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Hair dryers were all the rage among men in the 1970’s, 80’s, and 90’s because hairstyles demanded it. If you wanted to achieve a specific look, the road to getting there including drying and brushing your hair.

The past couple of decades has seen the demise of the blow dryer, however. Shorter hairstyles, even public opinion – helped relegate the dryer (for men, that is) to bin that included VCRs and bell-bottomed jeans.

While they never disappeared entirely, hair dryers have re-emerged because of changing hairstyles. Many of today’s men include the use of a top-quality dryer – such as the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer in their morning routine without shame.

And why not? A hair dryer for men is simply another tool to help you look your best, day-after-day.

We’ll look at the best blow dryers for men, as well as plenty of other information about them, in this post – including what to look for when buying them and how to use them properly.

Quick summary

Our #1 Choice Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer Iconic brand with innovative quality

Poweful airflow with a variety of settings

Lightweight and easy to handle Check on Amazon → Babyliss Pro Ceramix Xtreme Dryer Efficient and powerful motor that reduces drying time

Extra-long power cord

Easily adjustable to your chosen heat setting Check on Amazon → MHU Professional Salon Grade 1875W Hair Dryer Powerful but quiet motor

Perfect for thick and curly hair types

Comes with extra accessories for efficient use Check on Amazon → Remington AC2015 T Ceramic Hair Dryer Professional standards and quality

Powerful airflow

Distrubutes heat evenly without fluctuation Check on Amazon → Conair 1875 Watt Full-Size Pro Hair Dryer With Ionic Conditioning Gives a consistent heat

Cool-shot button fixes your desired style on completion

Decreases drying time effciently Check on Amazon → Conair 1875 Watt Ionic Ceramic Fast Drying Lightweight Hair Dryer Ergonomic design

Powerful motor with various settings

Easy to clean Check on Amazon →

Before you buy: 4 Things to consider when purchasing a hair dryer

You need the right tools for styling your hair, and a quality hair dryer is one of those tools. Not just any hair dryer, mind you, but one that’s best suited for your type of hair and one that won’t 1) damage your hair, or 2) leave it looking less than its best.

All that said, here are some things to be aware of as you shop for a hair dryer:

1. Power

Power comes down to wattage and the higher the wattage of a hair dryer, the more heat it generates. And, of course, the more heat, the faster you’ll dry your hair.

Most hair dryers are 1,300 to 1,850 watts. You need a dryer with more wattage if you have thicker hair, but for most people the standard wattage is sufficient.

Just a note: Cheaper hair dryers tend to have lower wattage. Not only won’t you dry your hair as fast, but they’ll also wear out sooner than more expensive dryers.

2. Weight

Unless you’re looking for a good bicep and forearm workout away from the gym, you’ll probably prefer a lightweight hair dryer. A lighter weight blow dryer is easier to hold and won’t fatigue your arms as you dry your nice, thick locks.

3. Features

Hair dryer manufacturers must love gadgets because many dryers have a variety of buttons and settings to handle every aspect of drying your hair, including:

Temperature control

Temp control is a key feature of any dryer and it regularly measures the air temperature and adjusts it to protect your hair from heat damage. Many top-quality dryers come with multiple heat settings, such as low, medium, and high.

If you have fine, thin, or dry hair, a lower heat setting works best for you.

If you have normal hair, the medium heat setting is ideal.

If you have coarse, thicker hair, use the high heat setting.

Cold air setting

Look for a hair dryer that has a cold air button that releases a blast of cold air. The colder air helps you to “set” your hairstyle.

Touch cool

Touch cool technology keeps the surface of the dryer and its attachments cool.

Diffusers

Diffusers help lift and separate hair to boost its texture. They also help dry your hair quickly without messing up its style. Finally, they reduce frizz.

Type of cord

It’s a bonus if your dryer comes with a swivel cord that prevents it from tangling.

If you’re like a lot of hair dryer users, you understand the frustration of a cord that becomes knotted and twisted every time you use it or every time you set it down once you’ve finished drying your hair.

Mount

Some dryers come with a mount that you attach to your bathroom wall for easy storage. Some mounts even come with a night light. In any case, it’s a good idea if you have limited storage space, or if you always want to know where you last put your dryer.

Nozzle

Some dryers come with an attachment such as a concentrator nozzle that snaps on to the end of your dryer (like a diffuser). As its name implies, a concentrator nozzle emits air in a concentrated stream that helps straighten your hair, if so desired.

Make sure that you the follow the path of your brush as you’re drying your hair, and never let the concentrator nozzle come into contact with your hair.

Comb or hair pik attachment

Some dryers come with a comb or hair pik attachment that snaps to the end of the dryer, much like a concentrator nozzle or a diffuser.

A comb or pik attachment is helpful if you have thick hair or curly hair because it helps stretch out the natural curl pattern when drying your hair.

4. Materials

The composition of a dryer’s body is important and may consist of the following materials:

Ceramic

Plastic or metal dryer housings coated in ceramic or porcelain provide heat that’s less harsh and more consistent. That makes them good for fine or dry hair that loses moisture easily.

But a ceramic or porcelain model is suitable for all hair types and a good choice if you’re not sure what type of dryer to buy.

Titanium

Titanium dryers provide heat at an even, steady temperature. That temperature, however, can get pretty hot, so titanium isn’t a good choice if you have fine or damaged hair.

Tourmaline

A tourmaline or ionic hair dryer gives off negative ions that break up the water droplets on your hair for faster drying.

It’s your best option if you have thick or frizzy hair or any hair that’s difficult to dry. (Tourmaline, by the way, is a semi-precious metal that provides the most intense ionic action.

OK, now that we’ve covered some hair dryer buying tips, let’s move on to our product reviews and the best hair dryer for men.

The 6 best hair dryers for men in 2020

Dyson initially made its name with its futuristic vacuum cleaners but has bolstered its strong reputation thanks to its hair care products. Dyson is serious about it; they reportedly invested over $70 million into their hair dryer line.

Dyson’s Supersonic Hair Dryer proves that it’s money well-spent. It not only looks good – albeit a bit different than other dryers – but its performance is also second-to-none.

Why do we include it on our list? For starters, it’s the best hair dryer for frizzy hair because it generates a powerful airflow that allows you to dry your hair quickly.

For folks with frizz, that’s good news because they don’t want to expose their hair to high heat for a long period.

The Dyson Supersonic also includes buttons that let you adjust the heat level and airflow.

The Dyson Supersonic comes with a diffuser that, like all of the attachments on the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer, connects to the dryer housing automatically – a very handy feature, indeed.

Other features include a smoothing nozzle, a concentrator, and a button that provides a cool burst of air.

We also like that the Supersonic is lightweight and comes with a longer-than-normal cord that allows you to move around freely as you dry your hair.

The dryer housing is smaller than on many other dyers, making it suitable for travel since it fits easily into a small suitcase or overnight bag.

Again, one of the selling points of the Dyson Supersonic is the powerful airflow it generates, but it’s easily adjustable so that you can get a low volume of air and consistent heat.

It comes with four heat settings and three airflow settings, as well as an ionizer and a removable filter at the bottom of the dryer that notifies you when it needs cleaning.

Here’s something else about the Dyson Supersonic: the motor is actually in the dryer handle, which balances the weight better than other dryers while causing less arm fatigue.

Last, but certainly not least, it comes with a two-year warranty on parts and labor.

Pros Powerful airflow

Powerful airflow Lightweight and easy to handle

Lightweight and easy to handle A variety of settings to adjust heat and airflow

Cons Cord is a bit bulky for some

Bottom Line

The Dyson Supersonic is another step forward in the evolution of hair dryers and one worth checking it out if you’re serious about having the best grooming tools.

Tired of wimpy dryers that take forever to dry your hair? Rest assured, that isn’t a concern with the BaBylisPro Ceramix Xtreme Dryer.

The Xtreme Dryer packs 2000 watts of power into a unit made from porcelain ceramic, which cuts down on your drying time while helping you to get out the door without delay.

But the dryer is more than just a big blast of air; for starters, it comes with six heat and speed settings which allow you to go gentle on your hair when you don’t feel the need to use all of its force.

If you want to utilize all of the dryer’s power, then you can dry your hair in half the time it takes many other hairdryers.

While the Ceramix Xtreme Dryer has all of the power you need, it doesn’t damage your hair in the process because infusing porcelain ceramic into heating surfaces helps enhance heat distribution. In turn, it creates a more gentle heat that prevents damage.

The Ceramix Xtreme Dryer is surprisingly quiet given its exceptional power and it doesn’t squeal or give off other high-pitched sounds when in use.

Another nice feature is the Ceramix Xtreme Dryer’s concentrator nozzle that helps users to style their hair more easily. You can attach or detach the nozzle depending on your needs. There’s also a cold shot setting that helps you “set” your style before you finish.

Further convenience comes from a 9-foot long power cord that allows you to reach all areas of your head while also providing the mobility you don’t get from a lot of dryers.

Pros Provides all the power you need with a powerful motor that cuts down on drying time

Provides all the power you need with a powerful motor that cuts down on drying time Easy to adjust the heat to fit your needs

Easy to adjust the heat to fit your needs Extra-long power cord

Cons Some reviewers say it’s a bit on the heavy side.

Bottom Line

BaBlyissPro combines power and technology in its Ceramix Xtreme dryer. You can dry your hair faster, or spend more time on finesse and creating your preferred style.

Think of a car that has more than enough horsepower yet can handle corners and city streets without flying out of control. In some ways, that describes the MHU Professional Salon Grade 1875-Watt Hair Dryer.

The 1875 is powerful, with a motor capable of reaching 1,875 watts yet has little vibration and is quieter than many other dryers.

Thanks to excellent technology, MHU has truly developed a dryer that can do a lot of things, not the least of which is drying your hair properly. Here are some of its many highlights:

Far-infrared heat combined with negative ion technology enables users to dry their faster while eliminating frizziness and the risk of damage. What is far-infrared heat? It’s infrared light that diffuses gentle, healthy heat into the core of the cuticle, and not just to the surface of the hair shaft like most blow dryers.

It comes with a bonus diffuser that supports the curls in your hair, making it the best hair dryer for curly hair.

The MHU 1875 comes with two speeds and three heat settings that enable you to control the airflow and the amount of heat.

It comes with an airflow concentrator that helps accelerate drying while adding volume to your hair without adding frizz.

A 9-foot cord allows you to freely roam while drying your hair and comes with a hook that makes storage simple. The cord is also heat-proof.

The MHU 1875 includes a cool-shot button that releases cool air to help lock in your style quickly and easily.

A removable lint filter makes cleaning the dryer easier while offering the kind of simple maintenance that extends the life of your dryer.

The motor is powerful enough that you can dry your hair in half the time, even while using the cool air setting.

Minimal vibration helps make the MHU 1875 easy to handle.

Pros Powerful but quiet motor

Powerful but quiet motor Includes extra attachments for more precise use

Includes extra attachments for more precise use Great for thicker and curly hair types

Cons Perhaps a bit too large for traveling

Bottom Line

The MHU is a robust, versatile dryer that comes with a reasonable price tag. It handles easily, comes with a variety of attachments, and is a strong option if you have thicker or curly hair.

Remington is all about innovation, including in its line of hair dryers. They also rely heavily on the advice of salon professionals before designing hair styling products that& actually work.

The AC2015 T demonstrates Remington’s commitment to staying ahead of the game thanks to a variety of features that makes it among the best hair dryers for men.

For starters, it comes with an 1875-watt motor that makes for faster drying time – 40% faster, says Remington – but one that’s durable and should last you a long time.

Made of pearl ceramic, the AC2015 T fits into any styling routine and provides a smooth, salon-quality finish. But there’s more:

The ceramic design improves heat distribution while maintaining a constant temperature. That means the temperature will stay the same without fluctuating while using either of the dryer’s three heat settings.

The AC2015’s powerful motor makes it ideal for people on the go.

The patent-pending ceramic houses micro-conditioners that are activated by the heated airflow and the micro-conditioners are transferred to your hair and seal its cuticles for a silky-looking sheen.

You’ll like that the AC2015 comes with a variety of styling tools – including a concentrator that’s ideal for straighter styles, and a diffuser that helps style curly and wavy hair.

It comes with a cool-shot setting and two speeds that also help you to create different styles.

It has an ionic generator that’s another professional-grade feature on an affordable dryer meant for home use.

Pros Fast and powerful

Fast and powerful Distributes heat evenly without fluctuation

Distributes heat evenly without fluctuation Professional-grade quality

Cons A bit heavier than other dryers

Bottom Line

The Remington AC2015 is a professional-grade hair-grooming tool for use in the home. The motor is more powerful than most other dryers, while it’s easy to manage the amount of heat you need during the drying process.

You’ll notice the word “ionic” a lot when researching the best hair dryers for men. In this case, ionic means technology in which dryers emit negative ions that cause drops of moisture on the hair to divide into smaller particles.

In turn, hair-drying time lessens as the smaller drops of moisture dry faster. And the less time your hair spends under the hot stream of air from your dryer, the less frizzy (and less damaged) it is.

It also means that you can use a lower temperature to dry your hair, which prevents damage, as well.

The Conair 1875 Full-Size Pro Hair Dryer includes ionic technology that dries hair evenly and, at least in theory, makes it easier to create your preferred hairstyle. It comes with a hairdryer concentrator/nozzle for pinpoint styling.

The Conair 1875 dryer also utilizes Tourmaline Ceramic technology that provides more uniform heat – and, again, faster drying with less potential for damage.

Tourmaline is a semi-precious mineral that generates only negative ions when heated, and when used in hair dryers is said to dry up to 40 percent faster than other dryers.

So, if nothing else, the Conair 1875 promises a faster drying experience.

But there are plenty of other reasons to buy it, including that it comes with three heat settings and two speed settings that provide greater control and the ability to work with different types of hair.

It also comes with a cool-shot button that’s utilized to help lock your style in place when you’re almost finished drying your hair.

You’ll also like how easy the 1875 is to handle thanks to a no-slip grip, and that it comes with a hinged filter for easy cleaning. It’s attached to a five-foot power cord that helps you maneuver easily around the bathroom or bedroom as you dry your hair.

Pros Helps decrease drying time

Helps decrease drying time Provides uniform heat

Provides uniform heat Cool-shot button locks down hairstyles

Cons Some reviewers say it’s not easy to distinguish between hot and warm settings

Bottom Line

The Conair 1875 makes it easier to get a faster blow-dry without damaging hair or making it difficult to style. It doesn’t feel heavy in the hand but packs a powerful drying punch.

There’s lots to like about Conair’s 1875 Ionic Hair Dryer, especially at the exceptionally reasonable price it’s currently being sold at.

For one thing, it is made of Ionic ceramic, and features Tourmaline to prevent heat damage. It is ultimately a very versatile dryer with plenty of smart features; it will help you get dry fast and avoid frizz.

It is very lightweight and weighs less than 2 lbs, which makes it very easy to use. It has 3 heat and 2 speed settings, as well as a Cool Shot button to lock the style in place and make things as quick and easy as possible. And the no slip grip makes it very comfortable to hold.

It features a powerful high torque DC motor, which allows it to produce incredibly hot air. But Conair has also strapped it up with a good quality Diffuser for texture styling, and Concentrator, to achieve a really nice smooth look. And the hinged filter makes it incredibly easy to clean and maintain the dryer, so you won’t have to worry about it wearing out or getting grotty over time.

Ultimately, for the money you’ll pay it would be absurd to expect more than this: comfortable to use, versatile and powerful.

Pros Powerful motor with a series of settings

Powerful motor with a series of settings Very comfortable grip and ergonomic design

Very comfortable grip and ergonomic design Very easy to keep clean

Cons Some reviewers report attachments being difficult to get on

Bottom Line

A great budget option, for men that want a quick, no frills dry in the morning and want to avoid needless maintenance. Plus it looks great, as well.

How to use your hair dryer like a pro (A simple, illustrated guide)

There’s more to using a hair dryer than turning it on, pointing it at your head, and moving it around your scalp until your hair is dry.

That’s not to say you’ve been using your dryer incorrectly, but there are a technique and routine for drying your hair that professionals recommend.

Something else to consider: improper hair drying can damage your hair. The following are some tips to help you use your dryer properly:

1. Your hair should be damp, not drenched

Drying your hair when it’s too wet means you’ll risk damaging it because you’ll need more excessive heat to dry it. Instead, dry your hair when it’s damp. A quick rub of your hair with a towel will help get you to the dampness stage, but don’t overdo it with the towel.

To get more comfortable, get a good robe too.

2. Don’t go crazy with the heat

Good hair dryers come with heat settings that allow you to adjust the heat depending on the wetness of your hair.

More heat typically means a faster drying job but here’s the thing – you don’t want to expose your hair to an overload of intense heat because you may end up damaging your hair.

So, what is the correct amount of heat? Some experts advise that you use the lowest heat you can manage while still drying your hair in a reasonable amount of time.

3. Concentrate on specific areas of your head and then move on

A helpful method for drying your hair involves drying specific segments of your head at one time. These segments would include:

The front of your head at the start of your hairline

The center of your head

The back of the top of your head (i.e., the crown)

Each side of your head

The back of your head

It’s not overly important that you start at one of the segments or follow a specific order, but the goal is to cover each segment at least a couple of times until each of them is dry.

Concentrate on each area for five seconds at a time; any more than that runs the risk of damaging your hair.

Another question is how dry is dry?

Some professionals say that drying your hair until there’s not a drop of moisture left means that, A) you’ve exposed your hair to too much heat, and B) you may end up with a style that looks like straw, tumbleweed or has too much frizz.

Leaving a small amount of dampness isn’t a bad idea.

4. Using a diffuser

Attaching a diffuser to your hair dryer aids the drying process in a couple of ways. For one, it directs the heat over a larger area of your head than it does over without a diffuser which, in turn, decreases the risk of damaging your hair while speeding up the drying process.

Diffusers aren’t as effective when you’re trying to style your hair or enhance a style you already have in place.

Also, use a lower heat setting when using a diffuser. If your dryer doesn’t come with a diffuser, you can always buy one separately that fits your make and model.

5. Don’t dry the surface only

Drying your hair means drying it from root to tip and not just the surface that’s visible to you and everyone else.

6. Drying in the right direction

Simply drying your hair in the direction of your particular style isn’t the best method. Instead, you should follow a couple of techniques: dry your hair at its roots in the opposite direction of where your hair naturally falls (if you part it to the right, blow it out to the left).

For the ends, however, blow in a downward direction toward your style for maximum smoothness.

7. Drying at the right distance

Never put the dryer’s nozzle too close to your hair because the intense heat can cause damage. Instead, keep the dryer about 6-inches from your hair while moving it from segment to segment.

8. Make sure to use the right kind of brush

It’s never wise to use a metal brush while drying your hair because the metal can get too hot, too fast and cause damage to your hair. Instead, use a brush made of nylon, boar’s hair, ceramic, or a combination of all three.

9. You may want to use a hair protectant

Spraying your hair with a hair protectant product can help limit damage to your hair caused by the dryer’s intense heat.

Blow drying your hair vs. towel drying

Up to this point we’ve talked a lot about hair dryers without saying a whole lot about why you should use them. And why not just towel dry your hair and let it dry naturally once you’ve combed or brushed into your preferred style?

It’s a good question – indeed one worthy of a closer look.

1. Why you should dry your hair

While drying your hair may add a couple of extra minutes to your routine, it’s time well-spent because it sets the foundation for the kind of styling that you’d like to present to the world. It helps you realize how much potential it has.

It helps make your hair what you’ve always wanted

While a dryer won’t grow hair or change it to a different color (ah, but if only), it will help you style in a way that represents your true desires. Having trouble achieving that style you’ve always wanted? Then get used to using a dryer.

2. You won’t have to use as much “product”

A brush and a hair dryer, as mentioned, combine to set your hair in the place where you want it to go.

Furthermore, when your hair is dry it naturally falls back into the general shape of where you dried it, meaning you don’t have to use as many styling products (hairspray, gels, etc.) as you would normally.

Besides, many products such as pomade and paste work best when applied to dry hair.

OK, so a hair dryer saves you time and helps you style your hair into the shape you want. But doesn’t it damage your hair?

The fact is, using a hair dryer properly, i.e., at the right distance and temperature – causes less damage to your hair than other methods. Why? Because the longer moisture stays on your hair the more your hair swells.

And the longer it swells the more pressure it puts on proteins that keep hair intact, which can lead to more damage than if you hadn’t dried your hair.

3. Towel drying

Towel drying your hair is OK – to a point.

It’s not a bad idea to give your hair a quick towel rub after you’ve emerged from the shower because you don’t want to blow dry your hair when it’s completely wet (because that means you’ll need to expose your hair to heat for a longer period).

But aggressively towel drying your hair, in which you dig into your hair and scalp as if you’re putting out a fire leads to split ends and hair breaks. Don’t do it.

The alternative is to let your hair air dry, but that adds a few more minutes to your morning routine and – as mentioned above – leaving excess moisture in your hair for too long can cause damage, as well. So, go ahead and use a towel but keep in mind the following tips:

Don’t be too aggressive!

Again, don’t rub your hair with a towel with too much force. In fact, don’t even rub the towel over your hair but press it down firmly to remove excess moisture.

Aggressively rubbing your hair with a towel is a tough habit to break, but breaking the habit means less breakage in your hair.

Don’t use just any towel

Only use a towel that’s clean and soft to dry your hair. Towels with any type of texture may damage hair when you press too hard.

Condition your hair first

Hair experts recommend using quality conditioners after you shampoo your hair and before you towel dry it.

You may even want to use a leave-in conditioner, or stick with one that you wash out after you’ve applied it to your hair. Conditioners smooth hair cuticles and creates healthier-looking hair. Don’t forget to use a high-quality shampoo, as well.

Why we chose these dryers over other dryers

Not all hair dryers are built the same although they all accomplish the same thing, basically. But what we looked for in choosing the dryers for this “best of” list came down to a few important things:

Craftsmanship and construction – No one wants to buy a cheaply-made dryer that’s going to die several months after they bought it. Durability is important, especially for something you may use daily.

– No one wants to buy a cheaply-made dryer that’s going to die several months after they bought it. Durability is important, especially for something you may use daily. Attachments – We like dryers that come with a variety of attachments, such as diffusers, that provide versatility.

– We like dryers that come with a variety of attachments, such as diffusers, that provide versatility. Price – We seek to find products that fit into a variety of price ranges that fit the budgets of every man.

– We seek to find products that fit into a variety of price ranges that fit the budgets of every man. Ease of use – Is the dryer easy to use, even if it comes with a variety of gadgets? Its buttons and attachments should be intuitive, not the stuff of rocket science.

Conclusion

That wraps up our review of the best hair dryers for men in 2020. Have you used any of the dryers listed here? Is there another dryer that’s your favorite? We always welcome your comments and suggestions.

Until next time.

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