Which hair dryer is better: the one from a famous manufacturer or the one with an unfamiliar name? The AC motor makes this hair dryer a professional device, or not nearly enough? See what an interesting new product has appeared on the American market.
Starwind SHS9817 hair dryer
Price: 1800 Dollars.
POWER: max. 2200 W.
MODES: 2 blowing speeds, 3 temperature modes, cold blowing, ionization.
FEATURES: professional speaker motor.
HANDS: 1 concentrator nozzle, 1 diffuser nozzle.
SHOOTER WIDTH: 1.8m.
COLOUR: matte black.
WARRANTY: 1 year. WORK LIFE: 3 years.
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURER: China.
FIRST IMPRESSION
This model is more compact than the other test participants, but it is noticeably heavier. This also speaks for the more serious “stuffing”: the hair dryer has a professional AC motor, designed for a longer life than the DC motors usually used in household hair dryers.
The body and grip are made of soft, rubberized, matte plastic that prevents slipping and is pleasant to hold, making the hair dryer look expensive without any extra “frills.
THE ERGONOMICS
The shape of the handle is ideal, but, we repeat, the hair dryer is heavy.
This model has three, not two, temperature settings not counting the cold air . Temperature and fan speed selection buttons are on the inside of the handle, and are easily and comfortably switched. I did not like that near the buttons to switch the speed and temperature modes there is no indication – where the “air” and where the heating. Usually there is a pictogram. Of course, you can eventually get used to it or choose by “gut feeling” each time, but…
The nozzles just snap onto the nozzle without any special grooves and snaps. It is convenient and reliable: all those latches often break and it is sometimes hard to get into the grooves.
The cord length is standard – 1.8 m, the place of its connection with the body is protected by a special shock absorber. There is no cord swivel mount. An interesting nuance: most of the pictures on the internet show this hair dryer with a spiral wire – undoubtedly more convenient than a straight one, in terms of storage. The wire in the tested model is straight.
HYGIENICITY
The air intake grill is positioned in the manual and in the descriptions on the Internet as removable, but we were unable to remove it, no matter how hard we tried to do it with the whole test team. The users of the network also note this fact of inconsistency. Under the grid you can see the sponge filter, which additionally protects the motor from dust and hair. It is obvious that such a thing needs to be cleaned, as in a vacuum cleaner for example, but it is impossible to get it out from under the grid, and it is not clear how it will behave in six months to a year of use.
The matte surface leaves light fingerprints and is more difficult to remove than smooth plastic.
SAFETY
The manual recommends installing a RCD – ground fault interrupter – a safety device in the circuit of the power supply in the bathroom.
The pictogram with the crossed out water bath the “do not immerse into the liquid” icon on the body of the hair dryer is absent.
The hair dryer is protected from overheating by an auto shut-off function. We turned it on at the highest temperature for 10 minutes the professional motor was put to a tougher test , the hair dryer did not overheat or shut down.
Let’s add that the case is well thermally insulated and does not heat up too much.
The nozzles get hot, to remove them, you have to wait until they cool down or use a towel.
SALON-USE CAPABILITY
On such indicators as a professional motor and a narrow concentrator, the hair dryer is quite suitable for hairdressers, masters are accustomed and convenient to work with such hair dryers. But this model has a few “buts”: the wire is short – salon professional models have a length of 3 meters, not 1.8 m. The diffuser nozzle also shows that this hair dryer was not designed for salons: stylists do not use diffusers. The manual says it is a domestic model, not a commercial one.
In short, it’s a hair dryer for the home, but with two great features taken from the professional sphere – the AC motor and the concentrator.
NOISE
With a background noise of 29-31 dB the noise level is 73-75 dB, but, unlike the competitors in the test, also in the cold blowing mode it is the same: the motor does not go into some prohibitive mode of operation. But yes, this hair dryer is the noisiest of the three, but it is also the most effective.
PRACTICAL TESTS: DRYING AND STYLING
Since the hair dryer has three temperature settings not counting the cold blast , it is possible to choose comfortable and safe even for very thin and “weak” hair: the first mode – just air at room temperature, without heating.
The second is good, because its temperature is clearly controlled and does not increase depending on the choice of airflow speed. The third mode – it is quite hot air, the hair dryer is better to keep away from the head or use this mode “point” for styling individual strands, especially in the kit includes a narrow professional concentrator.
The cold air is activated by a separate button and allows for really good contrast to fix the styled strand. By the way, the first temperature mode and the cold blast mode are the same in terms of exactly the air temperature. Switching from mode three to mode one can also be done in one motion – just by pressing the key, not the round button, so, in fact, it is needed, just “to be”.
Professional speaker motor, narrow concentrator, diffuser included, three temperature modes. Powerful airflow. Attractive matt finish, stylish design, easy to use detangling loop.
It is declared a removable grid, but it does not correspond to reality. The hair dryer is heavy, it leaves fingerprints on the matte finish.
Can anyone who has used the Starwind SHS9817 hair dryer share their experience with it? How is its performance in terms of drying time, heat control, and noise level? Is it suitable for different hair types? Any insights on its durability and overall quality would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Can anyone share their experience with the Starwind SHS9817 hair dryer? Is it worth investing in? How does it compare to other hair dryers in terms of performance, durability, and overall quality? Any insights or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!