Best Hair Dryers · head-to-head

ghd Helios Professional Hair Dryer vs Drybar Buttercup Blow Dryer

A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Drybar Buttercup Blow Dryer is cheaper at $199. Every spec and price links to its source.

Which is better: the ghd Helios Professional Hair Dryer or Drybar Buttercup Blow Dryer?

The Drybar Buttercup Blow Dryer wins 1 of the 1 specs we compare head to head; the other wins 0. The Drybar Buttercup Blow Dryer is the cheaper at $199. The Drybar Buttercup Blow Dryer both leads on specs and costs less — the straightforward pick.

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Full spec sheet

marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.

Spec ghd Helios Professional Hair Dryer Drybar Buttercup Blow Dryer
US price $329 Current MSRP at Ulta Beauty $199
BrandghdDrybar
Released2020
Wattage (W) 1875 1875
Weight (g) 544 510
Heat settings 3 3
Speed settings 3 2
Ionic Yes Yes
Cool shot Yes Yes
Attachments included Contoured concentrator nozzle (1); diffuser sold separately 2 concentrator nozzles
Motor (rpm)

Sources — ghd Helios Professional Hair Dryer: ulta.com (verified 2026-06-15). Drybar Buttercup Blow Dryer: ulta.com (verified 2026-06-15).

What's the difference between the ghd Helios Professional Hair Dryer and Drybar Buttercup Blow Dryer?

Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (3 of 8). Matching specs are omitted.

  • Weight (g): ghd Helios Professional Hair Dryer 544 vs Drybar Buttercup Blow Dryer 510
  • Speed settings: ghd Helios Professional Hair Dryer 3 vs Drybar Buttercup Blow Dryer 2
  • Attachments included: ghd Helios Professional Hair Dryer Contoured concentrator nozzle (1); diffuser sold separately vs Drybar Buttercup Blow Dryer 2 concentrator nozzles

What reviewers say

Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.

ghd Helios Professional Hair Dryer

Two whitelisted reviewers both rate the ghd Helios among the best dryers they've tried: TechRadar timed it with a stopwatch and decibel meter, Real Homes tested it hands-on. Both praise fast drying (roughly a minute to go from wet to dry) and a smooth, frizz-free finish, and both flag the high £159 price as an investment rather than an impulse buy. TechRadar additionally notes the powerful airflow strips volume. (2 sourced reviews, 1 lab-tested.)

Praised: Fast drying — took wet hair to dry in around a minute; Smooth, frizz-free finish; Well-built, attractive design with a premium silicone-feel shell.

Flagged: Expensive at £159 — an investment, not an impulse buy; Powerful airflow leaves hair lacking volume.

Drybar Buttercup Blow Dryer

No sourced tester review yet.

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