Our Favorite Hair Dryers and Diffusers

By now, many of us have spent a long time alone, inside. We experimented with cutting and dying our own hair, or letting it sit in a knot for days on end. Now that we’re finally rejoining public life, that might mean using a hair dryer to lock your style into place.

You don’t have to use heat to dry your hair, but there are situations when you might prefer it. You’re rushing out the door straight out of the shower; your finicky curls need to be tamed; or you love smooth, glossy locks. Whatever the reason, there’s an infinite amount of hair dryers out there in every price range from an uncountable amount of brands. If you have easy-to-manage hair that just needs to dry faster, you can probably go with any cheap one you find at your local CVS. But some of us have more temperamental hair that needs very specific care. 

A few of us on the Gear Team tried standard blow dryers, blow dry brushes, and diffusers to find the best options. These are our favorites. If you need a hair straightener to pair with your hair dryer, we have a guide for that too. 

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