If you’ve ever tried to blow dry your young child’s hair or blow dry a pet or even blow dry your hair with a loud hair dryer, then you can understand the annoyance with the noise. In the old days, all hairdryers were loud. We just accepted that fact. But oh, how times have changed! Now you can get a quiet hair dryer. And it turns out they work as well as regular hair dryers, sometimes even better.
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, you can damage your hearing by using a loud hair dryer. And dryers that produce over 85 decibels, as most dryers do, can cause permanent hearing loss. The best quiet dryers create less than 80 decibels of sound. And fortunately, they are available in every price range with a range of new technology. A quiet hair dryer is one purchase that you won’t regret.
Image via Freepik
Quiet Hair Dryer FAQs
You’ve got questions? We’ve got the answers.
1. What Should I Look For When Buying A Quiet Hair Dryer?
You want to look for the decibel rating, which measures the sound intensity. Most regular hair dryers operate between 85 and 95 decibels, though some go even higher. It’s best if you can find a dryer that produces less than 80 decibels. For some comparison, normal conversation is around 63-65 decibels.
2. What Is An Ionic Hair Dryer?
Ionic hair dryers use negative ions to reduce the droplets of water on your hair. This technology allows the hair to retain more moisture, cutting down on static and frizz. Ionic dryers dry hair faster and make hair super shiny and smooth. Ionic dryers are also quieter than regular dryers.
3. Do Quiet Hair Dryers Work As Well As Regular Hair Dryers?
In a word, yes! And in many cases, they work even better. They come with just as much technology and power. The only thing you’ll give up with a quiet dryer is the noise.
4. What Is An Infrared Hair Dryer?
Infrared hair dryers use infrared light to gently infuse safer heat to the core of the hair cuticle instead of the surface of the hair shaft like a regular hair dryer. Infrared hair dryers use a cooler heat as the hair dries so they won’t burn or damage your hair. And the infrared light makes the hair shiny and smooth.
How We Reviewed
This is an independent review of top-selling quiet hair dryers. We have no business for financial ties with any of these companies. We researched consumer and professional reviews for each hair dryer. During the review process, we also looked at and compared the features on each dryer.
Our Top 5 Picks For The Best Quiet Hair Dryer
In no particular order, here are our favorites.
No products found.
No products found.
The Ion Whisper Quiet Lite Ionic- Ceramic hair dryer is strong with 1,875 watts of power. It’s ultra lightweight at just 16 ounces. And it uses tourmaline ionic technology, which protects the hair, makes the hair super shiny, and cuts down on frizz. This dryer has four temperature settings and two speeds. It also has a cool shot button and a removable lint filter. And it comes with two concentrators and a diffuser attachment.
This quiet hair dryer produces 72 decibels on low speed and 78 on high. Some consumers complained that this dryer is not “whisper” quiet. But you’ll find it significantly quieter than regular dryers.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
|
|
|
|
2. Dyson Supersonic
Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer, Iron/Fuchsia, 1200W
- Helps prevent extreme heat damage to protect natural shine; Air temperature is measured 20 times every second, keeping…
- Ultra fast drying; For fast drying you need controlled, high velocity airflow. Rated power 1600watts
- Includes: Magnetic attachments Dyson smoothing noozle, styling concentrator, and diffuser
The Dyson Supersonic is the priciest quiet hair dryer on the list. But it also has the most complicated technology. Compared to other dryers this one is quite heavy, weighing 4.65 pounds. So you’ll get a bit of a workout while you dry your hair. This dryer runs on 1,600 watts of power. Compared to the other dryers on the list the Dyson has more settings with three speed settings. You also get four heat settings and a cool shot button.
This dryer is quite strong and uses what Dyson calls “air multiplier technology” to amplify the airflow and create a controlled, high-velocity stream of air for faster drying times. The Dyson also has a unique design, with the motor located in the handle. And so even though it weighs more than the others, it balances effortlessly in your hand. The motor in this dryer spins six times faster than the motors in regular dryers and produces an inaudible frequency. Notably, the heat shield technology in this dryer keep the magnetic attachments and the dryer cool. So you won’t break a sweat or burn your fingers while drying your hair.
This quiet hair dryer produces 72 decibels on low speed and 77 decibels on high. The Dyson Supersonic is an excellent hairdryer, but the biggest complaint customers had was the high price.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
Made in Japan, so you have to get a 120 to a 100-volt converter |
3. Centrix Q-Zone Dryer
Centrix Q-Zone Dryer
- Insanely Quiet technology greatly reduces salon noise pollution.
- CERAMIC TOURMALINE for healthier looking hair, shine and moisture.
- IONIC technology helps reduce drying time dramatically.
The Centrix Q-Zone Dryer is another lightweight, quiet hair dryer. It weighs just 1.5 pounds. And it runs on 1500 watts of power. This dryer has two speed and two heat settings. Additionally, it has two cool shot buttons on the front and back of the handle for easy use. This dryer also uses ceramic tourmaline technology to cut down on frizz and make the hair shiny. And it comes with a concentrator attachment.
This quiet hair dryer produces 74 decibels on low speed and 82 decibels on high. Some customers complained that the dryer is not the quietest of all of the quiet dryers. But the Centrix Q-Zone is still significantly more peaceful than regular hair dryers. And they use what Centrix calls “quiet running technology,” so it doesn’t make the shrill sound that many dryers do.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
|
|
|
|
4. Twin Turbo Power 2800 Italian Professional Hair Blow Dryer
Running on 1,760 watts of power, you’ll enjoy fast drying time with the Italian-designed Twin Turbo Power 2800. The lightweight, ergonomic design is also easy on the hands and wrists, making it a superior choice for hair professional. It features four temperatures settings and a cold shot button. It also has an anti-overheating mode to shut it down if it gets too hot. The removable stainless steel filter lasts the lifetime of the dryer, and it comes with an extra wide concentrator for fast styling. With a 9-foot cord, you won’t be stuck standing near the outlet.
The Twin Turbo Power 2800 registers at around 80 decibels.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
|
|
|
|
5. VAV Blow Dryer 1875W Negative Ion Professional Hair Dryer
This VAV dryer is super quiet, and it comes with ionic technology. It’s one of the stronger dryers with 1,875 watts of power. This dryer is also one of the heavier ones on the list, weighing 2.2 pounds. It comes with two speed settings and you get three heat settings with a cool shot button. And it comes with a concentrator attachment. It’s also a nice compact size that’s easy to handle and use for travel.
Notably, this quiet hair dryer produces just 64 decibels.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
|
|
|
It All Boils Down To This
Image via Freepik
The human ear is an incredible machine. But it can be easily damaged, even from something as innocuous as a hairdryer. But now you have options that won’t hurt your ears or annoy your family members.
You can get a good quality quiet hair dryer in every price range. But don’t be fooled just because a dryer has the word “quiet” in the name. Many claiming to be quiet dryers are not. Pay attention to the decibel levels of each dryer; that’s how you can find a truly quiet dryer. You will notice a big difference just by making sure that your dryer produces 80 decibels or less before you buy it.