Are you gearing up for that long-awaited vacation? Don’t forget to pack the perfect travel hair dryer for the perfect travel hair. But with so many options on the market, how can you choose the best one?
Since you’ve been busy planning your trip, we’ve been busy finding the best travel hair dryers on the market for your personal needs. Read more below to find the perfect travel hair dryer for your luscious locks!
- How to Choose the Best Travel Hair Dryer
- Top 10 Best Travel Hair Dryers 2026
- 1. Best Overall Pick: Conair Compact Hair Dryer
- 2. Best Budget Pick: Revlon Compact Travel Hair Dryer
- 3. Best Premium Pick: BaBylissPRO TT Tourmaline Titanium Travel Dryer
- 4. Andis Fold-N-Go Ionic Hair Dryer
- 5. Conair Compact Travel Hair Dryer
- 6. BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Travel Dryer
- 7. Conair miniPRO Tourmaline Ceramic Travel Hair Dryer
- 8. Conair Cord Keeper Hair Dryer
- 9. Conair Worldwide Travel Hair Dryer
- 10. ZOOMMATE Mini Travel Hair Dryer
- Guide to Buying the Best Travel Hair Dryer for 2026
- Final Thoughts
How to Choose the Best Travel Hair Dryer
With limited suitcase or backpack space, size is a HUGE factor. You don’t want to choose between your favorite shoes and silky smooth hair, do you? So leave your regular hairdryer at home and find one that’s portable enough to get the job done without being a hassle to take along. Here is what we considered when deciding which travel hair dryers to recommend.
Size
When it comes to travel hair dryers, the smaller the size, the better the fit. Even a few inches is important because those inches could mean the difference between packing a dryer in your suitcase or going without. No one wants to have to rely on hotels for their hair-drying needs as they travel the globe.
Travel hair dryers come in a range of shapes and sizes. Backpacking around Europe for a month likely requires a smaller, more compact hairdryer. However, you could pack a larger dryer if you’re spending a week at a resort and bringing two large suitcases.
Weight
The difference between a little less than a pound and a little more than a pound doesn’t sound like much. But if you have thick hair that takes a while to dry, you’ll most certainly notice that extra weight. Hello arm fatigue! The last thing you’ll want is half-dried hair in your travel photos. So, either hit up the gym before your trip, or make sure you consider the weight of your travel hairdryer.
Cord Length
Not all hotels or Airbnb’s have convenient electric sockets near the bathroom mirror. To ensure you can see what you’re doing while doing your ‘do, you’ll want to ensure you have a decent cord length–at least five or six feet. It’s even better if you can find a travel hair dryer with a retractable cord. That little feature is a sweet space saver.
Foldable Handle
One way to save space in a suitcase is to eliminate odd-shaped objects. A hairdryer is definitely an odd shape. To avoid this problem, look for travel hair dryers that have a foldable handle. By folding the handle, the hairdryer forms a nice compact item to shove into any remaining space. So, of course, all of the travel hair dryers on our list have foldable handles.
Drying Power
Some hair dryers pack more punch than others. If your hairdresser frequently says “You have such thick hair!” then you’re going to want more power. The higher the listed watts on the dryer, the more powerful it is. Most travel hair dryers are 1000, 1200, 1600, or 1875 watts.
Materials
Hair dryers don’t just blow hot air. They use specific materials that can turn your hair from frizz to fab. Here’s where personalization really matters. You’ll want to select your hair dryer based on your hair type.
Hair dryers might use ionic technology, ceramics, tourmaline, or titanium. Read about the materials in our full buyer’s guide, and don’t fall for the marketing hype you see.
In general, ceramic hair dryers are great for most hair types, but splurge on tourmaline if you can. If you have thick hair that can withstand high heat, you might want to opt for lightweight titanium.
Variable Heat/Speed Settings
The majority of travel hair dryers have two heat and speed settings, low and high. Sometimes though, you’ll be treated to three heat and speed choices, or even a cool shot button. The cool shot button, often used at the end of a blow-dry, provides air without any heat to help lock in the style you just meticulously created.
Dual Voltage Setting for Worldwide Travel
You’ll have enough to keep in mind while traveling. Where’s my passport? Do I have the right type of money? Wait, which side of the road should I be driving on? The last thing you should be thinking about is if your travel hair dryer will work.
If you’re only planning to travel domestically, you’ll be good to go with any of our listed options. But international travel means you’ll need to check the voltage of your dryer. Check out this country-by-country list of plugs, sockets, and voltages. Don’t worry, we’ve indicated which travel hair dryers have a dual voltage setting.
Now that you know what to look for, here are the best travel hair dryers to buy in 2026.
Top 10 Best Travel Hair Dryers 2026
1. Best Overall Pick: Conair Compact Hair Dryer
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts
- Drying Power: 1,600 watts
- Speeds: 2 (High/Low)
- Cool Shot Button: No
- Dual Voltage: Yes (120V/240V)
Review
This is it! We love how this compact hair dryer packs a large punch in such a small package. At 1600 watts, the Conair Compact Hair Dryer holds its own amongst regular-sized hair dryers. Still, it’s not too noisy for routine use. The Conair Compact Hair Dryer is also fully-featured and travel-ready.
This hair dryer is a one-size-fits-most product, amenable to a variety of hair types. It has enough power to remove natural waves easily, taming shoulder-length hair into a straight style.
While this Conair will work for most, it might not fit your needs if you have a lot of thick hair that takes a while to dry. For extra thick hair, check out the titanium-containing hair dryers, such as the BaBylissPRO TT and the BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Travel Dryer.
The Conair Compact Hair Dryer has all the right stuff where it counts. Solid power in a lightweight frame, multiple heat settings, a foldable handle, a respectable five-foot cord, and reliable hard plastic shell design. Purchase without worry and hit the road for exciting travels. The Conair Compact Hair Dryer is sure to keep up!
Travel Readiness
For the frequent traveler, size is a major consideration. This travel hair dryer is about the length of a highlighter. Its lightweight design, weighing in at less than a pound, barely adds any weight to your luggage or backpack. You won’t have to worry about tipping the weight limit scales with this choice, and your arm will thank you too!
Pros
- Small, compact size
- Lightweight (less than a pound)
- High/Low settings
- Dual voltage for international travel
- Inexpensive
Cons
- Lacks retractable cord
- No attachments
2. Best Budget Pick: Revlon Compact Travel Hair Dryer
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts
- Drying Power: 1,875 Watts
- Material: Ionic, Ceramic
- Speeds: 2 (High/Low)
- Cool Shot Button: Yes
- Dual Voltage: Yes (120V/240V)
Review
The Revlon Compact Travel Hair Dryer is our Best Budget Hair Dryer pick for a reason. It packs in a large number of desirable features at a very low cost. Who doesn’t like that?
Let’s start with its drying power. It has a full 1875 watts, which hits the top end range for most travel dryers. This hair dryer can, and will, handle almost any traveler’s hair in a flash.
Even though this product comes in at the low end of the price range, it has high-quality materials. Utilizing ionic technology with three layers of ceramic coating means you can say goodbye to frizzy hair during your travels. We also love that this travel hair dryer includes a cool shot button to lock-in the look and lock-out that frizz. Although not the lightest or smallest, it’s the best budget travel dryer with this great feature set.
The shorter barrel of this budget-friendly dryer makes maneuverability a snap. Plus, the concentrator attachment focuses hot air, speeding up drying time.
Travel Readiness
While this Revlon hair dryer competes well on power, material quality, and cost, it’s not the most compact or lightweight hair dryer on our list. If size and weight are your most important features, check out the ZOOMMATE Mini or the BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium travel dryers.
Pros
- Full 1,875 watts of drying power
- Concentrator attachment included
- Inexpensive
- Dual voltage for international travel
Cons
- Lacks retractable cord
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts
- Drying Power: 1,000 Watts
- Material: Tourmaline, Titanium
- Cool Shot Button: No
- Speeds: 2
Review
The BaBylissPRO TT is great for all hair types, including thick and coarse hair, which can be especially difficult to dry. For fine hair, the lower setting works great to prevent damage to fragile hair.
At first, we were skeptical of the drying power of this product, but it’s clear that this travel hair dryer is at the top of its game. Travelers shouldn’t worry that 1000 watts will be underpowered. For such a tiny hair dryer, it proves its worth in power. Plus, a provided concentrator nozzle allows for quicker hair drying.
This premium product uses tourmaline crystals to emit static-fighting ions, revealing shiny, healthy hair. At the same time, the inclusion of titanium provides an incredibly lightweight product- essential for the frequent traveler. If you’re willing to forgo the tourmaline, the BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Travel Dryer is an even lighter product for the minimalist adventurer.
Travel Readiness
Titanium-based products are superior travel accessories given their minimal weight. If you’re looking for a travel-friendly, dual voltage, premium product that’s great for all hair types, the BaBylissPRO TT would be an excellent fit for your needs.
Unfortunately the BaByliss PRO TT lacks a retractable cord for ease of packing. If you don’t want a cord unraveling in your luggage, the retractable cord feature can be found in the Andis Fold-N-Go Ionic Hair Dryer and the Conair Cord Keeper Hair Dryer.
Pros
- Concentrator attachment included
- Dual voltage for international travel
- Lightweight thanks to titanium material usage
Cons
- Lacks retractable cord
- Low drying power of 1,000 Watts
- No cool shot button
4. Andis Fold-N-Go Ionic Hair Dryer
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts
- Drying Power: 1,875 Watts
- Material: Ionic, Tourmaline, Ceramic
- Cool Shot Button: Yes
- Speeds: 3
Review
The Andis Fold-N-Go Ionic Hair Dryer has several attractive features, with multiple speed settings, a tourmaline ionic element to reduce frizz, a folding handle, and a retractable cord. At this price point, it makes a good choice for travelers who want fast, efficient drying and a range of styling options.
With 1875 watts and three heat/speed settings, the Andis Fold-N-Go provides maximum flexibility for your hair drying needs. It also sports a cool-shot button to secure your style! A concentrator adds more capability to this travel dryer, leaving you with unlimited styling options.
With a retractable cord, it also packs up easily and won’t get tangled in your belongings. If it wasn’t for the larger size of this travel hair dryer and lack of built-in dual voltage, we’d give it five out of five stars.
Andis makes a compelling product for the style-conscious traveler who doesn’t want to break the bank.
Travel readiness
The Andis Fold-N-Go brings high 1875 watt power with three heat/speed settings and a cool shot button. The folding handle and retractable cord are nice travel features, but the larger size and weight counteract some of the benefits. This dryer also lacks dual voltage, which could require additional hardware to work properly in some countries.
Pros
- Concentrator attachment included
- Sports a retractable cord
- Full, 1,875 watts of heating power
Cons
- Not dual voltage
5. Conair Compact Travel Hair Dryer
Editor’s Rating: