When it comes to maintaining your hair, whether it is straightened or natural, you need to have the right tools. A hooded dryer is the most efficient and healthy way of keeping your hair dry. However, there is a difference between the soft hood types and the hard hat. Furthermore, your hair type will determine the type of hooded dryer you use.
In this article, we will review the top 5 hooded dryers for black hair:
- Laila Ali LADR5604 Ionic Soft Bonnet Dryer
- Hair Flair Deluxe Softhood Bonnet Hair Dryer Attachment
- Beautyours Safety Portable Hair Dryer
- Conair Pro Styler Bonnet Hair Dryer
- Gold ‘N Hot Professional Ionic Stand Bonnet Hair Dryer
Before that, however, let us analyze some of the things you should know when planning to buy a hooded dryer.
How to use a hooded dryer
- Step 1- Wash your hair thoroughly using your favorite shampoo and conditioner.
- Step 2- Rinse the shampoo and conditioner off using warm water. This will protect your hair against breakage.
- Step 3- Dry your hair gently with a clean towel. Cotton towels are the best option because they are soft to the hair.
Note/ Do not wipe the water drops roughly from your hair because it may cause more harm than good to it.
- Step 4- Divide your hair into smaller sections for simpler drying.
- Step 5- Begin the hair drying process. You can sit or stand depending on the hooded dryer you have. Increase the temperatures gradually.
- Step 6- For the best results, reduce the dryer’s power bit by bit.
- Step 7- Cool your hair so it can become soft and have a shiny look.
The benefits of using a hooded dryer for your hair
- It helps your hair absorb essential nutrients obtained from the conditioner applied.
- It helps to remove white flecks in the hair.
- It produces amazing ‘wet set’ styles for your hair. This is because the hooded dryer will quickly dry your hair.
- It does not emit direct heat to your hair, which could damage it.
- Hooded dryers take a shorter time to dry your African American hair.
- Another interesting fact about hooded dryers is that you can easily multitask as your hair is being dried.
How to improve the results on your hair after using a hooded dryer
- Use a heat protectant for your hair. This is not to protect your hair against heat but to help repair any hair damage present.
- Get yourself an ear protector, especially if you are using a hard hat dryer that is characterized by high temperatures.
- Alternatively, you could opt for a UV shield that will deflect the heat away from your face, ears as well as neck.
Features to consider when buying a hooded dryer for African American hair
If you are planning to buy a hooded dryer for your African American hair, you should take the following factors into account:
Wattage
Different types of hair require varying temperature levels for proper drying. A great wattage and your ability to regulate the temperature will help you attain the best styling results. If you get a soft hood, it should support a wattage of between 500 and 800 watts. The hard hats, on the other hand, should have a wattage of between 1200 and 1900 watts.
Ionic hair
A hooded dryer should allow the flow of negative ions that are essential for a healthy hair growth. It will break up the water molecules fast for your hair to dry up quickly. The negative ions will also close up your cuticle while giving the hair that shiny look you are looking for.
Heat and speed functions
The settings of heat and speed on the hooded dryer should be accommodative. High and medium functions are ideal for natural African American hair, especially if it is thick and a bit coarse. If you have relaxed your hair, you should go for low speed and heat levels.
Cool shot
Any hair needs not over dry. As such, you should always look out for a cool shot facility when buying a hooded dryer. This way, when your hair is almost dry, you can switch off the hot air flow and allow a cool shot to do its thing.
Our Picks For The Top 5 hooded dryers for African American hair
What Makes a Good Curling Iron for Thick Hair?
Curling irons for thick hair must have a high-temperature setting (heat up to at least 400F) to hold thick hair into curls all-day if not for a few days!
The best curling irons for thick hair use an advanced ionic or infrared technology to reduce frizz and keep your hair moisturized.
What size barrel is best for thick hair?
For thick hair, a curling iron with a barrel sized 1.5 inches is the most suitable option for everyday use.
Depending on your desired hairstyle, you can section your hair into smaller or thicker sections to create both tight and loose curls.
How do you make curls last all day with thick hair?
Use a mousse and heat protectant before you blow-dry in order to give the hair more hold. Prepping with a setting spray is also great for locking in your curls. Many of them offer heat protection, too!
Laila Ali LADR5604 Ionic Soft Bonnet Dryer
The Laila Ali hooded dryer comes with a soft hood that is purple with a white bonnet. It uses ion infused hair flow that helps to process chemicals as well as conditioners. It will also give your hair ample drying time, especially if you have roller sets or braided hair.
It has multiple heat settings – high to low, that you can utilize for different hair types. The bonnet is large and allows for adjustability depending on your needs.
Ratings:
Ease Of Use – 5
Durability – 4
Heat Output – 4
Price – 4
Options – 4
Power – 5
Pros
- It is easy to assemble and use.
- It is compact, which makes it highly portable and easy to store.
- It dries your African American hair within 20 minutes.
- It is highly versatile as you can use it for styling, setting, treating your hair etc.
Cons
- Some users argue that if you use the high heat option, some plastic parts may begin to melt.
Hair Flair Deluxe Softhood Bonnet Hair Dryer Attachment
This pink soft hood dryer is a women’s favorite because its design features an adjustable chin strap that holds it in place. You can use the strap alongside the side-fitting drawstring to ensure that the hood stays in place all through. The hood is also large enough to fit your hair properly even when it has rollers, curlers, or other items.
The Hair Flair Deluxe Softhood for African American hair is made with over 120 ventilation holes that allow the hot hair to flow as it is evenly distributed in the hair. It has a 39-inch hose pipe that lets you multitask as your hair is drying.
Ratings:
Ease Of Use – 4.9
Durability – 4.6
Heat Output – 4.7
Price – 4.2
Options (settings) – 4.4
Power – 4.8
Pros
- It is a highly convenient way of drying your hair.
- The material used is soft for comfort and strong for durability.
Cons
- It has limited uses; you cannot use it to dry your hair if you want it to look naturally dried since it is not a diffuser.
Beautyours Safety Portable Hair Dryer
Beautyours Safety Portable Hair Dryer has a bonnet attachment that is perfect for styling. It comes in a deep pink color that is adorable. It is highly versatile since you can use it for conditioning, treatment, with curl formers, and with rollers. Moreover, it has a large hood capacity to fit the latter items when setting your hair.
It has an adjustable chin strap that gives you a proper fit. This is complemented by the side drawstrings that help it stay securely in place. It also has multiple heat settings.
Ratings:
Ease Of Use – 5
Durability – 3
Heat Output – 4
Price – 4
Options (settings) – 4
Power – 5
Pros
- It is lightweight and comfy, which means you can multitask with it.
- It is convenient for multiple hair drying options.
Cons
- Some users feel that the hair dryer opening could have been a little bigger for proper fit.
Conair Pro Styler Bonnet Hair Dryer
If you want a hooded dryer that will look stylish in your home, then this might just be the best brand. It comes in white, a color that gives it a luxurious look. For powerful hair drying, you can rely on its 1875 watts. It has an extremely large hood that provides room for jumbo rollers if used to set hair.
The Conair Pro Styler Bonnet Hair Dryer also provides various airflow settings to ensure you are absolutely comfortable as you style your hair. What’s more, it is designed to facilitate an even airflow that will distribute heat as needed. The hard hat dryer has a 6-foot cord that is stored at the base. This allows you to set it wherever you want.
Furthermore, it has 2 heat and speed settings that will accommodate the needs of a variety of users.
Ratings:
Ease Of Use – 5
Durability – 3
Heat Output – 4
Price – 4
Options (settings) – 4
Power – 5
Pros
- It has a carry handle that makes it highly portable.
Cons
- It does not allow you to adjust its height up or down.
Gold ‘N Hot Professional Ionic Stand Bonnet Hair DryerÂ
The Gold ‘N Hot Professional Ionic Stand Bonnet Hair Dryer comes with 1875 watts of power so that your hair is completely dry. It features an ionic function for versatility. This way, the hair results obtained will match those of a professional salon. It has two switches; one is a timer and the other one is a temperature indicator. It has an opening hood for ease of use and 2-speed switches.
Ratings:
Ease Of Use – 5
Durability – 4
Heat Output – 5
Price – 3
Options – 4
Power – 5
Pros
- Its height is adjustable to accommodate a variety of users.
- It is equipped with transport wheels that allow you to move it around easily.
- The hair drying time using this hard hooded dryer is fast.
Cons
- Some users argue that the hood sucks air upwards, implying that it is not ideal for curly hair since it tends to enhance its volume.
Final verdict
Of the above 5 hooded dryers for African American hair, we must admit that Laila Ali LADR5604 Ionic Soft Bonnet Dryer won our hearts. It has a long hose that makes it convenient to use since you can multitask using it. Its design features more than 120 ventilation holes that ensure the heat is distributed evenly throughout your hair for fast and efficient drying. It also has an adjustable chin strap for a better fit and a hood that has a large capacity. It has varying heat settings so you can use high, medium, or low levels as desired. It is a perfect hooded dryer for styling, treating, and conditioning your hair.