Which hand luggage hairdryer will BLOW YOU AWAY?

WHETHER you’re travelling light for a weekend break or taking only hand luggage on holiday, space is always at a premium when packing.

Certainly, the last thing anyone wants is to take up half their suitcase with bulky grooming gadgets. Hotel hair dryers are notoriously temperamental and while travel dryers are nothing new, in the past they’ve been flimsy, low on power and ineffective.

But now electronics companies have raised their game, introducing new ranges of travel dryers and straighteners that promise as much power as their full-sized counterparts.

Most now also come with universal voltage, meaning they will work just as efficiently in countries (like the US) that use a different voltage to us.

My hair is incredibly thick and curly (to give you an idea, it takes seven hours to dry naturally and 60 minutes to straighten with my usual irons) so I consider myself to be the ultimate test for any hair-drying and styling device.

Here’s how I got on when I tested the latest travel tools...

MOST STYLISH AROUND AND SUPER-SPEEDY

Babyliss Travel Pro Hair Dryer, now €52, boots.ie WEIGHT: 580g.

DRYING TIME: Nine minutes. THIS dryer, main picture, is hands down the most stylish you’ll find in the shops. Matt black with metallic pink trim it has a 1600w motor (fullsized dryers are typically between 2000 and 2400w) and two heat and speed settings.

Unlike some travel dryers, this feels sturdy and expensive. It dried my hair in nine minutes and, due to its ionic conditioning, kept the frizz nicely tamed as well. 5/5

PERFECT FOR PACKING

GHD Flight Travel Hair Dryer, €65, ghdhair.com WEIGHT: 422g.

DRYING TIME: 20 minutes. COMES with two heat settings, however the hottest felt rather scorching and too much to endure for more than a minute. It felt light and easy to use, the handle is foldable and it comes in a very smart protective travel case.

As I had to use the cooler setting it took 20 minutes to dry my hair, even though at 1800w it’s by no means lacking in power. 3/5

HIGH-TECH STYLING, AT A PRICE

T3 Featherweight Compact Dryer, €140, t3haircare.co.uk. WEIGHT: 575g.

DRYING TIME: Eight minutes. DESPITE marketing itself on its ‘featherweight’ qualities, the dryer is one of the heaviest I tried. T3 products are expensive because they use a different, patented, airflow system to other models, which they claim cancels static and seals hair cuticles to make it shinier.

With 1800w of power and two speed and heat settings I found it quickly dried my hair and really did reduce frizz and static, though I didn’t spot any sign of shine. It’s beautifully quiet but the hefty price tag means it might cost you more than your flight! 4/5

LIGHTWEIGHT BUT POWERFUL

Andrew Barton Travel Dryer, €25.99, argos.ie WEIGHT: 440g. DRYING TIME: Seven minutes. I WAS blown away — almost literally — by the might of this machine.

At 2000w it’s as powerful as most full-sized

dryers. It delivered a salonquality dry while still feeling light to handle and taking up hardly any space in my luggage.

My hair was bone dry in seven minutes with no sign of static or frizz. Amazing. 5/5 SLEEKEST OF STRAIGHTENERS

Remington Air Plates Compact, now €69.99, littlewoodsireland.ie WEIGHT: 391g.

STYLING TIME: 45 minutes. REMINGTON launched its revolutionary ‘Air Plates’ straightener last year. Instead of being fixed, the plates are suspended away from the outer casing to give maximum contact with the hair. The compact version heats to 200c (30 degrees lower than the full-sized version but still impressive) in 30 seconds.

The plates take some getting used to after using fixed ones and I scalded my fingers a couple of times.

However, the design meant I could get huge chunks of my hair into the plates and two glides were enough to get it straight without it feeling singed. 5/5

SMOOTH FRIZZ ON-THE-GO

Glamoriser Free-Styler, €69, harveynorman.ie WEIGHT: 250g. STYLING TIME: Four minutes for fringe only. CORDLESS and so compact it fits into the palm of your hand, this little straightener has been a lifesaver during the recent heatwave as it’s small enough to carry in a handbag. Ready to use in two minutes, it has two heat settings and reaches 200c.

The plates are infused with oil to eliminate frizz and you can get up to four hours from a single charge.

I found it great for re-touching my fringe but the small size of the plates wouldn’t make it suitable for straightening thick hair from scratch. 4/5

BRILLIANT FOR BOBS & FRINGES

GHD Mini Professional Styler, €145, petermark.ie WEIGHT: 320g. STYLING TIME: Three minutes for fringe only. NOT strictly a travel straightener, the mini is full length but the slender half-inch plates mean it weighs less than a traditional GHD.

Like all GHDs, it heats to 185c in under 30 seconds — which is believed is the optimum level, as any hotter damages the hair. It is intended for short hair styles or fringes.

It would take an entire fortnight break to straighten my whole head with this, but as a fringe and touch-up tool it was speedy and efficient. 4/5