Redmond HD1700 hair dryer review

Redmond's new HD1700 is a hair dryer that not only features a stylish, modern design, but also a number of smart features. The name «Professional» hints that this device is in the high segment.

Key features include the ability to fine-tune the air temperature, an intelligent «Hot and Cold» mode that alternates hot and cold flows, and Hydro-Shine technology that maintains the natural balance of ions.

In addition, the hair dryer is equipped with a high-speed brushless DC motor BLDC with speeds of up to 110 thousand per minute. Thanks to this motor, the air flow will be not only powerful, but also uniform. Thus, let's look at the design of the device and conduct its practical testing.

^* Contrary to popular belief, this is not the time limit after which the device will necessarily break down. However, after this period, the manufacturer ceases to bear any responsibility for its performance and has the right to refuse to repair it, even for a fee.

The packaging of the Redmond HD1700 hair dryer is made in the form of a strict gray box made of durable cardboard. Glossy photographs of the hair dryer are highlighted on the top and sides of the cover. The front side contains the company logo and the full name of the model, and the side contains a list of the main features of the device. Technical specifications of the device in three languages, information about the manufacturer and a sticker with a bar code and serial number are located on the back of the package.

Inside the packaging, the Redmond HD1700 hair dryer and concentrator attachment are located in separate plastic bags. They are neatly placed in a special plastic cradle, and for additional protection against impacts and shaking, foam inserts are used. In addition, the hairdryer comes with instructions and a warranty card.

The body of the Redmond HD1700 hair dryer attracts attention with its stylish design, imitating matte metal made of plastic (at first glance, one even doubts whether the body is metal, but it is still made of plastic).

The matte finish leaves almost no fingerprints. Naturally, upon contact with oily hands (for example, after using cream), marks may appear. However, if you hold the hair dryer with clean hands, the body remains free of fingerprints and marks.

The device is available in two color options — red and grey. We received the red version for testing, which, in our opinion, looks especially impressive and attractive.

The technical information sticker on the bottom of the case is easy to remove and does not leave any adhesive residue. This is nice because few things are as annoying as having to remove sticker residue and glue marks from a device you just purchased.

The body of the HD1700 hair dryer turned out to be extremely compact. Although it is not a travel version, its impressive power makes the device quite small. So, if you have extra space in your suitcase, the HD1700 is easy to take with you on vacation or a business trip.

The weight of the device is only 550 grams. The length of the cylindrical body (without nozzle) is 13.5 cm, diameter is 5.5 cm. The length of the handle is 15.5 cm. The total length of the device, taking into account the unbending rubber fastening of the cord, is 25.5 cm. These dimensions should be taken into account if you plan pack the hairdryer in a suitcase or travel bag.

On the working side of the hair dryer there is a magnetic ring for attaching the nozzle. On the opposite side, usually reserved for the air intake, there is a closed plastic cover with a small LED display. A removable grille located around the display is used for air intake.

When the grille is removed, the air intake filter is visible — a cylindrical metal mesh.

The cord attachment point is wrapped in a thick rubber casing that cannot be bent. This protects the cable from kinks and slightly increases the length of the handle. The cable is 1.8 m long, which seems sufficient for using a hair dryer at home. The cord also has a rubber tie for easy storage, which allows you to neatly wrap and secure part or all of the cable.

A concentrator attachment was found in the Redmond HD1700 kit.

The hole length is 3.5 cm, width is about 8 mm. The accessory has a magnetic fastening. To fix the nozzle, simply attach it to the body of the hair dryer.

Note that the magnets that secure the attachment are strong enough. The nozzle is securely held on the body, and can be easily rotated around its axis or removed from it with little effort. All tactile sensory feels very comfortable.

Finally, let's take a look at the controls. Under the thumb of the hair dryer there is a switch and a small button.

Below the index finger is another button, and below it are two smaller buttons, designed like a rocker button (although in fact they are just two additional buttons).

With a standard grip, the fingers themselves fall into the right places. But there are no captions for the buttons. Therefore, we will read the instructions or experiment.

The construction and finishing of all components of the hair dryer are commendable. The product is made with excellent quality: the materials look high quality, and visually we did not find any defects. By all indications, we have before us a high-quality and stylish device that can please its owner for a long time.

The instructions for the hair dryer are presented in the form of an 18-page A6 booklet, printed on high-quality matte paper and designed in the Redmond corporate style.

The brochure gradually introduces the user to the device of the hair dryer, providing information about the rules of operation, management and care. The text is small and easy to read, but it is worth noting that the font is quite small. However, operating the hairdryer is intuitive and does not require detailed reading of the instructions, and the operating rules are so simple that you will probably only have to read the document once.

Since the buttons do not have labels, it is recommended to refer to the instructions to fully familiarize yourself with the functions and modes of the Redmond HD1700. However, you can simply connect the device to the network, experiment with the buttons and monitor the changes in the icons on the display.

Now let's look at all the buttons and list their functions.

Below the thumb are:

1. On/off switch
2. Mode selection button (three modes, switching in a circle — hot air / cold air / Hot & Cold — hot and cold air alternately with an interval of 2 seconds)

Below the index finger are:

• blowing power selection button (three pieces, switching in a circle)
• temperature adjustment buttons (more/less, from 50 to 100 °C in 10 °C steps)

You can control the selected mode using a miniature LED display located on the back of the hair dryer.

The central part of the display shows the selected temperature when heating or the letters «Col» for cold air flow.

The backlight of the device (a ring around the temperature value) changes depending on the selected temperature: from 50 to 70°C — green, from 80 to 90°C — blue, 100°C — red.

There are icons around the temperature indicator that indicate the current operating mode.

To the left of the temperature indicator there are three “wind” icons, corresponding to three air flow power modes. On the right is an icon indicating the selected temperature mode.

The “Hydro-Shine” indicator icon is lit at the top, indicating a technology that reduces the negative effects of hot air and eliminates static electricity from the hair. There is no way to enable or disable this feature.

There are also two non-obvious modes:

1. Warm air mode (hold the operating mode selection button for 5 seconds) — the hair dryer will produce a weak stream of warm air.
2. “Turbo” mode (holding the temperature increase button for 5 seconds) — the temperature will increase to 120 degrees, and the air flow power will be set to maximum.

There is also an automatic cleaning mode, which is activated by holding the air flow power selection button for 5 seconds. The hair dryer will begin to circulate air in the opposite direction to clean the mesh filter, and a countdown will appear on the display. Automatic cleaning will last for 10 seconds.

Before use, you must remove the hair dryer from the box, remove the stickers and connect the device to the network. The cord length (1.8 m) is more than sufficient for standard use conditions. Excess cord can be neatly wrapped using a rubber tie. Rubber cord insulation provides reliable protection.

The hair dryer does not have any specific odors during all use. Even when you turn it on for the first time, no unpleasant odors appear.

Thanks to its compactness and light weight, the hair dryer is comfortable in the hand and does not feel heavy even with prolonged use.

The control buttons are located in a standard manner, but it takes some time to get used to their functionality. Button presses are felt unambiguously, accidental operations are excluded.

The display provides an excellent indication of the current operating mode, making it easy to navigate. Round-robin mode switching may be a little less convenient, but it is still preferable to more complex control panels.

During testing, we dried hair of different lengths and textures. Basically we used the maximum heat level, then lowered it to a more comfortable temperature. The instant response of the hair dryer to changes in temperature and air flow power was noticed. The air remained comfortable and did not burn the scalp. The turbo setting could feel quite hot, especially on short hair.

Test results confirmed the effectiveness of the device. After drying, the hair turned out to be soft and not electrified, which indicates that the technology to prevent static electricity works well. The concentrator is also great for creating volume at the roots.

The body of the hair dryer, turned off and cooled down, can be cleaned with a soft cloth. However, immersion in water and contact with running water should be avoided. The use of abrasive materials and chemically aggressive agents is also not recommended.

The device filter requires cleaning periodically. To do this, remove the cap from the pen and activate the automatic cleaning mode or use a dry brush to clean the holes of the metal filter.

Measurements and calculations of the operation of the Redmond HD1700 hair dryer were carried out using a wattmeter, a thermometer and a vane anemometer, which measures the speed of the air flow passing through the hair dryer.

As a result of the measurements and calculations, we obtained the following data:

• In the minimum blowing power mode, the hair dryer provides an air flow of 13 l/s.
• In medium blowing mode, the hair dryer provides an air flow of 15.2 l/s.
• In maximum blowing power mode, the hair dryer provides an air flow of 17.4 l/s.

Energy consumption for 5 minutes of operation is:

• Cold air: 0.003 kWh.
• Minimum air flow power with minimum temperature: 0.01 kWh.
• Maximum flow power with maximum temperature: 0.105 kWh.

The noise level during operation is moderate, and even at high power the motor does not produce loud sounds, as is the case with some other hair dryer models. The maximum measured noise level at a distance of 1 meter was 80 dBA.

The test for overheating protection was carried out as follows: the hair dryer was placed in a cardboard box corresponding to its dimensions, turned on at maximum speed, the box was closed with a lid, and the time after which the hair dryer turned off was measured. Our hair dryer continued to run at maximum power with maximum temperature for 2 minutes and did not turn off. Further experiment was stopped. It should be noted that there were no foreign odors, such as a burning smell, and the body of the device was moderately heated, which made it possible to confidently hold the hair dryer in your hands.

The Redmond HD1700 hair dryer impressed us even at the unpacking stage: the design of the device deserves the highest marks. We are pleased to note that during testing and daily use we did not encounter any problems — all the declared functions work flawlessly, and the control of the hair dryer turned out to be convenient. Particularly pleasant was the simple and intuitive control of the air flow temperature, as well as the combination mode, which alternately provides hot and cold air.

The manufacturer's ionization seems to be really effective at combating static electricity (we didn't notice any presence), and the magnetic concentrator attachment makes it easy to straighten hard-to-reach areas and create your desired hairstyle while providing extra volume to your hair. The hair dryer is comfortable to hold in your hand, it is lightweight and compact when stored.

Despite some deviations from the set temperature in real measurements, ease of use does not suffer: the air flow feels stable.

The only thing that caused some confusion was the lack of explanatory notes on the control panel. Some modes (turbo, warm air, self-cleaning) are activated in a way that is not immediately clear, so you won’t be able to do it without reading the instructions, despite the intuitive display showing the current operating mode and the selected temperature.

Pros:

• nice design, neat assembly and non-marking coating
• light weight and compact size
• 3 blowing speeds and 3 heating temperatures, plus turbo mode
• antistatic effect
• self-cleaning function

Minuses:

• some functions cannot be discovered without studying the instructions