This is my only experience with an ionic hair dryer, so I have nothing with which to compare this one. However, I bought it because I had several expections about its features. Here is how each feature measured up:

Quicker? NO. It may even take a little longer than a standard 1875-watt dryer. The reason is that the fan does not blow very hard. The "high" setting blows about like the "low" setting on a standard dryer.

Reduced frizz/flyaways/static? YES. These are significantly reduced.

Increased shine? YES. My hair is visibly shinier.

Quieter? YES, but qualified. The only reason it is quieter is because it doesn't blow air as hard as a regular dryer.

Freshens hair? YES.

Another drawback: This dryer is very heavy. It took me several days to get used to how heavy it is.

This dryer delivers almost all of what ionic hairdryers promise, but I was mostly hoping for a dryer to speed drying time. If you have thin hair or hair that dries quickly or have plenty of time to dry your hair, then I would highly recommend this dryer. My hair looks shinier and healthier.

As a child of the Sixties, I still wear my hair long and I blow it dry every morning. When my old Hartman Protech 1600 hair dryer hit the bathroom floor, things weren't the same. Eventually, in a spectacular pyrotechnic display, it breathed its last.

Since I had paid 20 bucks for it way back when, I was ready to spend that much on a replacement. Much to my surprise, in the 10 or so years I'd owned that dryer, a lot had changed, and now the same money buys a lot more hair dryer, so with some dough to spare, I bought one of these.

Many complain that it doesn't pack the same wallop as other dryers but that's a case of perception versus reality. The Conair's barrel has a larger diameter than most dryers and its fan is quieter, so while the perceptible breeze isn't as blustery, it's still moving plenty of air. I know because I use an egg timer to count off 3 minutes while I dry my hair and the Conair never leaves my hair damp (a barber told me that after 3 minutes of blow drying, you're just toasting your hair and not helping it). If you MUST have that scalp-scorching pinpoint blast, Conair includes a concentrator.

Ions are all the rage in hair dryer technology right now. Purportedly, a stream of ions directed at your hair will neutralize static electricity and smooth out frizzy hair. Ions are also claimed to flatten out scaly hair shafts, resulting in more shine. I'm waiting for our good friends at Consumer Reports to weigh in on the benefits (or lack thereof) of "dual ion ports", but after a week of daily use with the ion switch ON, I've noticed that my hair doesn't fight me as much when I brush it into place. Even when the static-charged Santa Ana winds are howling through sunny SoCal, my hair doesn't stick out like porcupine quills. And, yes, if I turn my head from side to side, there's a noticeable shimmer that either wasn't there before or I had never noticed it.

A minor flaw is that the power and ion switches respond to a very light push, but after a couple uses you learn to position your hand accordingly after switching on the dryer. The dryer offers low and high air-speed/heat settings and has a "cool shot" button that cuts off the heater while cranking the fan up to its fastest speed. "Cool shot" is another feature that is said to set a style in place by cooling down the hair quickly.

So, whether ions really do or don't make a difference, the overall performance of the Conair Ion Shine is worth the price.

I wrote this review 3 years ago. 3/2006 and this dryer is still going strong.

This dryer is definitely quieter than most. I purchased it after I dropped my previous Quiet dryer from Conair and the clip that holds on the diffuser broke. No diffuser makes a dryer useless to me. I had to use my back-up dryer (not a Conair, the one time I strayed) for a few days. I could hear the difference when I got this new Conair. It's much quieter and was significantly lighter. I'm not very impressed with the IONIC portion of it, hence the 4 stars. The diffuser is nice and big. It attaches solidly (without clips that can break) and really stays on there. The hanging loop is a big plus too. I will never buy another dryer without one again. I like Conair because they stand the test of time. I've never burnt one out. I need a hair dryer that can take a lot of abuse and Conair's have always been able to do that.

I'd like to point out also that I have never tripped a circuit breaker at home or visiting someone with this dryer. That reviewer should get their home wiring checked before they have a fire.

Overall, I highly recommend this dryer.

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