doesn’t always fit all. On the plus side, it’s light and compact enough to fit into hand luggage. This is an expensive hair-styling tool, but the benefits to hair health make it worth the investment if you frequently style your curly hair this way. The Style iQ’s powerful airflow means the dryer’s cooler settings are still effective, so you can dry your hair efficiently without toasting it. In addition, the dryer uses ionic technology to moisturise the hair as it dries; our hair was smooth, glossy and hydrated after drying. The cool shot setting is handy to seal the cuticle and set your style once you’ve finished drying. A smart and stylish dryer that leaves hair feeling healthy, with clever attachments to help you find the ideal settings for your preferred style.It’s important to consider a number of features when looking for a suitable hair dryer for curly hair. The following comprise the most important of these features. We did find the attachments well designed and useful, however. These include a diffuser, concentrator nozzle and brush-style head – the latter of which is ideal for blow drying hair straight and adding bounce. The dryer features ‘iQ Technology’ that aims to intelligently generate high-velocity heated and ionised air for fast drying with no heat damage, increasing smoothness and shine and reducing frizz and fly-aways. Use a heat protector spray: Even when drying on a low heat setting, you’ll want to use a heat protector spray to prevent heat damage. A curl cream can also be a good choice to seal in moisture and retain the curls’ natural bounce. Finish with a light serum, oil or curl cream to add extra shine and definition. How we test When testing, we time the speed of drying from freshly washed hair to fully dry (noting the length and texture of hair we test on); and evaluate the overall ease of use, noise, and the finish and feel of the hair after drying. We also note how well curls, waves and straightened styles last throughout a typical day. Finally, we confirm the weight and dimensions of the tool. Yes, the best hair brush, scalp treatments and hair oils play a part in creating your 'do, but the blow dry is what will make or break a hairstyle. So it's worth taking the time to figure out exactly what your hair needs and which of the best hair dryers will work best for your hair type.