GHD SPEED - Faster, Not Hotter

Although I have no hair, as husband to a woman for thirty years and a parent of two girls (now also women) for more than two decades, I've learnt a few things about hair dryers.

Many of these lessons were learnt on the rare occasions when I had the day off but Domestic Manager didn't. On those days, I would get to have a lie-in.

I say, "lie-in" because sleeping in was never an option once Domestic Manager fired up her hair dryer.

Loud. So, so loud. And long. How could it take so long?

Other things I learned via muttered complaints; like arms getting tired from having to hold the hair dryer up all that time and how hot the whole thing was making her - especially after just coming out of the shower.

Now, as a sensitive male, I'm well aware it's not my job to swoop in and try and solve all her problems. Instead, I'm supposed to be an active listener and empathise as hard as I can.

But what if I actually CAN solve a lot of those problems?...

Well, I personally can't solve them - but it seems the GHD SPEED can.

Believe it or not, I have actually reviewed a few other hair-care tools before and I have to say, I was somewhat underwhelmed when I first removed the lid from the box containing GHD's latest hair-drying innovation, only to discover something that looked like... well... like a hair dryer. No crazy, out-there shape or radical materials or colours - just a fairly conventional barrel on top of a handle, available in black, white or titanium/black.

On closer inspection, there has actually been some slight streamlining. The handle is more uniformly narrow all the way up, making it more comfortable to hold than other similar designs where the handle gets thicker as it reaches the top. In the case of the SPEED, there's also a very narrow connection between the handle and the barrel which presumably makes the whole device a little bit lighter and it certainly seems nicely balanced when you pick it up.

The 360° double air filter is easily twisted off for cleaning - which is appealing to me as for some reason, I've often been the designated cleaner of gunged-up hair dryers, even though I'm not the one using them or gunging them up.

But the most important thing about the SPEED, is its speed.

What's the key to drying hair faster? Over the years, many manufacturers have decided it's all about heat - and while it's true a hot airflow not only dries but is essential for styling, there's only so hot you can go before hair becomes damaged and brittle. And that's not even taking into account how uncomfortable it is to blast scalding air directly onto your scalp for prolonged periods, not to mention having to hold something up above your head that quickly becomes too hot to touch.

That's where GHD's Halo dual airflow technology comes in. Essentially what they've done is wrapped a core stream of hot air up in a surrounding ring (or halo) of cool air. This bit of genius design has several flow-on (pun intended) effects.

Firstly; the airflow is focussed and controlled at all times, making the process more efficient and styling more precise.

Secondly; while the SPEED has four heat settings and a dedicated "Cool Shot" button to set the shape once you're happy with the style, so do many other hair dryers. The difference here is, thanks to the Halo dual airflow, this cooling effect - which also locks in shine and smoothness - is essentially happening the whole time. So; healthier, shinier hair, with a longer-lasting style, faster.

Thirdly; because the "Halo" of cool air is surrounding the hot central column, the SPEED itself remains cool to the touch - even if you end up holding it by the barrel, which you're likely to when drying and styling the top of your head. So no more burnt fingertips first thing in the morning.

And fourthly; it's just cooler. As much as 20 degrees cooler, so you won't end up hot, flustered and frustrated, just from doing your hair.

But Halo dual-airflow is only half the SPEED's story.

The other half is the digital motor. Although an amazing 91% smaller than the motor in the preceding GHD Helios, it spins at up to 118,000rpm, capable of generating high-pressure air-flow up to 176km/h.

Who needs excess heat when you've got that much power? Power focussed exactly where it needs to be via the magnetic Halo Styling Concentrator attachment included in the box, or any of the other GHD nozzles, combs and diffusers which are sold separately.

As you can tell, my first impression of "Just another hair dryer" has now been blown away.

GHD worked with over 4,000 consumers to tweak this design in all the right areas, pretty much eliminating all of the common pain points - especially the burny pain points.

Even little things, like how annoying it is to accidentally bump the controls when you had them set just right, meaning you have to fluff around with temperature and speed all over again. Not only has GHD solved this by including a Lock button to keep your preferences in place, the SPEED also remembers what settings you were using last time between styling sessions.

Domestic Manager particularly likes that bit.

If you thought heat was the answer to a faster hairstyle, think again. My loyal test subjects have confirmed it - the dual combination of hot and cool airflow, combined with the new digital motor's extreme power, result in much faster drying, a healthier shine and a style that lasts all day.

Problems solved. That is, if you want them to be. No pressure.

Click here for more information and pricing on the GHD SPEED.