People with thick hair know that picking up any old hair dryer from the shelves isn't going to cut it. But considering the vast number of blow dryers on the market, it can seem complicated to narrow down the best hair dryer for thick hair — unless you keep in mind a few basic guidelines. Your blow dryer should be:
- Lightweight and comfortably designed. Thick hair takes longer to dry, which means you're going to be holding your blow dryer for a while — so you don’t want your arms getting tired.
- Equipped with at least 1800 – 1850 watts of power for a quick drying session. Less than that, and it'll take ages. Unfortunately, most compact dryers tend to have lower wattages, so they aren't the best choice for people with thick hair.
- Designed with ionic and/or tourmaline technology, which will help dry hair faster (with less damage).
- Finally, the best dryers come from reputable brands that are known for designing durable, high-quality hair tools.
The final piece of the puzzle? Always use a heat protectant when you're blow drying your hair to help cut down on damage.
Ahead, you'll find three of the best blow dryers that fulfill all these criteria and more — plus one other game-changing styling tool for people with thick hair.
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This popular, 1875-watt Conair hair dryer uses tourmaline ceramic technology to dry hair fast with minimal damage, while iconic conditioning technology helps leave hair looking shiny and smooth. It has three heat settings, two speed settings, and a cool shot button to set your hair in place; plus, it comes with a concentrator attachment and diffuser so you can switch up your styles with ease. Weighing just 1.8 pounds, it's designed with a comfortable, no-slip grip for your hand and has a 5.5 foot power cord for easy maneuverability. It's also easy to clean with a hinged filter in the back. For less than $30, what more could you want?
The coolest thing about this 2000-watt Rusk hair dryer is that it weighs less than a pound and has an eight-foot-cord — two features that make for a highly comfortable, no-fuss styling session. Designed with a ceramic and tourmaline ironic generator, it uses far-infrared technology to dry hair fast. Like the other dryers on the list, it has three heat settings, two speeds, and a cool shot button.
"Favorite purchase of the year! It now only takes me 7-10 minutes to blow dry my thick hair, as it used to take 20-25 minutes with other dryers. I'm so excited. Unless you understand the pain and discomfort of holding your blow dryer over your head while using a brush for 25 minutes, you might not be able to understand my happiness," commented one Amazon reviewer.
If you're looking to make a proper investment, it doesn't get much better than pro-favorite brand T3. Their Cura blow dryer, which has 1875 watts of power and weighs just 1 pound, has an ionic generator for a smooth, fast blow dry, plus three heat settings, two speeds, and a cool shot button. It emits digitally controlled heat using a wide airflow for more precise heat distribution, which helps not only dry hair quickly, but also cuts down on damage.
It's also a smartly designed dryer that takes comfort into consideration, with an ergonomic handle and switches on the back that you won't interfere with your blow dry. The Cura also comes with two concentrator attachments, a removable filter, and a two-year warranty.
One of the most popular hot tools on the market, the Revlon One-Step might just change the way you style your hair forever. A hair dryer, round brush, and volumizer in one, it's a true marvel of time-saving ingenuity. It's also extremely to use, so if you find handling a blow dryer and brush when you're doing blowouts challenging, this is the hair tool for you. It's the easiest, quickest way to give yourself a salon-level blowout at home — yet it costs less than $50 (aka, the price of one in-salon blowout). Over 18,000 Amazon reviewers have given it a perfect five-star review.
