In our GHD Helios hair dryer review, we put the most expensive GHD hair dryer through its paces and see how it compares to its sister dryer in our GHD Air vs GHD Helios head-to-head
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GHD Helios Review
GHD Air vs GHD Helios
Helios vs Dyson Supersonic
UPDATE: There are a couple of new GHD Helios colours to choose from.
The first – a pink peach colour – has been designed to raise funds for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The second is a jade colour and forms part of GHD’s new Dreamland collection, which has been released ahead of Christmas as its holiday range.
Each Helios in the pink collection has the Take Control Now slogan embossed onto the side.
This is designed to be a reminder for women to check their breasts every time they use the dryer.
As part of this initiative, which has been running for decades, GHD is donating £10 to Breast Cancer Now (or €10 to the Irish Cancer Society) for each Helios sold from this collection.
You can also buy a pink peach GHD Platinum Plus, GHD Gold, GHD Glide and the GHD Unplugged cordless straighteners.
Elsewhere, GHD’s Dreamland collection is its annual holiday collection. Every year, GHD releases a limited-edition range of dryers and stylers that are only available in the run-up to Christmas. They’re often still available in the New Year, and sometimes at a discount, but it depends on stock levels.
For 2023, the Helios, Platinum Plus, Gold, Glide and Unplugged are being sold in the shade of “alluring jade.” You can get the Platinum Plus, Glide, Helios, and Gold in a Tiffany-green colour and each one comes with a soft pink carry case – either boxes or bags, depending on the styler.
The limited-edition models are slightly more expensive, at £189, but there are also gift sets that let you get multiple stylers for slightly less.
The stylers with new designs include:
- GHD Platinum Plus: Pink Peach | Alluring Jade
- GHD Glide: Pink peach | Alluring Jade
- GHD Helios: Pink peach | Alluring Jade
- GHD Gold: Pink peach | Alluring Jade
- GHD Unplugged: Pink peach
Shop the full GHD range, or keep scrolling to read our GHD Helios review.
Original GHD Helios review continues below
We were one of the first sites in the UK to get the chance to write a GHD Helios review and we weren’t disappointed.
Described by GHD as its “lightest, fastest professional Hair dryer”, the Helios came eight years after the GHD Air.
The Air is the brand’s only other GHD hair dryer that’s still available after the GHD discontinued the GHD Aura.
It’s a testament to the GHD Air’s quality that eight years on it’s still considered one of the best hair dryers around.
It’s up there as one of our favourites – but GHD’s rivals have been hot on its heels in recent years.
The seeming lack of innovation from the hair giant allowed other brands to gain ground.
GHD released the Helios to not only challenge these rivals but to show it’s still at the cutting edge of technology.
So does the dryer live up to these claims, and in the battle between the Dyson Supersonic and GHD Helios, which is best? Our updated GHD Helios review is below.
We’ve also listed the comparisons between the GHD Air vs GHD Helios, and the Helios vs Dyson’s hair dryer. You can jump straight to the relevant sections by clicking the links below.
Read more about the GHD vs Dyson rivalry in our GHD Duet Style vs Dyson Airstrait head-to-head
Buy the Helios from GHD | Buy the Helios from Amazon
GHD Helios review
Developed by GHD’s UK Research and Development lab in Cambridge, in conjunction with top physicists, engineers and styling professionals, the GHD Helios is said to be lighter and more powerful than its rivals
The GHD hair dryer was built with physicists, engineers and styling professionals at GHD’s UK Research and Development lab in Cambridge. The brand claims it’s lighter and more powerful than its rivals and helps dry your hair faster while giving more styling control.
GHD Helios review: Colours
In contrast to the all-black GHD Air, the GHD Helios is available in a range of colours.
As of 2023, you can get the GHD Helios hair dryer in six colours. These include:
- GHD Helios Pink Peach | Buy now
- GHD Helios Jade | Buy now
- GHD Helios Black | Buy now
- GHD Helios White and Gold | Buy now
- GHD Helios Plum and Gold | Buy now
- GHD Helios Navy | Buy now
If you buy the pink version of this Helios, Platinum Plus or GHD Gold, GHD will donate part of the proceeds to breast cancer charities. The other limited-edition models will keep selling until they sell out so if they’re still in stock and you’re in the market for a new GHD hair dryer then we suggest you be quick!
FURTHER READING: GHD sale: Save money on GHD stylers, dryers and more
Helios review: Design
Having owned, and used, a GHD Air for at least five years we can categorically say that the GHD Helios is noticeably lighter from the first use. You can instantly tell it’s quieter, too, and its extra power becomes immediately clear as soon as you start using it
The GHD Helios weighs 780g (without the plug and cable included in that weight), compared to the GHD Air’s hefty 1.54kg – so half the weight.
Having owned a GHD Air for years, we can confirm the GHD Helios is noticeably lighter. You can tell it’s quieter, too, and its extra power becomes clear as soon as you start using it (more on that in the Performance section).
That said, we’ve never had a problem with extra weight on the GHD Air because the dryer is so well-balanced. The extra weight even gave the GHD Air dryer a reassuring heft that made it feel expensive. This is missing somewhat with the GHD Helios. The Helios, in terms of weight, feels like many other dryers on the market. Even though it costs up to 10 times as much.
The engineers have pushed the motor speed up from 2,100w on the Air to 2,200w on the Helios. Its concentrator nozzle is thinner and longer on the Helios compared to the somewhat stubby nozzle that ships with the Air.
We tested the white and rose gold model for this GHD Helios review and it’s beautiful. The rose gold accents on the grill and loop add a stylish touch. What let this down, however, is the fact the nozzle is still black. This looks slightly out of place when attached.
Buy the Helios from GHD | Buy the Helios from Amazon
Speed
In terms of speed, during our GHD Helios review, the dryer took our fine, mid-length hair from wet from a shower to dry in one minute and six seconds
Where the Helios most definitely does not feel like other dryers, though, is in its performance.
Until recently there have been two benchmarks when testing the best hair dryers – does it offer the speed of Dyson Supersonic, and does it offer the styling control of the Revlon One Step Hair Dryer and Volumiser? These are our go-to dryers.
As our GHD Helios review scores show, the GHD hair dryer surpasses these two dryers in almost every category.
The GHD Helios took our fine, mid-length hair from wet from a shower to dry in one minute and six seconds. It took 1 minute 50 seconds to dry our hair following a swim, and despite only rough drying our hair, as opposed to using the concentrator nozzle, we were pleasantly surprised with how effectively the Helios’ ionic technology de-frizzed.
To put this into perspective, the Dyson Supersonic was previously the fastest dryer we’ve used – drying our hair in 2 minutes 6 seconds which is now a minute slower than the Helios
Our hair didn’t have the shine that comes from styling it properly, but we didn’t have to use straighteners which is almost a given with other models following a rough dry. Including the GHD Air.
The Dyson Supersonic was previously the fastest dryer we’ve used. As you can read in our Dyson Supersonic review, it dries our hair (on average) in 2 minutes and 6 seconds. This is now a minute slower than the Helios.
Similarly, the Supersonic was a minute and eight seconds slower at drying our hair after a swim. With the concentrator nozzle attached to the Helios, it took us two minutes and 20 seconds to style our hair. Again, a minute faster than the Dyson Supersonic and on par with the Revlon.
Buy the Helios from GHD | Buy the Helios from Amazon
Power and technology
The GHD Helios does have a faster motor than the Dyson (2,200w vs 1,600w) but in reality, this isn’t the main differentiator here.
Plus the motor speed is largely moot.
Don’t be hoodwinked into thinking a faster motor equates to a superior product.
It’s what the motor does with the airflow that counts.
Subsequently, a large part of the development of Helios went into its so-called AeroPrecis technology.
For example, the Dyson Supersonic’s motor produces around 1,600W. There is no denying that it’s incredibly fast and efficient. In fact, it’s faster than an F1 car.
Having a super fast motor may remove water quickly – and sometimes it doesn’t even do that! – but it can often do this at the sacrifice of shine.
Depending on how hot the dryer gets this could cause unnecessary damage.
GHD Helios technology: Why is it so good?
To achieve its fast drying speeds without damaging the hair, the GHD Helios is based on four technologies.
These combine to create the overall effect.
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Grille
Instead of straight, flat edges, the edges of the holes on the grille are concave. This helps reduce the level of noise and volume created by the Helios. It most definitely makes a noticeable difference to the volume of the GHD Helios.
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Impeller
The number and sizes of holes in this grille then control the intake of air and this air travels into the impeller which rotates, via an integrated power supply, to increase the air’s velocity.
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Stator vanes
This faster airflow is catapulted into the stator vanes which stop the rotation and direct this faster airflow in a straight line towards the nozzle. It’s this faster, direct airflow that helps dry the hair quickly and with minimal damage.
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Nozzle
The nozzle on the GHD Helios has been redesigned and it noticeably curves at the end – similar to wingtips on planes. This slight lip reduces air turbulence and creates a precise flow of air towards the hair.
By increasing the power and concentration of the airflow, it also reduces the need for more heat. This is better for the environment and your hair. Plus, the reduction in turbulence coupled with ionic technology is what reduces the amount of frizz and flyaways.
READ NEXT: What does conditioner actually do to your hair?
Buy the Helios from GHD | Buy the Helios from Amazon
Performance
The sacrifice you make for the GHD Helios’ increased speed, it seems, is in volume and bounce. Something that not a single dryer has been able to match when compared to the Revlon 2-in-1
The sacrifice you make for the GHD Helios speed is in volume and bounce. Something that not a single dryer has been able to match when compared to the Revlon.
This was the first, and only real disappointment we felt when using the Helios. In the pursuit of speed, the precision on the Helios does not lend itself as well to creating bouncy locks, as some of its rivals do. If you then straighten your hair to remove any remaining flyaways, your hair will be left limp and flat.
This may be preferable if you have wild, thick hair, but it made our hair look almost greasy.
GHD recently launched a barrelled hot brush called the GHD Rise. We’ve found this to be a great addition to our styling routine meaning we can rough dry our hair quickly with the GHD Helios, straighten out some of the frizz before putting the volume and bounce back in. However, you shouldn’t have to pay for an extra product – the GHD Rise costs £169! – to get volume and bounce.
On the subject of styling, the lighter weight of the Helios as it moves around the head during a blowdry is welcomed and we thought the GHD Air was well-balanced until we used the GHD Helios.
The effort GHD claims it has put into making the Helios ergonomically balanced has paid off.
That said because the nozzle is longer and thinner than on the GHD Air the shaft length is ever-so-slightly too long for our arms. This is a minor complaint. Plus, because less heat is needed to dry the hair, it is possible to place the dryer closer to your scalp so it’s less of an issue than it may first seem. It’s worth noting though. Particularly if you have long hair, your arms will start to ache.
Buy the Helios from GHD | Buy the Helios from Amazon
GHD Helios review: Verdict
The GHD Helios has been two and a half years in the making and the effort put in has paid off
Whether it’s our cynical nature or the fact we’ve been in the business of writing reviews for a long time and have seen many a bold marketing claim, we began this GHD Helios review with a little scepticism. Oh, how wrong we were.
The GHD Helios was two and a half years in the making and the effort has paid off. It’s head and shoulders, excuse the pun, above the GHD Air. It almost toppled the Dyson Supersonic as our favourite hair dryer. We still switch between the two.
This is bolstered by the fact that while still an expensive piece of kit, at £179 the GHD Helios is almost half the price of Dyson’s equivalent. If you are in the market for a new hair dryer, the GHD Helios is a wise investment. And even if you’re not, we’d be surprised if your current dryer can live up to the results of the Helios.
Buy the Helios from GHD | Buy the Helios from Amazon
GHD Air vs GHD Helios comparison: Which is better?
Considering the GHD Helios is pitched as GHD’s flagship hair dryer, it’s worth highlighting the differences between the GHD Helios and its predecessor GHD Air (£109 from Amazon) to see which one will suit you best.
The GHD Air is now 10 years old and in terms of performance, the signs of ageing were starting to show.
Looks-wise, it still holds its own and the GHD Helios is remarkably similar. Almost a copy-and-paste job in some areas, including the placement of the controls. It has the same three-metre cable, too.
However, there are some key upgrades.
GHD Air vs GHD Helios Price: The GHD Air costs £109 whereas the GHD Helios price in the UK is £179.
GHD Air vs GHD Helios Attachments: You still only get one concentrator nozzle as standard – and need to pay separately for other attachments like a diffuser – but the nozzle has been redesigned.
For the extra money for the GHD Helios you get:
- A lighter, slightly more streamlined design
- A softer plastic casing
- Six standard colours to choose from: white and rose gold, blue and black, black and silver, red and gold, mint-green and silver. GHD semi-regularly releases limited-edition versions of the Helios as well but they tend to sell out quickly
- Less noise
- A faster motor
- A stronger stream of concentrated air
- Redesigned nozzle
- Vastly improved performance
VERDICT: The GHD Helios is better based on performance and style
Buy the Helios from GHD | Buy the Helios from Amazon
GHD Helios vs Dyson Supersonic comparison: Which is better?
Price: The GHD Helios costs £179 whereas the Dyson Supersonic price in the UK is £349.99 – a staggering difference of £170.99.
Attachments: You get one concentrator nozzle as standard with the Helios. With the Supersonic you get a Smoothing nozzle, a Concentrator nozzle, a diffuser and a heat mat
Speed settings: Three on the Helios. Three on the Supersonic
Heat settings: Three on the Helios. Three on the Supersonic
Drying time: The GHD Helios dries our hair from wet from the shower to dry in one minute and six seconds, on average. The Dyson Supersonic review dries our hair (on average) in 2 minutes and 6 seconds.
For the extra money for the Dyson Supersonic, you get:
- A more compact hairdryer, making it ideal for travelling
- Less noise
- A more balanced design/less arm ache
- A faster motor
- A stronger stream of concentrated air
- Plus the extra attachments
VERDICT: The GHD Helios is better value for money but the Dyson Supersonic takes the crown.
Buy the Helios from GHD | Buy the Helios from Amazon
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