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I will admit that my knowledge of hair dryers is somewhat lacking, and I have had to get my partner involved to help with this review.
The Laifen Swift hair dryer was launched on Indiegogo back in 2020 and received positive reviews early on.
It aims to disrupt the premium end of the market, with its main competitor being the £330 Dyson Supersonic, thanks to its 1600W power with a 110,000 RPM brushless motor capable of producing 22.3m/s of airflow and producing 13 litres/s of air volume.
Specification / Features
- Rated Power: 1600W
- Motor: 110,000 RPM brushless motor
- Airflow: 22m/s
- Noise: 59 dB
- Unit Dimensions: 277*70*89mm
- Net Weight: 407g/0.89lb/14.35oz (w/o cord)
- Wire Length: 1.8m/5.9ft
- Buttons :
- On/Off, Speed grade 1, 2
- Temperature hot/warm/cold; Long press for auto-cycling
- Accessories included:
- Smooth Nozzle
- Diffuser
- Quick Styling Nozzle
- Warranty – 2 years
Design / Accessories
I was sent the special edition of this hair dryer, the Laifen Swift is always the same hair dryer, but the different versions indicate different accessories that are included.
With this, I was sent:
- Smooth Nozzle
- Diffuser
- Quick Styling Nozzle
The hair dryer is available in four colours matte black, silver blue, pearl white and the ruby red that I was sent.
The head of the hair dryer is much smaller than my partner normally uses. The short rounded barrel head means this is a bit easier to store away than traditional shapes.
What helps reduce the size of the head is the airflow design. The hair dryer channels up through the base of the handle, which passes through a dust filter. You can easily remove the casing around the filter for easy maintenance.
The controls are simple; you have three temperature settings and two-speed levels wth the controls on the top of the handle. If you press and hold the temperature button, this will make the temperature autocycle.
Performance
As I am a man with quite short hair, this hair dryer is wasted on me. I, therefore, gave my partner the job of actually testing this. She has Northern European hair that’s long, thick and brown; it goes down below her shoulders. Day to day, she doesn’t dry her hair after washing it because it will generally take too long with her old hair dryer.
Her existing hair dryer is a mid-range Babyliss Crush 2200.
She was extremely impressed with the performance of this hair dryer. First and foremost, it did an amazing job of drying her hair quickly. It normally takes her about 20 minutes to dry her hair, whereas this managed it in under 10. The end result was nice silky hair with good volume and no static or frizz.
Without the attachments, you get a highly focused stream of air that can penetrate down to the roots. As she has straight hair, she mainly used the straightening attachment, which filers the air down to an 8cm long and narrow stream of air for focused drying.
She was also impressed with the sound, saying it is “pleasing” and not too loud. It was certainly quieter than her existing hair dryer, as I can normally hear it from the other room.
She also found that the intake vent being at the bottom through the handle was much better than the typical rear inlet. Finally, it is considerably lighter than her current hair dryer, and it is 42% lighter than the Dyson Supersonic.
Overall, she loved how well it worked and has ditched her old hair dryer.
Price and Alternative Options
The Laifen Swift Special is sold directly on laifentech.com. They list the RRP as $239.99, but it seems to be permanently discounted and is available for $169.99 at the time of writing, which works out to £130. Shipping is free, and this should fall under the threshold for getting stung by customs.
The estimated shipping time is 5 – 12 days for the UK.
In comparison, the Dyson Supersonic is £329.99, it has the same power rating, but you get better attachments.
The Shark Style iQ is another popular premium hair dryer, and this is also 1600W, comes with three attachments and is sold for £180.
Overall
My partner loves the Laifen Swift Special, and from my perspective, she dried her hair significantly faster than the generic hair dryer she was previously using.
She was impressed with the build quality and thought the way the air was fed through the handle was superior to the traditional designs.
Looking at competing brands, this hair dryer seems to offer premium performance while undercutting the well-known premium options from Dyson and Shark.
Overall, I think this is an excellent hair dryer that is well worth buying, especially if you have long, thick hair.
Laifen Swift Special Hair Dryer Review Rating
Summary
I think this is an excellent hair dryer that is significantly better value for money than big brand options from the likes of Dyson.
Overall
90%-
Overall - 90%
90%
Pros
- Very fast at drying hair
- Left hair in good condition
Cons
- Short cord
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
