TechRadar Verdict
If you’re looking for a reliable budget-friendly hair dryer, this Revlon SmoothStay is a good choice. It comes with a comb-shaped concentrator nozzle to enhance your blow-dry as well as a volumizing diffuser for wavy and curly hair. With three heat settings, two speed settings and a cool shot, and a powerful 1875W motor, it does a great job of drying hair fast. Its built-in ionic technology and coconut-oil infused ceramic grills help to enhance the smooth and shiny finish, too.
Pros
- +
Affordable price
- +
Ionic technology for smooth results
- +
Three heat and two speed settings
Cons
- -
1.8-meter cord could be a tad longer
- -
Concentrator fiddly to attach
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Revlon SmoothStay hair dryer: two-minute review
The Revlon SmoothStay hair dryer – also known as the Revlon SmoothStay Coconut-Infused hair dryer is lightweight, flexible and budget-friendly, and it dries hair fast and effectively. Revlon is well-known for selling a wide range of hair and beauty products, and the SmoothStay is one of its latest hair dryer designs that’s both reasonably priced and versatile. If you're looking for the best hair dryer but don't have a lot to spend, this is definitely worth your consideration.
The model features ceramic tourmaline ionic technology to help reduce static and frizz, and smooths your locks every time you use it; I certainly noticed that the heat flow left my hair feeling nicely dried and tame. The hair dryer also has a triple-coated ceramic coconut-oil infused grill to help enhance shine and achieve a frizz-free finish. It’s hard to know if this is entirely capable of adding that extra bit of shine, but having used the SmoothStay a number of times, I was pleased with how quickly it blow-dried my hair as well as the sleek results.
At 1875W, the hair dryer is powerful, and if you’re someone who prefers that their hair dryer to be at peak temperature from the moment you press the button, you won’t be disappointed. There are two speed and three heat settings to choose from, depending on how hot you like the blast of air. The cool shot is also quick to chill, which means there’s no hanging around when you want to fix your hair to flick up the ends or set in specific styles.
I think one of the best features of this hair dryer is the unique concentrator nozzle that comes in the box, which is shaped like a comb. It’s designed to help you smooth your hair as you dry it and makes blow-drying easier. I found I had to use quite a bit of force to connect the nozzle to the body of the hair dryer at first, but I soon got the knack of snapping it firmly in place. I used the nozzle together in tandem with a wet brush to smooth out my wavy hair. There’s also a volumizing diffuser in the box that attaches easily and looks like a good size to define curls on both long and short hair.
Revlon SmoothStay hair dryer review: price & availability
- List price: $29.99 / £30
- Available in UK and US
Unlike most powerful hair dryers that feature ionic technology, the Revlon SmoothStay comes in at an excellent price. We’ve found it on Amazon for a reasonable $29.99 / £30 (currently reduced to £20), and you can also pick it up directly from Revlon or at select local retailers such as Argos in the UK. In the box, you’ll find a concentrator comb nozzle and a volumizing diffuser to help enhance your finished results.
- Value for money score: 4 out of 5
Revlon SmoothStay hair dryer specs
| Price | List price $29.99 / £30 |
| Heat settings | 3 |
| Speed settings | 2 |
| Cord length | 70.8 inches / 180cm |
| Accessories | Concentrator comb nozzle and diffuser included |
Revlon SmoothStay hair dryer review: design
- Includes concentrator comb and diffuser
- Hanging ring included
- Removable end cap for easy cleaning
The SmoothStay Coconut Oil Infused Hair Dryer is finished in Revlon’s signature black colorway and features red accents. It matches the Revlon One Step Air Straight and the Revlon One Step Volumizer Plus 2.0 Hair Dryer and Hot Air Brush in terms of design.
I found the Revlon SmoothStay comfortable to hold. The even distribution of weight makes the hair dryer feel solid and robust, but it isn’t so heavy that you run the risk of suffering arm ache with extended use.
The SmoothStay features a good mix of controls, which is just what you would expect from a premium hair dryer. There are three heat and two speed settings conveniently placed on the inner side of the handle, plus a separate cool shot that seals hair cuticles when styling. The controls sit in place securely, so there’s no risk of accidentally knocking them while in use.
The hair dryer is made from plastic and offers a good grip; I was able to hold the handle of the hair dryer comfortably. It also comes complete with a grill that’s triple-coated in ceramic infused with coconut oil, to help create a smooth and shiny finish to hair.
A hanging hook can be found at the top of the cable, making the hair dryer easy to store on display. While the 1.8m cable is ample, I’d have liked a little more length. I was previously using a hair dryer with a 3m cable, and a bit more room to maneuver with the Revlon SmoothStay would have been welcome.
In the box, you’ll also find a concentrator comb nozzle and a volumizing diffuser. I found the comb nozzle a little stiff – it required quite some force to snap it into place, although I’m sure it will ease over time. The shape of the nozzle is well designed, since you can use it like a comb to help guide the airflow for a smoother finish. The volumizing diffuser is also large enough to gather long hair.
The removable end cap of the dryer is a nice touch, since it protects your hair while in use, but can be removed easily for cleaning. The diffuser can also be cleaned in warm, soapy water and rinsed when required. I used argan oil on my hair and managed to get some onto the body of the hair dryer, which resulted in noticeable fingerprint marks. Thankfully, these were easily wiped off with a damp cloth and buffed dry to remove all trace of the oil.
- Design score: 4 out of 5
Revlon SmoothStay hair dryer review: performance
- Ceramic tourmaline ionic technology for smooth results
- Volumizing diffuser included in the box
- Coconut-oil infused grille to limit frizz and add shine
Having recently had my wavy, mid-length hair dyed a shade lighter than natural, it was left rather more dry and frazzled than usual and in desperate need of taming. When I first used the Revlon SmoothStay hair dryer, I was surprised by its power and pleased with how smoothly it dried my hair.
As mentioned, there are three heat and two speed settings to choose from, with a cool shot close to hand, too. Unlike some hair dryers I’ve tried that take a while to get to temperature, the Revlon SmoothStay hair dryer reaches the desired temperature, whether hot or cold, instantly. It's good to know that while the hair dryer can get very hot, it does include a safety feature that will cut the power if the temperature exceeds the optimum drying level.
The benefit of it getting hot quickly is that it produces fast results. When using the dryer on my own hair, I used the hottest level; but found this temperature a tad too hot when drying my 10-year-old’s hair, so I selected a more comfortable and steady level 1. Using the Decibel Meter App, I measured noise levels at 81.3dB on the hottest setting, which is around average.
The hair dryer features ceramic tourmaline ionic technology, which is designed to reduce static and frizz, and enhance shine. My hair felt smooth after use and had a nice weight to it – possibly the result of the coconut-oil infused grille, which also helps to achieve sleek results. While I still had to resort to using my hair straightener after drying to further tame my wavy hair, the Revlon SmoothStay definitely made my hair feel more manageable.
My favorite feature of this hair dryer has to be the concentrator comb nozzle. It helped to evenly guide the airflow to smooth and straighten my hair. Used alongside a wet brush, it offered greater control over the final result.
- Performance score: 4 out of 5
Should you buy the Revlon SmoothStay hair dryer?
| Design | Solid structure that feels light in hand, comfortable and easy to use. The concentrator nozzle requires a little force to snap in place, however, and I’d have liked a longer cable – but that’s personal preference. | 4/5 |
| Performance | This hair dryer provides great control with its 3 heat settings, 2 speed settings and a cold shot button. | 4/5 |
| Value | With two attachments, a hanging hook, three heat settings and two power settings, I think this hair dryer offers good value for money. | 4.5/5 |
Buy it if...
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Revlon SmoothStay hair dryer review: alternatives to consider
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Revlon SmoothStay | T3 Afar | Hot Tools Pro Signature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $29.99 / £30 | $179.99 / £150 | $49.99 / £69.99 |
| Wattage | 1875W | 1408W | 1875W |
| Weight | 970g / 1.54lbs | 580g / 1.4oz | 565g / 1.3lbs |
| Dimensions (W x L x H were applicable) | 26 x 21 x 9.5 cm / 4.15 x 11.3 x 9.25 inches | 55 x 78 x 231mm / 5.25 x 3 x 8.25 inches | 27 x 22 x 6.3cm / 10.6 x 8.7 x 2.5 inches |
| Cord length | 180cm / 70.8in | 190cm / 75in | 2m / 6ft |
| Heat settings | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Available attachments | Concentrator comb nozzle, diffuser | 1 concentrator nozzle included and T3 Afar diffuser sold separately | Concentrator nozzle, diffuser |
How I tested the Revlon SmoothStay hairdryer
I have tested a wide range of hair dryers over the past few years, as well as speaking to a number of hair stylists to find out what matters to them when choosing a hair dryer to use in their salons. With this in mind, I feel that I have gathered good insight into what makes for a decent hair dryer.
I have medium-length, wavy hair that’s prone to getting very frizzy when it dries naturally. I was keen to see whether the Revlon Smoothstay could calm my hair as it dried and leave it feeling salon fresh. I used it over the course of a month with the concentrator nozzle and a wet brush to blow-dry my hair. I also used it on my kids' hair – I was keen to see how well it could tackle the very straight flyaway hair of my young daughter and whether she found the noise levels comfortable.
