Boots Boots 1600W HAIR Dryer > Reviews (2)

Boots 1600W compact hairdryer

When my Old Faithful of a hairdryer met its end a little while ago, I began the hunt for its replacement. I can’t manage my short style without a hairdryer, unless I want to go for the Joan of Arc look, ie hair that is worn in a very flat style. Which I don’t. I want to give my hair volume and body. Although I would normally wish to physically inspect any electrical purchases, on this occasion I was unwell and unable to get out to the shops, so I decided to take a look at what was available on boots.com. One of the criteria I look for in a hairdryer is that it must be fairly lightweight - having Fibromyalgia means that holding anything too heavy for any length of time = very painful hands and arms, and so is to be avoided if possible.

The product description on Boots’ website states that this hairdryer is compact and lightweight, which sounded good to me, as did the price of £8.16. I thought this was excellent value for money, and placed my order straightaway. Once my husband had collected the parcel from our local Boots store, I was eager to test out my new purchase.

It comes packaged in a recycleable box, which contains an instruction leaflet. The box describes this hairdryer as being part of Boots essentials range, and as having a ‘compact shape for everyday use; 2 heat and speed settings; slim concentrator nozzle’. The illustration on the back of the box claims that the 2 heat/speed settings will ‘dry your hair quickly and effectively’, and that the narrow concentrator nozzle will ‘direct the air flow for smoother sleek styling’. The box also gives the information that there is a 2-year guarantee, as with all Boots electrical products.

The instruction leaflet comes with some important information, such as don’t poke anything into your hairdryer because of the danger of an electric shock; only use on human hair, not synthetic hair or wigs; don’t use the hairdryer in a bathroom or near sinks containing water; don’t wrap the cord around the hairdryer as this may damage the cable, and it also states that this product is ‘designed with an internal thermal cutout to protect the hairdryer in the event of overheating. If the hairdryer cuts out during use it should be switched off and allowed to cool for a few minutes.’ You are also instructed to examine and clean any hair or dust from the grille and filter.

So, I washed my hair and then gave my new hairdryer its first test. I soon noticed that although the cable was just long enough to be used fairly comfortably while sitting at my dressing table, I found it shorter than the cable on Old Faithful. It’s about 75” long, so perhaps I had just been spoilt with my previous hairdryer, which must have had an extra-long cord.

The hairdryer itself is indeed lightweight, and its integral nozzle has a diameter of about two and a half inches. What I should have paid attention to on the website - instead of just being bowled over by ‘compact and lightweight’ and the brilliant price - was the concentrator nozzle, which can be easily clicked into place.

This is a wide nozzle, which I think would be much better suited to medium or long hair, and certainly does not suit my short style, which requires lift at the roots. Instead I much prefer one with a direct point, so now I use the nozzle of the hairdryer itself, which gives quite good results.

Now to the speed/heat settings, which are selected by clicking the switch on the handle. The first setting is quite warm and has a low speed, while the second is reasonably hot and has a higher speed. There is no option for a cold shot. I have problems with the strength in my hands, and find that clicking the switch to adjust these settings takes more of an effort than I had anticipated. The first few times I used my hairdryer I got a bit frustrated by this, but I’m more used to it now, and I’m sure anyone who has hands that function correctly won’t have any problems at all!

On checking boots.com today to confirm the price of the hairdryer, I noticed that it is part of an offer (as of 27th July) of ‘3 for £15 on selected summer essentials’. These essentials are a range of 39 products, which include things like suntan lotion, beach towels, sunglasses, razors, travel adaptors, sunhat, travel pillow, flipflops, sarong, travel bags and insect repellent.

I also decided to take another look at the various hairdryers on offer. The closest in price to mine is the Boots Essentials Travel Dryer 1600W, which costs £10.20, and strangely is not part of the special offer. The only difference between the travel dryer and my own hairdryer seems to be the folding handle. I looked at all the various styles and makes of hairdryers on the website - which ranged from the one I bought, at £8.16, to a whopping £64.99, so I consider mine to be a real bargain. I also noticed that all the hairdryers had the wide nozzle, and the concentrated nozzle I was yearning for did not feature at all. Perhaps this just goes to show how many years of sterling service I had received from Old Faithful.

I had to think for a while about whether to give this product four stars or five. Overall, I was initially a bit disappointed with my new hairdryer. On reflection, however, the minor problems I have with it are partly because of my mistaken expectations about the nozzle (I should have taken a more careful look at the product image on Boots’ website), and partly because of the physical problems I have with adjusting the heat/speed settings. None of these problems would necessarily apply to another consumer, and so I’m giving it five stars . It does what it promises, and is an excellent price for a hairdryer.

(This review is also on Dooyoo, under the same user name.)