Customer Reviews

Healthy Infusions by Wahl Pro Dryer

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Overall this is a very good blowdryer.

Its positives include a sturdy feel, plenty of power (1,875 watts), a nice finish and easy to use switches. There are 3 heat settings and two speeds, as well as a 'cool shot' button. The dryer also features tourmaline ionic technology. This is the 3rd dryer I've had with this feature and it does help to minimize frizz. On this dryer, like most, its automatic. I do have another product which lets you turn the ionic feature on and off, so I've done comparisons on that dryer - the ionic technology does work!

One nice surprise on this dryer is the rubber "heel' which allows you to easily stand the dryer on its end when not in use. You could also use the dryer while it is standing on this heel, although unless you need two hands free to style your hair and want to leave the dryer stationary you probably won't use this approach. Still, it's a nice feature.

On the downside, the unit was a little noisier than others in its class. This could be because of the side openings for airflow. It was not horribly loud, but its up there. At 6', the cord length is, at best, average.

The infusion feature on this dryer is supposed to let you condition while you dry. To achieve this, the dryer includes an attachment which contains a comb and holds a conditioning cartridge. The cartridge contents are solid and break down when heated. In order for the conditioner to be distributed, you must make sure to start the dryer on 'high" with the cartridge inserted. Once you've blown over your entire head, you can set the dryer lower and continue to style as usual. I did not find that the conditioner worked that well. I came away feeling like I had something in my hair, rather than it feeling clean and just styled. I tried different temperatures and settings, but I'm not too impressed by the conditioning attachment.

The cartridges are rated to last up to 30 uses. Refills appear to be pricy, costing a few dollars each.

If I were to rate this dryer as a conditioning 'infuser" I do not think this product was worth the value in that regard. However, strictly as a blow dryer, it performs as well as other pro grade dryers I've owned and was priced accordingly, so I would rate it 4 starts....all in all it would be a good purchase - just don't purchase it if your sole intent is for the conditioning feature.

Wahl makes quality products and this one is no exception, but the infusion seems more gimmick than functional feature.

UPDATE 10/5/08 -- After a couple of weeks of using this dryer (without the cartridge) I can't stand it anymore. It's really loud and not built to withstand its own power, so the vibration is horribly uncomfortable. I've broken down and bought another Elchim dryer (non-ionic, old-fashioned variety). I had one for six years or so before it broke and it's gotten nothing but five-star reviews on Amazon. It got my hair dry quickly and smoothly, and it was quiet. Skip this one and spend the extra thirty or so to get a good dryer.

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There's nothing wrong with the basic functions of this unit, although it's heavy and doesn't come with any normal attachments for directing airflow. The power is good and strong and it has the usual complement of settings -- two speed settings and three temperature settings, plus a cool shot button. You can get these for half the price, or spend more than this one costs to get a dryer that is lighter and more powerful. Either of these would be better options, because what you pay for with this unit is the conditioner dispensing cartridge, which contains a conditioner that is solid when cool but liquifies when wet. What the manufacturer doesn't tell you upfront is what is in the conditioner, and it isn't anything I would ever put on my head.

CETEARETH-30, the main ingredient after water, has moderate high to high toxicity per the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetic Safety Database (the exact risk depends on how much is in the product). The cartridge also contains squalane, which is derived from shark livers, collagen (which comes from young cows and is a common allergen), chitosan (which is derived from the shells of shrimp and other sea crustaceans), paraffin (i.e., mineral oil, a petroleum by-product), keratin (derived from wool) and fragrance, among other ingredients. Why any of these ingredients are supposed to be an advantage isn't clear, nor can I find any suggestion anywhere that dispensing conditioner in this way has any advantage over conditioning your hair normally before blow-drying or using a product made for styling. And with either of the latter, you would be able to use your own brush or comb rather than the comb attachment for this dryer which isn't close-toothed enough to hold fine hair anyway.

Two stars because the dryer works, but a cheaper tourmaline dryer would work just as well and a more expensive one would be lighter and have more bells and whistles that actually do something.

First of all I want to talk about hair dryers in general. I bought a hair dryer in 1995. Finally had to replace it last year. Hair dryers are generally long-term items that you buy once and hang on to for a long time, unless there's some significant feature you want on a newer model.

Now Wahl is trying to make hair dryers provide continuous benefits to their bottom line, by inventing a cartridge containing a solid conditioner that you use up over time...so you buy more...and they keep making money off the same old hair dryer. In the first place this kind of tactic really irritates me. It's just a gimmick. And secondly, I'd surmise that most people are happy with their own hair care products and don't need to add another layer of conditioner on their hair or to spend more money on a further product).

Today I had the chance to use the dryer and I chose not to use the conditioning strip, e.g., as a plain old hair dryer. (Yes, you can use it without the conditioning strip: but then why would anyone buy this model?) I washed my hair and used the dryer on it. It was a fairly standard hair dryer, nothing out of the ordinary. Choose from high or low air flow; choose from hot or warm air. Really nothing extraordinary about it at all, quite satisfactory as dryers go.

The conditioner comes as a solid block of stuff inside a plastic comb attachment that clips onto the opening of the front nozzle. The hot air melts the conditioner and then it runs out onto the comb and you comb it through your hair. Part of the reason I didn't use the conditioner is that I don't "style" my hair while blow-drying. I just shoot air all over my head in a random pattern (sometimes upside-down) which gives my hair a lot of volume and root lift, and then I straighten it afterwards if desired.

According to the pamphlet you can get about 20 uses from the conditioning pack. But I'm quite happy with my regular (in-shower) conditioner, so I won't be using this to add even more conditioner to my hair.

On the whole it's a quite satisfactory device for use without the conditioning block, but I will stick with my Babyliss Ceramic Pro X which gets hotter and blows more violently without making much more noise.

The Healthy Infusions Wahl Pro Dryer has a powerful airflow and the typical heat settings on most common blow-dryers. It is a little heavier and louder than most conventional dryers but it feels sturdy and fits comfortably while holding it. The conditioning cartridge seemed to get in the way since I use a brush to blow dry my hair. I normally use some type of heat safe spray before drying or styling my hair, so I decided to just try drying it with no styling products in my hair. The conditioning strip left my hair feeling stiff and heavy. I quickly washed my hair again and dried it without the conditioning strip and used my regular styling products and my hair came feeling and looking much, much better. I do have coarse, thick hair so maybe it would work better for individuals with fine hair. I will continue to use this dryer but without the conditioning strips. The whole concept of a conditioning blow-dryer is great but I think Wahl needs to do some more fine tuning before this becomes the beauty invention of the decade.

Out of the box, the "Healthy infusions" hair dryer by Wahl looks and feels like any other heavy duty "Pro" blow dryer. It feels sturdy. The controls don't have too much "play" and it puts out good air flow and good heat. It has two fan speeds and three heat settings.

What makes the dryer different is a cartridge-comb attachment that contains a solid conditioner that is designed to partially melt with the heat of the dryer and comb into your hair.

To test the unit, I washed my hair using my normal "cheap" shampoo. On one side of my hair I used my regular conditioner, the other side went without. I dried the shower-conditioned side without the conditioning attachment and then dried the other side working the conditioner in with the attachment.

My conclusion is that I don't care for the heated conditioner. While I can't really say it gummed-up my hair. It felt very different than the side done the standard way. The hair on the hot conditioner side felt heavier and just not as pleasant.

It's a great dryer, but why pay for an extra that doesn't add to the product.

One of the main features of this dryer is the introduction of hair conditioner as you dry your hair. This has to be experimental that the company is hoping that consumers will like the new idea. The conditioner needs to be slipped-in to a comb-like included accessory to the tip of the dryer. Yet some people just want a simple machine to use, like myself. Also, it makes you wonder about health issues now that you are blowing hot air through the conditioner into the air that you breathe.

Pros:
-Has integrated GFI to cut the power off if you accidentally immerse the dryer into water. This preventing the user from electrocution.
-Small and powerfull
-Ionic technology works to prevent static on your hair
-Buttons are much easier to use compared to the slide switches use by other dryers.

Cons:
-Once you finished the included conditioner, you will need to purchase extra conditioner cartridges if you want to utilize that feature.
-Loud

I don't believe it but I love this hair dryer!

Finding a hair dryer that I actually like has been hard. With the Healthy Infusions by Wahl I actually may have found what I've been looking for.

Pros:
* Small and powerful
- weighs less and is smaller than my old hair dryer
but still very powerful!

* Easy to use controls
- the heat controls are easy to use toggles that are easy
to access without having to look at the handle

* Rubber stand for "hands free drying"
- I'm not so sure about the hands free drying part -- however
the stand dramatically decreases the size of it's footprint on the
bathroom vanity (for those even shorter on bathroom real estate
there is a hook for hanging it on the wall)

* Less frizz than my old hair dryer - my hair is very fine and straight. This hair dryer adds volume without frizz.

Cons:
* I like the hair dryer the attacment stuff is a great idea but does not really work out all that well. Without the conditioning part the hair dryer is an excellent product and I am very happy with it.


updated 11/07/08

Still very happy with this product and how it drys my hair quickly without frizz and fly away.

This is a great blow dryer, but it's just that, a blow dryer.

Pros:

This is a powerful blow dryer.

I do love the built in stand. Just rest the blow dryer on it's back. You can use it as a hands free dryer if you can get low enough to it. It also has a convenient loop to hang it on a hook.


I love the side screens, they prevent my hair from getting sucked into the blower and motor.


Cons:

Expensive for just a blow dryer.

I didn't find the conditioning attachment to be of any advantage, it's too bulky for such an attachment and very inconvenient to use. I didn't notice any change in my hair either. Maybe, that comes with using it in time. Don't buy it for this feature.

The blow dryer is a little on the heavy side for me. I'm a small person.

It didn't come with any additional attachments.

You'll have to buy additional cartridges for this thing in the future.

...even compared to my sharper imagine ionic travel dryer, which I LOVE. It is larger though, and instead of a air concentrator it has the comb with the conditioner pack. I don't normally style my hair, just dry it. I have naturally wavy hair so sometimes I need to flat iron my hair, but I try not to do it often since it really isn't good for the hair.

Anyways, it does not seem to produce as much air as my sharper image, and in my opinion it's much louder, too. Those are important to me, so I think I'll still stick with my sharper image even though I really had high hopes for this dryer.

For a back-up dryer, though, as others had said, it's not a bad option at all. I just wouldn't use the cartridge because I don't like to put goo on my hair.

The temperature control is very effective. Heats up and cools down quickly and noticeably.

UPDATE 10/1/08: After using it for a couple of weeks, I've discovered that even though I don't use the conditioning strip, if I use condition when I shampoo, the dryer is awesome in drying my hair without damaging it. The temperature control is really good, because on low it's barely warm, and on medium (which is what I normally use) it doesn't heat up so much after a couple of minutes and burn my hair. My hair actually seems to feel softer than my sharper image dryer, though I still think my sharper image dryer makes my hair feel "stronger."

I would actually rate this 4 stars instead of 3 stars now, but I can't change the stars. Wish the cord is longer, though.

This blow dryer includes the "moisturizing" conditioning strip (there are 2 others that you can buy, it comes with green for moisturizing.) You basically attach the strip to the front of the dryer like you would any other diffuser attachment. The instructions say to run the dryer through your hair with the strip to have the conditioner deposited throughout your hair. This was what I found to be awkward. To follow the instructions you had to use the blow dryer as some sort of brush and if you are someone who regularly blow dries their hair with a round brush or paddle brush to achieve a style, this definitely gets in the way and takes much longer. I finished my blow dry treating the attachment as a diffuser rather than a comb and styled as usual. On the upside, the blow dryer is pretty powerful, average weight with a nice design and easy to handle when the attachment is removed. I did notice my hair had less frizzies than normal after the blow dry, so that may be a testament to the conditioning strip. I did not notice that my hair was weighed down or felt heavy like I do with some other leave-in conditioners. Overall, better than just 3 stars, but the awkward attachment keeps it from hitting a 4 star mark.