When styling your hair – be it into a neatly coifed quiff or slick side-parting – it’s very easy to blow it. Too much pomade, not enough hold, and it’s all over. It’s also very easy to blow it, and by that, we mean with a hair dryer.

One of the most underrated tools in a man’s grooming arsenal, a good quality hair dryer can fire life into your mane, make applying hair product a doddle and (done right) even help prevent damage caused by the elements.

Of course, as with any gadget or gizmo, there is a lot to choose from, but which one you pick simply comes down to how you intend to use it. “To smooth and straighten out hair you might need something with better power output and longevity,” says Stewart Kwan, a stylist at Ruffians in Edinburgh. “And for texturing and enhancing curly or wavy hair, you could go for a dryer that has or could accommodate a diffuser attachment.”

As a minimum, Kwan says, guys should look for a hair dryer with a cold air setting. “Giving the hair a blast of cold helps seal the hairs cuticles, setting your final look and adding shine.”

Everything Else You Might Need

Professional-grade hair dryers are designed for more styling than you’re likely to be doing at 7am before work, so don’t overlook inexpensive options. Do, though, keep an eye out for a hair dryer with ionic technology, which basically means it emits negative ions that cause the H2O molecules in wet hair to divide and evaporate faster with less heat. This feature can be particularly handy for guys with very thick or long hair that can take an age (and then some) to dry.

And before you think we’re just blowing hot air at you using words like ‘nozzle’ and ‘diffuser’, listen up. If your hair is relatively short, and you’re just looking for a quick zhuzh, no nozzle is required. However, if you’re attempting to smooth out your hair, you’ll need a dryer that comes with a narrow-end nozzle (it’s the shape of a pair of pursed lips). A diffuser, on the other hand, looks like one of those posh rainfall showerheads and is used to enhance your wavy curls and tame the frizzy beast.