Conair Full Size Ion Shine 1875 Watt Hair Dryer

Since I had paid 20 bucks for it way back when, I was ready to spend that much on a replacement. Much to my surprise, in the 10 or so years I'd owned that dryer, a lot had changed, and now the same money buys a lot more hair dryer, so with some dough to spare, I bought one of these.

Many complain that it doesn't pack the same wallop as other dryers but that's a case of perception versus reality. The Conair's barrel has a larger diameter than most dryers and its fan is quieter, so while the perceptible breeze isn't as blustery, it's still moving plenty of air. I know because I use an egg timer to count off 3 minutes while I dry my hair and the Conair never leaves my hair damp (a barber told me that after 3 minutes of blow drying, you're just toasting your hair and not helping it). If you MUST have that scalp-scorching pinpoint blast, Conair includes a concentrator.

Ions are all the rage in hair dryer technology right now. Purportedly, a stream of ions directed at your hair will neutralize static electricity and smooth out frizzy hair. Ions are also claimed to flatten out scaly hair shafts, resulting in more shine. I'm waiting for our good friends at Consumer Reports to weigh in on the benefits (or lack thereof) of "dual ion ports", but after a week of daily use with the ion switch ON, I've noticed that my hair doesn't fight me as much when I brush it into place. Even when the static-charged Santa Ana winds are howling through sunny SoCal, my hair doesn't stick out like porcupine quills. And, yes, if I turn my head from side to side, there's a noticeable shimmer that either wasn't there before or I had never noticed it.

A minor flaw is that the power and ion switches respond to a very light push, but after a couple uses you learn to position your hand accordingly after switching on the dryer. The dryer offers low and high air-speed/heat settings and has a "cool shot" button that cuts off the heater while cranking the fan up to its fastest speed. "Cool shot" is another feature that is said to set a style in place by cooling down the hair quickly.

So, whether ions really do or don't make a difference, the overall performance of the Conair Ion Shine is worth the price.


Excellent for fine/limp hair   April 20, 2002
27 out of 28 found this review helpful

This hairdryer far exceeded my expection for
volumizing and adding shine.

I have limp and fine hair and had tried anything
from volumizing shampoo, hot curlers to mega-hold
hair spray. Nothing was ever so satisfying and lasting as
the results I got from this hair dryer. I
blow dry as I normally would and my hair looks
bouncy and shiny right away. And it stays
that way even overnight! I never thought
this was possible without going to a professional
salon, getting my hair stretched by large brushes and
baked under a blowdryer for 40 minutes.
And there is nothing better than stumbling upon an
inexpensive product that does wonders.
Highly recommended for fine hair.


i like this hairdryer a LOT!!   November 8, 2003
20 out of 20 found this review helpful

This hairdryer is a lot quieter than any others i have used before which allows me to listen to music at a normal level and dry my hair at the same time.. some thing that i havent been able to do with others. It took pretty much the same amost of time that with a non-ionic hair dryer, but the results were a lot better! When im drying my hair straight, it make it very sleek, soft and shiny, yet when i am drying it curly, the curls are well defined, soft and not frizzy at all. At one point i left the dryer at my friends house, and was forced to use an older Revlon regular 1875 watt dryer that make my hair very course and frizzy, and in the end i couldnt wait to get my Conair back!!!


Great Product for Curly Hair!!!   February 27, 2003
J. Clarke (Pensacola, FL USA)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

I have very thick, curly hair and recently got a new, short style that I wanted to blow straight. I had an older dryer that just didn't cut it - so I did some research and purchased this one. I absolutely love it. It blows my hair straight very fast and all the frizz is gone too.


Dries hair quickly   April 15, 2007
Paula (Portland, OR)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

With below the shoulder hair, I found this to dry it quickly and without burning. I have fine, thick hair so usually it takes 10 minutes or more to dry ... and other dryers run so hot that they burn if focused in one spot for more than a moment (to set a wave, for instance). This gets just hot enough to be safe and pleasant to use.

The finger-attachment might be useful if someone else is styling your hair, but my arms (I'm 5'9") aren't long enough to make its use practicable.

Two speeds, two heat settings (plus cold-shot button) actually give a very usable range for drying efficiently. Took me less time than with my previous dryer.