GHD HELIOS Hair Dryer Review

Thinking of buying the new GHD Helios hairdryer but not sure if it’s worth the price tag? Read on for my review.

Have you ever had a hair emergency?  

Well, I have.

Imagine you’re getting ready to go to a fancy dinner event. You have the dress, you have the shoes, you have the bag.  You’ve carefully applied makeup to highlight your best features, and conceal the others. You’ve chosen a simple yet classic look for your hair – and now you just need to blow-dry it into submission. You section your hair carefully, and using a round brush, begin to dry sections carefully pulling away from your head, feeling like a professional hairdresser.

And then your hairdryer blows up.

Ok, worse ‘emergencies’ have befallen people, I’ll admit. But it’s pretty damn annoying when you’re all dressed up and unable to go anywhere because you can’t dry your hair.  I didn’t know my neighbours well enough to ask to borrow a hairdryer in a pinch, and it was too late to go out and buy one. And who has a spare?!

I’ve always been a fan of GHD as a brand. My first pair of straighteners lasted me more than a decade, and their Creative Curl Wand had been a revelation for a fine, limp haired girl like myself – allowing me to create stunning, long lasting curls that didn’t take hours to craft (you can read my review of the Creative Curl Wand HERE).

But £179 for a hairdryer? 

I’d seen it in the shops a couple of weeks earlier; on a display that held a multitude of limited edition colour options (there’s now even MORE colour options including lilac and pastel blue!) I had to admit from a purely brand-worshipping point of view, I wanted it. But I didn’t need it, did I? I already had a perfectly decent Babyliss hairdryer at home, after all.   Yes, it had overheated a few times lately, but generally it did a good job of drying and taming my locks. Until it didn’t, of course – right when I most needed it!

The day after the ill-fated event, I was still hesitant to cough up more than my weekly grocery cost for the Helios, wondering if I might be better going for a simple, mid range option instead? I turned to Instagram to ask for advice.  Had any of my followers purchased the Helios, and if so, what did they think?

It was unanimous.

‘You need to buy it’. ‘It’s AMAZING’.  ‘Can’t live without it’. ‘I’ve bought two, one for home and one for my holiday cottage.’ A few hairdressers also messaged me to say they were using it professionally and wouldn’t go back to using anything else.  With that, I was in my car and back to the shiny GHD display in town in minutes.

According to their website, the GHD Helios Hair Dryer:

• Drastically cuts styling time
• Has a longer life, brushless motor with airflow speeds of 120km/h
• Uses ‘Aeroprecis’ aerodynamic technology for ‘intuitive styling with more precise control’
• Is ergonomically balanced and lightweight for easy use
• Has a ‘bespoke acoustic system’ for low noise levels

I selected a limited edition ‘Warm Pewter’ edition and coughed up my cash. And then what did I do? Well, I went home to wash my hair immediately, of course.

The verdict?

It’s very, very good. In fact, it’s easily the best hairdryer I’ve ever used (or had used by a professional) on my hair.  

It’s easily the best hairdryer I’ve ever used

On first inspection, the Helios is very sleek, tactile and feels high-end. Exactly what I’d expect from GHD.

The most noticeable benefit was how quickly I managed to accomplish my blow-dry. In fact, I’d say the drying time was probably half of what it was with my old dryer.  If you’re always short on time to get ready, then this is the hairdryer for you!  

The second advantage was how precisely I was able to direct the air.  It certainly has a lot of power – you need to control the hair with a suitable brush so as not to cause tangling – but this is easy to get the hang of.  

Finally, the Helios gave my hair a stunningly smooth finish, as if I’d had a professional blow-dry when, in reality, I have no hairstyling skills whatsoever. In fact, it felt like a professional experience from beginning to end – save for the much shorter timeframe!  It’s also as lightweight as GHD claim, although I’m less convinced on the ‘low noise levels’ and didn’t really notice any difference to my old hairdryer here.

SHOP THE POST

Conclusion

I’ve had the GHD Helios for several months now and recommend it to anyone and everyone who will listen. My hair seems to be in better condition than before, with less damage that I had previously when heat styling.  My boyfriend is also a huge fan – saying that it keeps his hair in place longer, gives it more height and keeps it straight without needing to use other tools.  He’s considering buying one himself, but I think I’ll keep a close eye on the whereabouts of mine in the meantime…

Conveniently, there’s a 20% off SALE on the GHD Helios right now, so why not take advantage and treat your hair before it ends!

Overall Rating: 5/5.

Love,

READ ALSO: 3 of the Best Hair Oils for Fine Hair // GHD Curve Wand Review

This post contains affiliate links. This means I may make a small commission – at no extra cost to you – if you purchase products using these links.

This post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own (or in this case, also my boyfriend’s!).