worth it to pay more for a hairdryer?

sdkitty

sdkitty

O.G.
Jan 16, 2006
39,883
92,558
#1
I'm being OCD over hairdryers. It started when I decided my old one was maybe dying. My hairdresser told me recently that she uses a Babyliss 2000-watt dryer and it makes a huge difference - dries hair much faster. So I ran out and bought one (about $70) - same model she has. It doesn't dry my hair any faster and doesn't make much difference in the end result.

Doing research online I found that Conair Infiniti (1875 watt) was priced much lower and got some very high ratings. So I went to Costco and picked up one of those.

I have thick curly hair and don't always dry it completely with the hairdryer. But as a test, I divided my hair in half and dried one side with the Conair and the other side with the Babyliss. Honestly I wanted to see the expensive dryer make a difference but the drying time and appearance of my hair were pretty close. The main difference I can see between the two - Babyliss has longer cord (but the conair cord is long too); Babyliss is quieter and lighter. The Conair (esp on high speed) is quite loud. Not sure if I would have really noticed this if I hadn't read it in reviews.
Both dryers are ionic
I don't want to get a very expensive T3 or whatever. My hairdresser said she had one of those and it broke in a few months anyway.

So do you all have high end hairdryers or reasonably priced ones? Do you think it makes a difference?
 
#2
I honestly think a LOT of it depends on your hair type and your drying method.

My hair is extremely thick and coarse, and is naturally wavy/borderline curly - but I typically dry it straight. I've been using a T3 for a couple of years now, and I absolutely love it. Hands down, the best dryer I've ever owned. It dries my hair faster, straighter/smoother, and overall just sleeker with less frizz. I previously had a Conair Infiniti and a Revlon one that reviews online said was a "dupe" for the T3 (note: it wasn't). Those worked fine and they did get my hair dry, but I can definitely notice a difference with the T3. My hair is also in better overall condition after using this dryer the past couple of years, without really changing anything else about my routine.

I want to add that my T3 gets a good workout 2-3 times per week, and I've never had a single problem with it.

That said, if you're someone who doesn't have "difficult" hair, I probably would not spend that much on a dryer.
 
#3
pmburk said:
I honestly think a LOT of it depends on your hair type and your drying method.

My hair is extremely thick and coarse, and is naturally wavy/borderline curly - but I typically dry it straight. I've been using a T3 for a couple of years now, and I absolutely love it. Hands down, the best dryer I've ever owned. It dries my hair faster, straighter/smoother, and overall just sleeker with less frizz. I previously had a Conair Infiniti and a Revlon one that reviews online said was a "dupe" for the T3 (note: it wasn't). Those worked fine and they did get my hair dry, but I can definitely notice a difference with the T3. My hair is also in better overall condition after using this dryer the past couple of years, without really changing anything else about my routine.

I want to add that my T3 gets a good workout 2-3 times per week, and I've never had a single problem with it.

That said, if you're someone who doesn't have "difficult" hair, I probably would not spend that much on a dryer.
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I have similar hair to yours but I wear it curly. So I dry with diffuser and don't usually dry 100%. So with your hair drying it straight, I'm sure you have to get it all the way dry or it would frizz. I want a good hairdryer but not worth it to me to buy a T3. Thanks for the input.
 
#7
I think that it's important for a dryer to have a narrow extension, which is crucial if you wan't to achieve a look like you got out of hairdresser's.. You don't need to spend 300$, but I think that you have to keep in mind that while shopping.
 
#10
hotshot said:
There's alot of buzz about the Dyson supersonic dryer... Not cheap but some good reviews
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I'm actually considering that one. I like my T3, but if that works better... LOL. It is worth it to me to pay that much if it works well, but I understand that not everyone has the same demands I do.

sdkitty said:
I have similar hair to yours but I wear it curly. So I dry with diffuser and don't usually dry 100%. So with your hair drying it straight, I'm sure you have to get it all the way dry or it would frizz. I want a good hairdryer but not worth it to me to buy a T3. Thanks for the input.
Click to expand...

That's true. When I wear mine wavy/curly, if I don't dry it completely, I get a lot of frizz. So it goes to show what works well for one person may not work for another. I think you just have to do what works best for your own hair. If you haven't had great luck with more expensive dryers, and the less costly ones seem to do the trick, I'd say just save the money and stick with what works.
 
#11
andjela said:
I think that it's important for a dryer to have a narrow extension, which is crucial if you wan't to achieve a look like you got out of hairdresser's.. You don't need to spend 300$, but I think that you have to keep in mind that while shopping.
Click to expand...
thanks
for me I need a diffuser as I wear my hair curly. Not many of the dryers I'm seeing now come with them but the "universal" ones work with most dryers.
 
#12
so I'm being kind of crazy on this but I bought one more hairdryer to try. I think my problem is I want something better than my old dryer and hopefully better than the Conair Infiniti but the results I got from the Babyliss weren't really any different from the Conair. So I want a tie-breaker that's a good price but doesn't need to be as cheap as the Conair.
I found this Amika one at TJ Maxx. Full retail on it is $200 and it's got a bunch of features (negative and positive Ions, etc). My hope is that this one will produce more shiny smooth curls. If not, I'll just have to pick from the three.
This is the Maleficent version. Amika makes all different prints on their dryers. It's cute and comes with a fabric case that I'll never use.dryer.JPG
 
#13
Yes, it's absolutely worth it! I had a "good quality" hairdryer before (can't even remember the brand but it wasn't cheap). It broke down after 2½ years :annoyed:
After doing a lot of research I decided to buy a Parlux hairdryer and it is really great. It dries my hair much faster and with less frizz, yay!
 
#14
Livia1 said:
Yes, it's absolutely worth it! I had a "good quality" hairdryer before (can't even remember the brand but it wasn't cheap). It broke down after 2½ years :annoyed:
After doing a lot of research I decided to buy a Parlux hairdryer and it is really great. It dries my hair much faster and with less frizz, yay!
Click to expand...
thanks...hadn't heard of that brand before
 
#15
It's worth it to me. I have an Elchim Da Vinci 5000 ionic dryer, and it dries my mostly straight, fine hair in less time and with less frizz than Conair and other cheap dryers. I bought mine about 5-6 years ago.
 
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