Our contributing beauty ed's Bellissima Italia B-Travel Dryer review: how does this portable tool stack up?

If you’ve ever experienced the (often terrible) results of a hotel-provided hair dryer, you’re probably here because you’ve vowed never to be without a good one while travelling. To help you on your way to finding a portable alternative, this Bellissima Italia B-Travel Hair Dryer is going to put you on to a great one.

Though it’s not as synonymous with haircare tools as, say, big players like ghd and BaByliss, Bellissima Italia is a brand worthy of your attention. Arguably its most famous product is the all-in-one dryer and diffuser, a pretty and travel-friendly hair drying tools – but it also makes a contender for one of the best travel dryers, too.

So, how does its travel dryer stack up against its competitors? Drawing on my experience as a beauty editor who has tested most of the options on the UK market, ahead I’ve shared my in-depth review of this foldable dryer’s designs and capabilities.

Our contributing beauty editor's full Bellissima Italia B-Travel Hair Dryer review

Our first impressions of the Bellissima Italia B-Travel Hair Dryer

The Bellissima Italia B-Travel Hair Dryer’s packaging is barely bigger than a shoebox; inside you’ll find the dryer folded inside its carry case. The whole thing is nice and compact. Size-wise, it’s just 21cm long – larger than the tiny Amika Mighty Mini Dryer, but still won’t take up much space in a holdall.

I’ll admit, the metallic case isn’t to my personal taste and doesn’t feel the most premium; a little at odds with the chic black-and-gold tool itself. But given that there are other travel dryers that cost more and don’t come with this handy add-on, it’s hardly a major sticking point. Plus, there’d be room to squeeze a couple of mini hairstyling products in there. All in all, my first impressions of this sturdy little travel dryer were pretty good.

How does the Bellissima Italia B-Travel Hair Dryer perform?

My hair is medium to fine in terms of thickness and I have a lot of it, but this dryer managed to dry my hair fairly quickly by my standards. It’s worth flagging here that I never really style my hair with a hair dryer alone. Rough drying my curly hair just creates unwanted additional volume and frizz, and I don’t have the skills of a hairdresser to use a separate brush and create a smooth, well-styled blow dry. I’d always have to follow with something like the best hair straighteners to get results that I like. Otherwise, I’m a 2-in-1 dryer and styler woman.

That said, I was genuinely impressed by the smooth finish this Bellissima model created in my hair, especially given its texture. My strands were left feeling soft and, thanks to the concentrator nozzle, wasn’t fluffed around too much. This attachment is also nice and narrow, adding to that level of control. I’d happily take this dryer abroad where I couldn’t use my trusted Dyson Airstrait (which can’t be used with a travel adapter and doesn’t have dual voltage) – though I would feel the need to straighten it.

How does the Bellissima Italia B-Travel Hair Dryer compare?

Travel hair dryers tend to be smaller by design, as well as packing less power in order to work across different voltages. As travel dryers go, Bellissima Italia’s is pretty good at 1400w, matching that of the ghd Flight+ Travel Hair Dryer and outperforming Amika’s. More powerful options exist, like the Drybar Baby Buttercup Dryer, but they’re significantly more pricey.

I’ve mentioned already that the case doesn’t feel super luxurious; the one that comes with ghd’s feels more sturdy and premium, for example. But, again, given that these price tags are often significantly more than this Belissima model’s, you’re getting a pretty good deal here.

Should you buy the Bellissima Italia B-Travel Hair Dryer?

If you always diffuse your hair and can spend a little more, the all-in-one Diffon Dryer would probably be a better match for any trips that wouldn’t require dual voltage. Otherwise, this compact dryer is up there with the best. As for why you should choose this dryer specifically, if your hair is frizz-prone and you don’t love the thought of a travel dryer but want to take a punt at one for holiday drying, I think this will give you one of your best chances for attaining that smoother finish. And for £49.99, it’s incredibly reasonably priced as travel dryers go.