ghd Helios Hair Dryer Review: Speedy, Sleek Blowouts

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Overview

ghd made its name with flat irons, and the Helios, launched in 2020, is its full-size dryer for fast, sleek blow-dries at home. A brushless motor pushes air at 75 mph through a slim contoured nozzle.

Speed is what sets it apart. TechRadar’s UK review of the 2,200W version recorded wet hair going to dry in 1 minute 6 seconds, a full minute faster than the Dyson Supersonic, the site’s previous record holder. The US model runs at 1,875W, and we found no published drying time for it, so treat that figure as the UK version’s result.

Key Specifications

ghd Helios Hair Dryer Drying Speed and Finish

Every hands-on report we read found it dries hair quickly. Real Homes’ reviewer, testing the UK version on thick hair past shoulder length, got it dry to the touch in under a minute, against a good few minutes normally. The Daily Beast’s writer, who has curly, frizzy hair and uses the US model, found the airflow cleared wet hair quickly before frizz set in. TechRadar’s list of the best dryers still calls it the fastest it has tested and recommends it for thick hair.

The finish is the other half of its reputation: testers came away with smooth, shiny hair and very few flyaways. ghd’s own headline claim of 30% more shine is measured against naturally dried hair in its 2019 testing, not against other dryers, so it tells you less than the hands-on reports do.

Results on fine hair are mixed. Expert Reviews’ tester, who has fine hair, found the price of that shine was a lack of volume and movement, and was disappointed by how flat it came out. The Daily Beast’s writer, also fine-haired and finishing with a round brush, found sections came out shinier and bouncier than with the old dryer, and Woman & Home names it its top dryer for fine hair. If you rely on a blow-dry for lift, a round brush is the tool to pair it with: ghd’s own tip for more volume is to dry small sections with the brush held horizontally.

Controls, Nozzle and Attachments

There is one switch for heat, one for speed and a cool shot button. Most testers, The Daily Beast on the US model among them, describe two heat settings and two speeds; Real Homes lists three of each in one place but two temperatures in another, and ghd’s US page only calls them variable. TechRadar ranks the Helios second behind the T3 AireLuxe, which has five temperatures and a volume boost switch.

Testers split on the cool shot. Expert Reviews found it not much cooler than the lowest heat setting unless held for a few seconds, with the button awkwardly placed at the top of the handle; Woman & Home rated the cool setting and found it added shine. Curly-haired buyers should budget for an extra: ghd suggests its diffuser for curly or natural hair, yet only one nozzle, the slim contoured concentrator, comes in the box, and the diffuser, comb nozzle and wide styling nozzle are sold separately.

Comfort, Noise and Warranty

Testers found it well balanced in the hand, though it isn’t the lightest full-size dryer. Real Homes’ reviewer noticed the weight on first pick-up but not while drying, and Woman & Home puts it about 100-200g heavier than lighter luxury models, which it reckons most people won’t notice unless they have very thick, long hair. The Daily Beast’s writer found it lighter and quieter than the dryer it replaced.

Several testers found it quieter than many rival dryers, and TechRadar’s decibel meter put the UK version two decibels below ghd’s older Air, though Woman & Home’s best-dryers guide found it noisier than the Dyson. The 9 ft cord reaches a mirror away from the outlet. It is not universal voltage, so it isn’t a travel dryer; ghd’s Flight+ is the model that switches between 120V and 240V.

ghd covers consumer buyers for 2 years. Its warranty page says a claim needs the tag on the cable and proof of purchase from an authorized retailer, that ghd replaces products within warranty rather than repairing them, and that owners pay to ship the dryer to its New Jersey warehouse.

How Does It Stack Up Against the Competition?

The Helios is up against the T3 AireLuxe at a similar tier, and two step-ups: Dyson’s sensor-led Supersonic Nural and ghd’s own newer Speed.

ghd Helios Hair Dryer: Worth It for Fast, Sleek Blowouts

If your routine is a quick dry and a smooth finish most mornings, especially with thick hair, the Helios does that job well with nothing to set up. You get a fast dryer with a long cord and a two-year warranty, and you don’t pay for sensors you won’t use.

Look elsewhere if you want fine-tuning or more in the box. The T3 AireLuxe adds five heat settings, a volume boost switch and a second nozzle. The Dyson Supersonic Nural can turn its heat down automatically as it nears your scalp and ships with five attachments, a diffuser among them. ghd’s own Speed adds four heat and four speed settings and a cool outer layer of air around the heated stream. If you have fine hair and blow-dry for volume, weigh Expert Reviews’ flat result against The Daily Beast’s bouncier one.

GuideBest Hair Dryers of 2026: One Pick for Each Kind of RoutineRead the Guide →

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Sarah MitchellSenior Editor 𝕏 Ⓟ in

Sarah has spent more than a few decades — she's not saying how many — in home design, with a sharp eye for products that deliver real quality without the inflated price tag. Her passion is finding the hidden gem that makes everyday life genuinely better.

How this was made: Built from the 13 sources listed above, including TechRadar, Expert Reviews and Woman & Home. AI drafts written to our editorial research and citation standards, then checked claim by claim against those sources by a separate AI fact-checker. We haven’t tested this product ourselves. How we review →