To test the products we've featured in this best hair dryers guide we take in to account the speed settings, temperature settings and how well they blow dry hair. We also monitored the sound level, and factored in how comfortable and balanced they were to use. We also considered cable length, and handy features like hanging loops, cord storage, and even cool shot buttons.

Styling our hair, as we’d expect, took a little longer, but only marginally so at 2 minutes and 20 seconds.Everything else, including the placement of the two-speed and dual-temperature switches, the cold shot button and the branded grille are almost an exact copy and paste from the Air. Performance The design of the GHD Helios and GHD Air is remarkably similar, from the location and design of the power, heat and cold shot buttons (a literal copy and paste job from the GHD Air) to the overall shape, the branded grille and the metal that sweeps around the rear of the dryer. Yet instead of looking like siblings, the two dryers are more like cousins. To achieve its fast drying speeds without damaging the hair, the GHD Helios is based on four technologies. Many high-end hair dryers come with a gamut of fancy features that claim to boost results. The BaByliss 3Q, however, takes the basic features of hair dryers and absolutely nails them, giving you an effortless and fuss-free barnet without overcomplicating things. It has three control switches for speed, temperature, and a cool shot, plus two concentrator nozzles to deliver a good amount of control when blow-drying your hair. However, leaving your hair to dry naturally isn't an option for many of us. With that in mind, if you are planning on using a hair dryer, apply a heat protection styling spray before blow drying, and keep the heat level to a medium, to reduce the amount of damage a hair dryer causes to your hair. How we tested these hair dryers

A very close runner-up is from Dyson. It's not surprising that the Dyson Supersonic happens to be the most expensive on our list but aside from this, it is one of the best hair dryers we have reviewed which would be our #1 choice it it wasn't for the money. Does a good hair dryer make a difference?The GHD Helios was two and a half years in the making and the effort has paid off. It’s head and shoulders, excuse the pun, above the GHD Air. It almost toppled the Dyson Supersonic as our favourite hair dryer. We still switch between the two. Set new hair goals with a show-stopping blow dry courtesy of the ghd helios™ professional hair dryer - the perfect combination of power and control. As a general rule, the more powerful a dryer is, the hotter the element will get and the faster it can blow-dry your hair. However, this doesn't take into account technology, such as airflow concentrators and brushless motors, plus extreme heat causes damage, so bigger isn’t necessarily better when it comes to power. As a general guide, the best hair dryers have more than 1500W of power, though some high-tech options cut this right down. Admittedly, the ghd helios is less sophisticated than the Dyson supersonic. The latter features small touches that improve your hair dryer in ways you didn’t know you needed, such as redistributing the weight to the handle and relocating the vent.