Does the Quality of a Hair Dryer Really Matter? My Dyson vs. Drugstore Hair Dryer Experience
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For years, I was not convinced that an expensive hair dryer could possibly be that much better than an inexpensive one.
I mean… it’s a hair dryer.
It blows hot air.
How different could they really be?
Then I bought a Dyson.
And unfortunately for my wallet, I have to say it: I actually think the Dyson is better.
I have tried very inexpensive hair dryers, including this Revlon Essentials Frizz Control Ionic Hair Dryer, and I have also purchased another hair dryer that was supposed to be a much more affordable Dyson dupe.
The dupe was fine.
The inexpensive dryer was fine.
But when it comes to my actual hair—particularly controlling frizz—I keep coming back to the Dyson.
And I think the difference may matter even more for women and girls with wavy, curly, frizz-prone or textured hair.
Does Hair Dryer Quality Really Matter?
Yes—but probably not simply because one dryer costs $20 and another costs hundreds of dollars.
What matters is how the dryer handles heat and airflow.
Repeated high heat can damage the surface of the hair. In one published study, researchers found increasing surface damage as blow-drying temperature increased. Interestingly, they also found that keeping the dryer farther from the hair and continuously moving it was gentler than blasting hair at very high heat up close. PubMed
That is one reason a better-designed dryer can matter.
A dryer that can move a lot of air without relying entirely on extremely high temperatures can potentially dry your hair efficiently while allowing you to use gentler heat settings.
And for curly hair, there is another issue:
Airflow matters.
Too much uncontrolled airflow can blow curls apart and create that giant cloud of frizz instead of defined curls.
That has been one of the biggest differences I notice.
The $15 Revlon Hair Dryer
One of the inexpensive dryers I bought is the pretty pink Revlon Essentials Frizz Control Ionic Hair Dryer pictured above.
Mine was only about $15.82 at the time.
For that price, it is honestly an impressive little hair dryer.
It is an 1875-watt ionic dryer with multiple heat/speed settings and a concentrator attachment. Revlon says its ionic technology is designed to reduce static and frizz. Walmart.com
For less than $20?
That is really hard to argue with.
What I like about the Revlon
It is inexpensive, lightweight, simple and perfectly functional.
If I needed an extra dryer for a guest bathroom, college dorm, teenager, travel backup or just didn’t want to spend hundreds of dollars, I would absolutely understand buying something like this.
It works.
But working and giving me my favorite result are two different things.
Then I Tried a Dyson Dupe
I also tried one of the popular Dyson-style hair dryers—the type that promises the high-speed airflow, sleek design and similar experience for much less money.
And I wanted the dupe to win.
Who wouldn’t?
If I could get a $400-ish experience for a fraction of the price, I would happily tell you to save your money.
But after actually using both, I still prefer my Dyson.
The dupe dried my hair.
It looked similar.
It did what a hair dryer is supposed to do.
But my hair simply didn’t look or feel quite the same afterward.
For me, that difference showed up most in frizz, smoothness and the way my hair behaved after drying.
When you send me the link or name of your exact Dyson dupe, I would add that product right here and make this section a direct side-by-side comparison.
Why I Think the Dyson Supersonic Is Better
This is the Dyson product I would choose if your priority is actually drying your hair:
Dyson Supersonic / Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer
Shop the Dyson Supersonic Nural on Amazon — affiliate link
I particularly like the Supersonic Nural because it is Dyson’s actual dedicated hair dryer—not primarily a curling or styling system.
Dyson uses intelligent heat control in its dryers. The original Supersonic measures air temperature repeatedly to regulate heat, while the newer Supersonic Nural adds sensors that can automatically reduce temperature as the dryer moves closer to your head. Dyson
That doesn’t mean your hair becomes magically immune to heat damage.
It means the engineering is designed around controlled airflow and controlled temperature rather than simply getting hotter and hotter.
And I think you can feel the difference.
The Dyson Is Especially Good for Curly Hair
This may be where I think spending more money makes the most sense.
Curly girls know that drying curly hair is completely different from drying straight hair.
You aren’t simply trying to remove water.
You’re trying to remove water without disrupting the curl pattern, creating frizz or turning beautiful curl clumps into a fuzzy cloud.
Dyson’s newer Wave+Curl diffuser actually has two configurations: one intended to enhance natural waves and curls and another designed to add volume at the roots of curls and coils. Dyson
Dyson also recommends lower airflow and lower-to-medium heat when diffusing, which makes intuitive sense for curls: you want to dry them without blowing them apart. Dyson
This is one of the places where I personally think my Dyson performs better.
My hair seems less frizzy when I use it.
That is my personal experience, rather than a promise that everyone will get exactly the same result, but it has been noticeable enough that I continue reaching for the Dyson.
Dyson Supersonic vs. Dyson Airwrap
This is important because people sometimes talk about these products as though they are interchangeable.
They aren’t.
The Dyson Supersonic
The Supersonic is primarily a hair dryer.
If your biggest concern is:
- drying curly hair
- diffusing
- reducing frizz
- drying thick hair efficiently
- getting a smoother blowout
- replacing your normal hair dryer
I would buy the Supersonic first.
The newer Supersonic Nural includes the Wave+Curl diffuser, multiple heat and airflow settings, intelligent heat management and attachments for several hair types and styles. Dyson
What About the Dyson Airwrap?
I love the concept of the Dyson Airwrap, too, but I think of it differently.
The Airwrap is really a multi-styler that also dries.
The current Airwrap i.d. can dry, curl, wave, smooth, volumize and help hide flyaways. It uses controlled airflow and has three heat and three speed settings. Dyson
There are also different configurations for straight/wavy and curly/coily hair.
The Airwrap is wonderful if you want one system that can create:
big curls, loose waves, blowouts, volume, smoother styles and different finished looks.
If I were primarily looking for a styling tool, I would consider an Airwrap.
If I were primarily looking for the best everyday hair dryer for frizz-prone or naturally curly hair, I would choose the Supersonic.
$549.99Ulta BeautyDyson Airwrap i.d. Curly+Coily Hair$599.99Ulta Beauty
Is the Dyson Airwrap Better Than the Dupes?
This is one of those annoying answers:
I think so.
There are really good hair tools available now for substantially less money, and I don’t think everyone needs a Dyson.
But I also don’t think the Dyson is only expensive because of its name.
The Airwrap uses the Coanda effect and controlled airflow to manipulate hair rather than depending entirely on very high heat. Dyson says the Airwrap monitors temperature more than 40 times each second and keeps airflow temperatures below 302°F. Dyson
The newest Airwrap models are becoming even more sophisticated. The Airwrap i.d. can create a personalized curling routine through the MyDyson app, while the newer Co-anda2x version has substantially higher air pressure than the prior generation. Dyson
Do you need all of that technology to curl your hair?
Absolutely not.
But after trying expensive and inexpensive versions of these tools, I don’t think all of them perform exactly the same.
The Most Expensive Hair Dryer Isn’t Automatically the Best
I also want to be careful about saying:
Expensive hair dryer = healthy hair.
That’s much too simplistic.
You can damage your hair with an expensive dryer if you repeatedly use excessive heat at very close range.
You can also take very good care of your hair with an inexpensive dryer by using moderate temperatures, keeping the dryer moving and not holding very hot air directly against one section of hair.
The research supports being thoughtful about temperature and distance, regardless of the logo on the dryer. PubMed
So this isn’t about believing that everything expensive must be better.
It’s about whether the particular technology and design are actually useful.
In the case of my Dyson, I think they are.
My Hair Dryer Ranking
For me, I would rank them like this:
BEST OVERALL: Dyson Supersonic
This would be my choice for an actual hair dryer, and especially for anyone dealing with curls and frizz.
Shop my Dyson Supersonic pick on Amazon — affiliate link
BEST FOR STYLING: Dyson Airwrap
I would choose the Airwrap if curls, waves, smoothing, volume and blowout-style hair are the priority.
Shop Dyson Airwrap on Amazon — affiliate link
BEST BUDGET OPTION: Revlon Essentials Frizz Control Ionic Hair Dryer
The Revlon is proof that you absolutely do not need to spend hundreds of dollars just to get your hair dry. Mine was around $16, and for the money, it is a great basic dryer.
THE MIDDLE OPTION: My Dyson Dupe
This one is trickier. It was perfectly usable, and the savings were significant. But personally, if I were buying again and could afford either one, I would buy the Dyson.
Is a Dyson Hair Dryer Worth the Money?
I never thought I would be someone telling people that a very expensive hair dryer could actually be worth buying.
And I’m certainly not saying everyone needs one.
If you have easy-to-dry hair, rarely blow-dry it, or just need something inexpensive to get the job done, buy the Revlon and save your money.
But if you:
blow-dry frequently, have thick hair, struggle with frizz, have naturally wavy or curly hair, diffuse your curls regularly, or are constantly trying to get smoother hair without cranking up the heat…
I think the Dyson becomes much easier to justify.
For me, the difference is visible enough that I prefer the Dyson even after trying cheaper alternatives.
And sometimes the annoying conclusion is the true one:
The expensive version really is better.
