The 14 Best Hair Dryers for Fine Hair, According to Stylists

editor@purewow.com (PureWow)
·10 min read

Raise your hand if you’ve ever watched a hair tutorial featuring a thick-haired goddess, like Kim Kardashian or Negin Mirsalehi. OK, now raise your hand if you copied that tutorial step by step, yet ended up looking ...well, nothing like either one of them. We see you, fine-haired ladies. While it's a sad reality that you can’t magically make your fine hair thick, there are products out there that can help to make it work in your favor—starting with the best hair dryers for fine hair.

Stylist and colorist Prisilla Rodriguez of Levato Salon in Hinsdale, Illinois, explains, “People with fine hair especially should invest in good tools to preserve what [they] have. That ten-year-old Conair dryer might still be getting the job done, but because it’s older, you have to work harder at getting your hair looking good, because it’s not as strong as a newer or better dryer.”

We’ve broken down everything you need to know about the best (and worst) hair dryers for fine hair below.

What is the Best Hair Dryer for Fine Hair?

The best hair dryer for fine hair is one that makes the drying process quick without using excessive heat. According to UNITE ambassador and celebrity hairstylist, Graham Nation, it's also important to use a blower that dries your locks in equal measure. He tells PureWow, "When doing a voluminous blow dry, you want equal heat and velocity to make sure you are evenly drying the hair all over."

To achieve such a feat, Rodriguez suggests picking up a dryer with a wattage of 1500 or higher to speed up the process. She also prefers ceramic models, or ones that puts an emphasis on negative ion production (that means they're designed with technology that reportedly breaks up water molecules to make your tresses dry even faster). Lastly, she suggests making sure your hair dryer has multiple heat settings, as those with single settings can often get too hot and singe the hair. And, as always, a good heat protectant is a must, even when using a high-end hair dryer.

What to Look for in a Hair Dryer for Fine Hair

  • Even heat distribution: As we mentioned, even heat distribution is important because it prevents overheating in particular areas of the hair and causing dryness or breakage. Make sure to choose a tool that doesn't have cold spots or overheat by looking for ceramic ones that have an extra internal layer to standardize airflow.

  • Multiple heat settings: Naturally, the higher the temperature of your dryer, the faster your hair will dry. For fine hair, however, its best to use a low setting on most of your head before switching to medium or high briefly to smooth out stubborn sections, so you'll want to make sure your dryer is equipped with these options.

  • A cool boost option: Giving your strands a cool shot of air at the roots can help to set your hair and give it some much-needed volume.

  • Ion technology: Dryers that produce negative ions reportedly dry hair faster by breaking up molecules in the moisture droplets to lessen heat damage and seal cuticles for smooth, shiny results.

  • High-quality brands: If you have fine hair, you won't want to salvage quality for cost or convenience. We recommend brands such as Dyson, Drybar, T3 and more.

The Best Hair Dryers for Fine Hair at a Glance

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1. GHD Air Professional Hair Dryer

Best Professional Hair Dryer

This powerful, award-winning blow dryer, which was developed in collaboration with stylists, is what Nation calls the cream of the crop for fine-haired ladies. "I love the GHD Air professional hair dryer," he tells us. "Even though it is a professional hair dryer, this will assure me of the best heat-to-velocity ratio that will not burn my client's fine hair. It is perfect for at home use." According to the company, it also delivers a smooth, long-lasting blowout in half the time of its competition courtesy of its state-of-the-art ionic technology, and it comes with two heat settings and a cool shot. Talk about bang for your buck!

Buy It ($199)

2. Hot Tools Professional Turbo Hair Dryer

Best Basic Hair Dryer

This hair dryer from trusted brand Hot Tools is a good standard model that checks every single one of our boxes when it comes to pre reqs for thinner tresses. It has an 1875 wattage for a fast drying time, six different heat settings, a cool shot option for extra volume and its made of ceramic for all of the even blowout magic. We also love its pop of rainbow color against its otherwise sleek black exterior.

$60 at Amazon

3. BaBylissPRO Ceramix Xtreme Hair Dryer

Best Lightweight Hair Dryer

We love that this hair dryer is lightweight (under 3 pounds) for easy styling, has a super high 2000 wattage and offers even heat distribution thanks to its ceramic design—a huge bonus for those with locks that are on the leaner side.

$75 at Amazon

4. Rusk Super Freak Hair Dryer

Fastest Hair Dryer

Rusk is one of those brands that just oozes quality, and its Super Freak hair dryer is no exception. Between the 2000-watt Italian motor and its ceramic and tourmaline materials, which provide superior airflow and negative ions, it will minimize drying time on your poor, stressed-out hair—just ask its happy Amazon reviewers.

$120 at Amazon

5. T3 Micro CURA Hair Dryer

Most Display-Worthy Hair Dryer

This top-of-the-line machine is one of the most chic on our list because of its classy white body and rose gold button accents. You can use its digital controls to select from three heat settings and two speed settings, so you can start with a low enough temperature to keep your hair healthy (it also has a cool shot feature). Better yet, it uses negative ion technology in an effort to dry your locks in record time. (And, as we've learned, the less time you spend putting heat on your fine coif, the better it will look. )

$245 at Amazon

6. Paul Mitchell Express Ion Dry+

Best Salon Hair Dryer

We love this salon-approved dryer because it’s designed to give you salon quality blowouts, regardless of your hair texture. It features 1875 watts, five speed settings and five heat settings. While this model isn’t ceramic, it still uses ionic technology in an effort to get your tresses bone dry in a jiff without using too much heat. The digital screen, meanwhile, which showcases temperature and speed settings, is an added bonus that just makes this hair dryer feel even fancier.

$135 at Amazon

7. Panasonic Nanoe Hair Dryer

Best Heat Distribution

What sets this hair dryer apart from the others is the oscillating nozzle. As we've learned, even heat distribution is key for fine hair. The rotating nozzle will make sure no strands are getting too much warmness at any one time. It also has two speed settings and three heat settings to make your blowout even more customized.

$120 at Amazon

8. Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer

Best Splurge-Worthy Hair Dryer

You’ve probably heard of this top-of-the-line hair dryer before. Just like many of Dyson’s other products, this gadget has its own cult following in large part because it measures the temperature as it’s drying to make sure your ultra-delicate hair is never being exposed to extreme heat. It uses negative ions and has five different attachments to work for whichever type of hair you have—fine-haired gals will particularly love the Gentle Air option, which is also great for sensitive scalps.

Buy It ($400)

9. Drybar Buttercup Hair Dryer

Most Convenient Hair Dryer

Drybar is a company that focuses its services on achieving the perfect blowout, so it’s no surprise it would have a great hair dryer. With this device, you won't have to choose between saving time and high-quality results. It uses an 1875 watt motor and ionic technology to handle its business in what the company claims will be 20 percent less time. Its wave heater design conditions the cuticle and adds shine while aiming to provide even heat distribution for healthy hair and a quicker dry time. Plus, it is nice and lightweight (just over 1 pound) to keep your arms from getting tired.

Buy It ($199)

10. InStyler 7X Smart Hair Dryer

Most Ion-Packed Hair Dryer

This dryer packs a serious punch, featuring what the company says is seven times more ions than the average hair dryer. (Read: It should dry like lightening and make frizz a thing of the past.) Similar to the Dyson dryer, this option also has an automatic heat adjustment feature, which will move between its four settings when picked up and set down. It even has a hands-free auto-pause mode to make styling even easier and more intuitive.

Buy It ($140)

11. Drybar Reserve Hair Dryer

Best Hair Dryer for Travel

It’s not a coincidence that there are two Drybar hair dryers on our list of favorites for fine hair. Unlike the Buttercup, this one weighs only one 1 pound, making it ideal for travel. Despite its small size, it still has an ergonomic design for the most comfortable experience. It also has an 1875 watt motor and uses ionic technology.

Buy It ($285)

12. T3 Fit Hair Dryer

Most Compact Hair Dryer

The fact that this machine has a smaller design does not mean it takes longer to get the job done. In fact, this little guy uses a wide airstream to keep up with the best hair dryers out there despite being a reported 30 percent smaller than most. It also still uses ionic technology. That means you'll get the same efficiency in a more compact frame, taking up less room in your bathroom—and that's always a good thing.

Buy It ($150)

13. Bio Ionic 10X Hair Dryer

Most Innovative Hair Dryer

This dryer is so serious about ions that the word is actually in its name. Its secret lies in its ionic moisturizing heat technology, which aims to fight against frizz. On top of that, it has an 1800-watt brushless motor and actually uses what Bio Ionic claims is 75 percent less energy than other dryers on the market. As if all of that wasn't impressive enough, it releases a proprietary "Volcanic MX" mineral complex into the hair as it dries to infuse it with moisture and seal the cuticle. Oh, and it weighs less than 1 pound. Mic, drop.

Buy It ($295)

14. Morrocanoil Smart Styling Hair Dryer

Most Hydrating Hair Dryer

If you’ve used Morrocanoil products before, you know this company is all about hydration. The brand's hair dryer keeps with that M.O., using infrared light to reduce heat exposure (and therefore suck out less moisture). Plus, it has a ceramic honeycomb heating unit that can cut down your drying time by a reported 50 percent. It features two speed settings and three heat settings to customize your blowout, too.

Buy It ($180)

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