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1. BondiBoost Sonic Hair Blow Dryer gives you a verrrrrrry quiet blow-dry session without sacrificing speed so you can even have a convo, or listen to a podcast while you do the deed. (Am I the only person who wishes they could catch up on Books That Kill when I blow-dry my hair?)
I recently got a blowout with one of these (BTW, I have a MANE of naturally curly, thick hair) and I was shocked by how efficient *and* quiet this was for a straightened blowout!
It comes with a diffuser and concentrator, and works on straight, wavy, curly, and coily hair textures.
Promising review: "Absolutely love this dryer! It’s super powerful and dries my hair super fast!! I like that I can adjust the temperature and airflow!! Also it’s a great size and has an easy handle! You can also lock the settings which I thought was really helpful! This dryer is also aesthetically pleasing and that makes me happy haha. 10/10! It is also quieter than my other dryers, not super quiet, but definitely less loud!" —lulu18276
Get it from Sephora for $199.
2. A Revlon hot air brush dries and styles your hair for a lot less effort than other techniques. Just rough dry a bit and then use the dryer brush to give yourself a blowout that'll make it look like you went to a dry bar. Finagling a round brush in one hand and a blow-dryer in another is HARD.
Promising review: "First time review and it’s because I’m so happy with this dryer/styler! My hair is about shoulder length, very fine with a slight curl, and now it has some gray to it. It’s also frizzy, no matter what I use. I’m 61 years old so trust me, I’ve used a lot of products! Never have I been able to get my hair to look like it did after leaving the salon, EXCEPT after using this. I watched some YouTube videos first for some pointers, and then I gave it a try. It’s easy to use, even though it’s bigger than I thought it would be. My hair came out beautiful! Smooth, soft, no frizz and lots of volume. Hope this review helps you anyone out there that have similar hair!" —Anon anon
Get it from Amazon for $47.99+ (available in four styles).
3. Bellissima Italia Diffon Supreme Diffuser & Curly Hair Dryer is, perhaps, the largest at-home diffuser I've seen in case you love your curly texture but find the drying process very annoying. Sometimes you don't have hours to let it air dry!
4. Or if you'd prefer a cheaper hair-styling leap, this blow-dryer diffuser attachment transforms your typical dryer into something that'll give you the most gorgeous curls — all thanks to drying vents and a 360-degree airflow to evenly diffuse curls. Maybe it'll turn around your opinion on blow drying! Just maybe.
Promising review: "I've been using this for a few months now with my travel sized Conair dryer, and it works so well! I have wavy 2a—2b hair, and this works much better than the diffuser the dryer came with. I like using this when I want my waves to set coiled up and last longer. It has a really big basket compared to the one my Conair came with, so if you have quite a bit of hair or have difficulty with your hair flying out of your diffuser then this will likely work wonderfully for you. I think it is well worth the price." —Delaney O.
"I absolutely love this diffuser. I had been using a hooded hair dryer on wash days for years and was getting frustrated with the 45+ minute dry times along with 'triangle hair' and lack of volume due to the dryer blowing down on my hair. Not only do I get wonderful volume with this diffuser, but I’ve more than cut my dry time in half with only needing about 20 minutes. Mind you, I have very thick 3b—3c curls that are a couple inches past my shoulders. Works wonderfully." —SarahG
"Great diffuser! I’m happy with the definition. Took me two weeks to make a decision on the best one for my 4b—4c curly hair. This was my first time using one. The diffuser fit my dryer perfectly." —KJ
Get it from Amazon for $26.17.
5. An ultra-fine continuous water mister refreshes your hair in the morning after you've slept on it. So yeah your curls might be frizzy but that doesn't mean they're too far gone and need a wash just yet!
Promising review: "Another amazing product TikTok made me buy. Was looking for something for when I wet my hair in the mornings. My old typical spray bottles kept breaking or leaking. This one has a longer spray time and the mist is perfect when I don’t want to get my hair too wet. All in all worth it especially for the price." —M. Zuniga
Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in four sizes).
6. Kenra Platinum Blow-Dry Spray seriously cuts down on your heat-styling time — like 50%! It also tames frizz and keeps your hair protected during said heat-styling. Oh, and it's all over TikTok.
Psst! The brand recommends using this spray on medium to coarse hair types. I've used this before and *did* notice that it cut down on my drying time! And for fine to medium hair, try the Kenra Platinum Blow-Dry Mist!
Promising review: "I LOVE the smell of this! Bought it due to frizzing from coloring my hair, but really didn't believe that it shortened drying time. I mean, how can something putting moisture on you hair shorten the drying time, right? I was shocked. I don't know if it cut it down by 50%, but I did notice blow-drying my hair took quite a bit less time. I am sold on this stuff. Makes my hair feel like silk, but not greasy (I was worried about it making my hair greasy) and it takes only a few sprays to get the results. I hold it about 15" from my head and spray the top, both sides, and the back once, then rub it in with my hands. Perfect!" —Janice C. Henderson
Get it from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in three sizes; cruelty-free).
7. OGX Locking + Coconut Curls Air Dry Cream is a great, affordable scrunch-and-go option with legions of fans to back up that claim.
Promising review: "I put some in my hair for the first time today and I'm impressed! I towel dried my hair and then put about a quarter size in my palm and spread throughout my hair, scrunched my hair, and then let it air dry. I think it did a good job at defining my waves and eliminating the serious frizz." —ninjamommy
Get it from Amazon for $7.97.
8. A pomade hair wax stick easily applies product that will keep all your flyaways and frizzies controlled whenever you put your hair up into a ponytail or bun to buy yourself another day before washing (and, therefore, blow-drying).
Promising review: "I saw this on YouTube and immediately wanted to try it. I have curly hair which I love but sometime I just want to put it in a pony tail and go on with my day. This is a time saver for all those little hairs that tend to stick up or don’t want to stay in place. I’m not a fan of hair spray and this even smells nice. I believe it’s a lite coconut smell. Overall satisfied and you don’t need to use much. I took it with me on vacation and it saved me time in the evening from having to deal with bad hair days." —Blanca Perez
Get it from Amazon for $8.99.
9. Dyson Airwrap multistyler is more or less the stuff of legend at this point. If you've been on the internet since the Airwrap 2018 release, you've likely seen it demonstrated over and over again. But for great reason! It really is amazing what this multitool can do.
You can read my in-depth review of the Dyson Airwrap's first model for all sorts of deets. Since the 2018 release, the company has improved upon the original and has longer tool attachments to make drying and styling even easier. TL;DR: Once you've practiced a few times, it's easy to use all the attachments and it leaves your hair looking shinier and feeling less dry than heat drying and then using flat irons or curling irons to achieve your desired look. Note that you do want to rough dry your hair a bit before going in with the attachments. It's, understandably, a huge financial undertaking but if you have the coin and put a LOT of time into heat styling your hair like I do, it can be worth it to you.
Get it from Sephora (one colorway) or Dyson (four colorways) for $599
10. And a more recent release: Dyson Airstrait dries *and* straightens your hair simultaneously WITHOUT hot plates like a regular straightener. As you can guess (if you're at all familiar with the Dyson brand's tech), it uses airflow to straighten without drying out. So if you've been blow drying and *then* flat ironing your hair, this'll sound like a total dream.
My colleague Heather Braga has and loves it:
"I've had the pleasure of testing out the Dyson Airstrait and, OMG, what an incredible piece of technology. Yes, I called this 'tech' instead of a beauty tool. While it is both of these things, I was amazed by the gadget-ness of it right off the bat. I literally had to select on an LCD screen what language MY STRAIGHTENER should be set to...wild. Anyways! The Airstrait has the ability to straighten both wet or dry hair — and does without the use of damaging hot plates. It uses directional airflow to smooth and straighten hair and, honestly, it is a pretty magical experience. The biggest learning curve for me was realizing the copper pieces (where the fan lives) need to face outward so you're not blowing your hair all over the place. The fan increases when you clamp the Airstrait around your hair (HOW DOES IT KNOW!?) and pauses entirely when you set it down (seen in the GIF to the left). Additionally, I have a toddler and am very limited on time. With this gadget, I was able to take my hair from directly-from-the-shower wet to natural-looking straight hair in only 10 minutes! This is going to be such a game-changer for my life!!! It's definitely worth the splurge. Add this to your holiday wish list or, you know, get it now."
Get it from Sephora for $499.
11. A heatless curling rod headband you simply wrap your *damp* hair in before bed and then unwind in the morning for a blowout effect of bouncy '90s supermodel curls. Did you just book a Pepsi commercial?!
Each set comes with a curling rod, two hair scrunchies, a claw hair clip, and two duckbill hair clips to set it in place. These are designed to work with all hair types, but work best if you roll them with damp hair! I recently saw someone walking around an airport with this in their hair. You do you!
Promising review: "Before purchasing, I’d seen a lot of reviews and tutorials on TikTok showing the results. My hair is thick, coarse, and naturally wavy, so I figured this might be a good alternative to rollers that are time-consuming to put in, difficult to sleep in, and ultimately not worth it. And MAN was I right to be hopeful. Wrap pieces of damp hair around it before bed, the tighter the wrap, the tighter the curl. Easy to sleep in since there’s nothing on the back of your head, and my curls are BOUNCY the next morning. My only complaint is that it doesn’t help give any top-volume, but that's nothing some teasing can’t fix. 10/10. I’ll never go back to a curling iron." —Mariah
Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in eight colors)
12. And if you want some more curly options, these curling rods have rave reviews amongst people with types 3b–4c hair. Use them with damp hair for the best results!
Promising review: "I left the largest rollers, the purple and gray ones, in for two hours to see how the curls would turn out. The results were great! The rollers are the perfect size and gave me the same look as my expensive digital perm. I've been getting digital perms for the last year to the tune of $200 every 3–4 months, so these rollers, at $12 a pack, are a steal." —HoyaBlue
"I have short curly-kinky hair (3c/4a). The smaller ones worked best for me, with the right products my curls turned out amazing! No better deal around for these flex rods. Anywhere else you get the same quality at a much higher price. Another plus is that the rods come with their own bag for storage, keeping it nice and organized!!! Love this product, I'm about to buy them again because I need more small rods for my massive amount of hair." —lissa almanzar
Get a pack of 42 from Amazon for $14.99.
13. A leave-in conditioner made for kids (and grownups) with curly hair and tender heads gives you some picturesque results thanks to its hydrating and detangling formula of vitamin B5, jojoba oil, keratin, and more. It's made to spray on already damp hair *or* to revive dry curls.
Promising review: "My granddaughters have long curly hair, and this is the first product that actually worked at getting the tangles out! Their hair was soft and no tears were shed while combing through… which to me is most important! The smell is nice, not overwhelming… over all this is just a great product and I will definitely be buying again!" —Danielle Bustamante
Get it from Amazon for $8.25.
14. JVN Complete Hydrating Air Dry Hair Cream defines and lifts curls. But don't take it from me, take it from all the reviewers with fine hair who've previously had trouble finding products that do just that! Oh, and it helps protect hair from UV damage.
JVN is a hair care line from Jonathan Van Ness (yes, of Queer Eye and other wonderful things on the Internet!) created to help drive change in the beauty industry and celebrate each person's unique beauty. Cheers to that!
Promising review: "Leaves my wavy slightly graying hair soft, less frizzy and not weighed down. Great for my low maintenance wash and air dry ways. Love the packaging too." —megawf
Get it from Sephora or JVN for $26 (vegan, cruelty-free, and comes in recyclable packaging).
15. John Frieda Frizz Ease Dream Curls Air Dry Waves Styling Foam is a low-effort option in case you have a preference when it comes to the consistency of your hair products.
16. COLAB Overnight Renew Dry Shampoo blasts your greasy roots with a formula that works for you while you sleep. It's a heavier duty spray than regular dry shampoo but soaks in overnight for an easier morning routine.
I have this dry shampoo and it really does work so much harder than regular dry shampoo formulas. When you spray it on, it's more likely to look stark white (don't freak out about it like I did!), but you simply rub it in like you would a normal dry shampoo before you hit the hay. Waking up with de-greased roots definitely gives me a head start on trying to pull myself together these days when, tbh, I'm only (regular) washing my hair once a week. Because this stuff is so potent though, you should really only use it before bedtime. If you're curious about their regular dry shampoos, they're great!
Get it from Walmart for $8.48+ (available in four scents).
17. DevaCurl Dry No-Poo Moisturizing Dry Shampoo gives you the twistable option of either blasting just your roots or your mid-lengths to ends because your roots always need a little bit more. This way you can get enough refreshment without making the bottom half of your hair look *too* dry.
Plus, it's made to reduce frizz up to 72 hours! This is currently in my bathroom and I've tried just about all the dry shampoos on the market. My hair is naturally curly but I blow dry it pretty often. In the past few weeks there've been some days that the humidity really brought out my natural curl but I wanted to put off shampooing another day. This has come in handy and I see it as a go-to for when I want to spray other parts of my hair with dry shampoo besides the roots.
Get it from Amazon for $34.
18. And for my final dry shampoo rec: I Dew Care "Tap Secret" mattifying powder shampoo tackles greasy roots without the aerosol formula. I've been packing this for flights where I carry on only and this little puff is EFFECTIVE. Like, I went to New Orleans recently in late May with a blowout I was trying to make last. This kept my oily roots matte! It's LEGIT.
Promising review: "I was looking for a dry shampoo that would be easy to use on the go for a trip I was taking. I had no issues taking this through TSA and it was so easy to use on the go. You literally just pat the poof on your scalp and then rub the powder in. I do have black hair so dry shampoo is usually very visible in my hair, but I didn't have any harder time than usual rubbing this powder in. It did a really good job of soaking up all the oil and giving my hair volume. I'm not a fan of the price for the amount that you get, but it is lasting longer than I thought it would. I would definitely recommend and will purchase again." —Teresa
Get two from Amazon for $25.60.
19. Mane Club 10-in-1 spray spritzes on your damp hair and let take care of basically every styling need for blowouts except finishing hairspray. It'll give you a super smooth blowout without filling up your medicine cabinet with products.
Mane Club is a small business based in California that sells cruelty-free, vegan haircare products.
I have a very thick head of naturally curly hair and have put it through just about everything, including all kinds of hot tools, at-home dye kits, the gamut of shampoo and conditioner types, basically every dry shampoo and hair oil in existence, and just about anything else to try for a story for you dear readers. Lots of products have either straight-up failed, been meh enough for me to not recommend, or fantastic but so costly that I feel guilty recommending them. Basically, a lot of stuff ends up in the trash or pawned off on my (grateful) friends when it isn't a fit for me. But THIS STUFF. This stuff has become my go-to for spraying on my wet hair and then blow-drying. Normally I'd apply a heat protector and an oil treatment or leave-in conditioner before blow drying. But this 10-in-1 treatment takes the cake! Most of the time when I use it, I don't even need to finish off my hair with hair oil (I've been doing that as an essential hair step for years now). It's really that good! Here, I have freshly blow dried hair with just this post-shower using this Amika blow-dryer brush. This brush is fantastic on its own but this spray-on treatment has more or less doubled this brush's effectiveness. My hair comes out feeling softer, looking shinier and healthier, and stays looking good for days — which is especially great news because I wash my hair about every four days. 'Tis time for me to unload a bunch of hair products I now no longer need to my friends.
Get it from Amazon for $9.95 or Mane Club for $10 (cruelty-free, vegan).
20. Redken Quick Blowout Heat Protection Spray is a total life saver when your normal drying routine doesn't seem to be getting your hair smooth and shiny like it used to.
Promising review: "This stuff is magic in a bottle. I split dye my hair and was having some issues with fading due to heat damage. The price tag scared me I’m not going to lie. But it’s worth it! It was super vibrant, no signs of fade like the last few hair dyes. And it made me hair feel so nice. It was a total life saver." —Martina Hayes
Get it from Amazon for $26 (suphate- and paraben-free).
21. A six-pack of scarf scrunchies gives you a one-and-done task of putting up your hair and adding a glam touch even if you have to do some REAL math to figure out the last time you washed it. Tomorrow is never promised. Put off a wash and blow dry session when you can!
Promising review: "I wear ponytails a lot as I transition to a natural gray with my curly hair. Using 'unique' hair accessories helps with making a plain, boring, and simple haircare routine way more interesting, and the material is a welcomed safety to help reduce breakage when wearing ponytail scrunchies. I plan on ordering other colors in the near future. You can't go wrong with this purchase!" —Tru
Get them from Amazon for $9.99.
22. A kitten ear headband keeps beauty products like cleanser and clay masks out of your hairline, saving you some extra washing and styling time when it comes time to do your 'do.
23. Bread Beauty Supply Hair Mask Creamy Deep Conditioner made with super-fruit oils (and *no* silicone) to give folks with 3a–4c hair lightweight hydration to leave your curls and coils feeling soft. Reviewers say it works out great for them whether or not they decide to blow dry. Gotta love a product that gives you options.
Bread Beauty Supply is a Black woman-owned business that was founded by Maeva Heim in 2020.
My colleague Kayla Boyd uses this silicone-free conditioner and does air dry (including for this gorgeous review pic!). Here's what she has to say:
"I recently started using Bread products and I really love how lightweight and easy they are to use. Since I have mixed textured hair that's been frequently dyed, it tends to get very dry. After using this deep conditioner my hair felt so much better and softer. In addition to that, the smell is A-MA-ZING. Definitely one of my new favorite wash day products."
Promising review: "I have never had a better conditioner. It leaves my hair so silky smooth whether I blow-dry or air dry. I also never leave reviews. I love it that much... TRY IT! LOVE!!!" —BrandyM2020
Get it from Bread Beauty Supply or Sephora for $28.
24. Kitsch Microfiber Hair Towel gently sops up water while you go about your day and gets you to mere dampness in what feels like record time so you aren't stuck in an even longer blow-drying session. Trust me, I own three. And! It'll speed up air drying dramatically.
Kitsch is an LA-based, self-financed, woman-owned small business established in 2010 that specializes in hair accessories.
I own this beaut in this pattern, a polka dot print, and a tropical leafy print. I swore by the Turbie Twist for awhile (which is closer to an actual towel) but this microfiber fabric is far gentler on hair. Plus it feels lighter on my head/neck, which is great news for someone like me taking lunchtime showers while working from home and putting off blow drying my hair for as long as possible. It has elastic along the edges that helps it wrap around my head comfortably, and a stretchy loop at the front that I can twist back and put on a large button at the back of my head. Suffice it to say, it's super user-friendly. I can easily throw it in the wash with the rest of my towels and hang it up on a bathroom door hook to let it dry between uses. I wish I bought three of these years ago.
My colleague Kayla Boyd (pictured here!) also owns and loves this towel.
Promising review: "I love this hair towel! It’s so easy to use and my hair dries so much faster than normal air drying. I haven’t touched my blow dryer since I got this. My only recommendation is to wring out as much excess water from your hair as possible before putting the hair towel on, there’s only so much water it can handle. Other than that it’s cute, easy to use and super soft I highly recommend this!" —kathryn
Get it from Amazon for $18.97.
25. Plus a Kitsch hybrid scrunchie towel helps your hair dry faster in case you're someone whose neck can't stand the mere thought of balancing a wet towel or turban on your head. And with this, you can get away with leaving the house with wet hair without being obvious.
Promising review: "Best scrunchie ever. I would give this 11/10. I want them in every color." —Rose D.
"I ordered this because I was sick of keeping a towel on my head for so long while my hair dried, and if I didn't have a towel, my shirt was soaking wet from my hair after a shower. For reference, I had very long, thick hair and it takes a while to air-dry — and I'm so happy I found this scrunchie! It's a lot bigger in person than it looks in the image, which is great because it covers more of your hair to help dry it. No more heavy towels on my head or tight towel wraps." —Meghan
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $13.19+ (available in eight colors and designs).
26. And Kitsch Spiral Hair Ties keep your strands outta your face but won't make weird dents that force you into more frequent washings like elastic bands.
27. Curls Blueberry Bliss Control Jelly with organic blueberry extract and raw castor oil is made for 2a—4c hair types and is great for wash and gos, twist outs, braid outs, and roller sets. So...it'll give you LOTS of gorgeous options that don't involve a blow-dryer.
28. Bomba Curls Dominican Forbidden Volumizer Oil helps you embrace your natural hair texture and air dry while moisturizing and leaving the most divine scent on your locks. A little goes a very long way, so it's always the hair product I pack for vacation when I'd rather not clock precious time blow drying my hair. Below I'm on a February trip to Iceland where I knew I'd be wearing a winter hat so I used it to let the little bit of my hair I could see shine in its natural texture.
Bomba Curls is a WOC-owned business founded by Lulu Cordero and inspired by her Afro-Dominicana roots. The products are meant to help curly-haired folks naturally boost growth and achieve maximum length retention. This formula is infused with pure coffee seed and castor oil mean to moisturize your hair and scalp, while promoting hair growth and making your strands look glossier.
Yep, that's me in awe of merely *existing* in the frigid wonderland of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in Iceland. Anytime I was outside in Iceland I wore a bucket hat AND had my hood pulled over it. It was that chilly! And don't even get me started on the wind. So I knew that my skin and hair were going to need some major moisture. Enter the Bomba Curls hair oil. I used this as a leave-in treatment and styler on wet hair, and then let my natural hair texture do its thing. It was an excellent call as it helps curls form so beautifully and ended up being especially moisturizing for my post–Blue Lagoon dry hair. (I had to wash my hair FOUR TIMES post-Lagoon because of all the minerals in the water.) In case you're wondering, I also pack this for hot, humid trips when I embrace my natural hair texture.
Get it from Target for $21.99.
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.