7 Best Diffusers For Natural Hair 2024, Get Your Curls Right!

In the past, most people only used to talk about blow drying their hair normally.

Of course this was during the “relaxer” phase.

Now that many women have gone the natural route, a lot have turned towards diffusers as a means of preserving and defining their curls and coils.

There are tons of benefits that come with diffusing your hair, but it all comes with finding the perfect diffuser first.

If you have natural hair, here are a few diffusers to help your dry and define after your next wash day.

#1 Best Diffuser For Natural Hair: Drybar The Bouncer Diffuser

Drybar is a popular hair care brand so it’s no surprise that their Bouncer Diffuser ended up first on this list.

In the same fashion as most other hair diffusers, it’s meant to help define curls while also minimizing frizz.

That said, this design is much different than the below DevaCurl product on this list.

This Drybar diffuser has the most common design you’ll see on the market.

With a wide, flat head, the placement of the “fingers” will help diffuse and dry the hair gently.

Also because of the placement and length of the “fingers,” they also help with getting through to the roots if you have thicker, coarser hair.

DevaCurl DevaFuser

The DevaCurl DevaFuser is first on this list, and the most remarkable thing about this diffuser is the design.

What many women would do before the world of diffusers is slightly dry their hair with a regular blow dryer and then “scrunch” the ends towards their roots.

This diffuser is meant to replace that.

With its design being in the shape of a hand, it helps give the same upward motion that you might be used to pre-diffusers.

There are even more great things about this product as well.

Its design is meant to help your hair stay frizz free.

The DevaCurl diffuser is able to do this by drying the hair while also preserving moisture.

Because of the design, the diffuser is also able to deliver heat to the hair at a number of different angles.

Also, you might be worried to know that all diffusers don’t fit on all hair dryers.

Luckily, this product is made to fit most.

T3 Soft Curl Diffuser

Another popular brand in hair tools, we couldn’t leave out the T3 Soft Curl Diffuser.

The product has a few promises that don’t greatly differ from other diffusers making it an idea option to try.

While, like most, it is meant to help add volume, define curls, and eliminate frizz, there are a few other things to note about this particular diffuser.

With the placement of the fingers, it is meant to help separate strands while also helping to distribute the heat evenly.

Most diffusers will help distribute heat, but separating the strands?

Sign us up!

One of the biggest causes of frizz is when we manipulate the hair ourselves.

We spend tons of time trying to separate the strands to add volume, but what we’re mostly adding is frizziness.

With the diffuser doing the work for you, you won’t have to worry about manipulating your hair too much in the aftermath.

Last, but not least, the tourmaline technology in T3 products also makes this  a standout.

When used in hair products, tourmaline can speed up the drying process up to 40% which means quicker curls for you.

Don’t forget that a quicker drying time means that you can put less heat on your hair, and isn’t that what we all want?

BaBylissPRO Italy Dryer Diffuser

If you’re looking for other options for smooth, defined curls, the BaBylissPRO Italy Dryer Diffuser is another great product that will help you.

This product will help produce frizz-free curls or coils while also adding volume and helping the hair look smooth and shiny.

With the length of the bristles, the BaBylissPRO diffuser also helps to separate hair at the root to prevent hair from clustering together.

Xtava Black Orchid Hair Diffuser

One of the most important parts to diffusing is making sure that you get the roots right.

The Xtava Black Orchid Hair Diffuser will help do that.

What most diffuser users don’t know is that you should actually start with the roots of the hair before moving down to the ends.

This diffuser has extra long fingers that make it easier to reach the roots and separate them.

The design of this diffuser is also a bit more 360 than most other diffusers claim to be.

With opening in a circle around the head, it will definitely help speed up the drying process.

BedHead Curls In Check Diffuser Hair Dryer – For Black Hair

Next we have the BedHead Curls in Check Diffuser Hair Dryer.

Similar to many of the products on this list, it’s going to help define hair texture and give your hair an even and quick dry.

This is another product that boasts its tourmaline ionic technology.

While we mentioned previously that this helps shorten drying time, it has other benefits as well.

Mostly, because of the way it reacts with ions, it makes the product less dependent on heat to dry the hair.

This is great because this BedHead product makes it more ideal for you to use the cool setting as a means to protect the hair from heat damage.

StyleCraft Collapsible Professional Diffuser

Out of all the items on the list, the StyleCraft Collapsible Professional Diffuser is probably the most unique.

Sure, it’s going to help dry, volumize, and define your hair similar to the other products on this list, but it’s the infuser that sets it apart.

This diffuser comes with an internal sponge.

While one might wonder its purpose, it’s for essential oils.

Adding products to your hair prior to diffusing is important, but you can even add them during the process.

You can add your favorite oils to the internal sponge to help infuse it with your hair even more.

Some of the best oils to use on hair are coconut, argan,  jojoba, or olive oil.

They are great for keeping your hair moisturized while drying the water.

With the internal sponge in the Stylecraft diffuser, you can hand wash and reuse it each time you do your hair.

Afterwards, all you need to do is wipe the internal compartment clean, and you’re ready for the next session.

How To Prep Natural Hair For A Diffuser

There isn’t much that needs to be done to diffuse your natural hair.

First, you do need to start off with soaking wet hair.

It might be easier to manage this after a shampoo and conditioning session.

Next, while your hair is soaking wet, you’re going to want to apply all your favorite products.

Whether it’s a leave-in conditioner or a styling gel, make sure you apply it generously to the hair.

Lastly, you’re going to let your hair air dry for a bit of time.

Your hair shouldn’t be soaking wet when you begin diffusing it.

Allow it to dry maybe halfway through and you’ll be ready to start.

What Settings Should You Diffuse Natural Hair On?

When it comes to drying hair, the first instinct is to do it on high heat so as to quicken the process.

This would be a mistake.

While many people seem to think that heat damage only comes in the form of straighteners and curling irons, the heat of a blow dryer can also do this.

Truth be told, you should never use any of your hot tools on their highest heat setting.

As for diffusing your hair, there are two options you can consider.

One, you can diffuse your hair on low (or medium) heat.

If you’re even more worried about heat damage, there is a reason that blow dryers come with a cool setting.

Diffusing your hair on cold air can still help you achieve the coveted look of diffused curls.

What Are The Benefits Of Diffusing Natural Hair?

Whether you’ve recently experienced the big chop or have been growing your natural hair out for years, there’s one thing we can all agree on – shrinkage.

One of the best benefits of diffusing hair is that it can help bring some of that length and volume we lose when our hair dries naturally.

Diffusing natural hair can give you a big, curly, voluminous look, and that’s not all.

Another great benefit to diffusing your hair is that it is more heat safe than regular blow drying.

We’ve all experienced that burning moment during blow drying where we’ve let the dryer sit on one location too long.

Not only does this hurt our scalp, but it can cause damage to the hair as well.

Because of the design of hair diffusers, the placement of the heat is spread out which promotes less heat damage to the hair.

A third benefit to diffusing your hair is that, when done properly, you can do it daily.

As I previously mentioned, you definitely shouldn’t be using high heat on your hair ever.

However, if you want to diffuse your hair on a more regular basis, start adopting cold air into the process.

This will help you achieve the fresh, diffused look any day that you want.

Lastly, while diffusing helps you define your curls, it also does something to their look and texture.

It makes your hair less frizzy.

A lot of the frizziness of natural hair comes when we manipulate it with our hands.

There is a right and wrong way to diffuse hair, but a number of step by step “how to diffuse curly hair” guides can help you master the process.

Things To Avoid

There are a series of “dos” to make sure that you diffuse your hair properly, but along with that comes a series of don’ts.

When diffusing natural hair, here are a few things to avoid:

One, keep the heat minimal.

I can’t stress this enough.

While the heat sometimes feels great on our scalp, it can be very damaging to the hair.

Instead, avoid using high heat by switching it out with low heat or even the cool setting on most blow dryers.

Two, avoid diffusing the way you see most women do it.

You’ll see them work up from the tip to the root, but that’s the improper way.

Choosing to diffuse your hair this way can actually lead to more frizz.

What you want to do is work it around the scalp and do most of the work in the direction of your hair.

That means you almost want to work in a downwards direction.

Once most of the top is dry, you can diffuse the ends in an upward motion.

Best Diffusers For Natural Hair Conclusion

Whether you’re natural or are deciding to go in that direction, you’ll notice that once you use a diffuser, it’ll change the way you continue to do your hair.

While they seem to be “trendy” in the hair care industry now, one can’t refute that they actually work.

They help achieve beautiful, defined hair without causing you to worry about excessive heat damage.

Regardless of if you’re rocking 3C curls or 4C coils, diffusing is one hair process that will have your hair looking great.