Tester feedback: “My beauty routine was forever changed when I started using the Shark SpeedStyle,” says Allure shopping director Shanna Shipin. “Prior to discovering the part-blow-dryer, part-blow-dry brush, I was a hair straightener faithful. (Despite years of self-styling, I could never figure out how to create the perfect tension in my own hair when using a standard blow-dryer!). The key is that the Shark has a large, fanned brush with boar bristles to simultaneously grab the hair and smooth it out, creating that amazing heat-and-tension combo that my hair really responds to. What’s even better is that the head swivels so you can get close to the roots without needing to moonlight as Gumby. What you get is a natural-looking, bouncy blowout in 30 minutes—every time. I can’t live without it!”
Best Standalone Blow-Dryer: GHD Helios Professional Hair-Dryer
Why It’s Worth It: GHD’s Helios Professional Hair Dryer feels as luxe as it looks. This Best of Beauty Award winner is incredibly powerful—reaching airflow speeds of 75 miles per hour—and comes with a slim nozzle that allows precise drying and control, promising to give your hair 30% more shine than if you air-dry it. Far from your outlet? It also features an extra-long 9.5-foot cord for more room to roam as you dry your hair.
Tester Feedback: Commerce writer Jennifer Hussein, whose hair type is a thick-strand 2A, stands by this Best of Beauty-winning blow-dryer that she says “lives up to its hype, all thanks to its gentle yet effective heat and speed settings that dry even my ultra-thick, frizzy strands in less than 10 minutes.”
Best Blow-Dryer for Curly Hair: InfinitiPro by Conair SmoothWrap Hair Dryer
Why it’s worth it: When curls need definition and bounce maintenance, whip out the InfinitiPro by Conair SmoothWrap Hair Dryer. Designed with dual ion therapy, this hair dryer emits positive ions to help with frizz and negative ions to build volume, so you’re getting the best of both worlds in one device. The tool is also built with ceramic coils, ensuring minimal heat damage.
Tester feedback: Commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann used the blow-dryer on her curls, and it passed the anti-frizz test. Hoffmann has 2C/3A low-porosity hair with particularly dry ends. At the time of testing, her hair was also dyed copper and more parched than usual. “I’m still semi-new to diffusing, so I love how user-friendly and easy to maneuver this uber-affordable blow-dryer is,” she says of her experience.
Best Curling Iron: T3 Switch Kit Curl Trio
Why it’s worth it: With T3’s Switch Kit Curl Trio, the world is your oyster—well, at least when it comes to curling your hair. This Allure Best of Beauty-winning curling iron comes with three interchangeable barrels (0.5-, 1.25-, and 1.5-inch) that lock into place, producing loose waves, tight spirals, and almost any other kind of curl you might want.