T3 began with a dryer. Kent Yu and Dr. Julie Chung, a married couple in Los Angeles, launched the brand in 2004 with the Featherweight, and Glossy says it was the first lightweight, sleek and quiet blow dryer of its kind. The idea came from watching Chung, then a medical student. Fashionista describes Yu seeing her apply careful skin care and makeup, then finish with a basic dryer that left her hair over-dried. Chung told Glossy he saw how much care she put into her skin and wondered why no one was innovating in hair tools.

The Featherweight became the first electrical tool sold in the stores of a major beauty retailer, according to a Shopify profile of the brand, and T3 says it was the first dryer to use tourmaline, for gentler heat and less frizz. The couple still own and run the company.

The newer t3 hair dryer models are smarter. The Featherweight StyleMax uses a microchip to adjust heat and airflow to your hair texture and hold the temperature steady, and the Aire IQ adjusts to the attachment you click on.

The first grid is T3, three dryers, a blow-dry brush, an air styler and a smoothing comb, with two of them in two colors. The second grid is eight more dryers and brushes I compared them with. My tip: dry to about 80 percent on medium heat, then switch to the concentrator and a brush for the last part.

The Aire IQ Intelligent Hair Dryer has the highest rating in this grid. It adjusts heat and airflow to your hair texture and to the attachment you use, so you are not guessing at settings. The Featherweight StyleMax Professional Hair Dryer is the modern version of the dryer that started the brand, here in two colors, and it auto-adjusts heat and speed for faster drying with less damage.

The Afar Lightweight Travel-Size Hair Dryer is the most reviewed T3 product here and the one I would pack. It has auto dual voltage, so it works in most countries, and a full set of features in a smaller body.

The AireBrush One-Step Smoothing and Volumizing Blow Dry Brush is also here in two colors, a round brush and dryer in one for volume at the roots and smooth ends. The Aire 360 Ceramic Air Styler Blowout Kit is the air styler, with ceramic curling attachments for a lasting blowout with less frizz.

The Smoothing Comb Blow Dryer Attachment clips on to stretch and detangle while you dry, though it has only a couple of reviews so far.

What I would skip: the AireBrush on very long, thick hair. It works, but a dryer and a round brush are faster there, and your arms will thank you.

Drybar The Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush is the most reviewed tool in this edit, a round brush and dryer in one for a smooth, shiny blowout with volume. It is the one to compare with the AireBrush. Drybar Baby Buttercup is a small travel dryer, though its rating is the lowest here.

ghd has two. Helios is the salon-strength dryer with ionic technology, and it shares the top rating in this grid with the Bio Ionic Smart-X, which the brand says dries hair 75 percent faster than leading competitors and comes with a diffuser. The ghd Air is the lighter 1600 watt ghd dryer, still fast and simple.

Dyson Supersonic Nural is the Supersonic with added intelligence, a close rival to the Aire IQ. Shark SpeedStyle Pro FLEX folds out for high-velocity drying, and Shark Glam is an air styling and drying system with a diffuser, a good pick for curls.

If you want one dryer for every day, compare Helios, Supersonic Nural and Aire IQ. If you want a blowout brush, compare Double Shot and AireBrush.

What I would skip: a travel dryer as your only dryer if your hair is thick. They are small for a reason, and a full-size motor saves a lot of time.

I think the t3 hair dryer is still one of the easiest good dryers to own, because it is light, quiet and made for everyday use rather than a salon. Start with the Featherweight StyleMax or the Aire IQ at home, and pack the Afar when you travel. If you want a one-step blowout, choose between the AireBrush and the Double Shot. Use a heat protectant, and clean the filter every few weeks so the motor keeps its power. A dryer that is cared for can last for years.