A powerful hair dryer that surprised us – in a good way
Following more than a decade in the reviews business, it's rare for a product to surprise us. The Blow hair dryer from mdlondon is lightweight yet feels luxurious; it's compact yet powerful; and it gave our fine hair the shine, volume and bounce we crave. It isn't perfect – its design and price won't be to everyone's taste – but it's a strong entry in an increasing sea of competition. Why you can trust TechRadar Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test . Two-minute review We've been reviewing the best hair dryers (and many other appliances and gadgets) for more than a decade now, and we often feel like we've seen it all. Many brands turn to gimmicks to stand out in a crowd, but oftentimes these gimmicks fall flat or fail to shift the dial. On first impression, we felt the T-shaped design of the mdlondon Blow was just that – a gimmick. A way to stand out, but not really delivering on any other front. However, following two weeks of daily use, we can admit we were wrong. This unusual design makes the hair dryer well balanced and comfortable in the hand. It deliver the space for a powerful motor to be added to a surprisingly lightweight and compact design. Plus, the position of the handle and placement of the buttons make this hair dryer super-intuitive. The matte finish and copper accents add to its overall aesthetic. When it comes to performance, the results are more mixed. The mdlondon Blow isn't the fastest dryer we've used, nor is it great at rough drying hair; it left our hair frizzy and limp. Yet when used with the concentrator nozzle and a round blow-drying brush, it created the kind of shine, volume and bounce typically only achievable from a visit to the salon – and that's with our less-than-average blow-drying skills. This is rare and was a welcome surprise. All of this does come at a price, however. At $236 / £195 / AU$342 , the mdlondon Blow is…