GHD Aura Review

The GHD Aura is unofficially a competitor to the Dyson so I am going to make some comparisons. The Aura launched last year (or possibly the year before) and if I’d never seen the Dyson Dryer I’d be very impressed with it. But I have – and they’re not even nearly the same. Even though I think £300 is a crazy price to pay for a hairdryer (Dyson) – and please bear in mind that mine was sent as a sample for review – it has been used day in and day out since the day I got it. By all members of the household. On a cost per use it’s starting to look reasonable. Or maybe I’ve lost perpective somewhere along the line!

The immediate difference with the Aura is that it’s heavier and bulkier with an interminably long wire with a motor thing (technical term!) attached. When you switch it off, it sounds a little bit like the sound a hoover makes in winding down. I found the attachment difficult to get on – and then subsequently off again.

But that’s where the negatives end, because the blub promises volumized and shinier hair and it more than delivered on both those claims as well as being a very quick dry. GHD Aura enables you to get right up to the scalp without it feeling too hot (Cool-Wall technology in the attachment). And, it’s a minor detail, but the nozzle never gets too hot, either. We’ve all done that ‘ouchy’ thing trying to realign the nozzle in the middle of a blow dry because it needs to be at a different angle and it’s a very uncomfortable experience – that never happens with the GHD Aura. You can faff away and never so much as feel a bit of warmth. It’s exceptionally strong on shine – an air flow that aligns hair in a single direction does make a recognizable difference and I’d say it gives better shine than the Dyson and is better for ‘styling’ blow drys rather than a quick wash and dry.

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The Aura is labelled under GHD Professional – I totally understand that hairdressers need a long lead but it kind of looks cumbersome and out of place in my bedroom. On the plus, no matter where in a room the socket in relation to the mirror is, you’ll be able to reach it. In comparison to other dryers, it is less noisy, for sure but the Dyson beats it hands down on low sound.

Being half the price of a Dyson, the Aura is more than half as good.. it’s a different beast really, but a genuinely impressive hair dryer. I’m still welded to my Dyson but can’t say it does as much to volumize or add shine – I love the light weight element and the quick dry and both those still make me personally prefer it over the Aura. The Aura is £145 HERE and the Dyson Dryer is £295 HERE.

Keeping perspective, there are hundreds of dryers on the market that don’t even nudge at the price of the Aura or the Dyson – they’re not ‘essentials’.. they’re a luxury option of an everyday tool.