6 Best Travel Hair Dryers to Simplify Packing

Frequently Asked Questions

Which features are important to look for when shopping for a travel blow-dryer?

When shopping for the best travel blow-dryer, it’s essential to look beyond compact size and space-saving design and focus on key features like dual voltage, foldable handles, and adjustable heat and speed settings. They’re responsible for effortless, safe styling on the go without sacrificing performance. Here’s what the pros prioritize:

• Multiple heat settings: For starters, go with travel blow-dryers that offer more than one temperature option. “I recommend looking for multiple heat and speed settings rather than a single high-heat option, since excessive heat is one of the fastest ways to compromise hair health over time,” says Small.
• Strong airflow: Small and Prowant both recommend looking for consistent, controlled, and strong airflow. Specifically, Prowant says to keep an eye out for dryers that are 1200-1875 watts for strong enough airflow. Powerful airflow allows for faster dry time.
• Ionic technology: Small notes the importance of ionic technology. Ionic dryers either offer a blend of positive and negative ions or solely emit negative ions, which results in faster dry times, reduced frizz, and increased shine.
• Dual voltage: If you’re traveling internationally, dual voltage is essential; it prevents the dryer motor from burning out, smoking, or even catching fire. Without dual voltage, you cannot operate your dryer outside of the country. If you’ve accidentally plugged a 120V dryer from North America into a 220V outlet in Europe or Asia, you’ve already experienced the disappointment of a broken dryer. Some travel dryers have automatic dual voltage, while others require you to click a switch to toggle between voltages (look at your model to determine which is the case for you). FYI: Dryers don’t tend to come with an adapter, so you’ll have to pack your own.

Other helpful additions are a foldable handle to save space both in your suitcase and on the counter and a removable lint filter to make cleaning out accumulated dust, hair, and styling products as easy as possible.

How to use a hair dryer correctly, without damaging your hair

Heat damage is a common concern when it comes to hairstyling, especially when hot tools are used often. It results in dull, frizzy, or rough-looking hair. However, it is possible to use a blow-dryer (whether it’s travel-sized or not) and minimize damage to your hair. It begins with the basics: “Start by removing excess water gently with a towel instead of rough drying,” says Small.

Then, once it’s time to style, “apply a heat protectant—and don’t be afraid to layer the product if you have thicker, more coarse hair or are prone to frizz,” he says. Once you turn on the blow-dryer, “try to avoid using the highest heat setting unless absolutely necessary and be mindful to keep air flowing from the roots to the ends,” he adds.

Keeping the airflow facing downward helps seal the hair’s cuticle, which results in smoother, shinier, and significantly less frizzy hair. “Keep the dryer moving rather than concentrating heat in one area, and try to maintain some distance between the dryer and your hair,” says Small. Doing so will help minimize damage.

After you’re done drying and styling your strands, don’t skip the cool air. “When possible, finish with a cool shot to help lock your style and secure the cuticle into a smooth, light-reflecting position,” he says. Think of it this way: “Heat styles hair, cooling sets it,” Small explains.

Meet the experts

• Jay Small, a hairstylist based in Los Angeles
• Carrie Prowant, a hairstylist and hair-extension specialist based in Bettendorf, Iowa

How we test and review products

We always enlist a range of testers for any review, but hair-care products and tools are another story. While some can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and concerns, many are created with specific consumers and their needs in mind. When reviewing tools, we also take into account testers’ experience levels. For instance, an innovative new blow-dryer may feature industry-leading technology, but if the only people who find it intuitive to use are professional hairstylists, we have to consider this when determining whether it is worthy of a recommendation.

For our review of the best travel hair dryers, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and hairstylists. Testers considered performance across three primary categories: efficacy, safety and ease of use, and value. For more on what’s involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.

Our staff and testers

A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.

After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the “best” for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.