The 8 Best Affordable Hair Dryers of 2024, Tested & Reviewed

Best Overall

Conair Hair Dryer

$42 at Amazon $42 at Ulta $55 at Target

Features: Ceramic technology, ergonomic design, 3 heat and 2 speed settings, cold shot button | Wireless: No

Conair's InfinitiPro SmoothWrap hair dryer scored highly across all of our major categories. Not only did it make our hair look and feel amazing during testing with added volume and shine, but it also helped visibly reduce frizz. The brand claims it does this with Advanced Plasma Technology which uses positive and negative ions to moisturize and condition the hair. It also comes with a concentrated nozzle that delivers strong, even airflow that makes styling easier. The fact that it does all of this while remaining compact and travel-friendly meant it shot straight to the top of our shortlist.

Best Runner-up

Revlon Salon Infrared Hair Dryer

$22 at Amazon $27 at Walmart View on Opensky.com

Features: Infrared technology, ceramic coating, 2 heat settings, cold shot button, hanging ring, volumizing diffuser | Wireless: No

Costing less than $30, this tool truly defines what it means to marry affordability with supreme efficacy. It touts infrared heat technology that penetrates hair from the inside out, ultimately helping to minimize the likelihood of heat damage. Tourmaline technology helps reduce frizz, leaving hair smooth and shiny. Plus, it comes with both diffuser and concentrator attachments. The one irksome thing was it was a little tricky to change between the buttons while styling.

Best for Fast Results

Remington Pro Wet2Style Dryer

$26 at Amazon $30 at Walmart View on Remingtonproducts.com

Features: Ceramic and Ionic Technology, 3 heat and 2 speed settings, cold shot button| Wireless: No

If you don’t have tons of time to get ready and blow-dry your hair in the morning, Remington’s Pro Wet2Style™ Dryer is our top suggestion. It allows you to dry and style your hair simultaneously without triggering damage like breakage. We tested its four different attachments (it comes with a diffuser, detangler, slipstream, and blowout boost) on different hair types in our lab and saw some amazing results. We styled curls with the diffuser and found it maintained each coil shape while adding body and movement. The Slipstream for pre-straightening also gave our testers with finer, wavey hair a gorgeous extra bounce. 

Best Lightweight

BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Dryer

View on Ulta $90 at Amazon $78 at Walmart

Features: Nano titanium technology, ion generator, 6 heat and speed settings, removable filter, 4-year limited warranty | Wireless: No

“I love this option because it’s lightweight and easy on your wrists,” says Rojas of one of her favorites. She also lauds it for a powerful, 2000-watt motor and nano-titanium technology which helps speed up dry time (always a win in our book) and tamp down errant frizz.

During testing, we found the power of this dryer to be just right—not too powerful or weak. It also offers a few temperature settings (high, low, and cool) for even heat distribution. Our hair was left bouncy and full of volume in less than 20 minutes. We just wish it came with more than one attachment for more styling flexibility.

Best for Frizz

Rusk W8less Professional 2000 Watt Dryer

$96 at Amazon $73 at Walmart View on Ruskhair.com

Features: Infrared heat, ceramic and tourmaline technology, 3 heat settings, 2 speed settings, cold shot button | Wireless: No

This hair dryer totally reduces frizz while leaving our hair smooth and voluminous during testing. It’s also super easy to use with an even airflow and high and low settings that are easy to switch between. It only comes with one attachment but if you simply want a straightforward hair dryer, this definitely delivers on its promises. 

Rojas says she “continuously goes back” to this dryer. “It’s especially great for smoothing out thick, curly hair because it uses infrared heat waves to penetrate the hair more deeply. This results in a faster dry time, as well as less static and frizz,” she says. Also nice: It weighs less than a pound. The button placement can make it a little challenging to switch settings while drying though.

Best Splurge

Kristin Ess Professional Hair Dryer

$60 at Amazon $100 at Target View on Kristinesshair.com

Features: On/off ionic technology, brushless motor, lightweight, cool shot button, removable air filter | Wireless: No

At $100, this just made the cut for what we consider “affordable." It may be the priciest pick on our list, but it’s also one of the most powerful and impressive. We love that it uses ionic technology that can be turned on or off. Leave it off if you’re after a big hair look or more textured style; turn it on if you want to go super smooth and sleek (or have thick or curly hair). A brushless motor helps you dry even larger sections of hair fast and uses less electricity than standard motors. It also has an impressive 3,000-hour lifespan.

We found it did indeed dry our hair quickly during testing, and its ionizing feature definitely helped reduce frizz. It also maintained an even temperature and airflow that didn’t leave any damage. And, the design is just gorgeous making it a luxe addition to any vanity table or counter. Our only complaint is that it's pretty loud, so don't use if anyone at home is still sleeping.

Best Hot Air Brush

Hot Tools Gold One-Step Blowout and Volumizer

$21 at Amazon $70 at Ulta $40 at Walmart

Features: Charcoal-infused bristles, detachable design | Wireless: No

We know, we know, it’s not a hair dryer per se, but, according to Rojas, this hot air brush is ideal for recreating salon looks at home. Your hair needs to be 90% dry before you grab this, but once you do, it’s great for creating volume, smoothness, and shine much faster than you could achieve with a blow dryer alone, she says. She also lauds the charcoal-infused bristles that help refresh hair (charcoal is a natural exfoliator and detoxifier). Pair this with some dry shampoo to touch up your hair after a workout or on the second (or third) day post-washing, and you'll be good to go.

Best Ionic

BaBylissPRO Porcelain Ceramic Carrera2 Dryer

View on Ulta $95 at Amazon $95 at Ulta

Features: Far-Infrared heat, lonic and Porcelain Ceramic™' technology, six heat settings, cold shot | Wireless: No

This hair dryer made an incredible difference to our tester’s hair in the lab, adding bounce and volume to her fine strands. Drying and styling also only took less than 20 minutes. The brand says the drying prowess comes down to ionic and porcelain technology with far-infrared heat that dries the hair gently without causing damage. It also has six heat settings, a concentrator nozzle, and a cold-shot button, so you can easily control the final look. 

Our only complaint is that it’s a little heavy and doesn’t come with any additional attachments for different hair textures. But, if neither of those details matter to you, this one's a total no-brainer.