On the hunt for a blow dryer that styles effectively while being gentle on your hair's natural texture? After much testing, I've refined the list and shared detailed reviews of the best dryers for Afro hair – chosen for their ability to style and smooth curls and coils well.
When looking for the best hair dryer for our hair type, we are often told that Afro-textured hair is the weakest. It breaks easily, can be dry and we have to be extra careful when it comes to using any heat and chemicals. While I’m tired of hearing such negative connotations with my texture, I can’t completely disagree; although usually thicker, Afro hair textures are more fragile due to the shape each strand takes on at the root. While European and Asian hair textures have a cyclical shape, Afro-Caribbean hair has more of an oval shape. Plus, because of the curves in each coil and curl type, even when straightened, strands are more prone to breakage.
If you heat style your hair, your strands obviously can become more damaged, so you have to be very careful with the tools you pick. There are so many hair dryer options nowadays, it can be hard to whittle down the best hair dryers for curly hair, and Afro hair specifically. Luckily though, I’ve put many to the test to figure out exactly which ones work the best...
The best hair dryers for Afro hair deals
The 6 best hair dryers for Afro hair in 2025
Our top 3 best hair dryers for Afro hair
A pricey tool, but also by far the best experience when drying. The motor is small but mighty and blow dried my thick, type 4 hair in 20 minutes. This dryer measures temperature 40 times a second to prevent damage and is incredibly lightweight compared to other dryers I tested. The flyaway attachment is a particular stand out, flattening frizz in an instant.
While this dryer's tech doesn’t hit that of the Dyson, you do get a clever tool that works for bringing out the best in naturally-styled hair – making it one of the best blow dryers for natural hair – but also if you want to straighten it, too. That’s because frizz can be Afro hair’s biggest nightmare and the tech in this dryer blends positive and negative ions to help keep hair moisture balanced and frizz-free.
This is a hairdresser’s favourite for a reason. It’s not light by any means but the horsepower is ferocious and if you are after a professional feel, the Parlux brand is great. This model is the lightest of the range yet packets a 2200-watt motor. If you’re looking for a sturdy, classic hair dryer to straighten Afro hair, this is a great pick.
Best hair dryer for Afro hair overall
Reviewed by: Keeks Reid
The Dyson Supersonic is the priciest tool I tested for this guide, but was by far the best experience when drying. The motor is small but mighty, delivering a powerful and fast blow-dry in less than 20 minutes – which, for my thick, type 4 hair, is normally unheard of. The technology in the dryer measures the temperature 40 times per second to give an even heat and prevent heat damage. Despite the high tech within this tool, it’s incredibly lightweight compared to the other hair dryers I tested. But the attachments are what really seal the Dyson’s spot at the top of this hair dryer hot list, particularly the flyaway attachment, which can make even the biggest frizz halo super smooth. Though the Supersonic is by far one of the most expensive tools on the market, now is the best time of year to make the most of Dyson hair dryer deals at multiple retailers.
Read our full, detailed Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer review for a deep dive into this tool
Best travel hair dryer for Afro hair
Reviewed by: Keeks Reid
One of the worst things about travel has to be poor amenities, right? I know I’m not the only curly–coily girl who shudders at the thought of using a slow, low-powered tool that leaves your hair a tangled frizz ball after a day in the sun. But this is one of the best travel hair dryers – it's super compact but functions almost as well as standard-sized. Even if you are travelling with hand luggage only, this will take up no space in your travel essentials kit and give you the styles that you’re used to at home while away. This mini packs 1,100 watts of power and thanks to infrared technology, it’s able to dry hair more quickly than the average tool, working from the inside of the cuticle, out.
Read our full detailed Amika Mighty Mini Dryer review for more on this pint-sized tool
Best healthy hair dryer for Afro hair
Reviewed by: Keeks Reid
The ghd Helios hair dryer is the more recent hair dryer launch from the brand; while the Air is lighter, this is the higher-tech model of the two. Its trademarked Aeroprecis technology makes for a fast blow dry that leaves hair really smooth. The concentrator nozzle is particularly good on this dryer, teamed with a small paddle brush or round brush you can straighten coily hair flat if that’s the way you like to style it. Equally, the diffuser (which has to be bought separately) is sizeable, so will work well for you if you quickly want to dry your wash-and-go style. With Cyber Week around the corner, you should be able to snap up a decent discount in the ghd sale, too.
Read our full ghd Helios Hair Dryer review for more on this iconic tool's capabilities
Best hair dryer for Afro hair for frizz control
Reviewed by: Keeks Reid
Price-wise, this hair dryer is pretty mid-range. And while the tech doesn’t hit that of the Dyson or Shark, you do get a more affordable, clever tool that brings out the best in naturally-styled hair but also if you want to straighten, too. That’s because frizz can be Afro hair’s biggest nightmare and the tech in this dryer blends positive and negative ions to help keep hair moisture balanced and frizz-free. And all for way under the £100 mark.
See our full BaByliss Hydro Fusion Hair Dryer review for more details on this tool
Best salon quality hair dryer for Afro hair
Reviewed by: Keeks Reid
Ask most hairdressers what their most reliable hair dryer is and they’ll most likely say a Parlux. And it’s a hairdresser’s favourite for a reason. It’s not light by any means but the horsepower is ferocious and if you are after a real professional feel, the Parlux brand is great. This model is the lightest of the range yet packets a 2,200-watt motor, meaning it packs a punch. If you’re looking for a sturdy, classic hair dryer to straighten Afro hair, this is a great pick (team woman&home also loves the Parlux Alyon).
Best hair dryer for Afro hair for an old-school silk press
Reviewed by: Keeks Reid
It’s a little clunky and noisy but this retro dryer still works well for a classic use. A lot of us would have had this dryer used on us at the hairdressers back in the day when we had a traditional silk press – and while it’s been slightly updated over the years, it’s still retained the same look and feel. Also, it’s the only readily available hair dryer that was designed for Afro hair, the pik attachment is secured tight for stretching even the thickest, tightest coils with no issue. For less than £25, it’s the cheapest on this list, but at that price, you know you aren’t going to get a super high-tech tool with multiple attachments.
How we tested the best hair dryers for Afro hair
To ensure that all of the best hair dryer for Afro hair contenders were tested fairly, I used each one on my own type 4 hair several times to get a good grasp of how it worked.
When using, I tested one the highest speed and heat settings for each dryer, to ensure to test them on the same level. All of these dryers were also tested on damp, freshly washed hair with a heat protector applied – and I considered all of the following factors when testing.
- Power and wattage
- Speed and heat settings
- Weight of the dryer
- Included attachments
- Any extra features
- Price and value for money
How to use a hair dryer safely on Afro hair
As for getting the best results from your dryer? "Using a hair dryer alongside a good brush is key," says Lorraine Dublin, celebrity hairdresser and co-owner of My Hair Bar. "Make sure you take small sections as you’ll get more of an even blow dry, plus, it gives you more control."
Depending on the finish you want, you’ll need to adjust your techniques slightly. "For a super straight finish, pre-blow-dry with a comb attachment before going back over with a Denman brush and small sections."
"For a twist out, you have a few options. You can do a light pre-blow-dry to extend the length, then re-wet with the product, depending on your texture, before twisting and drying with a diffuser. If you don’t care about length then just go straight in with your twists and then dry gently on a medium heat."
Our expert panel
Keeks is a London-based beauty editor and content creator. Now the Beauty Director of Cosmopolitan, during her freelance career she worked with British Vogue, Refinery29, Red, ELLE and OK! , as well as contributing to woman&home. While she has a well-rounded beauty obsession, her specialism is all things hair and she has tested hundreds of products during her years as a beauty editor.
Lorraine Dublin is a renowned hairdresser and the co-owner of My Hair Bar in London. With more than 20 years of experience, some of her most famous clients include big names like Serena Williams and Kelly Rowland.
