Hair dryer attachments explained: concentrators, diffusers and smoothing nozzles

Concentrator

The concentrator is the slim, flat nozzle most people picture. It narrows the outlet so the air comes out as a fast, focused stream. That lets you aim the heat at one section at a time, usually over a round or paddle brush, without blowing the rest of your hair about.

Use it for the styling stage of a blow-dry, pointing the air down the hair shaft to help smooth the cuticle. Keep it a few centimetres from the hair, as the focused stream concentrates the heat. Many people rough-dry without it and then fit it for the finish.

Diffuser

A diffuser is a wide bowl, usually with prongs, that spreads the airflow over a much larger area and slows it down. That gentler air dries curls and waves without breaking up the curl pattern or creating frizz. The prongs lift the roots for volume and hold curls in the bowl while they dry.

Diffuser design varies a lot. Longer prongs suit longer, thicker curls; a shallower bowl suits shorter hair. Use low speed and low or medium heat. Our guide on how to use a diffuser covers technique, and our list of the best hair dryers for curly hair focuses on dryers with good diffusers.

See dryers with good diffusers →

Smoothing, gentle-air and fly-away nozzles

Dyson in particular has added nozzles beyond the classic pair. A smoothing nozzle dries and smooths at the same time with a softer stream than a concentrator. A gentle-air attachment spreads cooler, slower air for fine or fragile hair. The flyaway smoother uses the Coanda effect to lift longer top layers and hide short fly-aways.

Other brands offer similar ideas under different names. Laifen's Swift Special, for example, comes with a smooth nozzle, a concentrator and a diffuser. Read what each attachment is for before deciding a bigger box is better: an attachment you never use adds nothing.

Brush and comb attachments

Some dryers and most multi-stylers include brush attachments: paddle brushes for smoothing straight hair, oval or round brushes for volume, and wide-tooth comb attachments for curly hair. These combine drying and styling in one step, which suits people who find holding a dryer and a brush at the same time awkward.

Multi-stylers take this further with Coanda curling barrels that wrap hair automatically. If you want brush and curling attachments, a multi-styler such as the Airwrap or FlexStyle may suit you better than a dryer. Our best Airwrap-style multi-stylers guide compares them.

What comes in the box with premium dryers

Attachment sets vary by model and edition, and makers change bundles over time, so always check the listing for the exact box contents. These examples are from current UK listings.

Dyson attachments are magnetic and on the Nural are recognised by a sensor that recalls your preferred settings for each. Laifen's nozzles are also magnetic and rotate. Push-fit nozzles, as on many conventional dryers, rely on a tight fit, which can loosen over time; see our guide on a ghd nozzle falling off.

Which attachments do you actually need?

For straight or wavy hair, a concentrator or smoothing nozzle covers most needs. For curls and coils, a good diffuser matters more than anything else. For fine hair, a gentle-air setting or attachment helps avoid flattening it. For volume, a round brush or oval brush attachment is useful.

Our Dyson hair dryers compared guide shows which attachments come with each Supersonic edition, which matters because the straight and curly versions ship with different sets.

Frequently asked questions

What is the flat nozzle on a hair dryer for? That is the concentrator. It focuses the airflow into a narrow stream so you can smooth one section at a time over a brush.

Can I use a diffuser on straight hair? Yes, for a soft, textured finish or extra root volume. It dries more slowly than a nozzle, so many people with straight hair rarely use it.

Do Dyson attachments fit other dryers? Dyson attachments are designed for Dyson's magnetic outlet and are not intended for other brands. Use attachments made for your dryer.

Are hair dryer attachments interchangeable between brands? Generally not. Outlet sizes and fittings differ. Buy attachments from the dryer's maker to be sure of a secure fit.