It's very easy these days to go out and pick up a new hairdryer and still come home with change from €20, but if you want to make sure you're getting a dryer that will be good to your hair, you may want to consider the following points:
Power
The wattage of the dryer is what really helps to dry your hair quickly, not the heat. And the higher the wattage, the quicker it will dry your hair and the less time you will be exposing your hair to heat. Look for something with at least 2000w.
Heat settings
Variable heat settings are a bonus because they give you the control over how hot or cool the air is. Good dryers usually have at least 3 settings - low, medium and high (as well as 3 power settings). The cool shot button is also a useful function - blasting your hair with cold air once it is dry helps to set the style so your hard work is not undone in minutes.
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Attachments
You don't really need a whole lot of bells and whistles here, but a nozzle to direct the air when drying hair straight and a diffuser for drying wavy hair are vital attachments to look out for when purchasing a dryer.
Fancy technology
Dryers with nourishing systems or ionic technology built in do sound good, but in the long run I prefer a good quality standard hairdryer and a separate styling/protection product for your hair. The hair protection systems included with some dryers may go some way to protecting your hair, but they can also leave it limp and hard to style, so I think it makes more sense to customise the hair protection products you use to your own needs, rather than going for a product with a built-in system which may not be suitable for your hair type.
Price
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Generally, spending more on something like a hairdryer means you are getting something better. You don't have to spend the earth, but do think about trying salon supply stores for a salon brand dryer, which give you great performance and are built to last. I have a Parlux brand dryer which I got around 8 years ago from a salon supply store and have been using every 2 days ever since and I have had not one problem with it. Well worth the difference in price between that model and the previous dryer I bought in Boots which died after 2 years.
