Byrdie / Kevin Liang
Finding the right blow dryer for your natural hair toolkit, as I like to call it, is essential no matter your hair texture or how you wear your curls. Hey, regardless of what you do with them, those curls are your signature and need their fair share of TLC. While some naturals prefer heatless styling, many of us don't mind stretching our hair—as long as our curls snap back without any heat damage.
Despite taking great pains to avoid it, inadvertently exposing our precious locks to excess or prolonged heat is easier than we think, and may come down to the tools we use. This means irons or dryers. And despite clever marketing, not all dryers are created equal, so we reached out to hairstylists to find out their faves.
We conducted hours of research to find the best blow dryers for natural hair on the market, evaluating top options based on their ability to stretch curly hair without wreaking havoc on natural textures. We also considered extra features, such as heat settings, speed, and styling. After considering dozens of products, we landed on these high-quality picks.
Best Overall
Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer
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Amazon
Intelligent heat control to prevent hair damage
High-pressure, high-velocity air
Balanced design
Doesn't last long before a replacement is needed
The Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer is beloved by stylists everywhere, and it's easy to see why. It's designed to help protect hair from heat damage thanks to its digital motor and air multiplier technology that speeds up the drying process while increasing shine and preventing frizz.
"This dryer is genius," says Leigh Hardges of Chicago's Maxine Salon. "I have used a lot of hair dryers, and this one is quiet, lightweight, and fast." Angela Stevens, a celebrity hairstylist and Cantu partner, agrees. "I prefer the Dyson blow dryer," she tells Byrdie. "It's a bit pricey, but the heat is controlled on the dryer and that prevents heat damage."
Features: Five styling attachments engineered for different hair types and three speed settings | Wireless: No
Courtesy by Walmart
Preserves natural oils to seal in moisture
Soft bristle attachment gives comfortable styling
Easy to hold
May shut off during use
I grew up using the Andis hair dryer. The 1875 watt dryer has three speeds and heat settings and comes with a 100% boar bristle brush, a fine-tooth attachment pick, and a wide-tooth attachment pick. The comb-like design makes it easy to straighten textured hair without applying too much tension to your roots.
Features: Three heat settings with cool shot button, wide tooth and fine tooth combs, and even-heat ceramic technology | Wireless: No
Byrdie Tip
I suggest starting with the wide-tooth attachment to prevent any unwanted breakage or snapping of your ends.
Best for Frizz
ONE Styling EPIC Lite Pro Hair Dryer
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Courtesy by ONE Styling
Optimal styling control
Replenishes moisture in hair shaft
Minimizes heat damage
Could have longer lasting performance
If you want your hair to look smoother, Hardges recommends this dryer because of its ionic technology. "There is a switch to turn on or off the ionic technology that aids in smoother hair," she says. The one-pound blow dryer also generates 1875 watts of power, which will help prevent heat damage, and there's an extra-long cord so you don't have to huddle up next to an outlet.
Features: Variable speed and temperature controls | Wireless: No
Most Powerful
Turbo Power Twin Turbo 3200 Hair Dryer
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Courtesy by Amazon
Highly portable
Nice airflow with powerful motor
Easy-to-clean filter
A little noisy
The Italian-made TwinTurbo is a powerful hair tool that can go up to 2100 watts, which Hardges says to keep in mind when considering this brand. "As soon as you turn this thing on, you can feel its power," she says. "This dryer delivers just as much heat as it does airpower, so you need to be able to work quickly."
Before making your investment, Hardges emphasizes paying attention to the product specifications and only selecting the 3200 model for at-home styling.
Features: Four heat settings, two speeds, and removable stainless steel filter | Wireless: No
Byrdie Tip
If you're an at-home hairstyling beginner, this dryer might not be the best pick for you.
Best for Coily Hair Textures
Revlon One-Step Paddle Dryer
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Courtesy by Walmart
Read Full Review: Revlon's One-Step Hair Dryer Worked Magic on My Natural Hair
Lightweight
Included brush covers more surface area
Wallet-friendly
Flexible, tangle-free bristles
Only emits air on the top bristles
This paddle brush hair dryer has made waves throughout the natural hair community. You can find thousands of YouTube reviews dedicated to this dryer—most of them positive. The 1,000-watt, 2-in-1 design smooths and dries hair. For those with coily hair textures, the flexible bristles help prevent tangling, and you'll get a smooth, frizz-free blowout with the help of the dryer's ionic conditioning feature.
Features: Two heat settings and a paddle brush for faster styling | Wireless: No
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Byrdie / Kiana Murden
Best Drugstore
Conair InfinitiPro Hair Dryer
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Ulta
Dries hair up to 50 percent faster
Reduces frizz by 75 percent
Wallet-friendly
Removable filter prevents lint buildup
Could be more durable
The Conair InfinitiPro comes highly recommended by a range of hair types in the curly community. The budget-friendly dryer's AC motor can dry hair up 50% faster with the ionic technology, leaving your curls with 75% less frizz.
Features: Three heat/two speed custom dryer settings and rocker switches | Wireless: No
Best for Wavy Hair
Hot Tools Gold One-Step Blowout and Volumizer
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Walmart
Gold barrel surface distributes hair evenly
Has a silk glide for smoothness
Refreshes second-day styles
Could be more heat protective
For naturals with heat-trained or wavy hair, this styling tool comes highly recommended. The 24K Gold Technology applies even heat distribution to your curls while the flexible charcoal-infused, boar bristles glide through the hair without tugging. It's essentially designed to be a one-stop straightening shop, perfect for busy bees. Oh, and the eight-foot cord gives you the range you need to straighten, bump, or curl your ends with ease.
Features: ALCI safety plug and cool tip | Wireless: No
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Byrdie / Ashley Rubell
Best for Fine Hair
Trademark Beauty Dryer & Volumizer
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Amazon
4-in-1 straightener, dryer, curler, volumizer
Gently curved sides smooth the hair
Tangle-free combination bristles
May be a bit awkward to use
"Air drying straightening brushes are definitely to be considered for some curlistas," says Hardges. "The small, short bristles grab and smooth the curls while the long flexible bristles keep the hair detangled." This lightweight dryer she says is easy to use and packs a punch. "Don't let the baby pink color fool you," she warns. "It does get hot." However, the one-step dryer has a ceramic coating to help protect your hair and prevent damage from over-styling.
Features: Combination bristles and three rotating temperature control settings | Wireless: No
Best Diffuser
DevaCurl DevaDryer and DevaFuser
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Walmart
360-degree airflow
Uniquely shaped diffuser gently lifts curls
Creates volume, eliminates frizz
May take longer time to dry
Designed with curly hair types in mind, this 1600-watt dryer has an AC motor, ionic technology, three temperature settings, and two-speed settings. The dryer also comes with a hand-shaped diffuser with a 360-degree airflow that dries curls, sans the frizz, and adds volume.
Features: Hand-shaped diffuser and three temperature settings | Wireless: No
Best for Thick Hair
Pattern Blow Dryer
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Ulta
Dries hair quickly
Comes with four separate attachments for styling
Works for all curl types
Has a short cord
This hair dryer from Tracee Ellis Ross's hair brand was designed specifically for those with tighter hair textures, i.e. curly and coily types. Made with an AC motor to cut drying time with a high-powered airflow, it's able to smooth the hair cuticle for a sleek blowout that's frizz-free. We love that it comes with four attachments for different styles, including a diffuser, wide tooth comb, brush, and nozzle attachments.
Features: Four attachments, three heat settings, two speed settings, removable filter | Wireless: No
Best for Travel
Drybar Baby Buttercup Blow Dryer
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Sephora
Creates targeted airflow
Easy to store due to collapsible handle
Uniform heat distribution
May feel a bit heavy to some
Finding a blow dryer that can fit into your carry-on without taking up too much space can be challenging. However, Drybar has an option available that is portable and stylish. "What's better than a cheery yellow hair dryer?" asks Hardges. "The concentrator nozzle on this baby is designed to blow the water off the hair and onto the floor. [This] minimizes drying time and heat damage."
Aside from the yellow hue and its ability to help prevent heat damage, Hardges particularly likes this dryer's portability. "Cop the travel size instead of the original," Hardges says. "It's the same price, same wattage, [and comes] with a travel bag."
Features: Concentrator nozzle and collapsible handle | Wireless: No
Best for Stretching
RevAir Reverse-Air Dryer
RevAir
Read Full Review: Tried The Viral RevAir Hair Dryer, and Here's How it Went
Cuts drying time
Low heat to minimize damage
Smoothing without pulling the hair
Large and bulky
You've probably seen this innovative hair dryer on your TikTok for you page or reviewed by your favorite natural hair YouTuber, and it's making waves for good reason. It promises to minimize damage with a patented technology that reverse-dries hair, which completely stretches out the tightest textures to create a smooth finish. It's a good choice if you need to stretch your curls for a protective style, or if you frequently blow-dry your hair and want to keep it healthy.
Features: Detachable wand, three heat settings, seven tension settings | Wireless: No
Byrdie / Desiree Johnson
Final Verdict
Our top pick in blow dryers for natural hair is the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer. It's specifically designed to minimize heat damage, focusing high-pressured air on sections of hair for a quick but flawless blowout. We also love the more affordable Andis 1875-Watt Tourmaline Ceramic Ionic Styling Hair Dryer, which comes with three comb attachments to easily stretch and straighten natural textures.
Meet the Expert
- Angela C. Stevens is an Emmy-award winning hairstylist and owner of Conscious Curls, a salon and hair company.
- Leigh Hardges is a Chicago-based hairstylist with over 15 years of experience. She is a stylist at Maxine Salon.
What to Look for in a Natural Hair Dryer
Nozzle Size
First things first, Hardges says, is to "avoid short, wide nozzles. If you ever need to replace a diffuser or concentrator nozzle, universal ones won't fit." And if you’re dropping serious bucks for a good blow dryer, you don’t want to find yourself stuck with a broken nozzle and no options. Some of our favorites with a standard nozzle size are the Turbo Power Twin Turbo 3200 Hair Dryer and the Conair InfinitiPro Hair Dryer.
Cord Length
Hardges suggests avoiding short cords to make your dryer easier to maneuver as you style your hair. This should be a given, considering even tiny bathrooms can have an oddly-placed electrical outlet that could make it difficult to get a good spot in front of the mirror. Opt for a model with a longer cord.
Wattage
Avoid wattages over 1900, says Hardges. "The heat is very high, and most at-home stylists cannot move quickly enough to prevent heat damage.” Dial it back when choosing a blow dryer for curls or coils and other natural hair.
