One tester said: “This is an awesome hair dryer. It’s super high-powered—I’m able to dry my hair quickly (10 minutes) and it gives me a smooth blowout every time, minimizing the amount of frizz I usually have. I’ve also used it on my nails after a DIY manicure!”
Best Blow-Dryer for Natural Hair: Pattern Blow Dryer
It’s all about damage prevention with this blow-dryer, the first hair gadget from Tracee Ellis Ross’s Pattern Beauty brand. It comes with four attachments—a concentrator nozzle for sleek blowouts, a diffuser for creating curls and definition, a wide tooth comb for simultaneous detangling and drying, and brush for stretching coils. With three heat and two speed settings, it’s really catered towards people looking to hot-style without going overboard.
One tester said: “If you are looking for THE blow-dryer for natural hair care, this is it! You can feel the quality the second you open the packaging, which is absolutely beautiful. It’s a gorgeous matte tan-brown color and stands out from other tools—and is a great nod to women of color. It gives my curls a voluminous look while simultaneously limiting heat and keeping my locks as healthy as possible. The diffuser attachment is extremely efficient, and lessened my dry time. All the attachments lock in place seamlessly, so you can bounce easily between each styling tool. Highly recommend this for your natural hair collection!”
The Best Blow-Dryer (Splurge): GHD Helios Professional Hair Dryer
The GHD Helios Professional dryer is expensive, but it works. It’s the kind of tool a stylist might use on you in a salon, and you might leave thinking, “Wow, my hair will never look this good again.” But…it can, according to our testers. It might just take a small investment.
One tester said: “I’ve never personally owned a hair dryer because my curly hair does not do well with heat, but this product is SO great. It’s sleek and fits perfectly and comfortably in my hand and doesn’t feel as heavy as others do. The hot setting doesn’t burn or fry my hair but is plenty warm enough to dry everything quickly. It has a good airflow output and tames flyaways, too, leaving my hair feeling smooth and shiny.”
The Best Hair Gadget: Revair Reverse-Air Dryer
Picture this: A vacuum for your hair. But it’s painless, efficient, and straightens strands—even coils—in record time. It sounds wild, and it certainly looks a little weird, but the Revair seriously works, according to our testers. Separate your hair into sections, feed individual sections through the nozzle-hose, and adjust between three speed settings and seven tension settings as you please.
One tester said: “The hype around this is real! If you’re someone like me—who has a sensitive scalp and often finds blow-drying your hair to be painful—you’re going to love this tool. It’s become a staple in my routine because not only does it dry, stretch, and smooth my thick 4C hair in under 45 minutes, but it does it painlessly. It’s also easy to set up and use. Plus it comes with great accessories, like a wide tooth comb, a spray bottle, hair clips for sectioning, and a soft towel for gentle drying. The only downside is that the wand is a bit heavy, so I had to take short breaks in between sections so my hand wouldn’t cramp up.”
The Best Flatiron: Bio Ionic 10X Styling Iron – Blurred Fantasy
Bio Ionic’s latest innovation literally brings good vibes—this flatiron gently vibrates when closed, ensuring the hot plates hit and straighten strands from every angle. This increased coverage brought testers a faster, smoother, and silkier look. Plus the rounded barrel allows you to create curly and wavy styles too.
