BaByliss Hydro Fusion hair dryer review: we try the affordable tool

If you’re in the market for a new dryer, my BaByliss Hydro Fusion hair dryer review could help you decide on this reasonably priced model. A true nineties kid, BaByliss is one of those household names that many people know and love for at-home devices like hair dryers and styling tools. Its gadgets are reliable, perform well, and are accessible: no exorbitant price tags here. 

The truth is that you no longer have to spend hundreds of dollars or pounds to find one of the best hair dryers to style your hair well and care for your strands, too. The Hydro Fusion – whose almost identical US counterpart is the InfinitiPRO By Conair SmoothWrap hair dryer – features impressive technology despite having a price tag that falls way below three figures. 

To thoroughly assess its drying and styling capabilities, I put it through its paces to give you a proper rundown of how well it performs and whether or not it’s worth the investment. 

Our beauty editor's BaByliss Hydro Fusion Hair Dryer review

BaByliss Hydro Fusion Hair Dryer design

Firstly, a moment for this color scheme. The BaByliss Hydro Fusion is predominantly a calming icy blue with silver accents for the various buttons that would offend very few people. It’s very unlikely to clash with your bedroom. The attachments are black to match the handle and wire, and everything comes wrapped in paper within the box. Very pleasing for people who like things to be neatly and tidily packaged. Not only that, but everything is fully recyclable – no plastic wrap here. 

This dryer is not larger than average by any means, although today there are many smaller models on the market that lend themselves better to travel. Equally, it’s not especially light by market standards, but at 0.55kg it's nowhere near heavy enough that it’ll give you the kind of arm ache you’d expect after a body combat class at the gym. It is, however, equipped with a fairly lengthy 2.5m cable, so you shouldn’t be too restricted on where you can use it. As for its settings, there are a standard three heat settings, two speed settings, and a cool shot to work with. 

What attachments come with the Hydro Fusion?

In the BaByliss Hydro Fusion box, you’re also presented with two attachments that add to its overall value: a narrow nozzle and a diffuser. The latter scored extra points with me as this doesn't always come as standard, and many more expensive dryers require you to purchase the compatible diffuser separately. 

I have no real criticisms of the concentrated nozzle, but as someone who uses one of the best diffusers for curly hair regularly, I did immediately think to myself that the diffuser could probably do with more holes and having them smaller in size in order to disperse the air even more evenly. However, its prongs are a good length, extending well out of the “bowl”, which was a marked plus, and I was pretty optimistic about this dryer's capabilities from the get-go.

How well does the BaByliss Hydro Fusion Hair Dryer Perform?

The key bit of technology involved in the Hydro Fusion hair dryer is the Advanced Plasma Technology, essentially a dual form of ionic technology that balances moisture in the hair to help keep it soft and prevent frizzy hair. Indeed, in BaByliss' own study of 59 people conducted over two weeks, 86% of users said their hair looked less frizzy, 83% said their hair looked in better condition, and 86% said their hair felt silkier. So really, the odds were in my favor for getting on with this dryer.

The main bit of praise I have for this dryer is that it really does help to keep excess frizz to a minimum – and I say that as someone with a naturally curly hairstyle that is very prone to frizz. When I dried my hair using the concentrated nozzle it yielded a nice smooth finish, even when I dried it somewhat roughly to then style using other tools later on. 

On the other hand, when I dried my hair naturally curly with the diffuser, I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s the best combination I’ve ever used on my curls but the results were nice enough. I found that using the two together still achieved a good, frizz-free finish with a touch of added volume. It's certainly one of the best options I've tried from this price point. 

What's not good about it?

If I’m being very picky – and I should stress I care far more about how well a product performs than its design or packaging – I’d say that it’s not the most premium feeling hair dryer experience and the main body feels a little bit plasticky. But that’s hardly a dealbreaker when your main goal is to find a hair dryer that does its job well above all else.

The only other negative aspect of my BaByliss Hydro Fusion hair dryer review is that it’s quite a jump from the middle temperature setting to the highest, which is much hotter. When drying off my hair to style it straight I found that I tended to switch between the two settings, and I could perhaps have done with a happy medium between the two. In my view, neither this nor the above are all-out reasons not to buy the Hydro Fusion Hair Dryer – particularly when you consider that it costs as little as 20% of the price of many higher-end tools.

BaByliss Hydro-Fusion Hair Dryer review: my verdict

Overall, I think this is a really decent dryer, particularly when it comes to keeping frizz levels down. It's easily one of the best tools I've tried under the £75 mark, and I know of several devices that are more expensive and pale in comparison. 

There are definitely other dryers I’d rank much higher for drying my hair curly, but they can't compete with the Hydro Fusion's £60 price tag (the US’s answer, the aforementioned SmoothWrap Hair Dryer, is also accessible with an RRP of just $59.99). In fact, it’s often on sale for closer to £40, which is a steal, frankly. 

This tool really does serve as excellent supporting evidence to the argument that you don’t have to spend hundreds to get yourself a good hair dryer. I’d happily point it out to anyone looking for an affordable tool that doesn’t compromise significantly on quality.