Hairdryers review
We put 18 hairdryers to the test!
How we tested
Our testers (who have a range of hair lengths and types) tested each of the hairdryers for performance (strength and heat of airflow) and convenience (ease of use, weight, noise level and versatility).
How we rated
***** excellent
**** very good
*** good
** satisfactory
* poor
Date tested
March 2010
1800w and more
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Fairlady Test House Best Buy!***** Features 2200W; three heat/two speed settings; 2,6m thick cord; ionic conditioning; two nozzles; 713g Comments All our testers loved this hairdryer. It is a good size and comfortable to hold. It’s also very powerful and gets hot quickly. It comes with two narrow nozzles, |
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**** Features 2000W; three heat/two speed settings; cold air button; 3m thick cord; ionic conditioning; Comments This dryer is very powerful and leaves hair shiny and sleek with no frizz. Most testers loved the wide, flat nozzle with vents on the sides, which concentrates |
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**** Features 1800W; three heat/two speed settings; cold air button; 1,8m cord; ionic conditioning; nozzle; SpinCurl attachment; 535g Comments This is a good size and comfortable to hold. Some testers loved the Spin Curl attachment, others didn’t – locks of hair are inserted into the barrel and when the dryer is turned on, it dries the strands and spins them around. Most testers found the nozzle for normal drying too wide. |
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**** Features 1800W; two heat/two speed settings; cold air button; 2,6m thick cord; two nozzles; 721g |
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**** Toni&Guy AC Professional (TGDR5352E) About R549 from Clicks. Features 2000W; two heat/two speed settings; cold air button; turbo setting; 3m cord; nozzle; 852g Comments This was the second heaviest dryer that we tested, although most of the testers found it a good size. |
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**** Features 2000W; three heat/two speed settings; cold air button; 1,8m thick cord; volume diffuser; 608g Comments This was popular among our testers. They found it big, but still comfortable to hold. It is very powerful and effective in drying and styling. Some did comment that the setting switches were not easy to change. The nozzle, which has air vents on the sides, was a good size and worked well. |
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**** Features 2200W; two heat/two speed settings; cold air button; 2,8m thick cord; three nozzles; 698g Comments This hairdryer is very noisy – the noisiest of all the ones we tested. It is small and compact, but fairly heavy. There are three different nozzles with this dryer, so there’s one to suit every hair type. It is very powerful, so |
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*** Features 2000W; three heat/two speed settings; cold air button; 3,1m thick cord; nozzle; volume diffuser; 744g Comments Most testers found the nozzle, which has side vents, too wide to concentrate the air flow enough. Some also commented that the hottest setting was not hot enough for their liking. They felt that this dryer was a good weight and size and comfortable to hold. The settings are easy to adjust. |
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*** Features 2100W; three heat/two speed settings; turbo boost; cold air button; 2m cord; ionic conditioning; volume diffuser; nozzle; 653g Comments This hairdryer was powerful and hot enough for great styling. The handle is comfortable and it’s not too heavy. None of the testers liked the nozzle – it swivels as you dry, making it difficult to direct the hot air where you want it. |
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*** Features 2000W; three heat/two speed settings; cold air button; colour saving button; 1,8m cord; ionic Conditioning; two nozzles; 703g Comments A flower-shaped nozzle blends ambient air with the dryer’s hot air, spreading increased airflow over a larger area. The colour saving button ensures hair doesn’t overheat, but still gives powerful airflow. Testers found this dryer bulky. Some felt that the switches on the Handle made it unwieldy. |
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*** Features 1800W; two heat/two speed settings; cold air button; 1,8m cord; nozzle; 754g Comments Most of our testers commented that this dryer didn’t get hot enough. The different settings on the switches are not marked, so some found the switches difficult to change. This hairdryer is fairly noisy. Some thought the nozzle was too wide and made styling their hair difficult. |
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*** Features 2000W; three heat/two speed settings; shine therapy button; 1,8m cord; ionic conditioning; nozzle; two shine therapy cartridges; 667g Comments Most testers didn’t notice a difference after using this dryer and the ionic conditioning vapour. The compartment for the cartridges made the dryer very awkward to use. It was also very noisy. The handle was comfortable. |
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*** Features 2000W; three heat/speed settings; cold Comments The heat and speed settings are on a single switch, which testers felt limited their options. This dryer is a good size and weight. Many testers commented that their hair looked really shiny and silky after using this dryer. |
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*** Features 2000W; three heat/two speed settings; 1,6m thick cord; nozzle; 818g Comments Though this dryer is fairly heavy, our testers found it comfortable to use. It was one of the quietest hairdryers on test. Some testers found the switches difficult to adjust when the dryer was on. There were mixed comments about the nozzle – some loved it, others found it too small. |
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*** Features 2000W; three heat/two speed settings; cold air button; 1,8m cord; nozzle; volume diffuser; brush and mirror set; 581g Comments This hairdryer is light, but big. Most testers found the handle too chunky. Some found the nozzle too wide, making styling difficult. Several testers commented that it gave off a high-pitched sound. It is powerful and hot. |
1600w and less
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*** Features 1600W; three heat/two speed settings; cold air button; 1,8m cord; nozzle; 488g Comments This was the most effective of the three lightweight, low wattage hairdryers we tested. It is fairly noisy, but small and compact and comfortable to hold. The nozzle is fairly wide, which didn’t suit all of our testers. |
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** Features 1600W; two heat/speed settings; cold air button; 1,7m cord; nozzle; 462g Comments This hairdryer is very noisy for such a small unit. There is only one switch with two different settings, |
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** Features 1400W; two heat/speed settings; 1,8m cord; nozzle; 353g Comments This dryer is really lightweight and compact, so it is ideal for travelling. The heat and speed are gentle and better suited to thin hair. The nozzle is wide, which makes styling difficult. |
New in the country
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The Elchim 5000 Da Vinci hairdryer.
It arrived too late for our survey, but two of our testers tried it out and were really impressed. It is very powerful (2150W), with a good nozzle for styling. It is a good size and verycomfortable to hold. Available for about R1550. To locate your nearest stockist, go to www.elchim.co.za. |
Useful features include:
- Long, thick cord
- Hanging loop for storage
- Cold air button, or cool shot, to cool and set your hairstyle quickly
- Nozzle to concentrate the air where you want it – for curling and styling
- Removable air filter that can be cleaned to maintain peak performance
Test house notes
- To save on drying time, make sure your hair is well towel-dried – hair doesn’t actually set in a style until it is more than 90% dry.
- The finer the styling nozzle, the better the air concentration and efficiency of styling. But this means it concentrates the heat in one place and could have a drying effect on your hair.
- Generally, the higher the wattage, the hotter the dryer and the faster your hair dries.
- Be careful of nozzle concentrators as they can become hot.
- In general, larger, more diffused heads produce more lift and curl; soft-tipped ones are more gentle on the scalp
Prices correct at time of publishing.
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Comments - 1 comment so far
taklein
Why is it that these appliances always seem to give up the ghost a week after the guarantee expires?