You nominated a ton of blow dryers in our initial round, but these three received significantly more support than the rest. Now it’s time to find a winner.
Buttercup Blow Dryer by Drybar
You guys, I know $200 for a hairdryer sounds insane, but I got this as a gift and it has changed my (hair) life. It makes my hair so smooth and I would have never believed the “nano beads” bullshit, but like, something is working here. Plus it’s cute! - mountainflower
BaBylissPro Porcelain Ceramic 2800 Dryer
It wasn’t until I started using this dryer that I realized my Conair, even on the highest settings, was just blowing around lukewarm air. But not so with my new toy. The heat from my BaByliss is not too much to tolerate, but it’s far stronger than anything I’d used before. If I screw up my bangs, this thing is powerful enough to fix them. Whether I use a round or flat brush or even just my fingers, my hair is shinier with more volume. It’s smooth, even during the wintery static season. Dare I say, it’s bouncy! The BaByliss has cut my drying time in half, easily. The only downside is that it’s a little heavy and the switches are awkwardly placed, but I’ve gotten used to it. Other brands may not have the switch issue, but of all the brands I picked up at the store, the BaByliss 2800 was the lightest. A super-powered dryer is an indulgence, yes. But it’s made my hair routine so much nicer that, when it comes to the stuff I use every day, it just might be the best upgrade I’ve ever made. - Jessica Coen
Infiniti Pro by Conair Tourmaline Ceramic Styler Dryer
I am so enthusiastic about this blow dryer, because it has changed my life. My LIFE.
It’s basically a brush and dryer in one, so you detangle your hair and then pass the dryer/comb slowly down the hair shaft: And voila, straight hair. I have super curly hair and a lot of it, and this baby takes my blow drying time from like 30 minutes to 5-10. Plus it just works better than a traditional blow dryer — my hair is passably straight and pretty decently shiny, so it cuts flat/curling iron time in half as well. So it basically turns a 45 minute process into a 20 minute one, with better results. It also gets points for easing up hand cramps, since you don’t have to hold up a brush and dryer at the same time.
My one complaint is that I drop it all the time and have broken a few of the teeth on the straightening comb, so I wish those were sturdier/there was some easy way to replace the attachments. But it’s so cheap ($35!) that I kind of don’t care if I need to replace it in a year. - Rachel Feltman