9 Best Hair Dryers for Thick Hair: Get the Fastest & Frizz-Free Blowouts

No wonder thick hair takes forever to dry. Even if you’re a geek or a total novice, you never want to hold a hair dryer in the air for upwards of an hour. If you still want, you’re not only straining your arms or increasing the chances of hair damage. If you want to keep all these (and other expected) troubles at bay, we can offer the best hair dryers for thick hair handling.

Not all hair dryers are created equal. Thick hair requires the dryers to suit their unique, thick texture and dry it faster with no damage. Plus, the dryer should be able to give you complete styling variations. The best hair dryers for thick hair we’ve listed down meet all these requirements and much more than you think.

So, bear with us a little and learn:

• About the 9 best hair dryers for thick hair
• a guide to properly blow-drying thick hair
• things to consider when buying the best hair dryers for thick hair.

Our Most Favorites!

Want to rescue your gorgeous thick locks immediately? Here’s your best bet! We’ve narrowed down the three top-notch best hair dryers for thick hair, featuring all the qualities required for a safer, damage-free, and comfortable blowout for this very hair type.

1. Conair Pro Silver Bird 2000Watt Hair Dryer

Key Benefits

• The dryer’s 2000-watt ultra-powerful motor reduces drying time by up to 50%. Plus, with six heat and two-speed options, you can set the right temperature and airspeed depending on your drying/styling needs.
• The dryer’s heating component is made of ceramic material, so the dryer throws a gentler and even heat.
• The dryer features negative ionic technology that reduces frizz and static while ensuring a smoother and shinier finish.
• The company offers a concentrator nozzle and a straightener comb for drying and styling flexibility.

2. CHI Foldable Compact Hair Dryer

Key Benefits

• This dryer has a ha1400-watt-watt powerful motor and contains two heat/airspeed options. Plus, an excellent shot feature simply locks in styles for longer.
• The dryer’s ceramic coating offers an even heat distribution while negative ions control frizz.
• Weighing only 1lb, the dryer includes a concentrator, a hanging loop, and a 7ft long power coIn addition; The company offers a drawstring bag, which you can easily store and carry the dryer and attachments into.
• This dryer has a dual voltage for worldwide travel and ALCI plug for your safety.

3. Sam Villa Lightweight and Quiet Ionic Professional Hair Dryer

Key Benefits

• This dryer features a patented Evolution-Turbo Compressor Technology, which produces powerful yet quiet airflow, allowing you to dry your hair in less time with less noise.
• A combination of ceramic and tourmaline materials offers an even heat distribution, reducing damage and breakage. Plus, the same materials generate negative ionic technology.
• This dryer includes three concentrator nozzle, sales including a diffuser – you get the styles of your choice!
• Equipped with three heaters and three two airspeeds, the dryer is lightweight and has a compact design.

Should You Blow Dry Thick Hair?

Absolutely yes! You only have to practice some essential blow-drying dos and don’ts, which we’ll describe later in the article. As a quick tip – blow-drying thick hair too often exposes hair to extreme heat, increasing the chance of damage and breakage. This frequent usage also causes hair to get dry, brittle, frizzy, and frayed.

How To Dry Thick Hair Correctly?

Doing it correctly is easy, but not the way you are. The less you know about the science and the art within, the more danger you’re creating for your thick hair. So we’ve done extensive research, dug out some valuable tips, and tried the expert opinions that ensure you make each blowout session safer and more effective than ever!

1. Hover Your Hair for Shower!

Take a show and, er, pre-drying your hair. But if you don’t want that extra refreshment, at least wash it out.

Here, the bottom line isn’t washing. Instead, it’s doing so using a cleanser or conditioner. A product-based cleansing helps remove all the built-up, dust, and other unnecessary substances in the hair.

According to the managing editor of the beauty site, Byrdie,

“Conditioner not only smooths your strands but can help them dry faster, too. The silicones coat each strand and seal it down, repelling water in the process.”

Concerning the product, always see a high-quality conditioner rich in healthy oils and vitamins that reinforce the strands, hydrate them from the inside out, and help seal them against heat and humidity.

Pro Tip:

For pre-blowout conditioning, prefer a quick-dry spray instead of a serum. For ladies with really thick hair, conditioning your hair with an oily serum pre-blow drying might not be the best option if you’re running short on time.

2. Dry Your Hair

Pat your hair dry before you do anything else. Though air-drying is an excellent natural way, it isn’t suitable for impatient people. However, experts share their thoughts about the method.

Faith Xue of Byrdie says,

“Ask any hairstylist to share her best tip for helping your hair dry faster, and she’ll say one thing: Allow your strands to dry as much as possible before taking a brush and blow-dryer to it.” That means people with thick hair should set as much of their routines between their shower/washout and blow-drying as possible.

The fastest – and probably the easiest – method is towel-drying. Use a good-quality soft towel or a t-shirt and wrap it around your hair to soak the water. Let your hair around 80% dry; perhaps till the point, it looks slightly damp.

Why do that?

According to Alli Webb, co-founder of Los Angeles-based Drybar,

“Smoothing out hair that’s about 30 percent dry is faster than tackling it when sopping wet.” Shooting out the dryer’s heat onto the hair while it’s still wet increases the chances of hair damage and breakage. 

Also, some stylists, like Stacey Weinstein, suggest waiting until it’s at least 75 percent dry.

The drier the hair is, the faster it’ll dry out instead of getting burnt out!

3. Always Dry Hair in Sections

Most stylists suggest separating hair into at least three sections but thicker hair into 6-8. You then need a clip to lock the sections in place. Why is sectioning essential? Let’s listen to an expert:

Inez Gray, an owner of the Habitude Salon and Spa, suggests,

“If you start drying your hair with the top layer, you end up scooping up wet hair from underneath and pulling it through the brush, rewetting the layers that are already dry.”

This means you’re likely to give a second drying turn (which you don’t want to do), exposing your upper layer to too much heat and thereby increasing the chances of damage and breakage.

4. Now Pick the Hair Dryer

As stated earlier, not all hair dryers are created equal. Some are best for 4C hair, some for black hair, and some help maintain the natural look of your hair. That’s why you’re here to pick the best hair dryers for thick hair, which you’ll soon find listed below.

Let’s share with you the words of hairdresser Reagan Baker to further justify the right product’s importance.

“A good hair dryer is the best product you can have. If you’re going to invest in any hair tool, I’d invest in a good blow dryer more than anything else.”

This means no matter if you’re perfectly prepared before you hand over your hair dryer, becoming careless in the dryer’s selection can make all your efforts go in vain.

5. Use the Dryer Wisely

The following complex but fun challenge starts right after you’ve picked one. Below are some dos and don’ts while using the dryer on thick hair.

Keep the dryer at least 8 inches away from hair. This is especially important when using a diffuser or nozzle, as the closer, the dryer is to hide, the more it can cause hair frizz and damage.

Also, I prefer section drying.

Stylist Shuki Almac said in an interview,

“At the salon, we meticulously dry both the top side and the underside of each hair section, for a blowout that lasts for days.”

Hairstylists also often suggest starting on the roots, not from the ends. This is because the ends of your hair will dry quickly, especially if it’s thick. Also, putting hot air onto already-dried backs will cause them to get split and, later on, frizzy.

Afterward, pull your hair upside down and work your way down the shaft while “twirling your brush,” says hairstylist Stacey Weinstein.

Pro Tip:

It’s better to use a straightening brush for styling your hair, especially if you’re a newbie. Styling up using merely the dryer can often be troublesome.

Common Mistakes Must Avoid While Drying Thick Hair

Mistake No. 1: I’m ready to blow-dry my thick hair like a pro. Right? Nope.

We’re afraid you might make some tiny mistakes that may result in massive breakage of your hair and your great expectations. As a human, it’s pretty standard for you. We’ve got a cover for you and listed some common mistakes people with thick hair often make. Let’s separate you from those ‘others’ right away!

1. Don’t Overdo the Cleansing

Over-cleansing your hair can make it overly sensitive to the dryer’s heat, resulting in extreme damage and irritation on the scalp.

So, how much is more? For thick hair, shampoo-cleansing every third day is enough. Suppose you’ve cleansed your hair on Friday and want to attend a party at the weekend, there is no need to wash your hair with shampoo again.

2. Be Gentle When Drying Hair

Rubbing the towel/t-shirt gently or harshly, thinking it’ll dry hair quickly, is probably the most prominent mistake people often make. Unfortunately, this will do nothing but make your hair weaker on the roots, leading to extreme hair damage.

3. Never Use a Metal Brush; go for Boar Bristles

“The biggest mistake is using metal brushes,” stylist Teddi Cranford told About Style. Especially when handling thick hair, the ideal choice is a big round brush with boar bristles.

Essential Considerations Before Buying The Best Hair Dryers For Thick Hair

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What distinguishes the best hair dryers for thick hair from ordinary ones is the qualities of the hair dryer. Below are some important considerations when buying a dryer for thick hair, which protects your hair from damage and makes hairstyling easier than ever.

Wattage/Power

The first and foremost significant feature is the wattage of the dryer. Wattage determines how fast and powerful a response a dryer offers.

Though thick hair takes more time to get dried than other hair types, it doesn’t mean more is better. A hairdryer ranging between 1400 to 2200 watts is ideal for thick hair.

Multiple Heat/Airspeed Options

Even if you’ve found a dryer having the ideal wattage, you’re still in danger. For example, maybe one hair section gets dried quickly on low heat, while the other may require a high airflow/heat intensity. This is why a dryer must have multiple heat/airspeed options, which you can switch between as per your hair drying and styling needs.

Usually, a dryer with a low, medium, high heat/speed, and cold air feature is ideal for thick hair.

Heating Source in the Dryer

Here, we primarily mean different materials used in the hair dryer and the technology those materials create.

Modern-day hair dryers have materials like ceramic, tourmaline, and titanium as their entire bodies or merely heating coils. When the dryer is on, these materials get activated, enabling the dryer to emit millions of negative ions. These ions work by interacting with the charge on hair, dry hair from the inside out, create smoothness and shine, and prevent hair from getting frizzy or frayed.

Other than this, these materials balance the temperature of the dryer’s heat and throw a gentler and even heat on the hair. This means even if you expose your thick hair to the heat for longer, there’s much less chance of hair damage and breakage.

Added Attachments

A hairdryer with attachments like a diffuser, nozzle, and comb provides additional support for thick hair.

A nozzle, aka concentrator, is used for precise drying and styling. It directs the airflow on a narrow hair area and is helpful for straight hair. However, the diffuser is your best bet if you have curly thick hair, as the nozzle’s targeted drying can cause frizz.

A diffuser is also used for targeted drying/styling but directs the airflow in a broader area than nozzles. It offers a volumizing effect on your hair and wonders when you need curly or wavy styles.

The comb – is pretty obvious. A built-in comb in the dryer may eliminate the need for a separate brush/comb, making your other hand accessible.

The Design of the Dryer

Thick hair can sometimes take some extra time to get dried. If so, prolonged dryer carrying can cause arm/shoulder strains. Therefore, you want a dryer that is lightweight and designed ergonomically. The ergonomic design means the dryer is designed by keeping in mind the comfortability while handling the dryer from start to finish.

Another important thing in the design of the dryer is the power cord. The longer, the better. At the same time, the length can be immensely dangerous. Improper handling/storing of a longer cable not only is irritating, but it can also cause it to get damaged, resulting in an electric shock on touch or a short circuit.

There’s a safer option to prevent any misfortune – retractable cord hair dryers. You can easily pull the cord back from the dryer, use it, and then it automatically retracts back into the dryer. All you need to do is press a small button.

9 Best Hair Dryers For Thick Hair: Proud a Little Bit More!

The point here is that all the ten best hair dryers for thick hair will contain almost all the features aforementioned in the section above. However, what’s more interesting is that we’ve chosen the dryers that include some additional features you might desire in terms of drying, styling, safety, and comfortability during each blowout.

So, let’s find the perfect piece for you right away!

1. SHRATE 1800W Ionic Hair Dryer

What we loved the most about this Shrate dryer is its polycarbonate material which is perfectly heat resistant, a rigid, transparent plastic material with outstanding strength.

This dryer has a quiet, powerful 1875-watt AC motor and 18 strong fan blades, ensuring a fast drying time and minor damage. Plus, the ionic technology further prevents hair from getting frayed and frizzy.

Additionally, three different nozzles offer a fully customizable blowout experience – smoothing, styling, and diffusion nozzles. Finally, this unique dryer is lightweight – weighing just about 440 g / 0.97 lb.

2. Elchim Professional Ceramic Ionic Hair Dryer

Like the dryer above, this Elchim dryer too has ionic technology, but the material used is ceramic. Both the dryer’s powerful motor and ceramic-based even heat provision reduce drying time by up to 30%. Two airspeeds and three heating options allow the adjustable air/heat intensity.

The dryer is lightweight, ergonomically designed, and has two concentrator nozzles. The only issue some consumers face is its buttons’ slightly complicated moveability. However, we think most people won’t avoid the superb qualities just because of this tiny hardship.

3. Sam Villa Lightweight and Quiet Ionic Professional Hair Dryer

This Sam Villa professional hair dryer is your best bet when ultra-fast drying is your primary concern. Along with a powerful motor, the dryer features a patented Evolution-Turbo Compressor Technology, which produces powerful yet quiet airflow, allowing you to dry your hair in less time with less noise.

Equipped with ceramic/tourmaline-infused ionic technology, the dryer offers a gentler and even heat distribution all around your hair. Along with two air and three heat options, the dryer features a cold air option that throws cold air to lock in style all day.

The dryer is lightweight and compact, so you can store it anywhere in your house and take it while traveling.

The most crucial point to be noted is that the company offers three nozzles, including a diffuser, but you may receive only two nozzles. You’ll have to buy the third one separately.

4. Sedu Revolution Tourmaline Ionic Hair Dryer

Do you love the durability and aesthetic that hand-made accessories offer? If yes, you’ll love this dryer too. Hand-made in France, the Sedu Revolution hair dryer’s 1875-watt motor reduces drying time to 70%, making it ideal for people with thick or coarse hair. Plus, the ceramic-based ionic emission offers styling versatility as well as reduces frizz and static by 90%.

Equipped with variable heat/air options, the dryer contains a cool shot feature to lock in the style for longer. However, the cool air button is located in the dryer’s handle, which makes holding the dryer a little bit inconvenient.

5. Gold N Hot Professional 1875W Styler Hair Dryer

Other qualities aside for a second, three added attachments intrigued us the most in this dryer. Easy to use one smoothing brush and two combs for detangling and straightening, which means no frizzy or frayed hair. Plus, the powerful 1875w motor throws intense heat and air, which you can switch between at any time with three heat/air options.

Another notable thing about this dryer is that it has a Universal Dual Voltage system, allowing you to great hair anywhere.

6. CHI Foldable Compact Hair Dryer

This one is a great value compared to the listed best hair dryers for thick hair; this one is a great value. The dryer has a 1400w DC motor, ceramic coating, and two heat/air options, all ensuring you’re drying your hair, not frying it. The dryer weighs only 1lb and comes with a tangle-free 7ft long cord, a hanging loop, and a drawstring bag. Everything is to ensure convenient usage and storage of the dryer.

7. TAIFF Fox by Generic, 2200W Ionic Hair Dryer

Yes, you thought right. The dryer is as powerful as it seems to be. An immensely powerful 2200-watt AC motor reduces drying time to 60%, while you can anytime adjust the heat between 3 settings if it ever feels harsh. Plus, the cold shot feature ensures the style you finished with isn’t going to fade sooner.

This hair dryer is designed for use in the US. Outlets. For the voltage differing internationally, this dryer may require an adapter or converter for use at your destination.

8. Conair Pro Silver Bird 2000Watt Hair Dryer

Just 200 fewer watts than the above one, this Conair Pro dryer also offers strong and stable heat/airflow, reducing drying time to 50%. In addition, the dryer features six heat, two-speed settings, and negative ionic technology to control frizz and static.

This high-velocity blow dryer comes with a concentrator nozzle and a Straightening pic (comb), both offering drying and styling flexibility.

Remember that the straightening comb is constantly bending during blow drying. However, it’s better to replace it with another one or follow the proper guidelines offered by the company.

9. Kiss 2200W Ceramic Tourmaline Hair Dryer

So, let’s finish with a surprise for you – This Kiss hair dryer is handleless. So, how would you grip it then? Not a big deal. Handle-less dryers are heat-resistant cool-touch materials that allow you to hold the dryer’s body without worries.

Now, time for its benefits. Amongst the listed best hair dryers for thick hair, this one works best on the coily, kinky, Afro-American broad hair type. With the added straightening attachment, you can achieve straight, smooth locks even with this hard-to-straighten hair type. Plus, the 2200 watts reduced the drying time to 50%.

Related Questions

Can Having Thick Hair Cause Dandruff?

As long as you keep your scalp hydrated/moisturized and your hair clean and conditioned, you will not experience dandruff on thick hair. Dandruff is a yeast-like fungus that feeds on oils on the scalps of most adults. Also, dandruff may occur on thick hair if it’s sensitive to hair care products. In addition, people having contact dermatitis or Other skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema, may suffer from dandruff on thick hair.

Final Thoughts

Now you have what we wanted from you – the best tool & technique and preps for effective thick hair blow-drying. But, you need another thing along with the best hair dryers for thick hair, i.e., discipline, dedication, and a bit more love for your unique, enviable thick hair. With all being part of your life, you’ll never lament yourself and the product you choose from here! Wishing you the best of luck with the safest blowouts and charming styles!