For a long time, heat was the main culprit of all our hair issues. Do you have hair breakage? Stop using heat. Do you experience split ends? Stop using heat. We have now learned that the use of heat is not to blame but more so how we use it on our natural hair. Understanding the unique needs of your hair is essential in maintaining its health and beauty. There are many benefits in using a blow dryer on natural hair. It can help to speed up the drying process after wash day, support the retention of moisture of low porosity hair and give you a beautiful blow out. The best blow dryer for natural hair will only add satisfaction in your routine!
What to look for in the best blow dryer for natural hair
For natural coily hair, heatless styling is often our go to option. However, a great blow dryer specifically created for natural hair can be a perfect addition to your natural hair tools. The best blow dryers for natural hair will help you retain moisture, minimize heat damage, and prevent tangles. When choosing the best blow dryer for natural hair, you will need a light weight blow dryer (these drying sessions can be long) with different attachments, quick temperature change settings and a good airflow.
When shopping for the best blow dryer for your natural hair, it’s helpful to consider the following features:
- Ionic Technology: Ionic blow dryers produce negative ions that break down water molecules on the hair surface, speeding up drying time. This technology also helps to seal the hair cuticle, reducing frizz and enhancing shine.
- Ceramic Component: This material evenly distributes heat which is good against heat damage and helping your hair retain its natural moisture.
- Adjustable Heat and Speed Settings: You will need to use different type of heat and speed settings according to what you’re using the blow dryer for. Adjustable settings are easy to customize the blow-dryer to suit your hair’s needs.
- Attachments: Look for blow dryers that come with a different set of attachments: a diffuser, a wide tooth comb attachment and a concentrator nozzle. A diffuser can help spread out the heat if you’re looking to dry a wash and go, while a concentrator nozzle is perfect for blow outs or to dry your hair in twists or braids. A wide tooth comb attachment will allow you to go through your coils and gently detangle them with even heat distribution.
How do you blow dry natural hair without damaging it?
Air drying is the safest option when it comes to keeping your natural curl pattern and avoid damage. However, blow drying your hair can be a better option if you lack time or don’t want to wear your hair wet.
The most important thing when you blow dry your natural hair is to make sure that your hair is hydrated. Using heat on dry hair can lead to breakage. The best condition to use a blow dryer on natural hair is when it’s clean, moisturized and detangled. The second step would be to apply a heat protectant. It’s vital that you give your hair as much protection as possible to preserve it from the heat. Mixed Chicks and Mielle have great heat protectants.
Our last tip is to use the tension method to dry your natural hair. Separate your hair in sections and gently hold your hair from the bottom to keep it stretched out. Run the blow dryer up and down the hair section until dry.
Now that you know what the key features are and how to safely blow dry, let’s dive into our recommendations for the best blow dryers for natural hair.
Which are the best blow dryers for natural hair?
1. Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer: The Superstar (429$)
This is the Beyonce of hair dryers. Like every other Dyson product, it’s truly loved by everyone that had the chance to try it. A favorite from stylists who work on tight coils, this hairdryer is a breeze to use. This high-tech blow dryer uses intelligent heat control to prevent extreme heat damage and protect natural hair’s shine. The powerful digital motor allows for fast drying, and it comes with multiple heat and speed settings. It’s pricey but the efficiency of this hair dryer is out of this world.
- Customer review: ”I’ve never been the biggest fan of blow-drying and doing all kinds of yoga poses to reach the back of my head. Whilst I’m never going to be a pro, I did find the dryer lighter and easier to maneuver. The afro comb attachment is also a game changer.”
2. Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Styler: The Ultimate Drying Brush (45$)
The Revlon One has the power of a dryer with the precision of a styler! One of the favorite of the natural hair community, this hairdryer will allow you to dry and style your hair in one step. This unique device combines a hair dryer and a brush. Thanks to Ionic technology, you will able to create a salon styled finish blow out. It’s all in one, meaning the brush is non detachable and the detangling bristles will gently dry and detangle your hair in half the time. This one is perfect if you’re tired of holding a brush and your blow dryer at the same time. Many positive reviews are available on TikTok.
- Customer Review: “OMG BUY IT!!!!!!! I have long and thick super natural curly hair. It usually takes me a long time to dry with a blow dryer and paddle brush separately which is how I normally dry my hair. THIS SOLVED EVERYTHING. […] It took me maybe 15-20 if that to dry my hair and IM IN LOVE!!!!”
3. The Pattern Blow Dryer: Made by Tracee Ellis Ross (189$)
This hairdryer has been added to Tracee Elliss Ross haircare inline with the rest of her haircare products: specifically, for curlies, coilies and tight textures. This gorgeous hairdryer is truly versatile to style your hair in any shape you desire. It comes with 4 unique attachments to help shape, stretch or define your hair. It’s powerful AC motor reduces dry time, and the ion generator will smooth your cuticles.
- Customer Review: “Helps with reducing heat damage and I love all the extra settings on the the drier that you can use to prevent this. Great if you have 4c and/or 4b hair types! Worth the investment and price overall. Only downsize I would say is I wish it came in more shades of brown!”
4. RevAir Reverse Air Dryer: The Game Changer (399$)
This hairdryer is seen everywhere on social media. We are all amazed by the easy, smooth and pain free finish the revair air dryer gives to the tightest of curl patterns. It has gone viral and it makes sense, stretching your hair cannot get easier. This hairdryer has specifically been designed to stretch and lengthen your coils in less than half the time of traditional blow dryer/flat iron combinations. It uses low heat so it will protect your hair against damage. Could this one be the best blow dryer for natural hair?
- Customer Review: “Oh how I love this dryer-it’s everything I need .I just combed out locs of 2 years . And my hair type is 4C (IYKYK) and this dryer was Simply amazing”
5. DevaDryer and DevaFuser for Curly Hair (180$)
Stylists co developed this blow dryer with curls and coils in mind featuring ionic technology to achieve voluminous wash and gos or sleek blow outs. The Devafuser is a diffuser attachment with a unique shape to provide 360 degree airflow to envelop your coils and speed up the drying time. It’s resistant materials will help you to prevent frizz and enhance the shine of your hair.
- Customer Review: “Happy with this purchase so far. I’ve only used it once, but the diffuser was great for my dense curls. I didn’t have to go to bed with wet hair. And the concentrated nozzle worked well for stretching my roots.”
6. BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium 2000 Blow Dryer: Quality Budget Friendly Option (89$)
This dryer combines power, speed, and design to deliver heavy-duty 2000-watt performance. It features 6 heat and 2 speed settings with a cool shot button, making it suitable for low heat use. This blow dryer comes with a concentrator nozzle. Combining positive and negative ions, the advance plasma technology utilizes a moisture balancing ionic system to hydrate hair.
- Customer Review: “I bought my daughter one for Christmas and she has sworn by it. I finally tried it and my hair had never dried so fast. I have naturally thick curly hair and this hair dryer dries my hair in minutes with NO frizz!!! It feels like a leaf blower!”
What type of blow dryer is best for 4c hair?
We find that the best blow dryer to use on type 4c hair are the ones which allow you to use low heat setting and control the tension you put on your hair. The best blow dryers for natural hair are the ones which come with different attachments. Concentrator nozzles, diffusers and wide tooth comb attachments give you a variety of options to dry and style your hair. You won’t have to perpetually put tension on your hair with these choices of attachments.
The Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer is the best blow dryer for natural hair; however the pattern beauty blow dryer is also a good and cheaper option. It’s all about understanding your hair’s specific needs and finding a blow dryer that caters to those.
