The 12 Best Ionic Hair Dryers Of 2022 - Byrdie

Skip to content

CONFIDENCE, COMMUNITY, AND JOY

Subscribe Email Address Subscribe Thank you for signing up. Please enter a valid email address.

• Skin
  • Skincare Ingredients A-Z
  • Skin Type
  • Skin Concerns
  • Sun Care
  • Body
  • Hair Removal
  • Facecare
  • Moisturizers
  • Fragrance
  • Devices
• Makeup
  • Tools and Techniques
  • Face
  • Eyes
  • Lips
• Hair
  • Hair Care
  • Hair Types
  • Hair Concerns
  • Scalp Care
  • Hair Styling
  • Hair Color
  • Haircuts
• Nails
• Style
  • Fashion Trends
  • What to Wear
  • Shoes
  • Accessories
  • Clothing and Apparel
• News
  • Celebrities
  • Product and Brand News
  • Trends and Innovation
• What to Buy
  • Shopping
  • Amazon Picks
  • Gift Guides
  • Product Reviews
• Health and Wellness
  • Nutrition
  • Mental Health and Mood
  • Fitness
• About Us
  • The Byrdie Team
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Contact Us

Email Address Subscribe Thank you for signing up. Please enter a valid email address.

• Contact
• Editorial Policy
• Careers
• Advertise
• Terms of Use and Policies
• Privacy Policy

Search Search Close search

We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.

I Tested Ionic Hair Dryers for Two Weeks—These 5 Are the Best for a Quick, At-Home Blowout

Results so smooth and bouncy, you'd think they were styled by a pro.

Updated on August 25, 2025 By Kayla Friedman Kayla has thick, wavy hair that can take an hour to dry. She tested dozens of hair dryers in our lab to compile this list. Leave a Comment

In This Article

View All

In This Article

• Top Picks
• Reviews
• What to Look for
• How We Tested
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Meet Our Expert
• Why Trust Byrdie

TL;DR

The absolute best ionic hair dryer is the T3 Aireluxe Hair Dryer. I love how quick-drying it is and how effortlessly it mitigates frizz. The BabylissPRO Nano Titanium Dryer is a more affordable option that doesn't skimp on performance.

We all know the struggle of a hair wash day: Drag yourself into the shower, give your hair a quick wash, and then stare into the mirror dreading what’s to come next—or at least that’s what I do. As someone with thick hair that takes forever to dry, wash days are anything but fun because drying my hair is a battle. However, there’s a solution to this age-old problem, and the answer comes from an ionic hair dryer.

A little chemistry lesson can help us understand what makes ionic dryers so quick-drying. “Water has a positive ionic charge, so the negative ionic charge from an ionic blow-dryer will repel the water, causing your hair to dry more quickly,” celebrity colorist Jeremy Tardo explains. In other words, the ionic charge generated by the hair dryer prevents water from soaking into the hair shaft, ultimately reducing frizz, speeding up dry time, and leading to a sleeker blowout. After two weeks of rigorous testing, I narrowed it down to the best ionic hair dryers based on various factors, including dry time, temperature and power settings, frizz control, weight, ease of use, and special technology.

Top Picks

Best Overall: T3 AireLuxe Hair Dryer at Amazon $210 Jump to Review Best Budget: BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Dryer at Amazon $115 Jump to Review Best Volumizing: SALE GHD Helios 1875W Advanced Professional Hair Dryer at Amazon $329 $230 Jump to Review Best Brush: Hot Tools One-Step Blowout at Amazon $60 Jump to Review Best Splurge: Harry Josh Pro Tools Ultra Light Pro Dryer at Dermstore Jump to Review

Best Overall

T3 AireLuxe Hair Dryer

$210 at Amazon View on Walmart $210 at Nordstrom

Features: 5 heat and 3 speed settings, cold shot, T3 RapidAire IQ Technology 

This T3 hair dryer is as good as it gets. I struggle with controlling frizz every day, especially when it comes to blow-drying my hair. I can confidently say this hair dryer successfully diminished any trace of frizz, and my hair was left smooth, sleek, and shiny. The airflow on this dryer was even, which led to a beautiful result and I could have been convinced I’d just left the salon. This dryer worked incredibly well with a round brush to add volume and bounce to each section and it was pretty effortless.

Beyond the salon-quality results, this hair dryer gains points for being easy to use and its quick drying time. Some hair dryers can be difficult to master, but this one was straightforward. The buttons were placed in a perfect location so there was no chance of accidentally messing with them. I especially enjoyed the extensive heat and power settings (there are 15 combinations) because you can customize them to your hair type and liking. This dryer gains the overall title for good reason—between its high performance, ease of use, and an excellent range of heat and power settings, it stood out among the rest.

Best Budget

BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Dryer

$115 at Amazon $115 at Ulta $115 at Target

Features: 6 heat and speed settings, cool shot, integrated ion generator, Nano Titanium technology

BaByliss is a famed contender in the hair tool industry, and this hair dryer lives up to that reputation. Equipped with an ion generator and 2000 watts of power, this hair dryer is the most heavy-duty on this list. Aside from its high performance, this dryer is super affordable. Although this is not the lightest hair dryer on this list, for its large size, it felt very light—it was like an illusion. This powerhouse of a hair dryer rapidly dried my hair and left it feeling sleek and smooth, and it won this title because it does not compromise weight for power (unlike some other marketed “lightweight” dryers). Out of all the hair dryers on this list, the buttons were the easiest to navigate and switch between, making it the perfect choice for beginners.

Best Volumizing

GHD Helios 1875W Advanced Professional Hair Dryer

$329 $230 at Amazon $329 at Sephora $329 at Ulta

Features: 3 heat and 3 speed settings, cold shot

As someone who attempts to blow out her hair at least once a week, this dryer doesn’t make it seem so bad, because the results were that good. The volume this dryer can achieve makes my current hair dryer look shameful, but my flat hair dilemma can finally be solved. This 1875-watt hair dryer cut down dry time significantly, and my hair was shiny with absolutely no sign of frizz. My only concern with this dryer is that the buttons take more pressure than I would like to turn off.

Best Brush

Hot Tools One-Step Blowout

$60 at Amazon $85 at Ulta View on Walmart

Features: 3 heat and speed settings, charcoal-infused bristles, 24K gold surface

This one-step tool dries and styles your hair at the same time, so if you haven’t quite mastered the round brush, this product is a lifesaver. During testing, I noticed how easily it glided through my hair and created bouncy ends. I will say, however, that this tool creates a very sleek finish, so do not expect a ton of volume in your roots. Something to be aware of is even the medium heat setting gets incredibly hot, so this tool should be used in moderation with a heat protectant, and you most certainly should not use this on soaking wet hair to steer clear of breakage.

Best Splurge

Harry Josh Pro Tools Ultra Light Pro Dryer

View on Dermstore View on Walmart

Features: 12 heat and speed settings, ion control switch, cold shot

This dryer is definitely worth the splurge and I do not say this lightly: this hair dryer may change your life. If you’re looking for an effortless, lightweight, and perfectly powerful hair dryer, this is it. During testing, I was impressed with the power because it was neither too strong nor too weak. It created effortless curls when used with a round brush and my hair felt so smooth. Mega points go to this dryer for its compact, lightweight design and easy-to-control buttons. I caught myself wishing this dryer got a little hotter, but then realized it works beautifully without being damaging so that quickly became another pro.

What to Look for in an Ionic Hair Dryer

• Adjustable Heat and Speed Settings: With any hair dryer—ionic or not—Tardo suggests choosing a model with adjustable heat and speed settings to tailor your blow-dry sesh to your specific hair type. “It’ll allow you to use more or less wind and heat, depending on the texture and needs of your hair,” he says. As you know, any kind of heat styling has the potential to damage your hair, so having adjustable options will help prevent you from using too much heat and leaving your hair fried.
• Tourmaline and Ceramic Components: In addition to ion technology, Tardo loves hair dryers that use ceramic and tourmaline materials, as they boost the dryer's overall benefits and further protect your hair from damage. “Ceramic heats in an even, consistent way which is great for styling hair—as well as for not singeing it,” he says. “Tourmaline emits additional negative ions, which maximizes the benefits of an ionic hair dryer.”
• Wattage Between 1500 and 1800: When it comes to power, Tardo recommends opting for a hair dryer with wattage that falls somewhere within the 1500 to 1800 range. “Anything under 1500 will slow down your styling time, and anything over 2000 can get too aggressive and cause unnecessary damage to your hair,” he says.

How We Tested Ionic Hair Dryers

To find the best ionic hair dryers, I tested several models over the course of two weeks. While blow-drying my hair, I paid attention to the following factors:

• Ease of Use: I looked for models that were lightweight and easy to use, with intuitive buttons and settings. I also noted the length of the cord and if it allowed for easy styling.
• Settings: To minimize damage, I looked for models that offered several heat and airflow settings. I discarded any dryers that got too hot and made me feel like I was frying my hair.
• Speed: I noted how quickly I was able to dry my hair with the blow-dryer.
• Results: I favored blow-dryers that gave me smooth, voluminous hair with minimal frizz or flyaways.

FAQ

• How do you use an ionic hair dryer?

  Ionic hair dryers work the same way traditional models do, and they can be used in tandem with whatever styling brushes or tools you prefer to achieve your desired result. However, Tardo recommends using an air concentrator attachment with them to smooth the hair.

• Who should use ionic hairdryers?

  Typically, ionic technology is best suited for drier or thicker hair due to its ability to lock in moisture and leave behind a soft, smooth finish, while reducing try time. After all, less dry time means less exposure to heat and less damage overall. 

Meet Our Expert

Team Byrdie also consulted with a celebrity stylist for expert recommendations: 

• Jeremy Tardo is a Los Angeles-based colorist at Benjamin Salon and a member of Byrdie's Beauty & Wellness Board. Jeremy's celebrity clientele includes Miley Cyrus, Jared Leto, and Florence Welch, and he’s collaborated with numerous top brands such as L’Oréal, Garnier, Sephora, Versace, and Tom Ford.

Why Trust Byrdie

Kayla Friedman was a beauty and style intern at Byrdie. She has thick and wavy hair that puts up a fight against most hair dryers, so she is familiar with the struggles of a hair-wash day. She has tried countless hair dryers and styling tools to achieve that coveted salon-quality blowout, and she values tools that are non-damaging (seriously, she once had a hair dryer burn her hair off), quick-drying, and frizz-preventing. After two weeks of testing in the NYC Lab, she scrutinized each hair dryer, evaluating them for dry time, temperature and power settings, frizz control, weight, ease of use, and special technology, and narrowed down this list to include the ones that delivered what they promised.

Read more:

• Hair
• Haircare
• Hair Products And Tools

Comments Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to our Community Guidelines. Account

• Settings
• Sign Out

Related Stories

• These 6 Professional Hair Dryers Help Me Achieve a Salon-Quality Blowout at Home
• The 15 Best Hair Dryers, Based on 2,064 Hours of Testing (And Counting!)
• The 17 Best Dry Shampoos, Crowned After Weeks of Testing On Different Hair Types
• The 9 Best Volumizing Mousses for Hair That Needs a Lift
• 11 Best Shampoos for Color-Treated Hair, Tested by Byrdie to Nourish and Protect
• The 10 Best Hair Dryers for Fine Hair, Crowned After Weeks of Testing
• The 8 Best Hair Dryer Brushes for a Salon-Quality Blowout at Home—Tested for 1,000+ Hours
• The 10 Best Anti-Frizz Products for Sleek, Humidity-Proof Hair, per Testers

• 14 Best Shampoos for All Hair Types—Shiny, Luscious Hair Awaits, Tested by Byrdie
• The 9 Best Hot Rollers for a Salon-Style Blowout, According to Testers
• The 11 Best Clarifying Shampoos for a Deep Clean, According to Testers
• What Makes a Good Edge Control? Here's What Pros Say to Look For
• The 10 Best Natural and Clean Shampoos the Byrdie Team Swears By for Healthy Hair
• The 13 Best Hair Diffusers for Every Curl Type and Texture, According to Stylists and Testers
• 6 Hair Dryers Under $100 That Stand Up to Salon-Quality Blowouts
• We Tested the Dyson Airwrap and Shark FlexStyle—Only One Came Out on Top