Since the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, all eyes have been on the former Suits actress and her tousled brown locks.
Markle’s perfectly blow dried hair is a sight to be seen—and a style we’d like to recreate at home. Of course, the Duchess of Sussex’s hair is usually styled by a professional.
While most of us don’t have the budget to have a stylist on stand-by, we can afford the right tools, and having a salon-quality hair dryer is a good place to start if you want to master the humble blow dry at home.
First things first, when shopping for the best hair dryer for your budget, there are a few features you need to look out for.
High Wattage
High wattage is the technical term for a really good motor that has strong wind power. A wattage of 1,800 to 2,000 will prevent your hair from heat damage.
Tourmaline
Ceramic Or Titanium
Stylers with a ceramic or titanium coating claim to distribute heat more evenly. Titanium dryers are lighter than their ceramic counterparts, and get very hot, for fast drying.
How To Find The Best Hair Dryer For Your Budget
AFFORDABLE: UNDER $100
Silver Bullet City Chic Hair Dryer Black, on sale now for $80.71 (was $94.95) at Adore Beauty
This one has supreme heat and supreme airflow. The ultra-compact shape makes this 2000-watt ionic dryer the all-singing dryer for under $100. With a powerful motor, it has performance similar to a professional dryer. It’s fantastic value for someone wanting the best blow-dry they can achieve at home.
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AFFORDABLE: UNDER $100
GHD Flight Saharan Gold Travel Hairdryer, $99 at Shaver Shop
While it may be small, this hair dryer has salon-strength power. Plus, the ionic technology helps reduce frizz and add shine. A win-win.
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AFFORDABLE: UNDER $100
Wahl Compactlite Dry 2000W Professional Compact Hair Dryer, $69.95 at Beautopia
Just when you thought you couldn’t get a decent hairdryer that delivers the goods, this salon-standard saviour comes to the rescue. This ionic number eliminates even the frizziest of hair strands and the best part is—it won’t break the bank.
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MID RANGE: $100 – $200
Remington AIR3D Hair Dryer, $155 at Bing Lee
Remington’s latest and greatest hair dryer is so small and light, you could probably squeeze it into your handbag. The brand created the AIR3D Hair Dryer using new ‘Smooth Conditioning Technology’ to minimise frizz and give your hair a smooth and silky finish.
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MID RANGE: $100 – $200
Mermade Hair Hair Dryer, $109 at Mermade Hair
Using ionic airflow technology to increase moisture retention, the Mermade Hair Dryer will help you create the perfect blowout while protecting your hair from long term damage. You can easily choose between two speed settings, amplified or concentrated airflow, cool shot function plus two concentrator attachments.
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MID RANGE: $100 – $200
Vidal Sassoon 5Q Brilliance High Performance Hairdryer, on sale now for $111.20 (was $139) at MYER
With its EC digital motor, this little baby drys hair at a speed of up to 150km per hour while its ionic condition system releases active ion through the length of your hair to remove static and reduce frizz. It also includes a concentrator nozzle and volumising diffuser so you can options when it’s time to style.
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MID RANGE: $100 – $200
GHD Air Professional Hairdryer, currently $192 (was $240) at Adore Beauty
Known as ‘the supermodel of salon hair dryers’, this gem has all the right mechanics to make you have better hair days. Besides extra long cord—you can easily alter your hairstyle without accidentally yanking the plug out of the socket.
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HIGH END: $200 AND ABOVE
Parlux Advance Light Ionic & Ceramic Dryer 2200W, currently $299 (was $325) at Adore Beauty
Don’t let the light weight fool you, this award-winning hair dryer is super powerful and makes minimal noise. The lack of heaviness will quickly become important if you blow-dry your own hair, as your arms can get worn out with a heavy dryer. It also features a cooling button which is perfect for setting the hair. Bonus? There’s a great range of colours to choose from, too.
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HIGH END: $200 AND ABOVE
Dyson Supersonic, $599 at Dyson
There’s one dryer that seems to reign supreme in the high-end category, and that’s The Dyson Supersonic. And while the price might seem steep for something that resembles a contemporary art piece, but to many professional hairdressers, it’s widely viewed to be very much worth its price. It’s lightweight, it’s virtually silent, it measures the current output air temperature 20 times per second to make sure your hair isn’t treated to too much heat. It also comes with a diffuser so you can create natural movement in your hair without developing any frizz.
Shop here.
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