Here are the best hair dryers and diffusers for curly hair. Because air drying isnโt for everyone and finding the right hair tools can be tricky. Diffusing wavy and curly hair will give you the best shape, definition, root lift and volume. No matter what length or curl pattern your hair is. But the type of diffuser you get can really make a difference to the finished look and style. And there are some things to look for when purchasing a hair dryer and diffuser.
What to look for
Whether youโre looking to upgrade your hair dryer and diffuser, or youโve never owned a hair dryer before but might like to try diffusing. My first advice is to start with a good hair dryer. Most of the time, the diffuser that comes with it is no good. So hereโs what to look for when youโre purchasing a hair dryer to give you a smooth, shiny and frizz-free finish.
- Multiple heat and speed settingsย โ diffuse on low to medium heat and a medium speed for best results. But itโs better to have multiple setting options available.
- Cool shot buttonย โ this provides a burst of cool air that seals the hair cuticle, tightens and sets the curl pattern, adds shine and makes hair appear smoother.
- High wattageย โ higher wattage means stronger airflow and faster drying time.
- Lightweightย โ because diffusing can take a while, and is often done at different and sometimes awkward angles. Look for hair dryer thatโs easy to hold and lightweight.
- Long cordย โ especially important if you have wavy or curly hair with all the moving about we do when diffusing!
- Ion technologyย โ negative ions give an anti-static, frizz-free effect. Smoothing the cuticle to seal in moisture and add shine. Preventing frizz and fly away and making your hair look full and bouncy.
- Ceramic tourmalineย โ harnessing the benefits of the crystal tourmaline to help boost the performance of your hair dryer. Thereโs many benefits such as less heat damage, even heat protection. More even heat distribution, faster drying and sealing in moisture for a frizz-free, smooth and shiny finish.
Best Hair Dryers for Curly Hair
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Iโve tried lots of different hair dryers and diffusers over the years. If you invest in a good hair dryer, so long as you donโt wrap the cord around the dryer, it will last you for years! This isnโt going to be a long list of hair dryers, because the hair dryer isnโt as important as the diffuser you use with it. But here are the two of the best hair dryers for curly hair that I use, love and recommend. With a mini review and the pros and cons of each
Lanai BLO Hair Dryer
Theย Lanai BLO Hair Dryerย is the best hair dryer Iโve used and definitely my favorite! Proudly Irish, but made in Italy โ a lot like me! Itโs an amazing hair dryer โ but donโt bother with the diffuser, itโs not great. The quality of the hair dryer though is outstanding. Itโs light weight and incredibly powerful. At 2400 watts, this dries my high density, high porosity, long curly hair fast. Just as fast as the Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer! My hair strands are fine, but Iโve got a lot of them โ aka high density. High porosity means it holds onto water, taking longer to dry than low porosity hair.
Theย Lanai BLOย has all the features Iโve outlined above in โwhat to look for.โ The cord is the longest Iโve come across. I can fully dry my hair in around 20 mins on medium heat and high speed. One of my favorite things about the Lanai BLO dryer is that it fits all my favorite diffusers โ even the ones that arenโt designed to be universal like theย Xtava Black Orchid Diffuser. Itโs available in a few colors,ย andย you can get it personalized.
For any professional hair stylists reading this, they have a PRO version, which is even more lightweight! The only downside to this hair dryer is that itโs currently only available in Ireland, the UK and Sweden. But apart from that, I canโt fault it. So if youโre in the market for a really great hair dryer and not sure which one to go for, I highly recommend theย Lanai BLO.ย Even if youโre considering getting the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer. Which brings me to my other hair dryer recommendation for curly hair.
Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer
Now I totally understand theย Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryerย is outrageously expensive and not in everyoneโs budget. The diffuser isnโt the best, unless you have short hair or you donโt mind โhover diffusingโ โ more on that later. But there are a few reasons why I still use and recommend the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer. Firstly, the voltage here in the UK and EU is 220 volts. Much higher than it is in the USA and Canada where itโs just 120 volts. This means it takes much longer to dry/diffuse the hair.
So if you really want to cut down and save time diffusing, then Iโd recommend theย Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer. I donโt think itโs worth the investment if youโre outside the USA or Canada, but it does dramatically reduce drying time if you are. Itโs still fast in the UK and EU, but only has 1600 watts compared to the 2400 watts of the Lanai BLO. Itโs also incredibly quiet, great if you have sleeping babies and young children when youโre doing your hair.
The Dyson is also the most light weight hair dryer Iโve ever used. So if youโve got any kind of back, neck or shoulder injuries or weaknesses. Where holding a dryer and diffusing at awkward angles or for any length of time. Then theย Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryerย is great as itโs both light weight, easy to hold and fast drying time. Which are the same reasons itโs perfect for young children. Whether they wonโt sit still long enough for your to dry or diffuse their hair. Or if youโre teaching them how to diffuse their own hair. Itโs much easier and lighter for them to hold, especially without a big cumbersome diffuser.
Iโve just had over 5 inches of hair cut off, but when it was really long it was almost waist-length. And when I was diffusing my hair, other sections were so long they were getting caught in the fan at the back of the Lanai BLO dryer if I wasnโt careful. But because of the design of the Dyson, the fan is at the bottom of the handle, so I never had that issue when using the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer. Itโs also the perfect weight and size for travelling too!
Best Diffusers for Curly Hair
What to look for:
Diffusing wavy and curly hair will give the best shape, definition, root lift and volume. The heat damage from diffusing isnโt nearly the same as using heat styling tools, such as straighteners, flat irons, wands and tongs. Diffusing is also better if you have high porosity hair, over moisturized hair or you live in a cold and wet climate. Even just for health reasons alone! Iโve got a weak chest, asthma and high porosity hair. So I diffuse my hair every washday other wise Iโd be constantly poorly and unwell. Hereโs what to look for when purchasing a diffuser. And the best diffusers for curly hair.
- Deep bowlย โ this is to keep the heat and air flow inside the bowl. This reduces frizz and flyaways, enhances curl definition and speeds up the drying process.
- Universal attachmentย โ most of the diffusers that come with hair dryers arenโt great. So you want to get a good diffuser with a universal attachment so it fits your hair dryer securely.
- Grips/prongsย โ look for a diffuser with little grips and prongs inside. Good for definition, but especially great for root lift and volume.
- Air flow holesย โ you want small, evenly distributed holes for even and diffused air flow. Too much air flow causes frizz and flyaways, not enough and it will take ages to dry/diffuse your curly hair.
Dyson Diffuser
As someone whoโs got a design degree, I can see why it the diffuser that comes with the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer was designed the way it was. The shape and size design is led by how it looks and feels in the hand and on the dryer. Instead of designing it with functionality and purpose as a priority. To me, itโs apparent that no one with curly hair was involved in the design process of this diffuser.ย
If you have short to medium length hair or fine hair. Or root lift and volume arenโt priorities for you, then the Dyson Diffuser is fine. Although the bowl isnโt that big, or deep โ it does a good job at diffusing the air flow from whatโs a powerful hair dryer. Which is great at reducing frizz, especially when diffusing.
Another pet peeve with the Dyson is the attachments. You get all available attachments when you purchase the Supersonic Hair Dryer. But if you want any attachments that come outย afterย youโve purchased, its an added expense โ and (of course) theyโre not cheap! The wide tooth comb attachment looks great for root lift and volume, and afro or coily hair. And the new flyaway attachment is meant to be great for smoothing down halo frizz and flyaways.
Diva Pro XXL Universal Diffuser
The Diva Pro XXL Universal Diffuserย is hands down the best diffuser for curly hair on the market! Iโve been using mine for well over a decade. The bowl is deep and absolutely huge! Thanks to the soft rubber grips, they lift the hair to give the best shape, definition, root lift and volume. The air flow is diffused and evenly distributed to prevent frizz, but also dry the hair fast.ย
Itโs truly universal and has fitted all the hair dryers Iโve had over the years. So although itโs a little bulky for travelling, you could bring it knowing itโs going to fit whatever dryer is available. Itโs amazing quality, super durable and doesnโt break, get too hot or slip off when diffusing, no matter what angle. Itโs great for all hair lengths and really affordable! This is the diffuser all my professional hair stylists use, because it really is the best. So if youโre going to buy any diffuser, make it this one!
Xtava Black Orchid Diffuser
I really like theย Xtava Black Orchid Diffuser, but itโs not truly universal. It didnโt fit any of my previous hair dryers, but itย doesย fit the Lanai BLO. And it fits the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer with this hack I tried. The Xtava Black Orchid Diffuser is great if you want fast drying, and lots of root lift and volume. Itโs especially great if you have a looser wave or curl pattern, or fine hair. Perfect for medium to long hair, but you wonโt get the maximum benefits of it if your hair is quite short.
The design and quality of the bowl is good, but itโs quite pricey and the attachment part isnโt the best. Itโs slipped out quite a few times whilst Iโve been diffusing and Iโve had to superglue it back together. Iโve heard other people say theyโve experienced the same. The air flow is stronger as it flows through this diffuser, so Iโve found I get a little more frizz when I use theย Xtava Black Orchid Diffuserย than I do with others. Itโs not enough to make me stop using or recommending it though.
Gama Universal Super Diffuser
Theย Gama Universal Super Diffuserย is the best diffuser if you have really long hair and you want maximum definition! Itโs not quite as universal as the Diva Pro Diffuser, because of the longer attachment nozzle. But it fits most dryers Iโve had, including the Lanai BLO. Another one made in Italy, the Gama Diffuser has the deepest bowl and longest prongs, which makes it perfect for long to really long hair. However, the prongs donโt come all the way up. So I wasnโt able to get the same root lift of volume with it as I can with the Diva Pro or Xtava Black Orchid Diffusers.
Often hard to find, but available at House of Curls in the UK,ย The Gama Universal Super Diffuserย is the most expensive one Iโve used, but the quality is really good. Itโs well made, durable and has never over heated, or showed any signs of wear and tear. The air flow is a little stronger than the Diva Pro โ which I found gave me a little more frizz โ but only slightly. The drying time was the same because itโs so deep and holds so much hair. When my hair was waist length, Iโd often use the Gama Diffuser to diffuse the ends and mid lengths. Then use the Diva Pro to diffuse for the best root lift and volume.
Babyliss Pro 3 in 1 Universal Diffuser
The Babyliss Pro 3 in 1 Universal Diffuserย is best budget option diffuser Iโve found on the market Itโs good quality, well made, universal, durable and has three interchangeable head attachments. Iโve never seen this before in a diffuser, but itโs a great option to have. One attachment has soft rubber prongs similar to the Diva Pro Diffuser. Another attachment has rigid prongs similar to the Gama and Xtava Black Orchid Diffuser. Then the third attachment has no prongs at all, just an open air flow grid. Which would be more suited to short hair, hover diffusing, or tight coily and afro hair.
Apart from the Dyson Diffuser, theย Babyliss Pro Diffuserย is the smallest and lightest diffuser mentioned in this post. Making it ideal for travel. The air flow is really strong, due to the size and number of holes in the attachments, so it does create more frizz. But for the price, itโs a great budget option. Babyliss PRO is a great range in general and Iโve used their heat styling tools for years.ย