Is Spending More Money on a Hair Dryer Worth It? Experts Say Yes—Here’s Why (2025)

Despite buying viral shampoos and conditioners or faithfully applying heat protectant, you may wonder why your blowouts aren’t turning out as silky and bouncy as they do at the salon—it’s likely because you need a better blow-dryer. But what qualifies as “better?” With so much jargon and rapidly advancing technology in beauty, it’s important to understand what features equal high-quality. Once you invest in a high-end hair dryer, it’s a game-changing step toward hair that doesn’t just look healthier but is healthier. “For those serious about hair health, whether at home or in the salon, it’s an investment in both time and the long-term condition of your hair,” explains Tonya Thompson, cofounder of DreamGirls, California-based salons that specialize in healthy hair care and hair education.

InStyle has tried hundreds of hair dryers—hair dryers for fine hair, travel hair dryers, and even hot air brushes—so we’re fully aware that there are many different types and price points to choose from. And while you can find a solid dryer to prevent you from showing up to work with wet hair at any budget, we're putting our money on high-end dryers. Here's why.

Why Expensive Hair Dryers Are Worth the Investment

Expensive hair dryers justify their price tag with advanced technology that protects hair health, powerful motors for faster, more consistent heat and airflow, customizable settings and attachments, and durability. Hair needs are informed by hair type. With multiple heat and speed settings, you can tailor the dryer to your preferences.“It’s like having a custom toolkit for your hair,” Wendy Bélanger, a celebrity hairstylist and owner of Influence Salon, tells InStyle. Makers of expensive dryers tend to consider small details that improve the user experience immensely. “If you’ve ever spent time doing your own blowout, you know how quickly your arm can give out,” says Bélanger. “A dryer with proper balance and weight distribution feels like an extension of your hand. It’s easier to maneuver and way less exhausting."

Some models, likeDyson's Nural, have intelligent control that monitors and regulates the air temperature in real-time, preventing overheating and heat damage, and even learn your styling routine and adjusts heat and airflow accordingly. Generally, spending more money on a high-wattage dryer on the front-end can save you from having to replace your hair dryer every few years.

Power

Simply put, wattage is how powerful a hair dryer is, and as Bélanger notes, higher-end dryers typically offer greater wattage, leading to a more consistent airflow crucial for "smoother, more even styling and keeps you from overheating certain sections of your hair," ultimately benefiting both styling results and long-term hair health. Thompson points out that "a more powerful motor and efficient technology mean you spend less time applying heat to your hair, which protects it and makes styling quicker, perfect for busy lifestyles," while also enhancing the dryer's durability. Bélanger aptly summarizes this: "You’re not just drying faster; you’re drying smarter, with less damage and better results. Dyson is an exception due to its technology prioritizing air speed and precision to dry hair quickly and efficiently, over sheer wattage (1600 W).

• Lower wattage (1000-1500) for fine, short hair
• Medium wattage (1500-1800) for normal to slightly thick, wavy, or curly hair
• Higher wattage (1800+) for thick, coarse hair

Technology

Keep in mind that ionic technology, ceramic heaters, and tourmaline components can heavily impact your blowout. According to Bélanger, “these aren’t just buzzwords. These features make a real difference in your hair's health and appearance.”

• Ionic: refers to a hair dryer that uses ions to break down water in the hair (which Bélanger says “cuts down on drying time and frizz”)
• Ceramic: refers to a type of heating element that provides even, consistent heat that tends to be gentler on the hair
• Tourmaline: a mineral that helps smooth the cuticle and add shine, almost like a built-in conditioner

Design Details

"When a tool feels good to use, you’re more likely to use it—and enjoy the process," Bélanger says. Thompson agrees. “A well-designed ergonomic dryer can make a big difference, especially for longer styling sessions. A lighter, well-balanced dryer reduces hand and arm fatigue, making it easier to achieve a smooth, professional finish without discomfort.” Some qualities to think about are:

• Well-Placed Controls and Buttons: ensures that the layout of the buttons doesn’t interfere with the blow-drying process, sans accidentally switching settings
• Multiple Speed and Heat Settings: Customize the settings to your hair type and desired result
• Lightweight, Compact Design: an overall lightweight feel, so the dryer never gets heavy or uncomfortable to hold
• Intuitive Handle: a gripping handle to avoid the dryer slipping out of your hands
• Detachable Attachments: well-designed attachments for better value, thanks to the many styling options
• Displays: legible displays that clearly show the setting and temperature for full control and precision
• Noise Level: consider whether the dryer is roommate or apartment-friendly—will it wake up the entire neighborhood when you turn it on?

Our Favorites

InStyle editors have tested over 100 hair dryers for the past three years. After incorporating the latest top-rated products into our daily routines and testing them on several hair types, these five hair dryers' results were implanted in our brains. Each product provided bouncy, shiny-looking hair before the dreaded sore arm or blow-drying boredom. Considering every hair type and attachment preference, these picks are universally great hair dryers to invest in.

• Dyson Supersonic, $430
• Shark Speedstyle Pro Flex, $230
• Dyson Supersonic R, $569
• T3 Featherweight StyleMax, $210
• Dyson Nural, $499

This dryer has high-quality engineering—a small, but powerful motor spins the air into a controlled jetstream to dry hair faster with less damage. It took our tester’s hair from soaking wet to a smooth, bouncy blowout in 15 minutes thanks to the attachments and adjustable heat and speed settings.

Complete with high heat, strong airflow, a cool shot button, and four attachments, this dryer system easily rivals other high-end blow-dryers. It worked particularly well for our tester with thick, coily hair, providing shiny, soft, less frizzy results.

The highlight of this new Dyson is that it prioritizes comfort, offering a lighter, even more refined take on previous versions of the Dyson hair dryers. It’s particularly great for professionals or blowout loyalists who want first-class results without tiring their arms out.

This dryer stood out in our test for how well it added volume to fine hair. With 15 heat and speed settings, four attachments, a cool-shot button, a volume boost setting, and an automatic two-year warranty, it provides a significant bang for your buck.

This highly-intelligent pick has features galore—pause detect (so you can set down the dryer without turning it off), attachment learning (it remembers the heat and speed settings you prefer for each attachment), and the same fast, efficient drying you expect from Dyson. It also features a unique scalp protection mode, automatically adjusting the heat when you get too close to the root.

Long Story Short

Yes, spending more money on a hair dryer is absolutely worth it. High-end hair dryers provide innovative technology, intuitive settings, faster styling, and often versatile attachments, which all work together to give the user more control in maintaining the integrity of their hair, even while using heat on it. The many bells and whistles make a huge difference in the result of blowouts compared to most other basic options, leaving shine and volume in their place. These qualities are especially crucial for the shoppers who consistently blow their hair straight—yes, you, reader who commits an entire day each week to DIY-ing a silk press. As Belanger puts it, “hair isn’t one-size-fits-all, and neither should your tools be.”

Why Shop With Us

Essence Wiley is a fashion and beauty writer at InStyle. She regularly covers and tests the best hot tools for all hair types. As someone with thick, color-treated, type 4 hair, she’s always looking for the latest and greatest hair dryers that can get her hair straight with minimal damage.