We recommend hair dryers with a CHOICE Expert Rating of 80% or more.

The CHOICE Expert Rating is made up of performance (45%), ease of use (30%) and the salon expert assessment (25%). Weightings are in brackets.

Made up of drying rate (50%), temperature range (25%), airflow speed range (20%), noise score (average of measured volume and noise annoyance) (5%). A pass/fail drop test is also performed.

This covers setup and general operation of each hair dryer. We assess the thoroughness of each manual followed by ease of holding, ease of reading and understanding the labels, ease of operating controls and attaching/removing concentrator nozzles included with each dryer.

We measure how quickly each hair dryer will dry your hair. To do this we position and direct each dryer 15cm away from a moist cloth, run them for 60 seconds then weigh the cloth to determine how much moisture has been dried out of it. We repeat this test on the lowest and highest settings, three times each for a total of six drying rate tests per dryer.

We measure the airflow speeds at the lowest and highest settings, 15cm from the front of the air outlet.

We measure the temperature at the lowest fan speed, lowest heat setting, and then at the highest fan speed, highest heat setting, 15cm from the front of the air outlet.

A professional hairdresser assesses each hair dryer in a salon environment below shoulder length, soft wave, medium texture human hair. A full breakdown of the test criteria is in our how we test article. This is not a blind trial. The salon expert is aware of the brands and models.

Sound level is measured at the highest heat and speed settings, at 15cm.

This is the manufacturer's recommended retail price.

Sliding switches are set in the handle and can be hard to use if they’re stiff, lack grip or don’t stick out enough. Rocker switches require you to push the raised end down. They can be easier to use but can be accidentally activated.

Sliding switches are set in the handle and can be hard to use if they’re stiff, lack grip or don’t stick out enough. Rocker switches require you to push the raised end down. They can be easier to use but can be accidentally activated.

Sliding switches are set in the handle and can be hard to use if they’re stiff, lack grip or don’t stick out enough. Rocker switches require you to push the raised end down. They can be easier to use but can be accidentally activated.

Length of the cord in metres.

Separate settings for heat and air speed will give you more control. The highest settings are ideal to remove the moisture from your hair while the lower settings are best for styling.

Separate settings for heat and air speed will give you more control. The highest settings are ideal to remove the moisture from your hair while the lower settings are best for styling.

This narrows and concentrates the airflow to where you want it. It's designed for spot-drying and controlled styling.

Ideal for drying curly hair.

Provides a burst of cool air and is supposed to be good for setting a style in place.

This feature increases airflow through the hair dryer to speed up drying.

It’s said to dry hair faster, retain moisture to keep hair healthy and smooth and create less static to reduce frizz.

Is said to control the heat to provide even heat distribution and add shine while protecting hair from frizz and damage. 

A removable filter is easier to clean.