GHD Speed vs Helios: Which is the best GHD hair dryer for you and your needs?
Image credit:
GHDIn our GHD Speed vs GHD Helios head-to-head, we compare the two hairdryers in terms of price, design, features and performance to see which is worth your money
In this article
GHD Speed (£299) is faster with unique dual-airflow heat protection technology.
GHD Helios (£189) is proven, award-winning, and delivers more shine.
Speed wins on: Speed, heat protection, newer tech, automation features
Helios wins on: Shine and smoothness, frizz control, proven track record, price
Speed is best if: You have damaged or sensitive hair, blow-dry frequently, want the latest tech
Helios is best if: You want proven results, shine, simplicity, have frizz-prone hair
The hair dryer market has changed a lot over the past few years.
For ages, the main choice was simple: pay £60 for something basic or splash out on a Dyson, but in the last few years, professional brands like GHD have started releasing multiple premium options at similar price points, all claiming to do slightly different things.
This is actually good news – it means more choice – but it’s also confusing.
The bigger trend is that heat damage protection and scalp care has become increasingly important and this has shifted how brands approach hair dryers. Some are focusing on speed, others on protecting your scalp, and some are trying to do both.
And in this thread, GHD has just launched the Speed, a new premium hair dryer at £299.
The brand is positioning it as its fastest, most innovative dryer yet so where does that leave the Helios, which has been its flagship since 2020 and has picked up 10 awards along the way?
Both are professional-grade dryers from the same brand. Both promise to dry your hair quickly and well. So which one is actually better? And more importantly, does the newer Speed justify the investment over a dryer that’s already award-winning and proven?
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GHD Speed vs Helios
Image credit: GHD GHD sells all of its dryers in white and black as standard, but then releases a series of limited-edition colours at various points throughout the year. There’s always a new launch at summer, then additional ones around Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Christmas.
As of February 2026, the GHD Speed is available in:
- Black
- Titanium Black (exclusive to GHD)
- Silver White
The GHD Helios is available in a wide range of colours as standard:
The Speed gives you some colour choice from launch, but the Helios has been around since 2020 and is stocked more widely, so you’re likely to find it in multiple colour options across different retailers.
Because of its wider availability, you’re also more likely to find the Helios on sale. The Speed’s titanium black finish is exclusive to GHD and select salons, though you can also get it in black or silver white from wider retailers like Sephora.
GHD Speed vs Helios: Design and Features
Image credit: mamabella The Speed:
- Compact and lightweight with balanced design
- Digital display and memory lock
- Four heat and four speed settings
- Halo concentrator included
- Best if you want customisation and features
The Helios:
- Traditional dryer shape, heavier but comfortable
- Simple controls with no automation
- Quieter, thanks to acoustic system
- Concentrator nozzle included
- Best if you prefer straightforward simplicity
The Speed is noticeably compact compared to most professional dryers. The barrel’s slim enough that you can actually hold it comfortably by the barrel itself rather than just the handle, which gives you more control if you’re blow-drying the back of your own hair.
The weight is balanced well – it doesn’t feel heavy, which matters if you’re someone who blow-dries regularly.
It’s got a digital display that shows your heat and speed settings, and a memory lock button so you don’t accidentally bump the settings while you’re drying.
You get four heat settings and four speed options, which sounds like a lot but honestly means you can dial in exactly what your hair needs without overthinking it. The Halo concentrator nozzle comes in the box; other attachments are sold separately.
The Helios looks and feels like a traditional hair dryer. It’s heavier than the Speed, but if you’re not blow-drying daily the difference is relatively minimal. The controls are dead simple – just heat levels and variable power, no buttons to fiddle with or settings to remember. That simplicity is actually a strength if you can’t be bothered with automation.
The nozzle is designed to concentrate the airflow, which gives you decent control over where the air’s actually going. One genuinely nice touch is the acoustic system built into the design, it’s noticeably quieter than a lot of other professional dryers, which is worth mentioning if you blow-dry early in the morning or you just can’t stand the sound of hair dryers.
The Speed is more high-tech and feature-packed
The Helios is straightforward and does one job well
GHD Speed vs Helios: Performance
Image credit: GHD The Speed dries thick, long hair in under 5 minutes. That’s genuinely fast. For context, most professional dryers sit somewhere between 7-12 minutes for the same hair type. The difference comes down to the motor speed and airflow intensity. This motor spins at 118,000 rpm and pushes air at 176 km/h.
What’s interesting is that speed doesn’t come with the usual trade-off. You’d normally expect a dryer that fast to either fry your hair or make your scalp uncomfortably hot. The Speed manages to avoid both, which is the whole point of the dual-airflow tech. Users consistently report their hair doesn’t feel burnt or damaged at the roots, even on the highest settings, which is rare for a dryer this powerful.
The Helios takes longer – realistically 6-9 minutes for thick hair depending on how much you’re drying. It’s not slow by normal standards, but it’s noticeably slower than the Speed. The 120 km/h airflow is still respectable, just not in the same category.
Where the Helios shines (literally) is in how your hair actually looks afterwards. Users mention shine a lot with this dryer. The ionic technology genuinely seems to work – your hair comes out smoother and glossier, with noticeably less frizz. In this way, the Helios isn’t trying to be the fastest; it’s trying to make your hair look its best.
What this means in practice
The Speed:
- Dries thick hair 30-40% faster than the Helios
- Saves 5-20 minutes per week if you blow-dry regularly
- Protects your scalp and hair from excessive heat
- Good if you’re time-pressed or blow-dry frequently
- Better for previously damaged hair
The Helios:
- Delivers noticeably shinier, smoother results
- Better frizz control, especially on humid days
- Slower drying time isn’t a problem if you’re not in a rush
- Good if shine and finish are your priority
- Better for frizz-prone hair types
The choice comes down to what matters more: saving time or getting a polished finish. The Speed wins on speed; the Helios wins on shine.
GHD Speed vs Helios: Specs
Image credit: GHD GHD Speed
Best for:
All hair types
Motor:
Brushless (118,000 rpm)
Tech:
Dual-airflow
Airflow:
109 mph
Heat settings:
4
Speed settings:
4
RRP:
£299
GHD Helios
Best for:
All hair types
Motor:
Brushless (2,200W)
Tech:
Aeroprecis + ionic
Airflow:
75 mph
Heat settings:
3
Speed settings:
3
RRP:
£189
The wider GHD range
GHD’s hair dryer lineup ranges from budget travel options to premium professional models, so there’s something depending on what you’re actually willing to spend and what you need the dryer to do.
The Speed is the newest and most expensive at £299. It’s got the dual-airflow technology, a 118,000 rpm motor that pushes air at 176 km/h, and four customisable heat and speed settings. It’s the fastest option and comes with a digital display and memory lock feature. If you want the latest tech and you blow-dry regularly, this is the one.
The Helios sits in the premium-but-established bracket at £189, depending on where you buy it and what’s on sale. It’s been around since 2020 and has picked up over 10 awards, including Allure’s Best of Beauty. The motor’s slightly less powerful (1875W, 120 km/h airflow), but the precision nozzle and ionic technology deliver noticeably shinier results. It’s quieter than most professional dryers too. This is the safe choice if you want proven performance.
The Air is the entry-level professional option. It’s got a 2,100W motor and ionic technology, with variable temperature and power controls. It’s straightforward and works well for everyday use without the premium price tag of the Speed or Helios.
The Flight+ is the travel dryer at around £79. It’s compact, foldable, dual voltage, and genuinely portable – 50% lighter than a full-size dryer but still packs 70% of the power.
The breakdown:
- GHD Speed – £299 (newest, fastest, most features)
- GHD Helios – £189 (award-winning, proven, shinier results)
- GHD Air – £139 (professional entry-level, straightforward)
- GHD Flight+ – £79 (travel-focused, compact)
Which is better – GHD Speed vs Helios?
Image credit: GHD 
Image credit: GHD It’s not surprising that the Speed, with its newer technology and faster motor, looks sleeker and dries noticeably quicker than the Helios.
The compact design feels purposeful, and the dual-airflow tech means you can get close to your roots without that uncomfortable scalp heat you’d normally expect. The digital display and memory lock are genuinely useful if you blow-dry regularly, and the speed difference adds up over time.
Yet in many ways, the Speed and Helios are solving slightly different problems. The Helios isn’t trying to be the fastest, it’s trying to make your hair look its absolute best and it still does that brilliantly.
We consistently get noticeably shinier, smoother hair with better frizz control with Helios. It’s also been around since 2020 and has won over 10 awards. It’s proven. It works. And it’s cheaper, especially if you catch it on sale (which happens regularly).
The honest answer is that neither is objectively better. The Speed is faster and more protective; the Helios delivers better shine and has a proven track record. Both are genuinely good dryers that will last you years.
With the Helios now being the cheaper option in most places, and with a number of retailers regularly dropping its price further, it represents better value for money if shine and finish matter more to you than saving ten minutes on blow-dry day.
With all this considered, we’d recommend the Helios as the better all-rounder for most people. But if you blow-dry daily and you’ve had heat damage before, or if you have a sensitive scalp, the Speed’s innovations are worth the extra £100 or so. You’re getting GHD’s latest thinking, and it genuinely works.
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