Finding the Best Travel Hair Dryers
While it might be tempting to bring your regular hair dryer on an international trip, it isn’t always practical. Most hair dryers are heavy and bulky, so they’re difficult to pack. Typically, they have just one voltage setting. Buying a separate dryer designed for frequent travel can save you packing headaches and future embarrassment — you don’t want that dryer to short circuit a whole hotel!
However, travel dryers often sacrifice power and precision temperature control for a compact, lightweight style. To make sure that your dryer will perform well during your time abroad, we recommend checking out the product’s weight, size, features, attachments and voltage before buying.
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Travel Hair Dryer
Weight
Hair dryers can weigh as much as three pounds, which is a lot of weight to hold above your head as you’re trying to dry your hair. Ideally, your travel dryer will weigh less than two pounds, and it’s even better if it weighs less than one pound. This will also give you peace of mind as you pack other heavy items into your carry-on and checked bags.
Size
Traditional dryers don’t make the greatest travel buddies because they’re bulky. Travel dryers, on the other hand, usually have a small and compact design so you can make the most use of your luggage space. Cylindrical dryer heads (as opposed to the contoured, bulb-shaped heads) are great for this purpose. We also recommend getting a dryer that has a foldable handle.
Features
While the features on travel dryers are usually paired down, we recommend getting a device that has at least two speed and two heat settings. Bonus features that make for a great blow dry include ionic technology to reduce frizz, precision temperature control, a 360-degree swiveling cord and attachments you need for your hairstyle (like a diffuser).
Attachments
If you’re hoping to achieve a classy, voluminous blowout on vacation, opt for a dryer that comes with a concentrator nozzle for focused blasts of air. A comb attachment is great for drying roots, and a diffuser is essential if you want to dry curly hair without frizz.
Voltage
Different countries — especially European countries — use different voltage systems, which can affect the performance of your hair dryer. Make sure you know whether your dryer has dual voltage, meaning it can switch manually or automatically between 120 and 220 volts. If it doesn’t have dual voltage, you must buy a separate converter. You will also need a plug adapter, such as a European adapter.
What Are the Different Types of Travel Hair Dryers?
Tourmaline
A tourmaline hair dryer is one that emits infrared heat and negative ions as it blows air. This results in gentler heat while you are styling, which can reduce frizz, improve your hair’s shine and lower the overall damage to your strands from heat.
Ceramic
A ceramic hair dryer is one that contains ceramic material in the dryer’s body or heating element. This helps create infrared heat, which creates shinier, frizz-free hair and reduces the amount of moisture your strands lose as you dry. Note that ceramic dryers don’t have the highest heat settings like tourmaline. If you have curly hair, a ceramic dryer with lower heat settings may be ideal.
Titanium
A titanium hair dryer is any dryer that contains titanium ionic technology. The titanium material in the device helps create even levels of heat as you dry your strands, which results in a quicker drying time and less frizz. Note that titanium dryers reach higher temperatures than ceramic ones. This feature is great if you want a fast drying session, but it may cause more damage to your strands over time.
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