I Was Done with Hair Dryer Attachments…Until I Tried The Bonnet Hood

• Value: 17/20
• Functionality: 18/20
• Quality/Ease of Use: 17/20
• Aesthetics: 18/20
• Time-efficiency: 17/20
• Total: 87/100

Once I learned about the beauty of air-drying my hair, I never looked back at traditional dryers. As far back as I can remember, I always sat under hooded dryers and waited impatiently for hours in salons for my hair to get dry. But while I might’ve said goodbye to that lifestyle, it continued to be the go-to heating tool for so many women in my life.

I even grew up with a hooded hairdryer in the house—that’s how serious the women in my family were about hair. But when ours got old and broke, my mom looked towards the salon to get the job done instead, and soon enough, I was saying goodbye to it completely when I started transitioning to natural hair. We never considered buying a new one until quarantine left my mom looking for an alternative, since she hadn’t been able to head to the salon. I also started revisiting the idea of trying a dryer again, since it takes a good bit of time for my curls to completely dry when I’m ready to head out somewhere. So I started my hunt for something new and that’s when I came across the Granteva Bonnet hood hair dryer attachment. The image of the model wearing the bonnet alone was enough to leave me curious to learn more about this interesting (and weird!) device.

But there are three other more practical reasons why I was completely sold on hitting the buy it button right away (other than my mom really needing a hooded hairdryer). The first is that this tool claims to provide a deeper conditioning treatment (rather than relying on good old air drying to do the trick). The second is that is promises to cut drying time by almost half, and the third is that it gives you the ability to move around while wearing it. Which brought me back to those dreadful moments when I was stuck sitting in an uncomfortable chair in the salon (or relying on the blow dryer until my arm was ready to give out), so needless to say, I was sold.

When it arrived, the first thing I noticed was the packaging. The product came in a small bag, which makes it easy to store. Forget about it taking up too much space in your home—it’s compact enough to slip into your bag and use it on-the-go.

Once I took it out, all I needed to do was attach the tube onto my blow dryer and place the hooded bonnet onto my head. I turned on my dryer and immediately felt the air distributed all over. (And based on the company’s notes, it’s important to leave your blow dryer on the lowest setting to avoid overheating.) Usually, it takes my hair about three hours to dry, but when I put on this quirky contraption (seriously, it reminded me of an inflated air balloon on my head) it dried my hair in an hour and a half.

Since you have to leave it on the lowest setting, chances are it may take longer than a regular dryer. I’m not going to completely stop using the air-drying technique, but if I’m in a rush (and not really looking forward to leaving my house with wet hair), I would definitely consider sitting for a bit under this hooded attachment to reach those wet areas in half the time.  

Overall, it felt so lightweight and comfortable that if the air wasn’t flowing in, I would’ve completely forgotten it was on. The bonnet was simple enough to adjust to my liking thanks to the drawstring, and the chin strap made it easy to keep from sliding off or feeling too tight. I was able to keep my hands free to work on other things and move my head without feeling restricted.

It’s the perfect tool for all hair types, but especially natural or curly hair. The only downside? If you’re considering drying your hair with rollers on, you need to use small or medium size rollers, since the hood bonnet is not big or wide enough to fit large ones. Also, it’s an art and science to work the drawstring and chin strap so that it doesn’t feel loose nor tight.

Arguably the best part is that it’s only 14 dollars. A whole hooded dryer setup can be around $100 to $1,000 (hence why you see them mostly in salons), so finding an affordable and efficient alternative that gives me the hair salon experience right at home seems like a pretty good deal.

The PureWow100 is a scale our editors use to vet new products and services, so you know what’s worth the spend—and what’s total hype. Learn more about our process here.