8 Of The Best Hairdryers For All Hair Types

One of the most effective hairdryers on the market, Shark's SpeedStyle is as powerful as it is lightweight and compact. This handy kit comes with five attachments that you'll actually use, including the RapidGloss Finisher, QuickSmooth Brush, Turbo Concentrator, Express Touchup Brush and a DefrizzFast Diffuser.

Using clever airflow technology, it auto-adjusts depending on the attachment you're using for a smooth style every time. Plus, it measures and regulates temperatures 1000x every second, and it'll never exceed 110°C, or will it reach heat-damaging temperatures of 150°C.

GHD claims its original model is twice as fast as your average hairdryer, and we do admit, it's a powerful proposition. The heat and speed buttons are intuitively placed, so you can style and set with little faff, while the concentrator works well to smooth frizzy strands and style fringes.

Dubbed 'the Tesla of hairdryers', we were excited to see if this futuristic bit of tech was worth the hype. Remarkably, the Zuvi Halo uses infrared light to wick water away from the surface of your hair without using heat or harsh airflow. By stopping the inner cortex of each strand from becoming hot, the hair's integrity is left intact, and you'll soon see swishier, healthier, shinier tresses.

It's a big promise – so, does it work? While we were admittedly sceptical here, one particularly thick-haired ELLE team member is happy to report that it truly delivers. Now, don't expect a super-speed blow-dry, or a tonne of styling potential, but if you have delicate or bleached hair and you simply want to dry it without damage, this is a game-changer.

If you're old enough, you may remember a fad phase in the '90s when the whole 'wet to dry' thing turned luscious locks into frazzled lengths — nobody had managed to perfect the tech. Now, nearly 30 years later and after nine years of rigorous research, ghd has developed a dual-use product that looks like it's here to stay.The Duet uses a concentrated airflow, framed by four low-temperature ceramic straightening plates to dry hair into a smooth, straight style in one fell swoop.

Impressively, the brand's testing revealed absolutely not thermal-related damage to the hair after 100 uses, with each use involving four passes through the device.The clear benefit here is the frizz control: if you've got fine-to-medium thickness hair, you can expect a perfectly sleek and straight style that lasts all day. Thicker hair types may still want a little finishing with a pair of straighteners – but thoughtfully, a flick of a switch converts the Duet to do just that.

If you happen to be a Hersheson's client, you'll already be well aware of just how brilliant this hairdryer is.

And if you're not? Well, it really needs to be experienced to be believed. Featuring a brushless motor, it weighs less than a can of coke and is around a third of the size of a traditional hairdryer. It's quiet too: so much so, you can feasibly use it on early Monday mornings without waking up your partner.

So far, so appealing – but surely this means less power? Actually, no: thanks to the next-gen motor, this is a shockingly powerful option, making light work of even the longest-thickest hair. With a wide nozzle, smaller nozzle and a large diffuser included, everyone is catered for, too.

Who better to vouch for the performance of a hairdryer than a professional hairdresser? This compact model is the brainchild of famed stylist Michael Douglas, who has styled the tresses of the likes of Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss, so you can trust that he knows a thing or two about good hair.

Mini hairdryers from our childhood were both painfully weak and incessantly loud, but not this one: at 1,600 watts, and 10db quieter than most hairdryers, you can take your hair from wet-to-dry in no time at all, and watch your favorite tv show or listen to your beloved podcast while you do it.

As compact as your make-up bag, this mini powerhouse from the ever-reliable T3 is perfect for long weekends and trips abroad. It might be tiny, but it'll work so much better than that vintage model you'll inevitably find in your hotel.

This is the second ghd dryer to make our list, proving that the brand really knows its styling tools. This recent launch is designed for those who struggle with split ends, with a high-powered concentrated nozzle that claims to smooth the hair cuticle to give you your sleekest blow dry in half the time.