Having curly hair is a challenge. I used to let it air dry, but I couldn’t stand sitting with wet hair all day and ending up with frizzy curls. I needed to find the best hair dryer for my unmanageable locks. Even if you don’t use it every day, it’s good to have one on hand for certain situations—like when you’re rushing to work straight out of the shower, your finicky curls need to be diffused, or you crave smooth, glossy locks.
There’s an infinite number of hair dryers out there in every price range, and from a dizzying array of brands. If you have easy-to-manage hair that just needs to dry faster, you can probably go with any cheap dryer you find at your local CVS. But some of us have more temperamental hair that needs specific care. We’ve tried standard blow-dryers, blow-dry brushes, diffusers, and multi-use tools on coarse and fine hair. These are our favorites.
Be sure to read our other hair and beauty guides, including the Best Hair Straighteners and Best Curling Irons.
Updated May 2024: We’ve added the Tymo Airhype Hair Dryer to the honorable mentions. We’ve also moved the blow-dry brushes to their own guide.
Special offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.
