Two Editors Tested the Best Blow-Dryers for Natural Hair—These 9 Simplified the Wash Day Process

Best Overall

T3 Featherweight StyleMax

$210 at Amazon $210 at Sephora $210 at Ulta

Features: 5 heat settings, 3 speed settings, 1 cold shot option, 4 styling attachments | Type of Technology: Ionic | Wattage: 1875

If there’s one blow-dryer every natural girl needs, it’s this one. I’m someone who rarely uses heat on my hair and often opts for protective styles, so I was skeptical about how efficient this would be. Let me tell you, when they say “featherweight,” that’s what they mean. Every natural girl knows that one part of the wash-day is the arm workout you involuntarily get while trying to dry your hair. This just wasn’t an issue with this dryer. Not only was it light, but it went through my hair so easily that I was able to dry my entire head without taking a break.

Another issue I sometimes face as a natural girl is working with comb attachments that are no match for my 4B-4C hair. That wasn’t an issue with the T3 since the comb attachment locks into place. And although that wasn’t the easiest to figure out, once it was on, it didn’t budge. What might be this dryer’s most impressive feature is just how versatile it is. You can set it for fine, medium, or coarse hair, and there are five heat settings (which get pretty hot). This makes it a great option for so many textures and even for protective styles.

The only thing to keep in mind is that the controls aren’t necessarily intuitive, so this isn’t a dryer that you’d be able to figure out on the first try without reading directions—but the super handy booklet made it easy to review each control and figure out the best one for my hair type. Overall, I felt that it was the quickest and most efficient at-home blow-dry I’ve ever experienced. —Dominique Hobdy, senior editor

Best for Beginners

Revlon One-Step Paddle Dryer

$50 at Amazon View on Ulta

$55

$31 at Walgreens

Features: 2 heat settings, 1 cold shot option | Type of Technology: Ionic | Wattage: 1100

If you’re new to styling your hair straight or only do so once in a while, this pick from Revlon is great if you want to hit the ground running. It’s a paddle brush and hair dryer hybrid that makes it easier to stretch the hair while drying, so it’s a perfect option if you want a smooth blowout before straightening or before getting your hair braided. It only has low and high heat options (as well as a cold shot), but I’d recommend using the high setting to blow-dry coarse hair types in a shorter amount of time with fewer passes on the strands. It works pretty quickly to get the hair straight, and its brush shape makes it easy to reach and pass through the roots.

I love that it’s lightweight, so my arms don’t get tired while blow-drying (which usually takes me about an hour). My only con is that the heat only comes out from the top of the brush, and it can make the hair pretty hot. Because of this, I would make sure that you’re not keeping the dryer on one section for too long, as it could cause damage. As long as you keep it moving throughout each section, though, the finished product will be hair that’s straight and smooth. —Shannon Stubbs, writer

Best Splurge

Dyson Dyson Hair Dryer

$350 at Dyson.com

Features: 4 heat settings, 3 speed settings, 5 styling attachments | Type of Technology: Ionic | Wattage: 1600

My coarse, tangle-prone hair can often put heat tools through the ringer, so I usually don’t spend a lot of money on something that I will eventually replace in a couple of years. I was skeptical before trying this $400 Dyson pick, but after using it, I absolutely think it’s worth the money (especially if you heat-style your hair often). It made my curly hair completely dry and straight within three passes, which is pretty much impossible with any other dryer I’ve tried. It comes with five styling attachments (I used the wide-tooth comb), and the comb never came loose or detached itself from the blow-dryer while using it.

I love that it has adjustable heat and speed settings, which are beneficial for natural hair types that have a variety of textures throughout their head. The dryer is incredibly lightweight and quiet, making for a stress-free blowout experience. While I was using it, I could tell that the air was being distributed evenly throughout my hair—which might be the reason why it was able to dry and stretch so quickly—and I never felt like I was damaging my strands. The one thing I would note is that its shape made it a bit difficult for me to reach and dry my roots, but I think it would become easier with a little more practice. —Shannon Stubbs, writer

Best for Curly Styles

Pattern Blow Dryer

$199

$189 at Amazon $199 at Sephora $199 at Target

Features: 4 heat settings, 2 speed settings, 4 attachments | Type of Technology: Ionic | Wattage: 1875

Tracee Ellis Ross has some of the best curls in the business, so it only makes sense that her haircare line delivers some of the most innovative and exciting products on the market. I was super excited to try out her highly acclaimed blow-dryer and can report that it’s well-loved for good reason. What stands out about this dryer is the super innovative attachments. The wide-tooth comb, diffuser, brush, and concentrator are just really thoughtful touches considering the multitude of styles and results women with curly hair are looking for. I also loved how lightweight it was and how hot the dryer got.

Now, because I have 4C hair and was attempting to blow-dry my hair straight, I ran into a few snags. The wide-tooth comb proved to be a bit too wide to penetrate my curls, and the brush seemed to get a bit tangled in my strands. After my experience and reading other reviews, I’ve concluded that this is not necessarily the best for 4C girls looking to smooth out their strands, but a great option for those who are styling their type 3 curls. Senior editor Ally Hirschlag, who has 3A hair, named it one of the best hair dryers for curly hair. —Dominique Hobdy, senior editor

Best Budget

Conair Pro Yellow Bird Hair Dryer

$53 at Amazon

$60

$45 at Joesbeauty.com

$115

$65 at Imagebeauty.com

Features: 4 heat settings, 2 speeds | Type of Technology: N/A | Wattage: 1875

This may be an old-school pick, but I stand by how efficient and reliable the Yellowbird has been over the years. I’ve been using this dryer for at least 10 years, and I always end up with bouncy, thoroughly dried hair that’s ready for whatever style I opt for. I particularly love to go for a twist-out after using this simply because it provides the perfect foundation for stretched hair that’s not fried. Featuring just two speeds and four heat settings, this is your classic blow-dryer and really doesn’t require much setup or direction. The only downside is that you do have to buy a comb attachment, but the standard ones at the beauty supply fit and work perfectly. If you’re looking for a no-frills, wallet-friendly option, I can’t recommend this enough. —Dominique Hobdy, senior editor