Hello. It’s great that you are looking for the best blow dryer for natural hair. Natural hair must be nourished and cared for properly to bring out its uniqueness and shine.
Being equipped with the right tools and techniques will bring out the best in your hair texture and keep your natural hair looking fabulous!
Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Flow Dryer for Natural Hair
KEY FEATURES:
- Product Dimensions: 3.38 x 9.38 x 7.25 inches
- Item Weight: 1 pound
- Item Model Number: RVDR5034
- Weight: 1 pound
- Settings: 2 heat and speed settings plus a cool shot button
This is a basic, lightweight design for daily hair drying. It only comes with basic settings and no additional features or hair-drying tech.
That being said, because it is light, you will have more maneuverability when drying and styling your natural hair.
- The lightweight design would be suitable for travel.
- If you have short hair, this could do the job. But I recommend a higher-spec dryer if you want to maintain longer natural locks.
- This dryer was not designed with natural black hair in mind. Generic designs with 3 basic heat settings can frazzle natural hair. Keep reading for better picks for the blow dryer for natural hair.
KEY FEATURES:
- Product Dimensions: 3.63 x 9.25 x 10.27 inches
- Item Weight: 1.5 Pounds
- Item Model Number: 256NR
- Wattage: 1875
- Settings: 3 heat and 2-speed settings plus a cool shot button
- Ceramic Tourmaline technology
Conair’s blow dryer is a better pick for natural hair as it uses Ceramic Tourmaline heating technology, creating an infrared heat supply to dry your hair from the inside out.
This shortens the time needed to dry and style natural hair, and the ionic generation minimizes frizz.
If you want to use this dryer, ensure your paddle brush is suited to natural hair, as it does not come with natural-friendly attachments.
However, if you work your hair with the paddle brush, you can use the concentrator attachment to direct the heat to where you need it.
- Ionic generation technology with Ceramic and Tourmaline creates infrared hair drying.
- Multiple settings mean this dryer can work with various hair textures and styles.
- More attachments are always welcome.
- The marketing materials do not feature women of color or natural hair textures, they missed a beat on that.
KEY FEATURES:
- Product Dimensions: 3.54 x 3.15 x 2.76 inches
- Item Weight: 2.01 Pounds
- The Manufacturer: Hover
- Item Model Number: USA1HA-104A11
- Wattage: 2200
- Weight: 1.5 pounds
- Settings: 3 heat and 2-speed settings plus a cool shot button
- Ceramic Tourmaline technology
This sleek black and pink chrome blow dryer will let you drop it like it’s hot with a potent 2200W DC Motor for powerful styling.
Tourmaline and ceramic integrated grating supplies your hair with an ionic heat that makes it pliable and conformable, allowing you to work a range of styles, such as curled ends or poker straight blow-outs.
- The salon length 2.7m cable is excellent for getting ready with girlfriends.
- Maintenance is simple, with a detachable rear filter that allows easy cleaning of hair and debris.
- Concentrators are supplied with the blow dryer for more targeted styling.
KEY FEATURES:
- Product Dimensions: 4 x 11.88 x 9.38 inches
- Item Weight: 1.96 Pounds
- Item Model Number: D3190D
- Wattage: 1875
Weight: 1.94 pounds
Settings: 3 heat and 2 speed settings plus a cool shot button
Ceramic Tourmaline grill
The ceramic tourmaline grill on this blow dryer provides the substrate for a plentiful supply of anions, which help tame the web of even the most tangled tresses.
Remington is not particularly known for black hair care. Still, this home blow dryer’s beneficial features include multiple settings, a cool shot button, and some neat attachments to lift your finished style.
- Ceramics and tourmaline supply plenty of infrared heat.
- This is a handy blow dryer for day-to-day use.
- Several reported failures, sparking and cracked casings raise questions about the build quality of this blow dryer.
KEY FEATURES:
- Product Dimensions: 11.05 x 9 x 3.9 inches
- Item Weight: 1.6 Ounces
- The Manufacturer: Conair
- Item Model Number: 209BCR
- Wattage: 1875
Weight: 2 pounds
Settings: 3 heat and 2 speed settings plus a cool shot button
Ionic conditioning technology with ceramic and Tourmaline
This pink hair dryer from Conair is great for at-home hair treatments and styling. The tourmaline and ceramic in the grille provide ionic conditioning for extra benefit.
You also get a concentrator and diffuser, which are great for looser curls. The retractable 5-foot cord makes storage a cinch, which means this blow dryer will travel well.
- The retractable cord is a great feature.
- Along with the ionic conditioning, you have an adequate number of settings to work with.
- Some purchasers found this dryer extremely loud when it was in operation.
- The cord keeper function can be fast and cause the plug to ricochet.
KEY FEATURES:
- Product Dimensions: 11.54 x 8.58 x 3.94 inches
- Item Weight: 1.3 Pounds
- The Manufacturer: Skin Research Institute
- Item Model Number: JRI-104AII
- Wattage: 1875
- Weight: 1.3 pounds
- Settings: 3 heat and 2-speed settings plus a cool shot button
- Red light therapy and Ionic moisture technology.
This is a top contender for an ionic blow dryer for natural black hair and may well take the prize, as it has been designed with the needs of natural hair in mind.
It looks and handles like a professional-quality hairdryer, with great branding and packaging.
Reviewers rave about the salon-quality, frizz-free finish achieved with this innovative hair dryer from the Skin Research Institute. Plus, they hit it out of the park with the excellent comb attachments our hair needs.
- This blow dryer is specifically designed to deal with the needs of natural hair.
- It brings frizz under control.
- Ionic infrared heating makes this blow dryer very fast.
- High price point, but you are paying for the build quality and insightful design.
KEY FEATURES:
- Product Dimensions: 3.5 x 8.2 x 9.1 inches
- Item Weight: 1.29 Pounds
- The Manufacturer: Panasonic
- Item Model Number: EH-NA65-K
- Wattage: 1875
- Weight: 1.29 pounds
- Settings: 3 heat and 2 speed settings plus a cool shot button
- Patented Nanoe ion technology.
Panasonic delivers sealed, moisture locks with this pro-quality hair dryer, which looks as futuristic as it sounds. Its bold, sleek, pink, and black design makes it easy to use.
It will also dry your natural hair well with Nanoe technology, which draws charged particles from the air to help dry hair without drying it out.
We love the solid-quality attachments, designed to get the hot air to where you need it, and the generous cord length for easy, efficient natural hair care.
- Reviewers report that the hair is less dry with this blow dryer.
- This dryer has been designed to minimize frizz.
- There are no reviews for this hairdryer’s performance on natural hair, which requires more heat for straightening.
- Panasonic has not supplied any information on the performance of this blow dryer on natural hair.
KEY FEATURES:
- Product Dimensions: 3 x 14.75 x 8.37 inches
- Item Weight: 0.08 Ounces
- The Manufacturer: AmazonUs/CNAR9
- Item Model Number: SD11GX
- Wattage: 1875
- Weight: 2.01 pounds
- Settings: 3 heat and 2 speed settings plus an attachment lock.
- Tourmaline Ceramic technology.
This ‘comb’- like design is designed with Afro hair in mind, and you can confidently benefit from a high-quality brand with superb engineering and technology. This 3 1 blow dryer provides excellent:
- detangling
- straightening
- volumizing
And the integration of market-leading ceramic and tourmaline technology means that your hair benefits from an excellent moisture-sealing finish with minimal frizz and plenty of sheen.
For me, a comb attachment makes all the difference in dealing with the natural hair of all textures. Women with the most coiled and dense textures appreciate the thermal comb, which makes short work of tangles.
The shape and orientation of this blow dryer make it very easy to handle.
- A removal filter keeps this dryer clean
- The comb attachments are robust
- This is a portable unit with great convenience
- It is not clear where replacement attachments can be purchased if they fail.
KEY FEATURES:
- Product Dimensions: 12 x 12 x 5 inches
- Item Weight: 1.5 Pounds
- The Manufacturer: CROC
- Item Model Number: CROC-DHB
- Wattage: 1875
- Weight: 1.5 pounds
- Settings: 3 heat and 2 speed settings plus an iron control switch.
- Ceramic ball technology.
CROC is an exclusive brand and a stylist’s favorite, so it’s exciting to own one of these professional-grade blow dryers.
This brand uses ceramic ball technology to generate infrared heat, penetrating your hair without burning it.
Combining the settings with an iron control switch helps you get the right amount of heat and speed to style your hair. This fantastic dryer guarantees a salon-quality blowout for all hair types, including natural.
- You can switch between positive and negative ions to boost the sleek finish of your hair.
- Despite being a pro tool, this blow dryer is lightweight and easy to handle
- Adding concentrators or comb attachments would seal the deal for this dryer.
KEY FEATURES:
- Product Dimensions: 2.75 x 7.5 x 5.25 inches
- Item Weight: 2.4 Pounds
- The Manufacturer: Andis Co
- Item Model Number: 30975
- Wattage: 1600
- Weight: 2.4 pounds
- Settings: 2 heat settings
- Wall-mounted with night light.
This handy, lightweight wall-mounted unit is as basic as they come, but very convenient.
This is probably best for naturals who use minimal heat on their hair but want to get their hair fully dry before completing a protective style like twists or cornrows.
Even if you do not blow out your hair, having a hairdryer on hand is helpful, and the nightlight is handy too.
- Convenient wall mounting
- A gentle temperature for drying hair
- It is not powerful enough for total drying or styling of natural hair
- This dryer will not get your hair straightened easily
KEY FEATURES:
- Product Dimensions: 2.2 x 12 x 7.5 inches
- Item Weight: 1.6 Pounds
- The Manufacturer: Conair
- Item Model Number: SD4NPN
- Wattage: 1875
- Settings: 4 heat settings and a cool shot button
This salon-grade dryer is designed to deliver a high-quality blow-out at lower temperature settings.
It powers 70 cubic feet of hot air toward your tresses with an included concentrator for even greater precision.
The Italians treat heat cautiously, as this dryer is primed against overheating and has a cool shot button.
- It’s an excellent pick for a well-engineered hairdryer that is not all about how hot it can get.
- At 1.6 pounds, it is rather heavy.
KEY FEATURES:
- Product Dimensions: 4.13 x 12.13 x 9.38 inches
- Item Weight: 1.81 Pounds
- The Manufacturer: Andis Co
- Item Model Number: 80480
- Wattage: 1875
- Settings: variable heat and speed settings and cool shot buttons
- Tourmaline crystal haircare technology.
This Andis hairdryer is a classic buy for natural hair due to its high-temperature settings and comb attachment. It is sleek, innovative, and salon-quality, aiming to deliver the same for your hair.
It runs quietly and has a variable temperature setting so that you can get things just right. The tourmaline technology gets heat to the heart of your strands, meaning a more efficient and gentle blowout.
- This is a smart-looking dryer
- Andis has some excellent attachments included with this blow dryer
- The swivel cord makes handling this dryer simple
- Some reviewers report that this dryer failed after only a few uses.
What is a Hairdryer? And Other Ways to Tackle the Morning Shower
One delights me about the natural hair revolution is how much better-informed women of African heritage are about their hair.
If, like me, you grew up in the 80s or are parenting young girls now, you will be more than familiar with the weekly or even monthly hair-washing routine.
The concoctions, the big plastic comb—I could go on. But hey, we are talking about drying natural hair! Hairdryers are electrical devices that propel heated air at your hair to dry it quickly.
This is a quick and convenient way of drying and styling your hair, as anyone who has had a Dominican blow-dry in Brooklyn can attest.
Hairdryers shorten a natural hair care routine, but they must be appropriately used to maintain and benefit natural hair rather than dry and damage it. Heat denatures protein and, therefore, alters the structure of the hair.
To an extent, this may be desired to create a straight hairstyle. Prolonged heat exposure, however, will weaken the hair, making it friable, brittle, and incredibly dry. For natural hair, this can make hair care problematic.
Alternatives To Using the best blow dryer for natural hair include:
Towel drying – a go-to, especially for the young, but associated with snags, breakage, and inconsistent drying.
T-shirt drying – a hair-drying hack that helps coils stay smooth and detangled by removing moisture without the rough pile of a towel.
Air drying: Slather your treatments and pomades on moist hair and let the water evaporate off for more excellent moisture retention and more manageable curls.
Wash and go – run out of the shower and let nature take its course with your natural texture and shape.
The Beauty & Versatility of the Best Blow Dryer for Natural Hair
Black hair offers a sheer kaleidoscope of color, texture, form, and style, whether curly or coiled, soft naps or silky waves.
If you are looking around at screens and magazines that are just beginning to comprehend this, you will, like me, be continually surprised and excited about what can be achieved with natural hair. Actresses and cultural luminaries like it.
- Tracee Ellis Ross
- Yara Shahidi
- Lupita Amondi Nyong’o
- Sherelle Jacobs
- Jill Scott
- Malia Obama
- Afua Hirsch
- Elaine Marie Welteroth
- Estelle
- Olivia Boisson
- Precious Adams
- Lindsay Peoples Wagner
Have broken ground on discourse and visibility of natural hair, so there has never been a better time to rock what you have. Did you fall in love with your natural hair after watching the Oscar-winning short Hair Love?
It showcased just how cool natural hair is, even in animated form. Our hair can be worn in many ways, from twists to box braids to puffs to the iconic Afro of any size!
As natural hair and beauty have gone mainstream, there has been an explosion in absolutely gorgeous natural hairstyles that both women and girls can enjoy creating at home.
After years of piling on relaxers, curly perms, weaves, and wigs, we are reaching a stage where we are comfortable exploring our beauty on our terms.
It is great to see the range of natural hair care products, black hair regimens, and beautiful protective styles that add growth and length to every woman’s hair and look great.
Keep readin,g and we will explore how the best blow dryer for natural black hair will keep you looking your best.
The Benefits of Blow-Drying Natural Hair
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When done well, blow-drying can be an excellent option for natural hair. Here are 5 key benefits of using a blow dryer:
It’s quick! Yes, convenience does matter, especially if you need to get to work or school. Blow drying will enable you to evenly dry your hair so it is manageable for further styling, braiding, or other looks.
It counteracts shrinkage. There, I said it—the dreaded word. We know we all have great length, but due to our hair’s fascinating curliness, it appears way shorter. Blow drying can tease out curls, lengthening and loosening them for styling.
It can be used to style hair. I am not necessarily advocating the Brazilian blowout. Still, a good paddle brush, one of our best blow dryers, and well-conditioned hair can be straightened without chemicals and long-term damage.
It can be used to straighten hair. Blow-drying can be used to straighten natural hair for straight, glossy styles similar to those achieved with a relaxer, but without permanently altering hair texture.
It can drive nutrients into the hair cuticle. Additional heat benefits deep-rich conditioners by getting into the hair structure. Natural hair is prone to dryness and brittleness, so priming your hair before adding heat reinforces your tresses.
It helps hair stay detangled. Using judicious heat helps hair detangle for easier combing and styling after washing.
So, what do I need to look for in a blow dryer for natural hair?
You will be pleased to know that the days of scorched-earth blow-drying with mono heat settings and razor-sharp afro pick attachments are long gone.
In response to a better understanding of all hair types’ structure, health, and requirements, blow dryer manufacturers have taken an in-depth approach to ionic hair dryers.
There is greater awareness of how heat can benefit hair, meaning that the best blow dryers for natural hair are safe for daily use.
BUYING GUIDE for The Best Blow Dryer for Natural Hair
Here we share the top hair care technologies you should look for in a hairdryer. Natural hair needs every advantage, and it is an excellent time in the marketplace to find a hairdryer with beneficial properties to help your hair thrive. Let’s take a look at the key features to look out for.
Some specific technologies and innovations stand out when looking for a solution for natural hair.
Ionic generator blow dryers generate charged particles, known as ions, that break down dipole associations of water molecules in wet hair so that it evaporates more readily, hair drying is not unnecessarily prolonged, and hair drying is effective at lower temperatures. The millions of onions released by these dryers also help the hair shaft and cuticle stay closed, making hair smoother.
Ceramic technology is great to look for if you want to mitigate heat damage. Heating elements in the dryer are coated with ceramic, which alters the type of heat produced, making it much more penetrative. They generate heat quickly and disperse it evenly across your hair for a smooth finish that keeps frizz under control.
Titanium dryers feature lightweight metal that heats quickly and maintains a consistent temperature. They rapidly control frizz, which means hair can be dried quickly and with less exposure to the dryer.
Tourmaline, a crystal of boron silicate, is rich in the negative ions that smooth and tame tresses for excellent condition. When heated, tourmaline releases these ions and a deep infrared heat for lower-temperature drying that helps the hair retain all that excellent moisture from washing.
Infrared heat uses energy in the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. This energy waveform produces deep heat that penetrates the cuticle to start the drying process from within your hair. This means you can enjoy more conditioned hair that is dried at a lower temperature.
Why You Need to Know the Important Features of the Best Flow Dryer for Natural Black Hair
If you have been natural all your life, like me, you will be familiar with the temporary hair styling with heat to vary your look.
Further down the line, I have found that heat has altered my hair texture, even after washing and conditioning, and my hair has lost just that little bit of spring.
It is only now that many naturals understand that their hair has a unique curl pattern that gives it character, elasticity, and bounce. We are learning to work with the curl pattern and not against it.
Younger girls may find a noisy, springy Afro a bit boring and want to try all sorts of styles that stretch and stress the hair.
However, retaining the curl pattern of natural virgin hair will keep it healthy and resilient for life and provide a solid foundation for adding real length.
This is why a natural must have a love-hate relationship with heat. Heat is helpful for styling, and you can achieve a reversible bang-straight look with a blow dryer.
But poor tools and techniques can ruin your natural curls. In this review article, I have focused on hair dryers specifically engineered to get good results on natural hair at lower temperatures.
The heating technologies they use should achieve this, except for one or two units. The second aspect to explore is the blow dryer’s design, heat settings, and ease of use.
We all remember that aunt who would ratchet up a blow dryer too high and wield it like a blow torch. Thankfully, we know better now, and our scalps are grateful. Here are some essential features your ideal hair dryer should be carrying at a minimum.
Power. Look for an adequate wattage so your hair can be dried quickly without prolonged heat exposure. Even technologies like tourmaline, which dry at lower temperatures, need adequate power to heat them so they release ions.
Hold and handling. Look for a lightweight unit that you can hold to dry and style your hair carefully by yourself rather than the jumbo jet engines that professionals use.
You also need a handle with a good grip to concentrate on working your hair with your paddle brush or roller brush.
It’s old-school, but a cool shot button is a professional stylist’s favorite and should be yours, too. It helps you better modulate the application of heat along the hair shaft, and if you are a draft hand at blood drying, it staves off that limpness you can get from overheating your hair.
Attachments are vital for optimally directing the heat for the blow-dry effects you want to achieve and will assist you in drying your hair quickly.
The old Afro pick attachment has benefits, but not on the maximum heat settings. Also, with more afro and curly styles, diffusers are becoming a big part of how we dry and add volume to our hair.
Heat and power controls. You can tweak the heat setting for your hair. Low, medium, and high do not often work well on black hair and can leave our hair overheated.
So what makes the best hair dryer for curly hair?
The best hair dryers for curly hair are ones that give you maximum control. You need to be able to vary your handling, heat setting, and attachment to get great and hair-friendly results.
No matter what hair care technology is involved, prolonged heat exposure will damage your hair. So look for any adaptations and designs that will help you get the job done quickly with the minimum amount of heat supplied.
Types of Hair Dryers for Natural Hair
In addition to classic blow dryers, hairdryer naturalists can benefit from including:
Hood hair dryers are surprisingly affordable. They offer gentle, even drying that will save you hours and dollars at the salon. Use heat-activated rollers for great curl-set hairstyles.
Advanced Professional hair dryers usually have higher wattage and can generate more heat than domestic versions.
Travel hair dryers are worth it if you are a travelista or if you are looking for a lightweight model that you can handle better.
Ceramic Vs Titanium, Which is Best?
We know that the best titanium hair dryers supply crazy heat to your hair, leading to shorter drying times and a more salon-like finish.
However, I am sold on ceramic dryers. The best ceramic hair dryers create the evenness of heat distribution that natural hair needs and provide efficient heating at even the lowest temperatures. They are much more controlled and perform well at domestic wattages.
How to Blow Dry Natural Black Hair
Proper care is everything with natural hair. Don’t rush or cut corners; instead, enjoy learning to care for your hair correctly and set realistic hair-friendly goals. Here is a step-by-step guide to blow-drying natural hair.
Wash your hair. Press the reset button by stripping the hair of product build-up, scalp flakes, and debris, and massage your scalp to stimulate circulation and growth.
Par-dry your hair – you will need your hair to be dry for the next step.
Add a rich deep conditioner to your tresses. Section your hair and add a thick conditioner of your choice. If you have a drugstore basic conditioner, supplement it by whipping in some egg, olive oil, and avocado.
Detangle your hair in sections with a wide-tooth comb.
Rinse and pat your hair dry. The drier your hair is at this stage, the less you will need to add heat during blow-drying.
Apply a heat protection product or serum. Look for a premium quality serum that protects heat-treated and styled hair. Use generously.
Divide your hair into sections. Sectioning your hair will give you much more control over the blow-drying process.
Paddle and roller brush each section and pin-up when completed. Try to limit the number of passes you make over your hair. This is where our best blow dryers for natural hair excel.
Go over your entire head once the sections are all completed. Roller-brush the ends for a fine finish.
Style as required.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
Can I use a blow dryer to quickly straighten hair without washing it?
We have all been there. Wanting a last-minute hairstyle refresh with a blow dryer, tongs, or straighteners? However, these kinds of shortcuts are wrecking the hair of women of all backgrounds.
Stress and overheating from the convenient use of powerful styling tools can cause significant damage or even hair loss, as many women now attest.
This is why you should only apply heat to clean, fully conditioned, and heat-protected hair. It takes time, but your hair will thank you.
Can I use my hairdryer for heat or ‘steam’ treating my hair?
This old-school home hair treatment technique is beloved by mothers and daughters who want to condition their hair deeply, just like in the salon under the hooded dryer.
There are many home hacks for achieving this with a blow dryer, and the results on natural hair are great.
Try adding a rich conditioner to your hair and covering it with a shower cap. Then use a hairdryer-powered hood attachment for nourishing at-home steam.
What are the signs of overusing a blow dryer on afro hair?
Over-processed hair tells a sad tale and usually requires more and more heat and products to look lively.
Natural hair can often be more fragile and brittle if it has been heat-treated, and repeated straightening leads to limp, lifeless locks that fail to return to their original texture when washed. Also, too much heat at the roots can cause hair breakage.
This is most often seen at the hairline and nape,, where brushes have repeatedly been dragged through the hair, and it is under tension due to traction from ponytails or braids.
Many natural hair enthusiasts who want to maintain and extend lengths say heat hurts hair.
Should I blow-dry my hair before adding a weave or braids?
Many hair technicians and stylists blow-dry hair moderately before braiding it. However, this approach can damage hair by applying heat and prolonged weight and tension to the scalp.
An alternative is to deep condition and detangle hair thoroughly, which keeps hair resilient and promotes growth rather than breakage.
Can you recommend products I can use on my natural hair?
Sure! Healthy natural hair stands up to heat, and using the right hair care products will help your hair retain moisture and elasticity when blow-drying.
Many women are starting to find out that the chemical and hormone-laden off-the-shelf products are unhealthy, offer little benefit, and are a significant expense.
Natural hair care products, including home remedies and formulations, are booming and allow you to experiment with creating tailor-made formulations for your hair. Here are some of my organic, natural go-to hair care substances:
- Olive oil – great for shine
- Castor oil – adds thickness and strength to hair, especially at the temples and nape.
- Shea butter is so good after a shower and brimming with beneficial nutrients.
- Coconut oil – A great addition to soft, luscious locks.
- An egg in your conditioner is a natural way of adding protein to your hair. Do not add heat, though, or it will scramble!
How can I protect or maintain my blow-dried hairstyle?
Take care of your blow-dried style so you won’t have to do it as often. On rainy days, wear hats and umbrellas and a shower cap in the bathroom to keep water at bay.
Perfect, the art of wrapping your hair before bed, securing it with a silky du-rag or scarf. Loosen your morning tresses with a wide-tooth comb or brush lightly to refresh your look before you head out the door.
Rounding up
Having worn my God-given best blow dryer for natural hair since birth, I am glad and excited at how many options there are for quality hair care nowadays.
Manufacturers and hair professionals are much more aware of the differences and specific needs of all hair types, which are as unique as you and me.
This means there has never been a better time to enjoy healthy natural hair, which is much more visible and a delight to behold. I hope you have found this helpful article with pointers for ongoing research.
Enjoy your God-given hair!