If you buy the pink version of this Helios, Platinum Plus or GHD Gold, GHD will donate part of the proceeds to breast cancer charities. Each Helios in the pink collection has the Take Control Now slogan embossed onto the side. Lighter, faster and more precise, style a breath-taking blow dry with the ghd helios™ and hold your head high with the confidence of a Queen. This professional ghd hair dryer is fitted with unique Aeroprecis™ technology, a combination of four advanced internal elements to deliver a highly concentrated airflow, so you can enjoy precise styling control and fashion the salon-quality blow dry of your dreams. Technology that cares for your hair's health is very beneficial, while multiple speed and heat settings, including a cool shot, are key for styling, says ghd's Global Ambassador Adam Reed. "Dry your hair on a low heat and only use the hotter setting for the finishing touches, Once you're done styling, seal the hair using the cool setting for a super smooth look." Extra attachments, like narrow nozzles or the best diffusers and comb attachments, are also pro points.

In general, a higher wattage indicates a more powerful and effective dryer. Hair salons will typically use dryers with 2,000W motors and above, allowing experienced stylists to blow-dry efficiently. However, like many salon products, these powerful tools are best left in the hands of professionals who know how to wield them safely. At-home hair dryers usually fall in the 1,000W-1,600W range. When testing, we time the speed of drying from freshly washed hair to fully dry (noting the hair length and texture we test on); and evaluate the overall ease of use, noise, and the finish and feel of the hair after drying. Using equipment such as anemometers, infrared heat sensors and sound level meters allows us to directly compare the speed, heat and noise levels of different dryers. We also note how well curls, waves and straight styles last in a typical day of wear. Finally, we confirm the weight and dimensions of the tool.

The verdict: Which should you buy?

Instead of straight, flat edges, the edges of the holes on the grille are concave. This helps reduce the level of noise and volume created by the Helios. It most definitely makes a noticeable difference to the volume of the GHD Helios.

The Dyson may have been the reigning champion of the hair dryer world for four years now, but ghd is the first competitor worthy of the title. Admittedly, the ghd helios is less sophisticated than the Dyson supersonic. The latter features small touches that improve your hair dryer in ways you didn’t know you needed, such as redistributing the weight to the handle and relocating the vent. Ask any parent and they'll agree that drying a child's hair can be a tear-soaked, frustration-filled challenge. Cleverly, the Panasonic EH-NA67 Enrich + Family Care dryer aims to nix this with a light, ultra-gentle drying experience that prevents painful, hair-damaging hotspots.The Helios also impresses with its sleek, lightweight design. Weighing just 510g, it’s 20% lighter than its predecessor, the GHD Air, and is designed for comfortable, balanced handling. This user-friendly aspect is complemented by its four chic two-tone colourways, adding a touch of elegance to your styling routine​​. Also, consider whether you want a hair dryer that has ‘iconic technology’. These hair dryers usually feature tourmaline elements, and as we’ve already mentioned release negative ions to speed up evaporation and reduce flyaway strands, but some will also eject positive ions that can be used to boost the volume at the roots of the hair.

By increasing the power and concentration of the airflow, it also reduces the need for more heat. This is better for the environment and your hair. Plus, the reduction in turbulence coupled with ionic technology is what reduces the amount of frizz and flyaways. To achieve a salon-worthy finish, the ghd air® hair dryer is the perfect addition to your tool kit. This professional hair dryer has a powerful 2,100W motor for faster styling, so you have more time to conquer the world. Lightweight and ergonomically balanced, this professional hair dryer is an everyday styling essential. The design of the GHD Helios and GHD Air is remarkably similar, from the location and design of the power, heat and cold shot buttons (a literal copy and paste job from the GHD Air) to the overall shape, the branded grille and the metal that sweeps around the rear of the dryer. Yet instead of looking like siblings, the two dryers are more like cousins. The GHD Air is now 10 years old and in terms of performance, the signs of ageing were starting to show. Take your blow-dry to a new level with the ghd helios™. Launched in 2020, our most premium hair dryer has already received 10 awards to date, including the Allure Best of Beauty Award for Best Hair Dryer.Depending on how hot the dryer gets this could cause unnecessary damage. GHD Helios technology: Why is it so good?

The Supersonic creates smooth, shiny styles and dried our hair superfast. This is the ultimate combination of quietness, speed and hair-drying finesse. The lengthy cable, non-slip mat and beautifully crafted leather case help seal the deal. Luxury blow dry bar chain Drybar also sells a range of salon-quality tools for at-home styling, many of which we’ve tried and found to be excellent (see our guide to the best hair dryer brushes for another one of our faves). Among them is the Buttercup Dryer, a reasonably light model that, despite this, still feels like a well-made, ergonomic, professional tool. It is however the most stylish of the bunch, and performance is a distinct step up from both the Air and the Nanoe. In fact, we’d say it’s the first hair dryer to rival the Dyson Supersonic for sheer drying power – and that’s an impressive feat. At this price, you really only have two dryers to choose from – and they both happen to be sold by GHD. In just one minute and six seconds, our hair went from wet out of the shower to dry. This is a minute faster than the Supersonic, which itself is a minute faster than the competition. It was slightly slower at drying our hair after a swim – 1 minute and 50 seconds. By comparison, the GHD Air took a little under four minutes for the latter. What’s more, despite this test only rough drying our hair, we didn’t feel the need to use straighteners to complete the look and smooth flyaways. A rarity.

It’s up there as one of our favourites – but GHD’s rivals have been hot on its heels in recent years. Developed by ghd's leading engineers, physicists and styling professionals, the ghd helios™ delivers salon-smooth results and 30% more shine*. Featuring bespoke Aeroprecis™ technology, combining internal aerodynamics and a contoured nozzle to concentrate the powerful airflow, this professional ghd hair dryer delivers precise styling control. The longer-life, brushless DC motor creates a powerful airflow of 120kmph, while the unique acoustic technology system ensures low sound levels whilst styling.