The best hair dryers for fine hair: our top picks for volume and hold

Not all hair dryers are made equal, especially when taking into consideration the needs of your specific hair type. And when it comes to scouting out the best hair dryers for fine hair, it's important to find something that won't frazzle your ends or leave you with wispy locks.

In our bid to find the best hair dryers for fine hair, we took into consideration several factors: drying/motor power, volumizing potential, and, of course, ease of use. For this, we tried and tested dozens of models on the market—and while the overall winner might not come out of left field, there are some unexpected surprises in the mix too.

With some of the industry's best hair dryers and best straighteners under its belt, it's no surprise that longstanding hair styling titan topped our list with their newest creation, the GHD Helios, that is packed with power and comes in a gorgeous selection of colors. We also love the shiny finish we get from Cloud Nine’s futuristic-looking Airshot Pro, while Dyson’s pioneering Airwrap makes achieving a whole gamut of at-home, blow-dry looks a cinch.

How to choose the best hair dryer for fine hair

When trying to pick the best hair dryer for your hair type, it's always a great idea to pick a product with multiple heat and power functions. For fine hair, in particular, low speeds can give you more styling flexibility—especially if you tend to opt for short hairstyles or bob hairstyles—while a quick shot of power will help when you want to create volume. In addition, lower heat settings will stop too much damage, which is a good thing for finer, more delicate strands—which is why a lot of the best hair dryers for fine hair offer lower settings to begin with.

“With finer hair, you need to control the direction of the blow-dry so that you can stop it blowing out of the brush—a low-speed button can help with this, so make sure your hair dryer has this,” reiterates Craig Taylor, creative director at Hari’s. “Personally, I like a hair dryer that is simple (just a few heat settings and a cold button) and not with too much functionality, as I think they last longer and have better motors.

“I also like a cold button for when I'm trying to set movement into the hair or root; blowing cold air helps set the bend and body that you're trying to mimic in the hair. My favorite brand to work with is Parlux, as they are long-lasting, have a great motor, and come with a cold button, a few heat settings, and different speeds.”

The best hair dryers as reviewed by our experts

Eight years after the straightening-iron powerhouse entered the hair dryer arena with their Air blow dryer, GHD dropped the irresistible Helios earlier this year. And it seems that with its most recent offerings, the cult brand has stepped up its design game, as, just like its newest Platinum+ styler, the Helios hair dryer will take any vanity from bleak to chic.

Not only does it look fabulous in every one of the six stylish color options, but it also packs a serious punch when it comes to power. A mega-high wattage means that you’re getting a forceful 120km/h shot of air through the concentrated nozzle, which goes a long way in adding volume to fine hair and will leave you with a shiny, bouncy look in seconds. 

It is at the high end of the price spectrum and comes in heavier than most of the rest, but it is so streamlined that you can’t feel the difference in weight when using—so grab one of the best hair dryer brushes and give yourself an easy blow dry to see how this tool is definitely worth it.

See our full GHD Helios hair dryer review.

One minute into unboxing this glossy-black masterpiece, and you would probably mistake it for a high-end splurge. The modest dryer boasts of curvy contours in its sleek barrel, with an attractive clinched vent at the back that can be easily popped out for regular cleaning to avoid any overheating.

And for such a humble offering, its energy is staggering. The forceful jet of air allows for quick drying and accurate styling; however, on the highest speed it can almost be a bit too powerful to control fine hair, so if your locks tend to be on the wispy side, we'd suggest opting for the lower setting. Plus, the robust airflow does make the dryer one of the louder ones we’ve tried. 

We did also find that, despite the use of hair-strengthening tourmaline-ceramic technology, results weren’t as sleek as after using some of the other dryers on our list, but for such a reasonably priced option it definitely holds its own against the industry’s best.

While professionals make achieving a bouncy blow-dry look effortless, anyone who’s ever gone the DIY route will understand the perils of wrangling different-sized barrels and brushes and how one wrong move can leave you looking the worse for wear. Enter the Dyson Airwrap: It caused ripples among blow-dry fans with its intriguing attachments that claim to do all the hard work for you. While the multi-functional tool does take some getting used to and it might not quite be for everyone, if you’re one who relies on a plethora of different hair tools or changes up your look day to day, then this one is definitely up your alley.

While the Airwrap does give your monthly mortgage a run for its money, its strenuous, all-purpose attachments do mean that you’re really getting the most bang for your buck. Not only is there a dryer attachment that essentially transforms it into the wishlist staple Dyson Supersonic hair dryer, but if you invest in the complete set, it also comes with two different-sized barrel attachments to easily create waves and curls, two brush attachments for straightening and smooth drying, and a round brush to create a dreamy blow-dry. It’s not quite powerful enough to leave a smooth, frizz-free finish on thick and curly hair—for that you might need to pair it with one of the best straighteners for curly hair—but for fine hair, it does the job in seconds.

And hailing from the brand that somehow turned vacuum cleaners into a luxury asset, it boasts some serious airflow technology. Powered by a Dyson digital motor, the Airwrap uses the "Coanda" effect, which is generated by a forceful spinning impeller that creates a pressurized flow of air to pull hair towards the attachment. Temperature-controlled air is then blown on to the magnetized strand, drying it and setting it in place without using any surplus heat. The result: A bouncy, shiny, healthy-looking mane that could rival the results from even the most talented hair stylists around.

Going away on vacation is all fun and games—until you have to brave the hotel hair dryer tucked in your room’s dusty bathroom drawer, or worse, the stock version hooked up to the bathroom wall. T3’s Featherweight Compact is here to save you from the horrors of sub-par vacation hair dryers with its light, portable design, effective performance, and enviable results. Oh, and it looks like something straight out of a five-star salon, so there's that!

With a folding hinge that makes it a breeze to fit into your carry-on, the dryer has an unusually small barrel that can look slightly strange, but makes for painless styling. Despite being a bit slower than our other favorite hair dryers (as you would probably expect from a smaller, travel-friendly product), it packs a stronger punch than most tools you’ll find in a hotel room and comes with a cool-shot option and a concentrator nozzle for sleek styling. It's also great for if you prefer to sport hairstyles with bangs and need a tool to keep your fringe in check on the go. It may not be the best dryer we’ve come across, but for a post-beach session, we’ll take it.

Walk into any hair salon and chances are you’ll glimpse a Parlux on every counter. It’s the signature dryer you’ll see your stylist using to give you the gorgeous bouncy look that you somehow always fail to replicate yourself. That said, investing in this humble purchase could give you a better chance at mastering the perfect blowout. Despite being one of the brand’s most basic dryers, it still boasts a punchy motor and sleek durable casing.

It is less powerful than some of the other offerings on the market, but when it comes to working with fine hair, that can actually be a pro, as a slower air flow will give you more control over wispy locks and stop them from escaping your styling brush. A concentrator nozzle also makes for fast drying, despite the lower wattage. It’s not the prettiest hair dryer around, but for the super-pleasing price and the even more exciting salon-like results, it definitely deserves a place on our list.

Even the name gives us an inkling that this hair dryer is one to look out for. Cloud Nine’s Airshot Pro, which hails from one of the founders who created the legendary GHD, really does give you a professional-like shot of air for more control over your style. And not only does it shoot out a mega dose of power, but, in keeping with the brand’s kindness ethos, it’s also good for the environment: Its Eco-Precision Motor monitors velocity to hyper-optimize air flow at fast speeds and cut drying time in half (literally, by 50 percent), while its lower wattage uses less energy than competitors on the market.

Like ceramic straighteners, it has a ceramic mineral-infused heating element that distributes healing minerals tourmaline and sericite on to your locks to nourish and strengthen, while leaving a healthy and shiny finish. And for any fine-haired types out there who also suffer from frizz, the Airshot Pro also features clever technology that works to get rid of frizzy hair and flyaways for a salon-worthy finish.