If you blow-dry regularly but deal with breakage, split ends, or fine strands, infrared hair dryers are worth trying. These types of hair dryers use infrared technology, which “distributes heat more evenly and reduces the need for extreme temperatures,” says Rogerio Cavalcante, a hairstylist based in New York City and owner of the Second Floor Salon. Over time, that translates to less breakage, more shine, and better overall texture. To find the best options, we tested a handful of top-rated ones on different hair types, noting volume, shine, frizz, and overall hair health. Our top four favorites were gentle on even the finest strands, dried quickly, and gave us a salon-worthy blowout.
Our top infrared hair dryers
- Best Overall: L’Oreal Professionnel AirLight Pro Hair Dryer, $375
- Best for Dryer Brush for Volume: BondiBoost Infrared Heated Thermal Hot Round Brush, $88
- Best for Curly Hair: Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer, $350
- Best for Breakage: SRILabs DryQ ‘Smart’ Hair Dryer, $230
Best Overall: L’Oreal Professionnel AirLight Pro Hair Dryer
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L’Oreal Professionnel AirLight Pro Hair Dryer
Amazon
| What we love: | What could improve: |
|---|---|
| Dries hair extremely fast without overheating | Expensive |
| Customizable airflow with powerful wattage | Bulky |
This popular infrared hair dryer combines customizable heat and airflow settings with infrared light to quickly and efficiently dry without causing damage, breakage, or dryness. “It combines infrared light technology with powerful airflow, giving that shine and smoothness,” says Ashley Ruiz, a celebrity hairstylist at Flore Los Angeles. The targeted blow-drying cuts styling time in half, even if you have a lot of hair. Cavalcante was particularly impressed the first time he tried it. “The infrared technology really does make a difference in how evenly the hair dries, it feels softer, less stressed, and you don’t get that over-dried effect on the ends,” he says.
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Glamour commerce writer Alanna Martine Kilkeary, who has fine hair, says:
“I typically avoid drying my hair because it takes way too long, and I’ve dealt with quite a bit of heat damage in the past. Although my strands are thin, there are many of them, and it can take up to an hour to fully dry each piece. I’m happy to report that this wasn’t the case with this hair dryer. In fact, I was able to dry my whole head in about 20 minutes. The concentrator attachment was a godsend for me, and did a great job of drying and smoothing my strands without causing breakage. It was particularly useful on the areas of my hair that are the hardest to dry, especially around the mid-shaft. The air circulates quickly and thoroughly, but doesn’t get hot or burning. This is hands down one of the most efficient, gentle hair dryers I’ve ever tried.”—Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour commerce writer
Glamour senior commerce editor Jenifer Calle, who has thick hair, says:
“I don’t mean to exaggerate, but drying my hair is my personal hell. I have long, thick, coarse hair, so it takes up to 30 minutes or more, and after all the work, I’m never satisfied with the final result. This L’Oreal hair dryer has completely changed that for me. It’s the most powerful hair dryer I’ve ever used. It actually blew away some of the things on my beauty cabinet because it’s that powerful. I would compare it to the Dyson Supersonic r Professional hair dryer that I also own and love—just a bit bulkier. The Airlight Pro feels like heavy-duty, professional-grade equipment because of its size and efficiency, and it really delivers. My hair was noticeably shinier, smoother, and less frizzy. I was able to dry and style my hair in just 15 minutes! This was a record for me. I’m seriously so impressed. I’m going to be telling everyone I know about it.” —Jenifer Calle, Glamour senior commerce editor
Fast facts:
- Attachments: 2 (Diffuser, concentrator nozzle)
- Temperature: 285°F
- Weight: 1.7 lbs
- Cool shot button: Yes
- Cord Length: 11 feet
- Dry Time: 20 minutes
Best Dryer Brush for Volume: BondiBoost Infrared Heated Thermal Hot Round Brush
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BondiBoost Infrared Thermal Bounce Brush
Ulta
| What we love: | What could improve: |
|---|---|
| Blow dryers brush format makes it easy to detangle | Hair must be part dry to use |
| Gentle and lightweight on hair |
Blow dryer brushes can cause breakage when used on damp hair with harsh bristles—which is exactly why this infrared version stands out. The infrared core guards against split ends, while aloe-coated bristles gently detangle, and the combination dries and styles simultaneously for a salon-quality blowout. We love this brush because it’s lightweight, user-friendly, and dries hair quickly. Keep in mind that your hair should be about 50% dry before using it. It does a great job of detangling and protecting against excess damage, all while giving you a salon-quality, volumized blowout that will give flat hair much-needed body and shape.
Glamour’s Kilkeary says:
“This brush is lightweight but powerful, and does a great job of smoothing my fine strands and keeping static and flyaways at bay. The infrared core and aloe-coated bristles are üstün gentle on hair, and they don’t get overly hot, which is a huge plus if you have very thin hair. It doesn’t cause any breakage either, even when running the brush through multiple times.It’s also cut my hair deva routine in half, and I can complete my whole head in about 10 minutes. The only knock on this one is there is no cold-shot button, but I also feel that I didn’t really need it.”—A.M.K
Glamour’s Calle says:
“I didn’t expect to love this little dry brush as much as I do. I have long, thick hair, and styling it can be such a long process—my hair is almost to my butt. This tiny but mighty hair tool gave me sleek, straight hair in under 30 minutes. The red light smooths my hair effortlessly. If you have lots of layers, bangs, or even short hair, you’ll love the volume and bounce this tool gives you. I like to use it to style my front face layers. I tend to use it evvel my hair is air-dried after showering; just make müddet to use heat protectant and styling creams to avoid frizziness,”—J.C
Fast facts:
- Attachments: N/A
- Temperature: 450°F
- Weight: 1.48 lbs
- Cool shot button: No
- Cord Length: 6 feet
- Dry Time: 10-20 minutes
Best for Curly Hair: Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer
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Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer
Amazon
| What we love: | What could improve: |
|---|---|
| Suitable for all hair types, but particularly gentle on thicker, coarse hair | Very expensive |
| Gentle on scalp | Heavy compared to other dryers on this list |
This gentle dryer features infrared sensors to help you craft the perfect blow-dry for curly hair types. It has three airflow settings for fast drying, regular drying, and gentle drying and diffusing, plus four heat settings for fast, regular, gentle, and diffusing, ranging from 82°F to 212°F. This one earned extra points in our book because it features a scalp-protection mode that adjusts to the optimal temperature for very close-up drying at the roots. We also like that the airflow changes based on the attachment you’re using—the dome and diffuse modes feature customized air to help volumize curls.
Glamour commerce editor Malia Griggs, who has curly hair, says:
“I have dry wavy-curly hair that’s prone to frizz and dryness, and I found the Dyson Nural’s infrared heat noticeably gentler on my curls than traditional dryers. The device is muhteşem light—great for travel or tossing in a gym bag—and I love that the attachments snap on magnetically instead of forcing me to fumble with buttons. The Nural also has a neat scalp sensor mode that automatically adjusts the temperature as it gets closer to your head, though that feature unfortunately doesn’t work with the diffuser attached. After styling, my curls looked defined and soft without feeling stripped of moisture, though I noticed it did take my curls longer to dry.”—Malia Griggs, Glamour commerce editor
Fast facts:
- Attachments: 5 (Curl + wave diffuser attachment, concentrator nozzle, wide tooth comb, flyaway attachment, gentle air attachment)
- Temperature: 212°F
- Weight: 1.8 lbs
- Cool shot button: Yes
- Cord Length: 9 feet
- Dry Time: 20-30 minute
Best for Breakage: SRILabs DryQ ‘Smart’ Hair Dryer
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SRILabs DryQ ‘Smart’ Hair Dryer
Amazon
| What we love: | What could improve: |
|---|---|
| Quiet and compact design | |
| Has both ionic and infrared technology |
If you struggle with breakage and split ends, we recommend trying this hair dryer, which features both ionic (which uses negative ions to break down water molecules) and infrared technology. The combination works to minimize frizz, boost shine, and encourage hair to retain more moisture, which helps prevent flyaways and weak strands. It also includes a red light therapy setting that strengthens hair, protects the cuticle, and supports overall hair growth—great if you’re dealing with thinning. The maximum temperature is 248°F to help ensure thorough drying without excess hot air.
Glamour’s Kilkeary says:
“It’s small but mighty, and did a great job of drying my strands under about a half hour. I liked that although it was powerful, it was very quiet and it never got scorching. The red light was a kaç feature to help smooth and thicken the look of my strands as they dried, and I think it did a particularly great job at calming my frizz, areas of breakage and reducing my split ends.”—A.M.K
Fast facts:
- Attachments: 3 (Diffuser, 2 concentrator nozzles)
- Temperature: 248°F
- Weight: 0.7 lbs
- Cool shot button: Yes
- Cord Length: 9 feet
- Dry Time: 20-30 minutes
Frequently asked questions
Are infrared hair dryers worth it?
Yes, according to the hairstylists we spoke with, infrared hair dryers are great for protecting already damaged hair and preventing future damage. If you’re someone who styles their hair often with a curling iron or straightener, blow-drying with an infrared dryer first will help give you smoother, softer hair with fewer flyaways because it gently evaporates moisture while dramatically reducing heat damage.
Is infrared heat actually better for your hair?
In many cases, yes. Traditional dryers heat the surface first, which can dry out the cuticle. “Infrared works more evenly through the hair, so you’re reducing drying time and minimizing damage,” says Cavalcante. And the results make a noticeable difference: hair will look thicker, stronger, and less dry.
Which is better, an ionic hair dryer or an infrared hair dryer?
Neither is better; they serve different purposes. Ionic technology is great for controlling frizz and enhancing shine, while infrared technology focuses on how heat penetrates and dries the hair (in a gentler, less damaging way). “The best results usually come from dryers that combine both even heat and frizz control—you get efficiency, smoothness, and less damage overall,” says Cavalcante.
What are the downsides of infrared heating?
“Like with any heat tools, everything in moderation is always best. Too much of any heat product isn’t good for your hair,” says Ruiz. No matter what tool you’re using, make müddet you’re thoroughly coating your hair with a heat protectant like the Dae Agave Dry Heat Protection Spray, which is essential to a healthy, frizz-free finish. “The tool supports the result, but the foundation is always in the hair products and hair styling technique,” says Cavalcante.
How we tested
We tested infrared dryers by evaluating the tools’ temperature settings, drying times, and hair-friendliness. The best blow dryers had low temperatures or were easy to control and did a stellar job of cutting our drying times in half or by at least a third. The infrared dryers we tested were also extremely gentle, didn’t leave our strands feeling fried or weak, and made our hair feel stronger, thicker, and more resilient.
Meet the experts
- Rogerio Cavalcante, a hairstylist based in New York City and owner of the Second Floor Salon
- Ashley Ruiz, a celebrity hairstylist at Flore Los Angeles
