Here at the Strategist UK, we like to think of ourselves as crazy (in the good way) about the stuff we buy, but as much as we’d like to, we can’t try everything. Which is why we have People’s Choice, in which we find the best-reviewed products and single out the most convincing ones. (You can learn more about our rating system and how we pick each item here.)
And while we’ve written about styling tools and hair products before — including the best quiet hair dryer, the curling iron used backstage at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, and the best curling irons — here, we’ve rounded up the best hair dryers, as praised by the most enthusiastic reviewers on Amazon.
Best-rated hair dryer
With 4.5 stars across almost 6,000 ratings, the Remington D3010 is by far the best-rated hair dryer on Amazon, with nearly twice as many reviews as the next most popular option. It’s also one of the lowest priced products in the hair dryer category. Why do people keep coming back? ‘Value for money’ is the most common compliment in customer feedback, used by 300 people, while ‘easy to use’ pops up in 150 reviews. Many of these folks add that the hair dryer is easy to clean and that it performs as effectively as more expensive models that reviewers have used in the past. According to 280 other customers, the hair dryer’s lightweight feel is its best feature. There’s positive feedback from older buyers, people with bad joints or reduced arm strength, and from customers who say that they previously considered hair-drying to be both an arm workout and a tiring chore. The hair dryer’s ‘eco setting’, which claims to use less electricity, is another much-loved feature. At 2,000 W, this hair dryer also packs a punch — despite its compact size and entry-level pricing, more than 450 customers also describe the hair dryer as powerful.
Best high-powered hair dryer
If you like even more oomph in your hair dryer, this TRESemmé model is super popular with Amazon shoppers, including hundreds of buyers with particularly thick or long hair. The hair dryer has 4.5 stars across 2,700 ratings and (at under £20) is considered to be a good value option by more than 250 customers. With 2,200 W of power, efficiency seems to be the main draw. According to one top reviewer, this hair dryer is miles better than the ‘leaf blower’-like models they’ve used in the past, and is so powerful that it has cut down their hair-drying time from 20 minutes to 3 minutes flat. (They checked with a stopwatch.) Apparently, the hair dryer also stays powerful over time, even with multiple uses each day. According to one impressed buyer, the hair dryer has weathered five months of daily use by his wife and his four long-haired daughters. Interestingly, nearly a hundred reviewers also mention that this hair dryer’s longer than usual cord (2.4 metres), which they describe as very convenient for snaking through the bedroom or bathroom.
Best extra high-powered hair dryer
If you’re looking for even more wattage, this 2,400 W hair dryer is your best bet. It has many of the same specs as our best-rated pick, and is also made by Remington, but adds more wattage for what it calls a ‘24 hour’, ultrasmooth blow-dry. With 4.7 stars across 700 ratings, most customers are convinced of the benefits (and 94 percent give the product a four or five-star review). Thirty customers say that the hair dryer is great quality and another 30 recommend it for thick hair. One five-star reviewer — who has thick, almost hip-length hair — says they can finally dry their hair in under ten minutes. To borrow another buyer’s words, this is because the airflow is so strong that it seems like the hair dryer is powered by mini tornadoes. The hair dryer comes with a diffuser attachment and is available in two finishes, including a much complimented oyster pink and rose gold, which buyers say makes it look extra smart on the bathroom counter.
Best dual-voltage hair dryer for travel
This dual-voltage travel hair dryer is a big hit with seasoned travellers. The top-rated review is written by someone who has worked as cabin crew in the airline industry for more than 20 years, flies long-haul once a week, and says that this ‘sturdy, substantial’ hair dryer has followed her around the world. The dryer has 4.5 stars across 2,000 ratings. It’s compact, with a foldable handle, and lightweight at just over 500 grams — features praised by more than 500 pleased customers, including people who regularly travel for work as well as people with joint issues. At 2,000 W, this compact dryer also meets the mark in terms of power: 600 reviewers confirm that the hair dryer is powerful, and many add that it works as effectively as the larger hair dryers they have favoured in the past. For at least 40 people, this dryer is a suitcase staple. They recommend it if you’re tired of using weak hotel hair dryers, or if you travel regularly to North, Central, or South America and other regions with different voltages to the U.K.
Best two-in-one dryer and volumiser
If you want to find a styling tool that dries and styles at the same time, or you’re looking to add volume to thinner hair, this popular two-in-one hair dryer could lend a hand. It’s made by REVLON and is the No. 2 best seller in Amazon.co.uk’s Hair Dryers & Accessories category, with 4.5 stars from more than 2,000 ratings. Technically, it’s a thermal brush, which is the love child of a hair dryer, curling iron, and barrel hairbrush — we’ve written about their benefits before. Customers love this model because it’s easy to use (according to 300 people) and terrific for taming thick hair (according to 150). It’s so convenient for quick styling that 40 people even call it a ‘game changer.’ According to the comments, this would be a great option for people who find it painful, difficult or simply annoying to dry their hair with one hand while twisting a curling brush in the other. One reviewer, who says that they’ve never been able to do the ‘hair dryer brush thing’ successfully, says that they can now achieve bouncy, smooth, and shiny hair in half the time it once took them to get ready. Another customer says it makes their hair so shiny that the grey strands practically shimmer. Apparently, depending on how you brush your hair, the hair dryer is also an effective straightening or taming tool for people with frizz, curls, or waves.
Best hair dryer with cold shot setting
If you like to set your hairstyle with a cold shot, this BaByliss hair dryer is the top pick for many Amazon customers — the cold shot is in addition to three heat settings and two speed settings. The setting on this model is particularly well-liked by customers because it feels genuinely cold, even if you use it after cranking the hair dryer up to the highest heat. (The same setting is often called a ‘cool shot’ on other models.) As well as setting hair, one reviewer adds that this function is great for adding lift at the roots. With 4.4 stars across 1,600 reviews, this hair dryer is praised for many more features. As well as the usual compliments about power and effectiveness, over 100 reviewers compliment the very long cord (3 metres) and another 100 praise the good value.
Best hair dryer for curly or frizzy hair
This popular hair dryer is one of the few highly rated, mid-range options on Amazon that automatically includes a diffuser attachment. Diffusers disperse the airflow from a hair dryer, helping you to dry hair more gently and evenly — for this reason they’re particularly well recommended for folks with curly, wavy or frizzy hair, especially if you want to preserve your natural curl pattern. Curly haired customers are complementary in the comments and say that the diffuser works well for unruly, awkward or frizzy curls, as well as permed hair. The dryer is also popular with people of different hair types, and has 4.6 stars from 1,000 ratings overall. One top reviewer (a man in his 40s) says that this hair dryer keeps him looking awesome, with his hair like a member of a glam metal band. Plus, he says, the hair dryer’s shiny purple exterior matches his spandex. Is there higher praise than that?
Best hair dryer for natural and afro hair
For Amazon customers with textured or frizzy hair, this Wahl hair dryer is a firm favourite. As well as a standard nozzle, the hair dryer comes with a Pik comb attachment, which claims to let airflow get right to the roots. Dozens of reviewers say that the hair dryer and comb attachment work effectively for their hair and, in many cases, makes it more manageable. In one buyer’s words, this dryer helps them reduce hard shrinkage and achieve a gloriously soft, combed-out Afro. For five others, it works well for straightening very thick, natural hair, in some cases saving them money on regular trips to the salon. Customers confirm that the hair dryer works well with a wide range of hair types: This includes coily 4B and 4C hair, coarser hair, as well as hair extensions or weaves. The Wahl dryer has 4.3 stars overall. It’s 2,000 W and 30 people recommend it as a powerful hair dryer option for any type of hair — one five-star reviewer even calls it ‘cyclone strong.’
Best hair dryer kit
This highly rated hair-drying kit includes a hair dryer, diffuser, roller brush and two sectioning clips. It has an impressive 4.7 stars across 300 ratings. Although the bells and whistles mean this hair dryer is more expensive than others on this list, 20 reviewers reassure potential buyers that it’s well worth the price, and 5 others say that they bought this brand because it’s the one their hairdresser uses in the salon. (According to most of these reviewers, this is also the best hair dryer they have ever owned.) At 2,100 W, the hair dryer is fairly high-powered. One reviewer notes that, although it’s not technically the most powerful one they’ve used, it outclasses all other hair dryers in terms of drying power. There’s plenty of love for the full kit as well, right down to the clips. Curly haired customers speak highly of the diffuser, which they say fits snugly and successfully scares off frizz. At least one customer likes the roller brush so much that it’s become their go-to hairbrush for everyday use.
Best hair dryer diffuser attachment
If you’ve got your eye on one of the other hair dryers on this list but you’d like a diffuser attachment for wavy or curly hair, this is the best-rated diffuser attachment on Amazon.co.uk. It has 4.3 stars across 3,000 ratings and the top-rated review is titled: ‘The Universal Diffuser of my Dreams. Yes, really.’ The diffuser comes with a silicon adapter to fit a range of differently sized dryers, but if you’re concerned, search the reviews: Customers describe plenty of hair dryer models that the attachment will work with.
The Strategist UK is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Read about who we are and what we do here. Our editors update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.