Ever gone to Europe and plugged in your hair dryer and ZZZZZTTT! No more hair dryer.
This is because many countries use a higher voltage than the USA, which sends an unsupportable surge of electricity into your poor little hair dryer. There is one very important function that a good travel hair dryer must have: dual voltage.
Accessories, plug adapters, and a folding handle come secondary, but dual voltage is the first thing you should look for. In this post, I’ll give you a few compact travel hair dryer options to choose from.
Related: The Best Travel Hair Products – hair dryer, hair straightener, curling iron, dry shampoo – find it all here!
This post contains affiliate links.
My Magical Travel Hair Dryer
On one of my trips to Europe, I purchased the hair dryer pictured above, hoping it would suit my needs. It’s the first travel hair dryer I’ve owned, and it completely blew my expectations away.
First of all, it has a switch to accommodate both 110 volts and 240 volts of electricity. Remember, dual voltage – the most important factor of a travel hair dryer.
Second, it folds in half, making it small and packable (perfect for carry-on packing), and comes with its own travel case. It also comes with three different plug converters! So, I can use it in the US, Europe, and Asia, which covers a great number of countries to which I travel. But it doesn’t end there!
There is one feature that I really need in a hair dryer, which is a diffuser attachment. Have you seen my medusa hair? If you don’t know what a diffuser is, it’s this thing:
A diffuser is what I use to dry my hair into its big curly waves. As a bonus, this hair dryer comes with one. Done. If you don’t need the diffuser that’s fine, just make sure the travel hair dryer you choose has the dual voltage or you won’t be able to use it abroad.
The only thing wrong with this hair dryer, and any other mini hair dryer, is the fact that it will suck your long hair into the back end of it if you aren’t careful.
Dual Voltage Travel Hair Dryer Options
I purchased my hair dryer in Europe, which I recommend you do if you’re going to be traveling or living there for a while.
If you want to buy one online, I have researched a few similar options of travel hair dryers available on Amazon:
- BaByBlissPRO Nano Hair Dryer: Nano titanium folding travel hair dryer with dual voltage.
- Hot Tools Lightweight Ionic Travel Dryer: Folding travel hair dryer with dual voltage, cool shot button, and two speed/heat settings. This is a lightweight travel size hair dryer that comes with diffuser and concentrator attachments.
- Conair Travel Hair Dryer: Simple and cheap travel blow dryer. Ultra lightweight at just one pound, this one features folding handle, short nozzle, two heats and speeds, and the all important dual voltage.
- Conair Travel Hair Dryer with Smart Voltage Technology: Advanced technology automatically detects voltage and displays it on an LED screen. This blow dryer features dual voltage, folding handle, three heat settings, two speed settings, and a cool shot button. Plus, a concentrator attachment.
- Drybar Baby Buttercup Blow Dryer: Uses ionic technology for frizz-free dry hair, features dual voltage, a folding handle, and 7-ft cord. Includes a concentrator nozzle and a travel bag. If you’re looking for an ultra-lightweight blow dryer, this one only weighs 13 ounces, making it well worth the investment.
Additionally, if you need a diffuser to dry your hair (and the travel hair dryer you choose doesn’t include one), I found this collapsible hair diffuser that won’t take up too much room in your luggage.
Can I Use a Single Voltage Hair Dryer?
If you are brave enough to use a single voltage hair dryer while you travel outside the US, you better get a converter!
A Conair Travel Smart converter is made specifically for electronics like hair dryers. Not only does it convert electricity but it will adapt to plug types worldwide as well.
Want more? Check out the rest of the great travel hair products that I pack when I travel (like the greatest non-aerosol dry shampoo ever).
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11 replies on “The Best Travel Hair Dryer (With Dual Voltage)”
[…] are brands that come with attachments such as diffuser and concentrator. Some models have a retractable cord and folding handle. Most hair dryers for […]
[…] The Best Travel Hair Dryer […]
Hi there! I’m heading to Europe in the fall and looking for a travel hair dryer to take. I have been reading lots of blogs and one thing I keep seeing is that even if the hair dryer you take is dual voltage you still can only use it on the low setting or make sure it is 1500 watts or less, otherwise it may still blow. Can you speak to this? I have seen a lot of dual voltage travel hair dryers on amazon, but I am nervous they still might not work. Do you know what wattage your hair dryer was?
Thank you!
I can’t remember the exact wattage, but I had no problems with using the dual voltage switch between the US and Europe. How long will you be in Europe? You can always buy one once you get over there if it’s worth it to you. But you should be fine as long as you remember to switch the voltage!
My Favorite is Karmin 🙂
Question! The dryer you link to on Amazon…it’s dual voltage but, unlike the Balance dryer you got, does this one need plug adapters to go with it? It looks like yours came with it but I don’t think that’s the case with the Amazon one? Although it’s dual voltage so I don’t have to worry about voltage converting, I just want to be sure i have what i need in terms of adapters to plug it in (i’ll be in Japan). I think the plug itself is a US compatible one if i’m not mistaken?
I already have a full voltage converter for other things i’m taking, like laptop, phone, camera etc, but I don’t think i can/should use that with this dryer since i just need it to fit into the wall and not convert the voltage, right?
Hope this makes sense! I just don’t want to explode, lol. Thank you – my curly hair thanks you too! 🙂
Yes. Even with the dual voltage built-in, you may still need an adapter to be able to plug it into the outlet in certain countries. Use the link in this post to see what Japan uses for outlets: https://www.thebudgetmindedtraveler.com/travel-adapter-voltage-converter/
Also – you technically don’t need a converter for iPhone, laptop, camera batteries, etc. In the same post I just linked to you can read why – they come with their own voltage converters. Let me know how it goes in Japan!
[…] Related Post: The Best Travel Hair Dryer […]
The link to Amazon doesn’t look a thing like the one in the picture. Could you provide the name of the dryer so I know I’m looking at the right one? Thank you!
Hi there- It’s because the one on Amazon isn’t the one in the picture – as you can read above: “The bad news is that I found mine in a street shop in Bulgaria, but the good news is that I found one just like it on Amazon.” The quality of the Amazon one may even be a bit better, it’s the size, accessories and the dual voltage switch that are the kickers!
I personally love my Karmin