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Travel hair dryers are tiny devices with big dreams. Generally they're lighter than their at-home counterparts, have less power, less bells and whistles, and run on the cheaper side, but they're travelling the world baby!
We break down the specs on a range of travel hair dryers in Australia to pick best overall option, and compare the pros and cons of the cheap ones.
Hair dryer | Hair dryer | Price range | Dual voltage | Wattage | Rating | Retailers | |
| Anko Travel Hair Dryer |  |
From$15
|
 | 1600W | 
| Find it at Kmart | Find it at Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiffany THD12 Travel Hair Dryer |  |
From$25.20
|
 | 1200W | 
| Find it at Big W | Find it at Catch |
| GHD Flight+ Travel Hair Dryer |  |
From$150
|
| 1400W | 
| Find it at GHD | Find it on Amazon |
| Remington Jet Setter Travel Hair Dryer |  |
From$19
|
| 2000W | 
| Find it at SSS Hair | Find it on Amazon |
| VS Sassoon Pocket Rocket Mini Dryer |  |
From$19
|
| 1200W | 
| Find it from The Good Guys | Find it from Myer |
| Baybliss Pro Bambino Travel Hair Dryer |  |
From$48.50
|
| 1200W |
| Find it from SSS Hair | Find it from Amazon |
| Fusion Big Shot Travel Dryer |  |
From$23.95
|
| 1100W |
| Find it from Kogan | Find it from OZ Hair and Beauty |
Since a travel hair dryer is so much lighter on features than your usual hair dryer, it is worth considering how much you really want to pay for it. Generally they're cheaper, but prices can get up to $150, so establish your budget first.
We weigh our scores based on the price in $25 increments; if a $20 hair dryer has the same features as a $40 dryer, then the $20 one will have a higher score.
Luggage surcharges are real, so if you're looking to trim off some extra weight you'll want to prioritise a light hair dryer. With this considered, we score lighter travel dryers higher in our methodology.
Arguably the main purpose of a travel hair dryer is to have one that works no matter where you go. Most continents use 220-240V in their sockets, but the USA and some South American countries use 110-120V.
Using high voltage appliances in low voltage plugs is generally okay, but switched the other way can fry your device.
Wattage indicates how powerful a hair dryer is. Usually travel dryers have a low wattage, meaning they will have slower airflow and lower heat. For those with naturally fine, straight hair, these low settings might actually be better for your hair, but people with coarse or curly hair may find them underwhelming.
It shouldn't be too surprising that the most expensive option for travel hair dryers ends up being the best pick. GHD Flight+ Travel Hair Dryer has the basics of every other travel hair dryer worth considering; a relatively low weight, a good wattage balance, and dual voltage.
What sets it apart is that it actually takes hair health into consideration. Equipped with ceramic and ionic heating elements, the GHD adds an extra layer of heat protection that many of the cheaper options leave out. The manufacturer also takes the time to note the maximum air temperature of the device, something that no other travel dryer we looked at does. 65°C is low enough to use even if you've forgotten your heat protectant.
Of course you'll be paying a good chunk more for this, but if you're a frequent traveller than your hair will thank you for the investment.
Our top picks for cheap travel hair dryers all have one thing in common - a dual voltage switch. There are a bunch of other cheap options in our comparison table that don't have this feature, and frankly it makes them hard to recommend. Anko, Remington, and Baybliss all have reasonably priced devices that will work no matter where you are in the world.
Out of these the Baybliss Pro Bambino stands out the most due to its super lightweight design, and its inclusion of negative ionic technology. The downside is that it doesn't fold down, and has a lower wattage than the rest. This lower wattage should be fine for most hair types, but if you've got curly or coarse hair then the Remington may be a better point of call.
With 2000W of power, the Remington Jet Setter is a bit too powerful than we would recommend for most people - hence its lower score. However, if you have hair that needs higher heats then it will likely be a better option. At 444g it isn't the lightest travel dryer, but it will probably still use up less of your baggage allowance than your home hair dryer.
Of course if price is your main consideration, you can't go past a good Kmart find. The Anko Travel Hair Dryer mostly loses out due to having no ceramic heating elements, and Kmart not disclosing the weight of the device. Generally Anko products are quite heavy (think 1kg for a normal hair dryer heavy), so we would expect that this is the same deal. Without a ceramic element it will also be harsher on your hair. Still if you've got naturally straight hair and are looking to save some money, this will be the best cheap option for you.
Travel hair dryers ideally have a dual voltage switch but depending on where you are travelling to, you might not even need to switch up the voltage. The Americas, some cruise ships, and Antarctica use 120V, but the rest of the world operates on 220-240V. Chances are that your hair dryer is good to go in most place.
We've compiled the voltage for each continent below to help you figure out if buying a new device is even neccessary.
Europe: 220V
Africa: 230V
USA: 120V
South America: 120-220V - check destination
Asia (including India): 220-240V
Australia: 230V
Antarctica: 120V
Cruise ship: 110V - 230V - check
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