Feb. 23, 2024, 9:45 PM UTC

By Kate Klaver

Hair care is, and has always been, important to me, and any curly-haired person will know that it can be a long journey to find products that work for you. Lately, New York’s dry and cold weather has been doing a number on my hair's style (enter: dull, frizzy curls) and overall health. Not only that, but I've also learned that my go-to air-drying routine just isn’t going to cut it anymore. This was confirmed when I learned that, according to my hairdresser and her semi-horrified expression, excessive air-drying can lead to weak and broken strands. Not good.

I considered this my sign to finally find the perfect hair diffuser — that will safely dry and define my curls — once and for all. Now, I'm the kind of person who will spend days researching a product to ensure maximum effectiveness (and minimal risk of wasting my money), so I took my time researching until I was confident I had found the one.

Drybar The Bouncer Diffuser

The Bouncer Diffuser

$34.00

After consulting tons of online reviews and even a few TikTok videos, I finally (and thankfully) landed on Drybar's Bouncer Diffuser.

It keeps my hair free of frizz

The first thing I noticed was that the diffuser was packaged nicely in a small box, so it looked like care was taken to avoid too much waste; something I always appreciate seeing brands strive for. It came with a small instruction manual that was cute (decorated with a small heart) and succinct. It even included a link to a how-to video on their website, which I thought was a great touch for those who work better with visual directions.

I began by scrunching my go-to curl cream into my wet hair to enhance definition.

Not Your Mother's Naturals Combing Cream Butter

$19.18

$8.99

After that, I attached the diffuser to the nozzle of my blow-dryer using the adjustable grip and fastened it into place before turning it on. While the product description says the diffuser is a perfect fit for the brand's sister products (the Buttercup and Baby Buttercup), it's also designed to fit most blow-dryers as well. I found that was the case for me, as it stayed attached to my own non-Drybar tool with ease.

Beginning cautiously on a low power setting, I started drying my hair in sections. The instruction sheet advised to "tilt your head so you can ‘dip’ your hair into the diffuser." I worked the prongs up to the roots and, as the instructions also suggested, held each section in the diffuser for a few seconds before moving onto the next.

After getting more comfortable with the process, I tried turning my dryer up to high power — a true test to see if its claim to reduce frizz was true. I stood in front of the mirror, shocked. To my delight, I didn't see any frizz or flyaways, which was something I'd always end up with after drying my hair quickly with other diffusers. Plus, my hair also felt smooth and soft.

Another big issue I've had with diffusers I've tried is that the air pressure would be too intense, which ultimately caused curl separation and excessive dryness. The Bouncer was a different story. Even when I turned my dryer up to the highest and hottest setting, the air was evenly distributed throughout the cone and holes. My hair looked shinier, defined ... and did I already mention not frizzy?

Volume and definition are also two important factors I look for when styling my hair. I always worry that I would have to sacrifice one for the other, but in this case, this tool helped to deliver both, giving my hair body and my curls the perfect coil.

While handling the diffuser, a portion of it got pretty hot to the touch. Luckily, the rubber grip of the diffuser (the part connecting it to the hair dryer) stayed cool, but I still recommend practicing a bit of caution while using it.