The Remington D3198 sits around the £25 mark on Amazon UK and has done for a while. At that price, it comes with a diffuser, a concentrator nozzle, ionic conditioning, 2200 watts of power, and a 3-year guarantee (2 years standard, extended to 3 if you register the product online within 28 days). That is a lot of dryer for not much money.

Over 35,000 people have reviewed it on Amazon UK and given it 4.5 stars. But "a lot for the money" and "actually good" are different questions. I have been using this dryer to find out which one it is.

1. Remington D3198 Ionic Hair Dryer

Build and Feel

The D3198 is a full-size hair dryer. It weighs 575g with the cable attached (450g without), which puts it in the middle of the pack for budget dryers. It is not heavy enough to cause problems for most people, but if you have wrist or shoulder issues and you're holding a dryer overhead for twenty minutes on thick hair, you will feel it. The Dyson Supersonic is lighter at around 660g with better balance, but that is a £400 solution to a £25 problem.

The body is matte black plastic. It feels solid enough but it does not pretend to be premium. The buttons — three heat settings, two speed settings, and a cool shot — are on the inside of the handle where your thumb naturally rests. They are responsive and do not slip mid-use. The hanging loop at the base works, which is more than some dryers manage.

The cord is 1.72 metres. That is short. If your bathroom mirror is more than a step from the nearest socket, you will need an extension lead. The ghd Air gives you 3 metres for comparison, which is genuinely more practical. The short cord is the single most common complaint in customer reviews, and it is a fair one.

Drying Performance

2200 watts pushes a lot of air. On the highest heat and speed setting, the D3198 dries shoulder-length hair in roughly eight to twelve minutes depending on thickness. That is comparable to dryers costing three or four times as much. The motor is loud at full power — not unusually loud for a 2200W dryer, but not one you would use at 6am without waking someone in the next room.

The three heat settings give you enough control to avoid cooking your hair. Low heat works for fine or damaged hair. Medium is the everyday setting for most people. High is for thick or very wet hair where you want speed over gentleness. The cool shot button locks in a style once you are done — it works as advertised.

Ionic Conditioning: Does It Actually Work?

This is the feature Remington leads with, and it is the reason the D3198 outperforms the cheapest dryers on the market. The ionic conditioning reduces frizz and cuts drying time without any product — it's built in, not an add-on. Swap between the diffuser (curly or wavy hair) and concentrator (straight blowout) depending on the day.

The way ionic technology works is straightforward. The dryer emits negative ions that break down water molecules on the hair surface into smaller droplets. Smaller droplets evaporate faster, so your hair dries quicker. The ions also neutralise the positive static charge that causes flyaways and frizz. The result is smoother, flatter cuticles and less of that straw-like texture you get from blasting wet hair with nothing but hot air.

Is the ionic effect as strong as a £100+ dryer with a more powerful ion generator? No. But the difference between a dryer with ionic conditioning and one without is much bigger than the difference between a cheap ionic dryer and an expensive one. You get the majority of the benefit here.

The Attachments

The concentrator nozzle narrows the airflow for directed styling. It clips on securely and stays put. For straightening or creating a smooth blowout, this is the attachment you want — point the nozzle down the hair shaft and follow with a round brush.

The diffuser spreads airflow over a wider area at lower intensity, which is what curly and wavy hair needs to maintain its pattern without frizzing out. It is a standard-size diffuser, nothing remarkable, but it does the job. If you follow the curly girl method and use a diffuser to set your curls after applying product, this one works fine.

What the D3198 Doesn't Do

It is not dual voltage. The D3198 runs on 220-240V only, which means it works in the UK and most of Europe but will not work in the US, Canada, or Japan (110-120V countries) without a voltage converter — and voltage converters for 2200W appliances are heavy, expensive, and not worth bothering with. If you need a travel dryer, buy a dedicated travel dryer.

It will not run off a standard caravan or motorhome hook-up if your site supply is limited. A 2200W dryer on a 6A or 10A caravan hook-up will trip the breaker. You need a 16A supply at minimum, and even then, do not run the kettle at the same time.

There is no automatic heat adjustment, no sensor that monitors hair temperature, no app, no smart features. For £25, nobody should expect those things. You are buying a reliable, powerful dryer with ionic conditioning and two attachments. That is it, and that is enough.

2. ghd Air Hair Dryer

The ghd Air costs between £95 and £120 depending on where and when you buy it. That is roughly four times the price of the D3198. What you get for the extra money is a 2100W professional-grade motor, advanced ionic technology, a 3-metre power cable, and build quality that is noticeably better in the hand.

The longer cable alone makes a real difference day to day. The ghd Air also runs quieter at equivalent settings, though it is noticeably heavier at around 1.5kg — nearly three times the weight of the D3198. The ionic output is stronger, producing a visibly smoother finish on thick or coarse hair where the D3198's ionic effect is present but more subtle.

If you dry your hair every day and want something that will last longer and run quieter, the ghd Air justifies the price jump. If you dry your hair two or three times a week and you are not fussy about the cord length, the D3198 does 80% of the job for 20% of the cost.

3. Dyson Supersonic Nural

The Dyson Supersonic Nural costs around £400 at RRP. It weighs roughly 660g — heavier than the D3198 but far lighter than the ghd Air. The motor sits in the handle rather than the head, which changes the balance entirely and makes it feel lighter in use than the number suggests.

The Dyson's intelligent heat control measures air temperature over 40 times per second and adjusts to prevent extreme heat damage. The airflow is powerful enough to dry thick hair fast, and the attachments (including magnetic nozzles) are the best-designed on any consumer dryer.

Is it worth sixteen times the price of the D3198? For most people, no. Your hair will look and feel better after using the Dyson, but the gap between "good blowout" and "great blowout" is not a £375 gap. You are paying for engineering, design, weight savings, and the Dyson ecosystem.

If budget is genuinely not a constraint and you dry your hair daily, the Dyson is the best dryer you can buy. For everyone else, the D3198 or ghd Air makes more practical sense.

Remington D3198 vs BaByliss Salon Pro 2200

The BaByliss Salon Pro 2200 is the closest direct competitor. It costs around £27-30, matches the D3198 on wattage at 2200W, and adds tourmaline-ceramic technology on top of standard ionic conditioning. The tourmaline coating is supposed to produce more even heat distribution and a slightly smoother finish, though in practice the difference is marginal at this price point.

The BaByliss has a slightly longer cord at 1.8m (still short by professional standards) and includes a diffuser. Build quality is comparable — both are budget plastic, both feel solid enough.

Where the D3198 pulls ahead is reliability. The BaByliss Speed Pro 2200 has a documented pattern of nozzle-melting and thermal cut-out failures, typically appearing between eight and seventeen months of use. Customer reviews on Amazon and The Review Index flag this repeatedly. The Remington D3198 does not have this reputation — its most common complaints are the short cord and the weight, neither of which is a failure mode.

The D3198 is typically £2-5 cheaper and the real-world difference in drying results between these two is negligible. But the reliability gap makes the Remington the safer buy at this price point. Either one is a solid ionic hair dryer under £30, but the D3198 is more likely to still be working after a year of daily use.

Remington D3198 Specs: How It Compares

Who Should Buy the Remington D3198

Buy it if: you want a solid ionic hair dryer under £30 that dries fast, reduces frizz, and includes both a diffuser and concentrator. If you're a student kitting out a first flat, replacing a dryer that's died, or buying for a spare bathroom or Airbnb, this is the obvious choice. Register it online within 28 days and you get a 3-year guarantee, which is better than most at this price.

Think twice if: you have a large bathroom and short cord will frustrate you, you travel internationally and need dual voltage, you dry your hair every single day and want the quieter operation and longer lifespan of a professional-grade motor, or you have wrist/shoulder problems and need something lighter.

Skip it if: you have already decided you want the Dyson. The D3198 will not satisfy you if you have your heart set on the premium experience. Buy the Dyson and enjoy it — just know that the difference in how your hair actually looks is smaller than the difference in price suggests.

The Verdict

The Remington D3198 costs around £25-35 depending on the day, dries hair quickly, reduces frizz through ionic conditioning, and comes with two attachments that other brands charge extra for. The cord is short and the build is budget plastic, but neither of those things affects how well it dries your hair. For the vast majority of people, this is the best budget hair dryer you can buy in the UK. The ratings back it up — over 35,000 reviews on Amazon UK at 4.5 stars, consistently one of the top sellers in its category.

If you want better, the ghd Air at £95-120 is the natural step up. If you want the best, the Dyson Supersonic Nural at £400 is in a different league. But neither of them makes the D3198 a bad buy. They just make it a different kind of purchase — the one where you spend what you need to, not what you can.

Browse all hair dryers we track on Amazon UK to compare live prices, or check the D3198's price history to see if now is a good time to buy.

Remington D3198: Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Remington D3198 good for curly hair?

Yes. The included diffuser attachment distributes airflow evenly, which helps maintain curl pattern without creating frizz. The ionic conditioning helps too — it reduces the static that causes curly hair to puff up. Use the low or medium heat setting with the diffuser and scrunch upwards for best results.

How loud is the Remington D3198?

It is about average for a 2200W dryer. There is no official decibel rating published, but it is comparable to other full-power budget dryers. It is loud enough that you would not want to use it while someone is sleeping in the next room with a thin wall. If noise is a priority, the Dyson Supersonic is significantly quieter at equivalent airflow.

Can I take the Remington D3198 on holiday abroad?

Within Europe (220-240V countries), yes — you just need a plug adapter for the socket shape. For the US, Canada, Japan, or other 110-120V countries, no. The D3198 is not dual voltage and will burn out on the wrong voltage. Buy a dedicated dual-voltage travel dryer for those destinations.

Will the Remington D3198 trip my caravan electrics?

Probably, unless you have at least a 16A hook-up. The D3198 draws 2200W, which is about 9.2A on a 240V supply. A standard 6A caravan hook-up cannot handle it. A 10A supply is borderline — it may work on a lower heat setting but will likely trip on full power, especially if anything else is drawing power at the same time.

How long does the Remington D3198 last?

Remington gives you 2 years as standard, extended to 3 if you register online within 28 days. That is better than most at this price. With normal domestic use (a few times per week), expect it to last the full guarantee period and likely beyond. Daily heavy use will shorten the lifespan of any budget dryer motor, which is where the professional-grade ghd Air earns its higher price.

Is ionic conditioning actually worth it?

Yes. The difference between a dryer with ionic technology and one without is noticeable on the first use — less frizz, smoother finish, faster drying. The science is real: negative ions break water droplets into smaller particles that evaporate faster and neutralise the positive static charge on hair strands. At the budget end, it is the one feature that actually makes a noticeable difference.