My hair is pretty darn average: Brunette, undyed, mid-length and not too thick or fine. It’s not curly or naturally straight. All of which have their benefits at times. But it also means I’ve never really just been able to leave my hair to dry naturally if I’d like it to feel styled or particularly glossy (it tends to just end up feeling frizzy and unusually bushy). Hence why I really depend on a great hairdryer.
I’ve been using an old classic GHD hairdryer for years (I’m not yet joined the Dyson hype train) but ever since starting to test Hersheson’s ‘The Great Hairdryer’ a few months ago, I feel like I’ve been living in the dark ages. Features wise, it comes with three attachments: a diffuser, and two nozzles for smoother blow drys (one narrow and one wide) There’s three heat settings, and three speeds, with a cool shot option too. Amazingly it memorises your favourite settings for the next time you turn it on, and I also loved the option to lock your settings during use, which avoids any of that awkwardness of trying to hold the hairdryer in a position where you won’t accidentally flick the cool switch (a particular pet peeve of mine).
So, if it just dries hair, what is it exactly that impressed me about this hairdryer? Well, to start with I was shocked at how lightweight it is. 294 grams to be exact (apparently less than a can of Coke). I first tried it while away with friends and, in disbelief, made them all handle it to see for themselves (they were impressed too, even the Dyson users). Although my tricep definition might suffer, I won’t miss the arm workout of my old style. It’s not “quiet” but it’s certainly a lot quieter than my aging blower; and most impressive was how quickly it dried my hair. Despite its lighter weight and smaller, more streamlined shape, they’ve cut no corners in the amount of power is packs. I’d say it probably cut my drying time in half, to around 8-10 mins. And those are precious minutes when you’re rushing to get out of the door in the morning.
In terms of the final result, I usually rough-dry my hair straight out of the shower with no attachment, then use the wide nozzle with a round brush to blowout any kinks. Using this method I got the very smooth and glossy effect you can see here, with much less fly aways than before. But I also love that I’ve been able to use this hairdryer in a rush with no round brush faffing, and it’s still left me with tamed, frizz-free locks.
For the technical fans out there, another pro is its innovative technology. Namely the “Oxy Active Technology” which emits active oxygen with an anti-bacterial effect, which “increases shine, protects the elasticity of your hair and keeps your colour looking vibrant for longer”. It also claims to work on so many types of hair: along, short, thick, fine, curly, coloured, textured and heat damaged hair. A very small con to mention is that to keep it functioning at its best you have to regularly clean out the filter. This sounds time-consuming but there’s actually a very easy how-to video here on the automatic cleaning function. I already know I’ll be lax in completing this process regularly, but I take comfort in the fact that it does have an automatic switch-off feature to let me know this step is absolutely necessary.
At £295, it’s certainly not cheap but I think it still makes a smart investment considering it’s something you use probably every day, or every few days. And it really has transformed my morning hair routine. I will caveat my 9/10 verdict by saying that I do have quite easy hair to manage, and having not really tried the Dyson (potentially the holy grail of modern hairdryers?) my standards are probably quite low. But, I can say for certain I won’t ever be going back to a traditional blow dryer after trying The Great Hairdryer, and it without a doubt lives up to its name.
Rating: 9/10