The hair dryer I had used for years stopped working one day. I replaced it with a cheap compact one from a big box store to hold me over and then did some online research to see if any hair dryer was actually made here.
I was pleasantly surprised to find the Silence HP Eco Hair Dryer, and after more due diligence, I ordered it.
But, I’m not gonna lie: When I first opened the shipping box, I laughed. The dryer looked like a throwback to the 1980s. It also came with detailed instructions on how to use it. I read them over, decided they were too complicated for a simple appliance, and left the dryer in the box.
However, my house is my test lab for Made in USA, and this hair dryer is made in Arizona (of domestic and imported components). So, I carefully re-read the instructions and began using it.
It took a few days to get used to it. That’s because the Silence HP is super quiet. It also blows cool – or at least cooler than your standard hair dryer — and a little more slowly.
But I stuck with it (the way the instructions said to) and after a couple of weeks, it dawned on me that drying my hair had become easier. Even better, I could feel a difference in my hair’s texture. I was hooked.
According to Erick Westcott, founder and CEO of Evolution Beauty Technologies, and manufacturer of the appliance, people initially have the same experience as I did; they can’t believe the Silence HP, with its quiet operation and low air movement / cooler air, is efficient or effective.
“The loud turbo dryers are leaf blowers for hair!” said Westcott. I laughed out loud at that one. Now that I’ve used the Silence HP for a few months, I agree completely.
Salon-friendly, energy efficient
Designed for salons, the Silence HP has several differentiating features, including an inline ALCI brick, something I hadn’t noticed until Westcott pointed it out.
While ALCI devices serve a good purpose (they protect from electrical shock), they also take up space and/or or cover adjacent outlets. Think about all the electronics bricks you have to accommodate on your electric strip. It’s the same for stylists and their tools: curling iron, flat iron, hair dryer, clippers, etc. Having the brick inline frees up space – making it salon-friendly (and bathroom vanity-friendly too).
Its best feature, however, is the brushless motor, which is completely silent, and which blows cooler air at a much lower speed. The only noise you hear is the air moving through the dryer.
Because you’re subjecting your hair to a much gentler drying experience, the Silence HP reduces hair damage, including split ends. I noticed after several weeks that my hair texture felt much healthier and was less prone to “flyaway” (when hair strands won’t lie flat).
This wonderful effect is because the Silence HP’s nozzle incorporates tourmaline, a mineral that creates negative ions when you blow air over it. The tourmaline counteracts the positive ions of hair static, helping stands to stay in place.
Most importantly, because of its cooler temperature and slower air movement, the Silence HP dries hair completely. According to Westcott, the hair strand is like a sponge that feels dry on the outside, but still holds water. Hair absorbs moisture, and while it may feel dry after using a standard dryer, it’s not. That’s why your style falls flat.
“You think it’s humidity affecting your hair,” says Westcott, “when in fact, it’s your hair releasing moisture because it wasn’t dried thoroughly. With the Silence HP, you have a gentle movement of air. When your hair feels dry, it’s dry.”
The Silence HP is used by hundreds of salon customers who won’t use any other hair dryer.
“People love them because they’re quiet,” says Westcott. “A salon full of stylists wielding loud dryers makes for a noisy environment. Most hair dryers have noise levels of 80 decibels or more, which is where hearing damage starts. The Silence HP is well below that decibel level.”
(I can confirm! I brought my hair dryer to my stylist to test out, and while waiting for her, showed the dryer to other stylists. They loved the inline brick. And when I turned on the dryer, they all said, “Oh my gosh! That is so quiet!!” One even took it from me and said, “Wow, and it’s not that heavy, either.”)
The appliance is also energy efficient. Manufactured with the heat equivalency of a standard 1650 watt hair dryer, the Silence HP uses less than half the energy.
Originally designed in Europe ca. 1985
Westcott isn’t the inventor of the Silence HP. He and his wife founded Evolution Beauty Technologies in 2003 after inventing Gelousy® 1-Step Gel for professional salons. The hair dryer sort of fell into their lap.
Invented by a company in Europe in the 1980s (hence its vintage look), the company that manufactured it decided to stop making it. A partner moved to the U.S. and started making the dryers. They then retired and sold the company to another small company located in Arizona.
“I met the owner of that company (Brilliant Products) 20 years ago,” says Westcott. “My wife and I, who owned Gelousy, bought two dryers. One day she dropped one. I called the company to see if it could be repaired, and the guy said, ‘I’ve been looking for your number.’”
His company had stopped making the dryers, but because people loved them, he was looking for a new manufacturer so he could retire.
“We acquired the hair dryer,” says Westcott. “We then taught ourselves appliance manufacturing and everything that goes with it; we manufactured the hair dryer in our 4,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Phoenix.”
The Silence HP is made from around 35 parts, which Westcott sources from various suppliers. The molded case is made in Deer Valley, AZ; the grommets are made in the U.S. as well. The heating element is made in China, but Westcott has been looking for a U.S. supplier.
“If we can’t find a domestic source for the element, we’re going to design and manufacture our own,” he says.
In 2024, Westcott moved the entire operation from Phoenix to Clarkdale, AZ, a small town of about 4,500 people located in the Sedona area.
“We manufacture the Silence HP, as well as over 150 gel products and accessories for nail salons, at the new 5,200 sq foot facility,” he says. “We’ve also added manufacturing jobs to the area.”
Westcott’s goal is to be fully transparent about how he sources components – and to ensure Made in USA as much as he can while learning to manufacture what he can’t find.
My stylist tries it out
Tina has been doing my hair since . . . umm . . . forever. Her mother was a hair stylist and taught her; Tina says she grew up sweeping up hair and keeping the salon tidy.
She dries and styles my short hair using her fingers versus a brush and is very fast; it took me a long time to replicate how she does it. Her go-to hair dryer is a BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium.
She liked the Silence HP inline brick and the low noise. She also liked the retro look. However, she said, it would take her some time to get used to using it due to its shape and weight and her method of styling hair. I totally get it.
Everyone agreed that a salon full of stylists using the Silence HP would be a huge improvement over the noise of multiple hair dryers!
At any rate, I’m not a pro. I like how drying my hair has become a relaxing experience in the morning. I like the Silence HP now that I’ve learned to use and appreciate it. Plus, it’s made in the USA — and that for me seals the deal.
To learn more about the Silence HP Eco Hair Dryer, visit the product web page: silencehp.com.
Links
Gelousy Gel Nail Systems – The other product line Westcott and his wife manufacture
“All the Ways We Blow Dry Our Hair – Vintage History of the Hair Dryer,” by Vintage Liz, publisher of the Vintage Inn blog. Some great photos here!
“Hair dryers made in the USA (are there any?)” by Stefan, publisher of the Where Do They Make It blog. He did the research and concluded the Silence HP is the only hair dryer made in the U.S.
“5 Best Quiet Hair Dryers – Turn Down the Noise!” by Katie Masters, publisher of the Hot Air Brush Reviews blog. Although it doesn’t mention the Silence HP, this post does explain why hair dryers are so noisy.
Full Disclosure
I’m not paid nor asked to write about products or the companies that make them. All links in this piece are FREE — meaning, they’re not sponsored or paid for.
My mission is to keep manufacturing jobs stateside and this blog is my way of giving back. We like to think a “small” choice, such as purchasing something made in the US, won’t make a difference. It does.
