Thanks to T3's Cura Luxe Hair Dryer, I’m Never Getting a Salon Blowout Again

We put T3's Cura Luxe Professional Ionic Hair Dryer to the test after receiving a complimentary sample from the brand. Keep reading for our full product review.

As a hairstylist, T3's Cura Luxe Professional Ionic Hair Dryer first caught my attention years ago—and its irresistibly sleek design has had me drooling ever since. All white everything with hints of rose gold? Sign me up. I don’t know about you, but when my beauty tools and products look as beautiful as they make me feel, it’s a huge selling point for me. And good design isn’t just about appearances—this dryer has an ergonomic grip that adds serious comfort to the job of blow-drying. (That’s right, I said it. Blow-drying is a job, people!) Needless to say, when I got the chance to test it out for myself, I was more than a little bit excited.

Read on for my honest review.

About My Hair: Wavy and long-overdue for a haircut

I have long (as in unattractively grown-out) hair that’s pretty wavy and medium-density. I don’t style it much at all. Typically, I rely on my products, not my tools. After every shower, I rake some of Playa’s Ritual Oil through my ends, and since I usually have to shower at night once my baby’s asleep, I just let it air-dry. Being long-overdue for a haircut (#momlife), my ends are much quicker to dry and are pretty frail from my also-grown-out balayage. With all these factors currently working against me, I’ve kept my distance from hot tools recently, dryers included. 

I’ve never been one to rely on a hair dryer as a part of my daily routine, but when I want to feel fancy, I give myself a blowout. However, my hair has always been extremely thick (especially before having a baby), so a blowout is a serious undertaking—which is why I was especially interested to see if the T3 Cura Luxe Dryer could help me power through one any faster.

How to Use: Grab your favorite brush

Before beginning my blowout, I applied a smoothing balm (I love Evo's Easy Tiger) and combed through my hair with a wide-toothed comb to help distribute product evenly. (If you have finer hair, you can try a lightweight hair serum, if anything at all.)

From there, I attached the included drying concentrator and rough-dried my hair. When I rough-dry, I use the highest heat setting and the highest airflow while tossing my strands back and forth from side to side to help get volume at the roots. Once it was mostly dry, I switched the nozzle to the included styling concentrator, which is slightly more narrow, and lowered the heat setting to medium before sectioning my hair.

I then grabbed my favorite brush—for me, that's a ceramic round brush, but it could also be a mixed-bristle round brush or a flat brush—and got to work. As I worked through each section, I made sure the dryer was directed at an angle that followed my brush, and I was off to the races.

Thankfully, I could manage all the controls with the hand that was holding the dryer, which was a big perk for me. When I finished styling, I tapped the cool shot button, which was right beneath where my pointer finger was resting, to lock in my look.

Design: Lightweight and intuitive

Design and craftsmanship are at the heart of all T3 tools, this dryer included. One of my favorite perks was its comfortable ergonomic grip. That alone made the drying process feel a thousand times easier!

It also has an auto-pause sensor to stop airflow when you put it down for a second, then resumes once you pick it up again.

Lastly, it's the epitome of aesthetically pleasing—so much so that I’ve actually chosen to keep it out on my desk rather than store it under the bathroom sink. It's my latest vanity prop, what can I say?

Performance: Quicker drying time

This dryer definitely shortens drying time, which might be the biggest perk (but more on that below). In addition, the placement of the temperature and airflow settings is conveniently located and easily accessible, and the grip might just be the most comfortable I’ve found yet.

However, If you have thicker or damaged hair, you might need a little product assistance such as a heat protectant or smoothing balm to help seal your cuticles. For finer hair, this should be a walk in the park. 

Heat Damage: None whatsoever

After consistent use and heat exposure from drying every week, which was a new norm for me, I thought I’d see more fraying over time. My hair feels surprisingly healthy and soft after every use.

The Results: A quick, salon-quality blowout with one minor setback

I wanted to find out if this was a dryer that would enable me to rough-dry my hair without it frizzing. As it turns out, the rough dry left me feeling frizzier than I would’ve hoped, but it still wasn't as bad as it's been after rough-drying with other dryers! I noticed the frizziness by the time my hair was about 85% dry—the perfect point to go in and section my hair off before moving from bottom to top with my round brush.

At first, I was disappointed because I just wasn’t in the mood to go through the notions, but the rest of the process went by surprisingly quickly.

And trust me—I tried this a few times.

The Value: Serious bang for your buck 

The Cura Luxe Ionic Dryer retails for $285, but you may be able to find it on sale for less. Regardless, it's a splurge, but if you get regular blowouts, this dryer will pay for itself in no time. I’d definitely say this is an investment worth making. You get a lot of bang for your buck.

Warranty: Two years

With a two-year warranty and 30-day risk-free returns, you've got a safe cushion to fall back on if you’re not satisfied, but I doubt that’ll be the case. Just be sure to register your product before throwing away the packaging in order to activate your warranty!

Similar Products: It stands out

Amika Accomplice Dryer ($200) and Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer ($400): The Cura Luxe Ionic Dryer is much better than what I had at home, which was the Amika Accomplice Dryer. After using this dryer from T3 on a weekly basis, my hair feels healthier after each use than it ever did with my Amika dryer. I’m also extremely impressed with its fast drying time, which made all the difference for me. It’s not as quick as a Dyson Supersonic, which I also tested, but at about half the price, it’s a close runner up, for sure. Oh, and did I mention how beautiful it is?