It used to be the case that travel hairdryers were pretty useless. Too small to even be practical, prone to quickly overheating, and what’s with all the noise? Don’t even get us started on the poor excuses for hair drying appliances that most hotel chains offer up, even the more exclusive ones.
By the time you’ve held your finger on the button for what seems like 3 hours just to dry and straighten your fringe, the restaurant has already closed for the evening, and the rest of your party is heading back to bed.
The good thing about travel hair dryers is that they have gotten a lot, and we do mean a lot, better! So even when you are heading somewhere hot and humid on vacation, the thought of your “mane” attraction turning into a completely different style needn’t fill you with quite so much horror!
Top 5 Travel Hair Dyers
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Many of the most established brands in the hair care market now have a perfectly acceptable travel companion that will pack a punch when it comes to powerful performance, without giving you packing woes! With today’s recommendations, you might even have space for those extra shoes. Bonus!
The priority when it comes to selecting a travel hair dryer may well be its size, along with other essential features that you might be looking for like a foldable handle, retractable cord, and of course dual voltage.
Set yourself a budget, decide what the key features are that you need in your travel hair dryer, then grab yourself a cup of tea and read our latest review as we’re sure to have the perfect solution for you.
Let’s get down to the details and take a look at one of our recommendations in today’s best travel hair dryer review. Let’s face it, we all strive to make every day a good hair day. With these little bad boy hair dryers as part of your vacationing arsenal, that dream can be a reality, no matter where in the world you might be. Just don’t forget your favorite serum either, especially if you are heading somewhere totally tropical.
BaBylissPRO Tourmaline Titanium Travel Dryer
This seriously has to be one of the most lightweight and compact travel hairdryers available, and it actually works pretty well, too. It’s also a rather fetching bright red which we love as a nice change. With its fully foldable handle, you might just be able to squeeze in an extra book or swimsuit when you do your packing.
The PRO Tourmaline Titanium might sound like a bit of a mouthful, but it’s the perfect marriage between form and function, and that’s exactly what you need. It’s been designed with a compact cone, that genius space saving foldable handle, and more importantly, dual voltage, so it really can pretty much work anywhere in the world.
That dual voltage issue gets you every time. Que your favorite hair products fusing when you plug them in! Not so with this BaBylissPRO, they really have thought of everything when it comes to the perfect travel dryer.
The Titanium construction, while sounding impressive, also means the dryer is durable. Again, that’s a must if you are going to be regularly packing, unpacking, and piling shoes, toiletries, and god knows what else on top of your little miracle dryer!
Overall we’d say that this is cost-effective, powerful, and fast drying. That last one is a pretty important attribute in a travel hair dryer as let’s face it, you’d rather be out exploring than indoors perfecting your “hair-do.”
Pros
- Uses Tourmaline Titanium Technology
- Fully foldable handle
- Lightweight and easy to carry
- Dual voltage
- Powerful -watt motor
Cons
- Heats up quickly
Conair Vagabond Compact Hair Dryer
This is quite possibly one of the smallest and cutest travel hair dryers we’ve ever laid our eyes on. Don’t let its diminutive size fool you. It’s all powerful and mighty with its 1600 watts of hair taming power.
You’ve heard it all before ladies, they don’t make diamonds like bricks and size doesn’t really matter! Well, The Conair Vagabond sure is a shining little gem of a travel hair dryer that will tame your mane and ensure your holiday tresses are dressed to impress.
It’s designed with a foldable handle and is super lightweight, weighing in at just 17 ounces. All that means you can slip it easily into a suitcase, your carry-on luggage, or a handbag and still have room to spare for your hairspray and serum, too!
Vagabond by name and Vagabond by nature, it’s sturdy and robust, featuring that all-important dual voltage for all you globe-trotting types. You can rest assured that this Conair Compact will work hard to help you maintain beautiful hair, wherever you are.
Pros
- 1600 watts of powerful performance
- Portable and compact design
- Lightweight and portable
- Dual voltage
- Two heat speed settings
Cons
- Heats up quickly
- Not ideal for very long or thick hair
Revlon 1875W Compact Travel Hair Dryer
This Revlon 1875 Compact Travel Hair Dryer sure does pack a powerful punch and will soon have your frizz under control no matter where in the world you venture. Whether you are jet setting to the other side of the world or heading for a long weekend up state, we recommend you never leave home without your trusted Revlon compact by your side when planning to swim and rock blown out or straight styles.
It’s lightweight and compact, as you would expect from a device designed to be portable. It also very conveniently features an anti-frizz coating with what is known as ionic propulsion. Sounds out there, but what it really means is that your hair has added protection from drying out due to over-heating.
There are two heat and also two-speed settings along with that cool shot feature. We think this is pretty neat, especially if your hair is on the longer or thicker side. Standing for what feels like hours in a tropical bathroom is exhausting for you and your hair.
A cool shot sounds like the perfect antidote to us! They’ve even included a smoothing concentrator attachment so that you really can have that just stepped out of the salon blow dry look wherever you are.
Given its budget-friendly price, its impressive power, and those extra features and benefits, we think this Revlon is a very worthy contender for Best Travel Hair Dryer.
Pros
- Lightweight, compact, and portable
- Powerful 1875-watt motor
- Two heat speed settings plus a cold shot button
- Hanging ring for easy storage
- Protective anti-slip bumpers
Cons
- Bulkier than most travel style hair dryers
Andis 1600W Micro Turbo Hair Dryer
1600 watts of turbo drying power in a small but mighty compact hair dryer. With this little gem from Andis, you get big features in a quiet little hand held device. It also comes with dual voltage, so it’s perfect for worldwide travel.
Plus, there are two heat and air settings so that you can adjust accordingly. The hair dryer is simple in looks and super easy to use with just a clean fingertip control to operate. Toggle between high and low with ease.
This is also comes with what they call their Lifetime Shock protection. What that means for you is that it will automatically shut-off when it detects any abnormal conditions, protecting your hair dryer.
Exceptionally small and lightweight, it will perfectly pack inside even the smallest of carry on cases leaving plenty of space for more of your essential beauty products. Now you need never worry again about leaving home and being subjected to the horrors of a bad hair day!
Pros
- 1600 watts of turbocharged drying power
- Dual voltage for globe-trotting travelers
- Two heat/air setting options
- Quiet style fan and motor
- Lifetime shock protection policy
Cons
- Prone to burn out
MHU Professional Infrared Travel Hair Dryer
The MHU Professional style travel hair dryer really is like packing your hairstylist with you in your case! It has an ultra-thin concentrator nozzle to really help perfect your blow-dry, providing a sleek and well-groomed look even if you are in the highly humid tropics somewhere. Whether you are going for a straight look or looking to add some volume, this professional looking and performing hair dryer really is up to the job.
It features a ceramic tourmaline air outlet which allows the dryer to deliver more even heat distribution, along with those negative ions to help eliminate unwanted frizz. Now it really is possible to achieve that fresh from the salon look not only at home but when you are away, too.
So those are the positives and there are more to come, but we’d best mention the one glaring negative, especially if you do fancy yourself as a bit of a jet-setter. There’s sadly no dual voltage so you will need to purchase a separate converter.
That said though, the 1875-watt motor is powerful and quiet, and conveniently comes with a removable filter so that you can clean out built up hair or lint, ensuring your travel hair dryer runs professionally longer.
Other key highlights include 2 speed settings and a handy cool shot button for a blast of fresh air. There’s also a very lengthy nine foot cord just in case the power socket isn’t anywhere near your hotel mirror. That’s a common hotel room design fault in our eyes.
Pros
- Powerful low noise 1875-watt motor
- 2 speed settings and three heat settings
- Infrared heat and negative ion technology
- Airflow concentrator and styling diffuser
- Long length nine foot cable
Cons
- No dual voltage
Overall Verdict
These are all excellent recommendations for anyone who is serious about their hair and loves their international travel, too. The only thing we would say is that although it is a superb hair dryer, if you are looking to travel extensively the MHU Professional is the only one which doesn’t have that Dual Voltage. You will need just a simple converter, which isn’t really a hassle.
If it’s something super compact that you are looking for because, quite frankly, packing more flip-flops, books, and bikinis is actually more important than your hair, then go for one of the models that have a folding handle making it even more compact in size. Something like the BaByliss would get our vote, and there’s no denying that the Andis is small in size but big on performance.
When choosing the Best Travel Hair Dryer for you, consider how often you are likely to use it and where you will be in the world. Opt for something that is lightweight and compact so that it won’t take up space or add on to that luggage weight allowance either. Also, prioritize your styling requirements.
Are you really looking to create the full, just stepped out of the salon experience while you are away, or do you just want something that can help with a quick dry after a swim? If it’s the former and you never leave home with your crowning glory perfectly in place, then go for one of the models that have advanced features like a built-in Ionizer that will allow you to re-create your usual sleek style.
The MHU Professional is great for that, as is the BaByliss with its tourmaline technology.In the end it really is down to you, your needs, your budget, and to a certain extent your style, too. Overall we do think that the BaBylissPRO Tourmaline Titanium Travel Dryer is a great recommendation. It’s powerful, has been perfectly designed for travel with that folding handle feature, and it has that super convenient dual voltage.
This easily allows you to switch from 125V to 250V depending on where in the world you are. It’s been rigorously tested and confirmed by many happy customers who report that both the high and low settings are equally efficient both at home and away.
Plus, as a bonus for anyone who does suffer from unwanted frizziness, the tourmaline crystal technology that it features really does help to reduce humidity and keep your hair looking shiny and straight, just like you’ve had a professional blow dry.
Karmin is my preference!