Pibbs 514 Kwik Dri Professional Salon Hooded Hair Dryer 1100W Black

Hesitating to buy this dryer because of the price is a short-sighted move. If your hair regimen includes regular salon visits for professional-quality wash and sets, this dryer will pay for itself in 10 home washings. Over 2+ months you would have spent the same money. For African-American women especially who have relaxed shoulder-length hair, wash and sets create much less damage than blow-drying followed by curling irons (direct heat and stress, followed by more direct heat and stress). The drawback, though, is the time spent under the dryer. Longer, porous hair (like mine) can take a minimum of 90 minutes drying time with other standard chair dryers, even at the salon. Add to that the 1 or so hour spent prior on the shampoo, conditioning, and actual hair setting process, and you're talking about a 3 hour total investment, which does not include any wait time before you're actually seated for your hair service. So, I cannot understate what a huge deal it is that the Pibbs Kwik Dri cuts that drying time in half, from 90 minutes to 45 minutes. What this means: 1. I can now exercise the option to wash and set my hair on weekday mornings before work, if I have to, just by waking up an hour or so earlier than I would normally. This was an impossibility before, unless I wanted to set my alarm for 3:30am. 2. I can now schedule dates and other social events on the same days I sweat my hair out at the gym, without having to worry about not having enough time in between to re-do my hair. 3. Psychological barriers to washing and setting my hair at home have been removed. The prospect of sitting under the dryer for 90 minutes after struggling with the setting process, contributed to the overall dread in facing this task. This was made all the worse by the knowledge that your end result - using cheaper dryers which would not dry the hair evenly, or get as hot - would fall way short of the salon outcome. As a result, I avoided the whole process, which meant my skill level in setting my own hair never improved, which just created a vicious cycle that would drive me back to the salon for the professional setting results I wanted and needed. But now, because my hair only takes 45 minutes to dry with the Pibbs Kwik Dri, and I am assured of a positive, professional outcome for the time spent, I am more motivated to set my own hair at home, which means I do it more often, which means my setting skill level improves, which means with every week that passes I'm able to consistently achieve the same or better results at home (with the products of my choice), which keeps me out of the salon, and money in my pocket. Bottom line: no other dryer on the market, or even in salons, comes close, and I've gone through my fair share for home use, the most recent being the Virgo CD320 salon dryer. What makes the Pibbs Kwik Dri 514 so effective is (a) the super hot settings, and (b) the unique hood design that extends all the way down the back, and around all sides, trapping in the heat and keeping it from escaping out the bottom, so that it circulates evenly from top roller to back roller. Note that to use this comfortably, as others have mentioned, you definitely need to get foam ear protectors, and wear some kind of light towel around your neck, to protect it from the heat. You can always adjust the heat downward, but that sort of defeats the purpose of the quick drying results. Just suck it up, keep it on the next to highest heat setting (60), and protect your ears/skin, and you'll be fine. Another benefit is that it's so easy to move from room to room, and the hood height can be adjusted on the stand to fit most any chair setup. I use it with my existing living room armchair, and the castor wheels on the base roll comfortably under so that I can sit back in luxurious comfort with my feet on the ottoman, and still have the dryer hood extend, or overhang, comfortably over the back of the chair. Don't even get me started on the $120 or so dollars I'm saving every month by doing my own hair, or the fact that I'm no longer a slave to my stylist's schedule and availability. She now sees me only for rare cuts, color treatments or (relaxer) touch-ups. Overall, I am 100% satisfied with the quality and performance of this dryer, and have recommended it to everyone I know. You will forget all about the initial investment once you start reaping the immediate benefits mentioned above, and realize that you can't put a price on your valuable time. I can always earn back the $300 I spent on this, but I'll never be able to get back the time I lost or wasted previously (not to mention lost "quality of life" opportunities where I could have been engaged in other enjoyable activities), associated with this process.

So amazon tells me I bought this in 2014, the price has not gone down much but I am sitting under this dryer right now, it was worth the $400 I paid for it. I stopped getting perms in 2011 and needed a way to dry my roller set and flat twists. I had only been to salons a handful of times because I stay there all day. I can use this when ever I need and I get salon results without the time wasted. Committing to a at home dryer means you have to get better at doing your own hair and stop depending on a stylist, that is not a bad thing. I don't remember if it came with ear covers but get some or your ears will be heated. I also put a towel at the back of my neck and a scarf tied around my forehead. I can tolerate the high heat on my head, not my skin. I'm still happy with my purchase 12 years later

My experience is limited, since I have only used the dryer three times after my ancient Daisy portable dryer finally conked out. After reading many of the reviews on Amazon for the other lower priced table-top dryers, I decided to spend the money for this one. The instructions for assembly were missing the one for my model with the stand and instead had the ones for the wall mount. However there was a diagram and it was easy to follow. The simple bolt that another reviewer said was missing was actually screwed into the bottom of the pole which I located by following the diagram to assemble.. A second reviewer commented that the transparent flap in front of the hood that should move up and down didn't and she had to squeeze under the hood. I also found that the flap did not move but after examining it I tried harder and found that it was just very stiff. It now moves smoothly. Since I do a roller set I do not use the hairnet but agree with the instructions that if you use the dryer to dry loose wet hair that is not extremely short you should use the hairnet as the appliance does not have an adjustable speed and is as fast as the highest speed on my salon dryer. The temperature is adjustable and there is a timer. The stand is sturdy and moves easily; I just had to rearrange a closet to store the dryer. I hope the dryer has a long life; so far I am pleased with this purchase.

Very pleased. Quick delivery, easy assembly and it started warming up (didn't want to make it hot since I was just testing it worked) in a minute and a half (I timed it). It also came with a hairnet. Nice courtesy. I ordered the dryer on 1/7/14 and the confirmation stated delivery between 1/13-16/2014. I received the dryer on 1/9/14. Packaging was in good order, little to no damage outside and the actual dryer was packed safely/snugly inside. Opened up the two inner boxes. The first contained the base and the second was the head piece. Read the "important note/danger " information (glad I did, I probably would have injured myself via the spring loaded pole had I not), looked at the picture. The parts listed for the base made me raise an eyebrow b/c they weren't wrapped separately, so I put the directions aside. I turned the pole upside down, found the bolt/washer/screw. Unscrewed them from the pole's base then assembled the pole into the black plastic piece snugly (I have no idea what it's name is, but it's obvious what I'm referring to when you get the dryer). Then fitted the pole & that black plastic piece to the base. Turned all items on their side so I could screw the bolt/screw/washer into the bottom of the pole and secure everything. I turned the poll & base upright and held the screw while I turned the pole to tighten everything. Then I put the headpiece on top of the poll; tested lifting the visor and it was stiff but not bad. Tightened part that puts pressure on the poll to hold it in place once the height is adjusted. All done. I have carpeting so the base doesn't roll without me making it. Moves over the carpet "ok". Plan to use the dryer once a week to dry my roller set. I use gray and red magnetized rollers. I have fine hair that is 1-2 inches past my shoulders. I do relax my hair. It usually takes about an hour for my hair to dry @ the salon on a medium temperature setting. I will also be using a kneeling chair to sit under the dryer (I have herniated discs so this chair helps with decompression/alignment of the spine, great when sitting for an extended period of time & SHOULD allow me to adjust myself easily to fit under the headpiece). Looking forward to saving lots by drying my hair at home. If dry time is significantly different or something goes awry, I will update the review.

Love it. Helps dry under extensions and will get you dry in no time. Couldn't do that with my old Gold N Hot dryer and just had to put up with sitting under there for 3 or 4 hours only to have my braids underneath be still extremely damp. It would take 2 days to air dry after sitting under the dryer for those 3 or 4 hours. Then I'd get a girl friend to causally sniff my hair or scalp to make sure I didn't get that mildewy old weave smell from hair that hasn't been dried. The hinge is a little loud which sucks in an apartment when you open the flap to get under or exit the dryer though, but that's minor unless you're doing that constantly instead of just sitting under there. Nice and portable. Sturdy. Not wobbly. I wheel it from room to room. Don't expect to be able to sit on your couch and dry your hair. I wish I could but it doesn't work like that without me contorting my body in weird positions. Expect to sit at a chair. I'm sure a nice Lazy Boy would work but I sit at my kitchen table. This has saved my life when I get last minute job interviews and can't get a hair appointment or have too much school work to do to wait in the salon for them to finally start your hair 2 hours after your scheduled appointment and work on like 5 clients in between you. My hair comes out quite nice actually. Almost as nice as the salon. This dryer is better in my opinion than most salon dryers I've had to sit under which fail to dry underneath my braids. Overall just make the investment if you can. I hesitated for a few months because of the price but am so happy I bought this!!!

5/5/2015 In the past several weeks, I have used the dryer 3 times. The dryer can get very hot to the point where I have to cover my ears. Granted, you can lower the temp but I want to dry as fast as possible. It blows air really hard so you will likely need the hair net they provided. For conditioning with a plastic cap, you will need a headband or similar to keep the dryer from pulling it off. The hood is large but the front flap is what limits the roller size. I use about 18 to 20 purple rollers and there's plenty of space in the hood. I just have to twist my head a little to fit through the front flap. I am dry in less than 45 min with hair slightly longer than shoulder length. In Houston, I pay $40+ for a shampoo set and style every 2 weeks. In my case, the dryer will pay for itself in 3 to 4 months. I would recommend. 4/14/2015 Why did I order this dryer? I have not used the dryer yet. But decided to write review to include pics and initial thoughts for wondering minds. I am African American with shoulder length relaxed hair. I intend to do roller sets with a combo of red, purple and/or gray magnetic rollers. I am tired of wasting so much of my time in the beauty shop every 2 weeks. Shipping I ordered on April 9th, shipped on 10th and received today the 14th via FedEx. So no complaints on shipping. Packaging Below my expectations but no damage. One big box included 2 boxes, one for head and another for the stand. See pics attached. Assembly Took less than 5 min. Just attach pole to base with screw and washer, then sit head on pole. The head slides down far enough over pole so you shouldn't be too concerned that head will fall off. But other than a snug fit, nothing keeps the head on the pole. The dryer 2 knobs for temp and time. Pole height adjusts easily with screw turn knob. The pole will not slide up and down while sitting under it. You will have to get up and adjust height. Hood is full coverage down to neck and I felt like there was no escaping! Hence the hair net included with the order. Photo attached. I plan to use it this weekend so I will update my post after my roller set results.

Good one

I have curly, thick, course, long hair and was looking for a portable hair dryer to replace the Gold N Hot Elite 1875 Hair Dryer that I had for 2 years. The GNH worked great, but the temperature of the air blowing out got cool after a year. I'm guessing that something short circuited. Now, this was the second time after returning it to the manufacturer to be replaced in 2 years because it was under warranty. To give you an idea of how often I used it, it was 3-4 times a week for 20 minutes each. So, when I read the reviews of the Pibbs prior to purchase, I was impressed, so it seemed like a no-brainer. After getting the product, I was eager to test it. Issues: 1. Never really got hot enough. Wasn't sure if I had a defective one, but it felt like it was on the low setting of my hand-held dryer despite putting the knob setting to the max (which I think is 70). 2. The airflow was horrible. The dryer created some type of vortex that kept sucking my hair up into the vent to the point where it was making it tangled and knot up. The dryer came with a hair net, but even after trying to put that on the second time, it still sucked up some of my hair into the vent. 3. Can't really speak for the drying capabilities because I didn't sit under it long enough to see due to the airflow and hair getting stuck. But, based on how hot it really got, I'd seriously have to sit under it for an hour, I'm guessing. 4. I was able to return it without an issue since I did so within the 14 day period. They paid for return shipping and refunded my entire purchase.