There are many good reasons to look for a quiet hair dryer.

Drying your hair early in the morning should be entirely possible without waking the whole house. But looking at the majority of hair dryers makes you believe otherwise.

What most consumer don’t know is that seemingly harmless household appliances can contribute to hearing loss. When using loud hairdryers, probably nobody thinks about protecting their hearing.

The hair dryer’s noise level should not resemble a helicopter take-off, especially as the hair dryer is used in close vicinity to the ears. In the long run this is no good for your hearing.

Particularly people working in hair salons notice this, as hair dryer noise is what follows them all day long.

At home, a low noise level isn’t any less important. The more so if you use the hairdryer daily or very frequently.

All those who want to protect their hearing and avoid annoying noise should be on the lookout for a quiet hair dryer.

There is a plethora of different hair dryers on the market, not all of which feature a noise rating. Therefore it is important to know which factors influence the noise level of a hair dryer and what to look for in a hairdryer in general.

These models are worth considering if you are looking for a quiet hair dryer:

Comparison Chart:
5 of the most quiet hairdryers

Product/ ModelSound levelPowerTemperature and Airflow SettingsWeightFeatures /Technology
Gamma Piu Relax Silentcheck on Amazon64 dB (A)1900 W6lightweightNano Silver Technology
Velecta O/S66 dB (A)2000 W6450 g/ 15 ozIon generator
(can be switched on and off)
Valera Swiss Silent 950069 dB (A)2000 W6555 gIon generator
Parlux 385check on Amazonquiet2150 W6499 gIonic and ceramic
Dyson Supersonic Hairdryerquiet1600 W4/ 3630 gIonic Technology, Air Multiplier Technology

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Gamma Piu Relax Silent


Quiet hairdryer – only 64 dB (A)

The Gamma Piu Relax Silent is a quiet, lightweight and compact hair dryer. This hair dryer is built to achieve aerodynamically efficient air flow. The result is low-noise operation.

With its up to 1900 Watts, the hair dryer is powerful and strikes a good balance between drying efficiency and noise level.

There are 3 temperature and 2 airflow levels to choose from, as well as a cold air function. The buttons are located in the front of the handle.

The hair dryer measures just short of 21 cm in length, which makes it very handy. As a plus, the reasonable size makes the hair dryer quite light. Together with its ergonomic design, this ensures tire-free and wrist-friendly use.

This quiet hair dryer comes with two nozzles.

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Quiet hair dryer – 66 dB (A)


Velecta Paramount O/S

The Velecta Paramount O/S, which stands for Optimum Solution, is a quiet hair dryer that is hand-made in France. It is equipped with an ion generator. In contrast to other ionic hair dryers, the ionic function can be turned off.

This is especially useful as not every type of hair is suited for ionic technology. This hair dryer is perfect for all those who want to try the ionic function without being stuck with it. If the ionic function doesn’t fit your hair, turn it off and you get a regular high-quality quiet hairdryer. The Velecta Paramount is also great for being shared among several persons in a household – some may benefit from the ionic function and some may want to turn it off.

Although the hair dryer has 2000 Watts, it is pretty quiet at 66 dB (A). Furthermore it is lightweight, which makes it very comfortable to use.

There are 3 temperature and airflow settings each, the airflow switch positions being airflow off, a lighter and a stronger airflow. The switches are placed on the back of the hair dryer handle, which may be unusual. There’s also a cold air functionality.

The cord is quite long, about 10 feet, which is common for professional use.

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Valera Silent 9500 Ionic Rotocord


Quiet ionic hardryer with 69 dB (A)

Another hairdryer that leans on the quiet side is the Valera Silent 9500 Ionic Rotocord with its 69 dB (A). Despite its 2000 Watts, it still produces only relatively low noise.

The hair dryer is made in Switzerland and makes a very high quality impression. It is equipped with an ion generator that lets your hair look glossy. The ionic function can not be switched off.

There are 3 temperature levels and 2 speed levels for adjusting the airflow. Moreover there’s a cool button for cold air. The switches are located on the left side of the handle and the cold air button is located in the front. Because of the button positioning, the hair dryer is very easy to use, at least for right-handers. However, some people find the button placement a bit unusual and would prefer buttons on the front.

Furthermore, the hair dryer is light and handy. So blow-drying your hair upside down will not get too straining. Anyway, the hair dries quickly with this hair dryer.

The cord is quite long, which usually tells you that it’s a professional hair dryer. Its special feature is that it is a rotocord, i.e. the cord can be rotated by 360°. This helps to avoid cable clutter.

2 nozzles and a diffuser are included. The nozzles are narrow, as it is common in the professional field. The special feature of the Touch Me nozzle is that it stays cool, i.e. does not heat up during use. Thus, the direction of the air flow can be adjusted even during blow-drying.

Overall, the Valera Silent 9500 Ionic Rotocord is a quiet hair dryer with less than 70 dB (A). Moreover it is a convincing product in terms design, performance and accessories.

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Quiet hairdryer with ionic and ceramic technology


Parlux 385 Powerlight

The Parlux 385 Powerlight is a quiet hair dryer that is made in Italy. Due to a built-in silencer, its noise level is quite low.

The hair dryer features ionic and ceramic technology. The ionic and ceramic functionality make the hair shiny and reduce static. Furthermore, the advantage of using ceramic technology is that the hair gets dried by infrared heat, which is especially gentle to the hair.

What sets the Parlux 385 Powerlight apart from others, is that it is really lightweight in comparison. Although it is such a small hair dryer, the Parlux is very powerful. Thus, the Parlux 385 ticks all the boxes of a good travel hair dryer – lightweight, handy, powerful, compact.

The low weight also makes the Parlux perfect for all those suffering from hand and wrist conditions.

There are 4 temperature and 2 airflow speed settings, as well as a cold air function. The buttons for the heat and speed setting are positioned on the left-hand side and the cold air button sits at the front. The cord is about 9 feet long, as is common for professional use. It is quite useful when there is no power outlet in the vicinity.

Two nozzles are included.

If you want to further reduce the Parlux’ noise level, the Parlux Melody Silencer can be added. This is a clip-on device that makes the hair dryer even quieter.

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Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer


Eye-catcher – quiet high-end hair dryer

The Dyson Supersonic immediately stands out due to its exceptional and innovative design.

Whereas common hair dryers might be described as pistol-shaped, the Dyson Supersonic resembles a soap bubble wand.

Compared to regular hairdryers, the Dyson Supersonic is much quieter and the operating noise has a higher frequency than you would expect.

The hair dries very quickly with this quiet hair dryer. Ionic technology with negative ions leads to less static charge of the hair. In addition, this hair dryer seems to bring volume into the hair.

4 temperature levels and 3 airflow levels are available. There is also a cold air function. The temperature and airflow control buttons are located on the back of the handle.

Temperature sensors ensure that the heat of the selected setting remains constant. Cool touch technology keeps the surface of the nozzles cool. Thus, there is no danger to burn yourself by touching hot parts, like in many other hair dryers.

The special shape of the Dyson spares your hand and wrist from getting tired. With the engine sitting in the handle, the hair dryer has a far more favorable center of mass than found in conventional hair dryers. The weight of the hairdryer is concentrated in your hand and you do not need too much strength to hold it.

As you would expect from a premium product, the Dyson’s quality makes a very good impression.

This quiet hairdryer comes with a diffuser, a styling nozzle and a smoothing nozzle. Attaching these elements to the hair dryer is done in an unusual way – magnetically.

The cable is quite long and therefore the hairdryer is also suitable for professional use.

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How to chose a quiet hairdryer?


Sound level

Decibels – noise rating

When looking for a quiet hairdryer a low decibel level is important. But not every hairdryer manufacturer provides this value in the hairdryer’s specifications.

In general, hair dryers with a decibel level lower than 85 dB (A) should be safe for the hearing. The condition is to not be exposed to this noise level for more than 40 hours a week.

But if you are looking for one of the most quiet hairdryers on the market, the sound level should be around 60 dB (A) and below. The difference in noise level is clearly noticeable.

Power and noise

As not every hairdryer has a noise rating, you will need a rule of thumb to estimate the sound level from the available specifications.

Generally, the power of a hairdryer is one such indicator. The lower the power of a hairdryer in Watts, the lower the sound level you can expect.

Although you should keep this in mind, there are exceptions. Some very powerful hairdryers fall on the quieter side, which is due to special construction and noise-reducing technology.

Settings and sound

When choosing a quiet blow-dryer, looking for one with several different airflow settings is advisable. In that way, you can chose between various settings and gain more control over the noise level. Weaker airflow is quieter in virtually all cases.

Power

By and large you don’t need a 2300 Watts strong hairdryer to get your hair dry. Instead, what’s important is its fan and the airflow it produces.

The motor and fan must be matched in an optimal way to allow for fast blow-drying.

Most quiet hair dryers fall in the range between 1400 and 1600 Watts. But there are also hairdryers with much higher power that are quiet nonetheless.

In general, lower power is preferable, as it is not essential for efficient operation and only leads to a high power consumption and a high electricity bill.

User friendliness

Handling and ergonomics

Important factors in the choice of a quiet hair dryer are good handling and ergonomics. The perfect quiet hair dryer rests comfortably in your hand and is easy to use.

Buttons and switches are easiest to reach when they are placed in the front or on the left side of the handle. For left-handers, controls on the right hand sand are ideal. Thus they can be operated comfortably with the thumb without having to interrupt the blow-drying.

Buttons on the back of the handle are quite impractical, at least for private use. In the professional environment they make sense.

Weight

Heavy hair dryers are strenuous for longer use. The hand and ankles or even the whole arm tire when you have to hold the hairdryer for some time. This is aggravated when the shape of the hair dryer is not ergonomic. A suboptimal center of mass can make the hairdryer tilt. Ideally, the hairdryer be well balanced in your hand.

Safety

The safety of the hairdryer is another important point.

A protective grid to prevent hair getting caught in the blow-dryer is one feature a good quiet blow-dryer should be equipped with. Entangled hair is mostly results from blow-drying your hair upside down. Another reason is a grid which is not fine enough.

Ideally the hairdryer and its parts, like a diffuser, should not get hot. This minimizes the danger of burns.

Gentleness to the hair

Heat exceeding 100 °C damages your hair. Accordingly the hairdryer should not get too hot in order to prevent damage to your hair. Therefore it is helpful if your hair dryer has more than one heat setting. That way you should be able to find a pleasant and gentle temperature.

Furthermore your hair should not dry out from blow-drying. Ionic technology is considered preferable in this respect. Read more on ionic technology below.

Heating technology

Modern hairdryers use a range of different heating technologies to get your hair dry. Ionic technology is one of those. Others are the use of ceramics or tourmaline.

Some hairdryers employ only one of those types of drying technology, others combine all three.

Ionic technology

Every time you brush or wash your hair, the result is positive charge and your hair may look electrified. Ionic hairdryers emit negative ions which neutralize this effect.

Ionic technology reduces static and smooths frizzy hair. Furthermore the hair is supposed to become shiny, soft and voluminous. Thereby also the use of hair products may be reduced.

Moreover, the hair drying is said to be faster, gentler and less noisy with ionic technology.

Not all hairdryers with ionic technology, though, lead to the same good results. The hairdryer’s construction influences how efficiently the ionic technology works.

Ionic technology seems to not be equally suited for all hair types.

Fine and thin hair oftentimes lies flat, though shiny, against the head after use of an ionic hairdryer.

Ionic technology achieves the best results in thick and robust hair or in long, brittle or frizzy hair. The hair is said to become softer and silkier.

The various hair types in between can profit from ionic technology to a varying degree. Probably the only way to find out if ionic technology fits your hair type is by trying it out. Hair is very individual in this respect. In the best case you will get more beautiful and shiny hair.

Some manufacturers of hairdryers react to the problem of different hair types by producing hairdryers which can emit both negative and positive ions. You can then chose between those by the press of a button. According to these manufacturers you should take your hair type and the desired styling into consideration when choosing which ionic function to use.

Alternatively, if you are unsure about ionic technology or if you have people with different hair types in your household, you can look for a hairdryer where it is possible to turn the ionic function off.

Ceramic and tourmaline technology

Ceramic technology distributes the heat in a more even way and protects the hair from drying out. Ceramics emits infrared heat, which does not damage the hair when drying it.

Tourmaline technology also produces infrared head. In addition, negative ions are emitted. Thereby, protection of the hair and an anti-frizz effect go hand in hand.

All 3 technologies combined – ionic, ceramic and tourmaline – produce the most reliable and fast results, as the positive effects reinforce one another.