The ghd Helios is a well-built dryer that's hard to recommend at full price. For about $280 you get an 1875W brushless motor, 75 mph airflow, a quiet acoustic design and a 9 ft cord. But buyers rate it 3.9 stars, below the cheaper ghd Air (4.2) and the $23 Remington (4.6). We score it 7/10.
The ghd Helios sells for about $280 on Amazon. That puts it well above the budget dryers that crowd the $20 to $50 bracket and above ghd's own ghd Air at about $203, but below the Dyson Supersonic Nural at about $450 list. It's ghd's newer design, built around an 1875W brushless motor and ghd's Aeroprecis technology, and aimed at people who want a salon-feel dryer that's also quiet.
Here's the part most reviews skip. On Amazon it averages 3.9 stars from about 760 reviews. That's lower than the ghd Air (4.2), the Dyson Nural (4.4) and the $23 Remington Damage Protection (4.6). I've gone through ghd's US specs and how the Helios lines up against those three to see whether the price makes sense despite that. The short answer: it's a well-specified dryer with a narrower case than its price suggests.
Key Specs
| Spec | ghd Helios |
|---|---|
| Price | ~$280 |
| Wattage | 1875W |
| Motor type | Brushless |
| Airflow | 75 mph |
| Cord length | 9 ft |
| Technology | Aeroprecis, ionic (ghd claims 30% more shine) |
| Noise | Bespoke acoustic system for low sound levels |
| Controls | Variable temperature and power + cool shot |
| Attachments | Contoured nozzle |
| Dual voltage | No |
| Amazon rating | 3.9 stars (~760 reviews) |
| ASIN | B08232VZBR |
What's Good
Full US power from a brushless motor
1875W is the practical maximum for a US hair dryer on a standard 120V outlet, so the Helios is running at the top of what's possible. Paired with a brushless motor and 75 mph airflow, that's a strong combination for getting through thick hair. ghd pitches it as salon-quality styling with reduced drying time. Our AC vs DC motor guide explains what brushless means in practice.
It's designed to be quiet
ghd built a bespoke acoustic system into the Helios to keep sound levels low. ghd doesn't publish a decibel figure on the Amazon listing, so I can't put a number on it. That's a shame, because small differences count: decibels are logarithmic, and NIOSH halves its recommended exposure time for every 3 dBA increase. Still, it's one of the few dryers where noise was clearly a design goal, and if you dry your hair early while others are asleep, that's a real reason to pick it.
The contoured nozzle and Aeroprecis
ghd's contoured nozzle focuses the airflow for precise styling. ghd says it gives 3x more hair alignment and smoother results, with 9 out of 10 users agreeing in its own survey. That's a brand claim rather than an independent test, but the idea is sound. A narrower, shaped nozzle puts the air exactly where your round brush is, which means fewer flyaways on a straight blowout.
Ionic shine and fine control
The ionic technology targets frizz and flyaways, and ghd claims 30% more shine. Variable temperature and power settings let you set exactly the heat and airflow your hair needs. That's useful, since the American Academy of Dermatology advises using the lowest heat setting that gets the job done. The cool shot button sets the style when you're done.
A 9 ft cord
This sounds mundane. It isn't. A 9 ft cord is the difference between standing comfortably at your bathroom mirror and crouching next to an outlet with an extension cord. The Helios doesn't have that problem.
What's Not
The 3.9-star rating
I won't gloss over this. 3.9 stars from about 760 buyers is the lowest average of the four dryers we compare it against, and the cheapest of them, the Remington, is rated highest. An average below 4 on a $280 product means a meaningful share of buyers weren't happy. I can't tell you which complaint dominates from the average alone, so read the recent one- and two-star reviews on Amazon before buying and check whether they'd apply to you.
The price is hard to justify on specs alone
$280 buys a lot of dryer, but a Remington Damage Protection at $23 also runs at 1875W with ionic conditioning. The Helios has a better motor, a quieter design, a better nozzle and a 9 ft cord. Those are real differences. But the basic job of getting wet hair dry and reasonably smooth is something a budget dryer handles fine. You're paying for refinement, not a different outcome.
No diffuser in the box
The Helios comes with the contoured nozzle only. At this price, including a diffuser would have been a reasonable expectation. The Remington includes both a diffuser and a concentrator, and the Dyson Nural includes a diffuser among its five attachments.
Not dual voltage
ghd states plainly that the Helios is not dual voltage. Fine at home in the US, but it won't work safely in 220-240V countries such as most of Europe. You'll need a separate travel dryer.
ghd Helios vs ghd Air
This is the comparison most people are making. Both are ghd, both are pitched at salon-level results, and the Air has been around for years.
| ghd Helios | ghd Air | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$280 | ~$203 |
| Amazon rating | 3.9 (~760) | 4.2 (~580) |
| Motor | 1875W brushless | Professional-strength (wattage not listed) |
| Airflow | 75 mph | Not listed |
| Cord | 9 ft | 9 ft |
| Ionic | Yes | Yes |
| Cool shot | Yes | Not listed |
| Diffuser | No | Sold separately |
On specs, the Helios is the more modern dryer. Published wattage, a brushless motor, 75 mph airflow, low-noise engineering and a cool shot.
The ghd Air fights back on the two things buyers feel most: price and satisfaction. It's about $77 cheaper and rated 4.2 stars against the Helios's 3.9. That's a hard combination to argue with.
If quiet operation and the contoured nozzle matter to you, the Helios is the one. If not, the Air is the safer ghd. Our ghd Air review covers it in full.
ghd Helios vs Dyson Supersonic Nural
The Dyson Supersonic Nural lists at about $450, though it's often seen around $350 on sale. So the gap is roughly $170 at list and closer to $70 on sale. What does the extra buy you?
Automation, mainly. Nural sensors activate the Dyson's smart features without you pressing anything. Scalp protect mode adjusts the air to hold about 130°F at the scalp. That matters because heat damage to the hair surface rises with temperature: in a 2011 study in Annals of Dermatology, hair dried with a dryer held 15 cm away and kept moving showed the least damage. Attachment learning remembers your heat and airflow settings for each attachment. The Helios has none of that. You choose your heat and that's what you get.
The Dyson also comes with five attachments, diffuser included, against the Helios's single nozzle, and it's rated 4.4 stars against 3.9.
At list price, the Helios saves you real money. When the Dyson is on sale, the gap gets small enough that I'd stretch for the Dyson. Our ghd Helios vs Dyson Supersonic comparison goes through it category by category.
ghd Helios vs Remington Damage Protection
This is a question about value. The Remington Damage Protection costs about $23. The Helios costs about twelve times as much. Both run at 1875W. Both have ionic conditioning.
| ghd Helios | Remington Damage Protection | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$280 | ~$23 |
| Amazon rating | 3.9 (~760) | 4.6 (~49,800) |
| Wattage | 1875W | 1875W |
| Cord | 9 ft | Not listed |
| Motor | Brushless | Not listed |
| Diffuser | No | Included |
| Concentrator | Contoured nozzle | Included |
| Heat settings | Variable | 3 fixed |
| Cool shot | Yes | Yes |
The Helios is quieter by design, has finer control and a better nozzle, and the 9 ft cord is comfortable in any bathroom. But the Remington includes a diffuser and a concentrator, has the same wattage and a far better buyer rating, and does the basic job of drying hair well. If you're watching your spending, the Remington is hard to argue with.
Who Should Buy the ghd Helios
Buy it if: low noise is a priority, you do a lot of smooth, straight blowouts where a precise nozzle helps, and you want published specs (1875W, 75 mph) from a salon brand. It's a well-engineered dryer for that buyer.
Think twice if: you mainly dry your hair occasionally. A $23 Remington does the same basic job. Also think twice if you have curly hair and need a diffuser, since you'll be buying one separately. And read the low-star reviews first. A 3.9 average deserves a look.
Skip it if: you can catch the Dyson Supersonic Nural on sale, where the price gap narrows to the point that the Dyson's sensors, five attachments and higher rating win. Or skip it if you want a ghd at a lower price with better reviews, in which case the ghd Air is the one.
The Verdict
The ghd Helios scores a 7. It runs at the full 1875W US maximum, its brushless motor pushes 75 mph airflow, it's built to be quiet, and the contoured nozzle gives precise control. The 9 ft cord is practical.
The problem is everything around it. At about $280 with a 3.9-star rating, it's more expensive and less liked than the ghd Air, and when the Dyson Nural is on sale it isn't far off a dryer with automatic heat control, five attachments and a 4.4 rating. If you dry your hair a few times a week, the Remington Damage Protection is still the smarter buy.
It makes the most sense for someone who specifically wants a quiet, salon-brand dryer with a precision nozzle and can't stretch to the Dyson. That's a real buyer. It's just a narrower one than the price tag implies.
Browse all hair dryers we track on Amazon to compare live prices, or read our full best hair dryer guide for more options.
ghd Helios: Frequently Asked Questions
Is the ghd Helios better than the ghd Air?
On paper the Helios is the more modern dryer: an 1875W brushless motor, 75 mph airflow, Aeroprecis technology, a cool shot and a low-noise acoustic design. Buyers rate the ghd Air higher, though (4.2 stars against 3.9), and the Air costs about $77 less. Pick the Helios if quiet operation and the contoured nozzle matter to you.
Does the ghd Helios come with a diffuser?
No. The Helios comes with a contoured nozzle only. If you have curly or wavy hair and want a diffuser in the box, the Remington Damage Protection at about $23 includes both a diffuser and a concentrator, and the Dyson Supersonic Nural includes one among its five attachments.
Why is the ghd Helios rated lower than other premium dryers?
The Helios averages 3.9 stars from about 760 Amazon reviews, below the ghd Air (4.2), the Dyson Supersonic Nural (4.4) and the $23 Remington Damage Protection (4.6). An average like that means a meaningful share of buyers weren't happy. Read the recent low-star reviews on Amazon before buying to see whether the complaints apply to how you'd use it.
Is the ghd Helios worth it over a $23 dryer?
It depends on what you value. The Helios has a brushless motor, 75 mph airflow, a low-noise design and a contoured nozzle for precise styling. But the Remington Damage Protection runs at the same 1875W, has ionic conditioning, includes a diffuser and is rated higher by buyers. The Helios is a nicer tool, not a fundamentally different result.
Can I use the ghd Helios abroad?
Only in countries that use the same 120V supply as the US. ghd states the Helios is not dual voltage, so it won't work safely in 220-240V countries such as most of Europe or Australia. Pack a dual-voltage travel dryer for those trips.
