Dyson supersonic V ghd helios: Which hair dryer is the best?

Motor: 2,200w
Cord length: 3m
Weight: 0.78kg
Available colours: Mint, white, black, plum, blue

The ghd air has been a cult favourite ever since its launch in 2012, so it was going to take a lot to top it. Its successor stands out thanks to its "aeroprecis" technology, specifically designed by a team of physicists, engineers and ghd styling professionals. This combines internal aerodynamic design with a uniquely contoured nozzle that promises to reduce frizz.

Ionic technology has been a staple in the hair tools industry for a while now, but the helios manages to outdo many of its rivals in terms of power. The motor has a wattage of 2200w – 600w higher than the Dyson – and manages to deliver a powerful yet even airflow. In layman’s terms, this means your hair is going to dry much faster than it would with most other tools, taking just a few minutes to dry mid-length styles.

While ionic hair dryers always leave your hair sleeker than non-ionic tools, we were extra impressed by the results of this one following a proper blow dry with the attachable nozzle. Even a rough dry, without the nozzle, gave high quality results. Upon launching the helios, ghd promised that it would increase shine by 30 per cent (compared to leaving your hair to air-dry). While we can’t quite assess that, there was a noticeable difference, especially on straighter hair.

However, we did find that you pay the price for such a fast-drying speed, and that’s sacrificing volume. Blow drying with a barrel brush can help you avoid flat hair.

With two different heat settings, you can avoid unnecessary heat damage from using higher temperatures than needed. While it’s capable of reaching a maximum temperature of 110C, most hair types should do fine with just the lower setting. There’s also the standard cool shot feature to set your style.

Despite being so powerful, it manages to be one of the quietest tools we’ve ever used. Ergonomically balanced, it’s comfortable in hand, and unlike ghd’s previous hair dryers, it is lightweight, weighing just 780g. With a 3m long cable, you can also forget any awkward reangling or tangling during the styling process.

Like the rest of the styling tools within the range, the ghd helios is as concerned with aesthetic as it is functionality, with five different colour options – mint, white, black, plum and blue. However, it’s worth noting that the nozzle is black no matter which one you choose, which can look jarring with the lighter shades

Motor: 1,600w
Cord length: 2.8m
Weight: 0.659 kg
Available colours: Fuchsia, nickel, white

The legend of the hair drying world took four years to develop and was definitely worth the wait.

Upon its release, beauty lovers everywhere were taken aback by its unique design – the motor is hidden inside the handle – making it much easier to use. Because the weight is redistributed to the handle, it sits comfortably in the hand and doesn’t cause any tension in your wrist.

While traditional hair dryers have a vent at the back, the Dyson has placed it on the back of the handle here. This means you can forget the dryer accidentally sucking in and burning any stray strands.

Not only does it look like something sent to us by the beauty gurus of the future, but it upped the performance standards of hair tools everywhere. As the first mainstream ionic dryer, it vastly reduced drying time. This comes down to its patented "air multiplier" technology, which produces a concentrated, high-velocity jet of air that is more powerful, but quieter than your average hair dryer.

No matter which of the three different magnetic nozzles you use – there's one for smoothing, styling and diffusing – hair takes a matter of minutes to dry and is considerably less frizzy, even after a rough dry, thanks to the use of negative ions.

To give you more control over your styling, it features three speed settings and four different heat settings – 100C, 80C, 60C and 28C. The Dyson supersonic also features intelligent heat control that regulates the temperature up to 20 times per second.

It may look intimidating, but this hair dryer weighs just 659g and is surprisingly easy to use on the go. To make it more portable, the nozzles are all detachable (and magnetic). It comes with a roomy storage case, complete with a cooling mat to avoid any accidental burns.

While there isn’t a wide range of colours to choose from – just fuchsia, nickel and white – it looks attractive enough in any shade and will make a worthy addition to your dressing table.