Föhn is not Föhn. Five out of 14 devices failed with “inadequate”. At the top is the super hair dryer from Dyson for a proud 430 euros. But there are other good devices for far less money.
Surprise at Stiftung Warentest: When it comes to hair dryers, the most expensive device is sometimes the best. That doesn’t happen that often. Dyson’s Supersonic hair dryer wins the test – a hair-raising price of 430 euros is being asked for. Fortunately, there are also much cheaper devices – you can get one for around 20 euros. And there are also inadequate hair dryers – including a branded hair dryer for at least 150 euros.
You can view the complete test here for a fee.
In addition to the usual safety checks by the testers, hairdressers also put their hands on the test candidates. They use the devices in practice and see how quickly the hair dries and how smoothly it combs with the hair dryer. The surprise: If it had only been about hairdressing, all devices would have received a good grade. With gradations, but still close together. When it comes to hairdressing, the test winner is only just ahead of the cheap device. Some blow dryers have had trouble blowing out cold air, but many customers don’t use this “special feature” for setting curls.
Devices do not withstand long loads
Ultimately, the stress test resulted in only good devices and failures. Five times deficient in 14 subjects is a bad rate. It’s the fault of the electrics. The devices either burned out in the endurance test or the cables began to crumble. The 230 volt cable must be a little more resilient than other consumers. On the one hand, the cable must be able to withstand heat well if the hair dryer is put down incorrectly and heat up its own connection, on the other hand the cable should be as smooth-running and flexible as possible so that it does not hinder styling. When buying, you should generally pay attention to a long cable and also to the weight of the hair dryer. The cable lengths sound impressive and are certainly always sufficient when the socket is near the mirror. If only one floor socket is available, about 165 centimeters are very short.
Tips from the expert
The absolute Oberfoehn is the device from Dyson. Similar to the company’s vacuums, the Supersonic comes with a whole battery of attachments. For wild styling, for gentle breezes and much more. There is a top grade of 1.7 for this. The already mentioned Koenic KHD 4221 AC comes with a straight two (2.0) for 23 euros. The Koenic achieved a 2.0 in the sub-item “Hairing” and was narrowly beaten by the Dyson (1.9). The second-placed device is the Panasonic EH-NA63CN825. In the “Handling” section, it received the top value: 1.6. The overall score of 1.8 is only slightly behind the Dyson. The Panasonic hair dryer costs 89 euros. In third place is the hair dryer Philips BHD510/00 5000 series. Note 1.8 and 50 euros.
In addition to the test, the hairdresser Melisa Arslan gives hair dryer tips in the magazine. She reveals how dry the hair should be before you start styling (80 percent) and explains why the round brush is the most important tool.
The test makes it easy for customers: there are good devices in every price range. The “bling bling” factor is greatest with the Dyson. The Dyson is also the best device, but it just doesn’t do any classes better.
This article contains so-called affiliate links. There is more information here.
