What to Look for in a Dog Hair Dryer

So you’ve decided that you’re going to need a dog dryer.

You’re also going to need to know how to make sure you pick the best one for your needs. There are just a few qualities that you need to keep in mind to ensure that you’ve made a good pick, so let’s hop right in and see how it’s done.

Cubic Feet per Meter

The amount of air that a dog dryer pushes out is measured in CFM.

The higher the CFM rating, the more air you’re going to get going through the machine. For dogs with short coats a lower CFM rating might be ideal, but for something like a husky with a super thick undercoat and long hair you’ll want to go as high as possible.

Most of the other qualities of your dog hair dryer are derived from the initial CFM rating.

Heating Element or Not?

Not all dog dryers have a heating element present.

What kind of dog you’re planning on drying off is going to decide whether or not you need a heating element. Dogs with thin, short fur can get by with just the heat from the motor so if you’ve got a pitbull or a Weimaraner then you really don’t need a heating element.

For dogs with an undercoat, you’ll need a heating element in order to make sure that your dog is completely dry by the time you’re done.

Noise Levels

The amount of noise that’s produced by your dryer is going to be a big factor for most people. A stoic hound is going to be able to handle more noise than an anxious terrier after all.

You’re going to be the best judge of your dog’s ability to handle loud noises, so just take this into consideration if you have a particularly nervous dog and you’ll be alright.

Speed Settings

Having multiple speed settings available is a great thing.

For groomers, mostly.

For the average at-home dog owner it’s not going to make much of a difference in the function unless your dogs have different levels of noise tolerance.

This is more of a “nice to have” feature, rather than something which absolutely needs to be had for you to be able to say that you own the best dog dryer for your situation.

Storage

Most of us aren’t professional groomers, so the amount of space that your dryer takes up can be a big concern.

You’ll want to ensure that you’re able to tuck your dryer safely away at the end of your session without it taking up an entire room to itself. Just keep in mind that some types of dryer can take a lot of space up while others remain fairly minimal.