First Impressions Of A Diffuser Bonnet 😱 

I think the way you put the bonnet on makes a difference in how it dries your hair... the video clip you shared of the tighter curl pattern shows her putting the bonnet on while she is standing upright, with her hair laying in its normal position. But you flipped your head over, put the bonnet on and then flipped upright. I think that would cause some uneven/wonky drying... just a thought!

I’m getting the hang of using mine - I have long, fine, wavy hair. I root clip, pile my hair carefully into it - and then scrunch lift and move my hair gently into new positions regularly. I even sit head forward so it hangs forward for a while - and I move the position of the hose inlet every 5 minutes so each side gets dried evenly. I keep it on warm for 15, then cold for 2, and I’m done - it’s giving me lots more shrinkage and definition 😊

I have wavy/curly hair, and I like my diffuser bonnet. My fine hair is only slightly curlier than yours. I find that I have better success if I make sure to move my head around while using the bonnet so my hair doesn't get stuck in one place. I also try not to let it get to 100% dry in the bonnet. Wonky waves have a much better chance of fixing themselves that way. I keep a spray bottle handy for those pieces that get a little too dry and wonky. Just a quick spritz and minimal manipulation help rebellious curl clumps find their place and usually end up 100% dry right along with the other more conforming curls.

I like mine. I don't use it to totally dry my hair. I use it to start my drying and give my arms a rest. After I am about 3/4 done, I take off the bonnet and adjust any wonky spots then finish with the diffuser.

Hey Courtney! Yeah, I think you're right, not good for wavy hair. Thank you. Also, after being on this journey for 2 1/2 yrs, trying to figure out what techniques and what works best for my hair. I finally got it & keeping a journal helps. At first, I always thought my hair needed lots of stuff. I would do leave-in conditioner, curl cream, mousse & gel. I would also clarify & deep condish weekly & thought my hair needed protein and realized after applying the Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Yogurt Hydrate & Repair Whipped Curl Cream & saw how my hair reacted (wet frizz to the max!), so I rinse it out and applied the Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Leave-in Conditioner with Fig Extract & Baobab Oil and my hair responded well afterwards. Now I'm still not sure how to read the ingredient labels, I just know what works for me. I also switched from using a protein to a moisture conditioner, which it seems my hair likes. Anyway, on my last washday, which was Thursday, I just washed & condished, used a light weight leave-in, custard & glazed a hard hold gel & it's the best washday. It has so much definition still! I wish I could put a pic. Oh, I also styled upside down with very wet hair, not soaking & was finally able to get a cast. Sorry for the long comment. I was so so happy, I just had to share it & might help someone.

I bet this would work so much better if the size of the bonnet overall was smaller, so it keeps the curls scrunched tighter to the head. I have this same issue with bonnets for sleeping, where if they’re not tight enough for my shorter, low density hair than they don’t keep the curls plopped

I bought one of these a couple of months ago. There is a slight learning curve, but it’s a total game changer for my wash days. Love it.

People in Brazil move the bonnet around the head, to change the direction of the air flow, so that the hair can be more evenly dried. This way it works better!

Totally agree with you about wavy hair being much more susceptible to curl pattern changes. I have trouble putting my hair up in a bonnet or even a silk scrunchie whilst I sleep, it just ends up completely stretched out and wonky the next day!😂

Hi Courtney, The finished style doesn't have your usual definition, but I still think it looks beautiful. It's that relaxed, beachy, weekend look.

I think you're right, it might be better for a tighter curl pattern. Looks useful if you're the type of person who likes to roller set your hair too.

I have wavy/curly hair too. I use a larger one so that my hair doesn"t sit in a plop position on top of my head but sort of down my back. But before I go into the bonnet I hover diffuse long enough to get a cast to "set" my hair in place. Then I use the big plastic clips to get volume at the root. Only then do I go into the bonnet. My hair can take up to 12 hrs to fully dry so being able to get it 75% dry while hands free is a life saver!

Thanks for saving me some time and $ so I don't try it! Also, the first day I tried your routine/products from the affordable curly girl starter pack video, I got three compliments on my hair at church! And one of them was a cosmetologist, so that counts double. :) I was so excited! I haven't got a hair compliment in quite a while--three in one day! You're my hero, Courtney!

I have barely a little wave in my hair. So I either need to straighten, curl or put it up. I watch your videos every now and then to see your pretty hair. I would love to have even a fraction of the curl that you have. It always looks great to me even when you aren’t happy with how it turned out. 😊

My hair dresser hover diffused my hair to set the cast before she put me under the dryer for 25 minutes. it turned out really well. I’m going to try it that way.

My grandma still thinks I have a perm. And recently I brushed out my hair on a day 3 or 4 with dry shampoo and I thought "this looks kinda nice for brushed out waves" so I went to work like that. I ended up getting compliments on my hair & the color! 🤣

I love the word persnickety ❤😂

You are so right about the compliments! I have wavy/curly 2c low porosity hair that never turns out the same. A few weeks ago I was particularly dissatisfied with my wash day and 4 people in a period of 24 hours (over days 2 and 3) told me they loved my hair. Crazy!!

One time my husband decided we were going out dancing after work on day four hair after 3 days of having my hair in a bun or ponytail. I did a quick refresh with the spray bottle a brush and some curl cream. It was more straight, with a little wave and a curl at the ends. The gray parts stood out more. They blend better when wrapped in a curl with the brown. I wasn't feeling very confident, but this sweet young woman stopped me to tell me how beautiful my hair was.

I finally had my first curly hair cut last week! Oh wow! What a difference. Thanks to your vid’s and other wavy/curly girls I know what kind of stylist to look for.

Thanks for doing this. I recently discovered my 6 yr old daughter I have wavy/curly hair. I decided to get her a diffuser bonnet to try so I immediately came to undeniably best source of info for all things wavy/curly (aka your lovely channel) to get all the info. Between your insights and all the lovely comments here I’m feeling hopeful that it will be a good thing for her. Maybe not her best ever curls, but it will let her love her curls without all the “fuss” of other diffusing methods.

I got a compliment on my hair at church today! I got a big chop 2 weeks ago so I'm still figuring out proportions of stylers and distribution but overall I've been pretty happy with it. I didn't love my last wash day and with short hair I didn't have the option to just put it in a bun to go to church. So I did a quick refresh and ran out the door with my hair still damp. I had no idea how it looked when it dried. But after church a woman came up to me told me she loved my hair and my haircut. I love getting compliments on my hair and I believe them more than any other compliment I might get because I've put in enough work into my hair that I have confidence in it, even with a mediocre wash day.

I definitely agree with your hydrogen bond theory!! Very insightful!!

It looks more care free, beachy, and natural waves. I think it's very pretty 😍

I love that you add hair science to your videos. It's so useful!! And fascinating! Wavies are so special, it's just true. Lately, my hair has been looking like this washday for you because I'm due for a layering trim! So, that's me on a daily basis now hahahaha! Your videos always make my day. You're so fun to watch and I love hair care thanks to you!

I’m expecting mine to arrive today from Amazon, I may just send it back without opening it. Thank you for demonstrating!

Hey!! I bet using root clips to hold your hair up and in the right spots would help with the pattern problem and uneven drying. And you're so right, wavy hair is so fragile. Thanks for the videos.

It will melt! I melted the hose on mine and it’s repaired with duct tape😅. It works for me, but unlike normal diffusing where your hair is moving around a lot, it’s drying it all in one position. And if a curl is laying wonky, it’s staying wonky😏.

Looks like beautiful blonde hair, but your curl has started looking atleast 50 % more curly since you first begun!!! Doing a fabulous job Mrs. COURT!!!

Your short hair videos help me so much along with just your positive light. I recently went to get my first curly cut and the “hairdresser” chopped of like 9 inches of my hair.. I just wanted a trim and shape! In the end it’s just hair, but im still ridiculously bummed. I need more of your videos with your short hair!!! 🥹🥲🤍🤍

Thank you for your videos. I found your channel when I started my curly (wavy) journey 3 years ago. And I'll continue to watch your adventures.

I purchased a bonnet (not THIS one) and thought I was doing something wrong until I watched your video. Now i get it. My waves are too sensitive for this I think, I keep trying and not loving the result. But I agree, I do like that it's handsfree, I do this while I work if I have no time to diffuse traditionally. P.S. I LOVE your channel, website, Instagram and follow all! Your hair is VERY similar to mine and you've helped so so much when I've wanted to give up and just keep straightening.

I’m getting the hang of using mine - I have long, fine, wavy hair. I root clip, pile my hair carefully into it - and then scrunch lift and move my hair gently into new positions regularly. I even sit head forward so it hangs forward for a while - and I move the position of the hose inlet every 5 minutes so each side gets fried evenly. I keep it on warm for 15, then cold for 2, and I’m done - it’s giving me lots more shrinkage and definition :)

I had the same results with my wavy hair. It had awkward bends instead of waves. Your hair does look good if you are going for more of a beachy look. I think if I had been able to see myself in 360 mine was the same. The bends do blend together well.

I finally broke down and bought the perfect hair care towel and brush. My only regret is that I didn’t buy them sooner.

Thank you so much for this video! I was really wanting to try this one, but like you the other stiffer material ones I’ve tried in past really haven’t worked for me either. Wavy hair is really like a box of chocolates, ya never know what you’re gonna get 😊

I use my dryer bonnet for deep conditioning. I think it could work a little better if you net plop it before applying the bonnet to hold everything in place. My hair is too long and thick so net plop diffusing didn’t work for me. Plop diffusing has been the best method for my hair so far, that is, plopping it on a surface while you hover. I usually use the laundry hamper.

It’s true what you said Courtney that wavy hair is more malleable and manipulative than curly or coily hair. If I sleep my with dried hair in braids and open them up in the morning, my hair stays in that braided wave pattern all day! Us wavies gain texture easily and also loose texture easily

I feel you for us wavies. My hair looks different every single wash day.

Here's a way to try it. Diffuse to maybe 50-70% then clip at roots for volume for the bonnet phase. I use 4 jaw clips at bangs, crown and one each at about 'mouse ears' level. Then since I'm hands free, I do my make-up and brush my teeth etc.

There have been a few ‘bad-wash-days’ in my mind. Then when I was out on my walk-about (I work on a community college in AZ and go walk around campus, so I don’t just sit all day in my office) I got a few students that would say to me ‘I like your hair’ or ‘WOW, you hair looks good’. I did make me smile and feel better about my ‘bad-wash-day’

After having got myself a curly medium length perm, I decided to buy myself one of the more expensive models from Amazon the 'Eleganty', and it's absolutely brilliant! I find it dried my hair evenly .Its also a good idea to finish off with a cold blast for a couple of minutes at the end of blowing as it helps to lock in the curl.

Really like the idea of this from an accessibility perspective

I love that you said "so a curly girl can get their wings"😂 the most compliments I feel like I have gotten have been on day 3 hair when I think it's stretched out lol!😂

I totally agree about wavy hair , I dream of just washing and airdrying but it never looks good.the waves when's its wet don't dry into waves they just go fluffy and frizzy. You have to tame it straight then put the wave back in .

Honestly, I would be thrilled if I got your results. I think it looks pretty.!

I can’t speak to this product, but I bought a similar one years ago for drying Velcro roller sets, and it was great for that. After I started wavy styling, I tried it with my hair free and also plopped into a mesh cap. Both created a frizzy mess, and the cap attempt came out all wonky and didn’t fully dry. I didn’t use a hard hold product, though, so that might make a difference. I also wonder if drying upside down would direct the hair better. That kind of defeats the purpose of hands-free, though… For hands-free, I sometimes take my little space heater out from under my desk and put it on the desktop. The flow feels a lot like the hood dryer at my salon. I’ve been thinking about trying a bonnet dryer on a stand, or a stand for holding a regular dryer. Have you ever considered reviewing those? I also get compliments on “bad hair days” (or bad anything days), and I think there are a few things going on. One is that we tend to be self-critical and scrutinize small details, while most people take us in as a whole. Another is that we are comparing our hair to what we intended to do, but others can only respond to what it is. (I used to teach dance improvisation, and this was a BIG thing to learn.) Also, I sometimes feel like the wavy/curly community focuses on a narrower range of styles than it needs to. When everyone you’re watching is prioritizing, say, definition, that can make you feel like a lower-definition look is a bad look, rather than just a different look. (Even if you don’t believe intellectually that some styles are “lesser”, it’s easy to internalize when you only see a narrow range, or when you consistently see some looks held up as the ideal. Similar to body image stuff.) People outside the community have no clue about any of that, so they won’t be influenced by in-community trends. (And this should go without saying, but you are the boss of your own hair and get to do whatever you want to do with it for any reason. Group identity is a perfectly valid reason, and is a key factor in style and fashion anyway. I just wish there was more variety in the content.) And is it me, or is Audible missing out by not sponsoring wavy/curly creators? I feel like they sponsor half the other videos I watch on YT…

Thanks for doing this demo! I have a similar type product, which I got from Amazon to try & save my energy due to autoimmune disease (I know you can relate!). However, like you, I found the results to be less than ideal & I rarely use it now. Instead, I just conserve energy before & after wash day, which I just do less often (about once/week). The idea of these types of products is awesome, but as you showed in your video, the outcome for wavies isn't as great as for curlies. I use my Shark diffuser & am able to get good results within 20 minutes on my shoulder-length hair. Saving up for a Laifen so it's lighter & quicker.

Omg you lived in Brazil???!!!! As if I needed another reason to absolutely adore you! I'm Brazilian :) Keep up the good work! sending love from here!

Yes! hydrogen bonds suseptability... welcome to boticelli curl as well😅. Add in that i dont have hair as shiny as y'alls, i easily have major frizz and my hair is very rough feeling without conditioner. Boticelli is known to be so affected by water even air pollution can change my hair style. Thanks for your entertaining enlightening content🙏, im glad to discover 😊

Hi Courtney, your hair always looks great. It will be interesting to see how this looks the next day. So using this bonnet replaces the diffuser on the blow dryer? It makes me think of those bonnet dryers from the 1960's

hehe, i have also wavy hair and i only use the bonnet with the air drier to do those thermal treatments with a mask or deep conditioner :)

I would love to see this with upright styling. I’m curious if the curls would be less wonky. Oh the struggles of wavy/curly hair.

I'm still playing around with my bonnett but my hair looks so defined, shiny and wavy than it every did before. I will say it takes REALLY long to dry and I move the bonnett around four times to make sure all points of my head get the "blow-dry" as it's not evenly distributed. I'm also in the middle of trying to find which products work for my hair and if I need protein v. Moisture and the weather fluctuates from dry to humid where I live so really hard to troubleshoot lol

Maybe if you used it only AFTER you get a good cast. It might speed up the final drying time - which takes forever for me - without disrupting the curl pattern(?). Would need a really hard cast :)

Ha! My husband loves frizz! When the loose curls are going wild… That’s his look! He loves crazy big hair. I’m getting over 15 plus years of bleach damage. It made my hair very fragile and resistant to protein. Be careful with that blonde. It’s pretty, but will wreck your pattern if your hair is fine like mine. I finally have healthy hair after many years of stress and tears. Thanks for your wonderful content. You have been with me since the beginning of my journey.

I agree with you wavy hair is persnickety, mine will even get wonky sometimes with my pixie diffusing. And sometimes even the bottom starts losing shape while I style the top. I find I get similar results if I just scrunch my hair and don't do individual brush styling or finger rolling. I like my results with that so I take longer on washday. I think your hair also stretched out more and was less curly, maybe because sections were still damp and took longer to dry.

Your hair looks lovely!

I wonder if you started upside down or sitting with your head back, so the hair is away from your head and the air can circulate better? Maybe for the first 10 minutes or so and then do the rest in a normal, upright position. Also a stronger hold gel sounds like it would be worth a try.

I have long, wavy hair and I loved this bonnet! It made my curls much more defined. But I moved my head around every 5 minutes or so as the box suggested so maybe shift your head more?

I wonder if you hover diffuse first to set the cast then put it in the bonnet to finish would work? I bought this and will have to try different ways to get it perfect for my 2c curls.

The hair length looks so good on you.

It was my 3rd day refresh and my hair was looking frizzy and dry. To my surprise, I received a few compliments on my hair. Ooh is your hair naturally curly? Its lovely. Another was, I love the way your hair moves and bounces when you walk. Wow your hair looks so heathy. You have great hair! As the saying goes…beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

If you dried for 30 minutes maybe take off and reapply so the bunched up hair is moved at 10 or 15 min. Also the position of the connection tube can be relocated so the one area isn’t over dried. I’ve used this in the past and sometimes use it now in combination w/ hover diffusing. I use root clips all over when using it also. It definitely worked better when my hair was shorter than it is now. I think it is a tool to be used w/ other parts of my routine. I am not someone who is willing to do a lot of precise styling and am looking for the freedom of doing things while my hair dries.

I don’t think this would work for me. Thanks for the review! And would you mind sharing what eyeshadow you are wearing here? I love it

The strainer method has been the best for me lol

On hair days that don't turn out as I want them to it's Zazzybandz to the rescue! 😂

Thank you !!! I was wondering if it was worth getting one of these for traveling… but as a wavy girl, I’m going to skip it!

I have a question: Is it possible that microplopping also removes a huge amount of products, especially the gel? Everytime I do this to speed up the diffusing, I have the feeling that I don't have a good or almost no cast. Like without microplopping. Is it just me?

I’m wondering if it would work using the fish net trick with it too? On days I’m running behind and need to be able to do my hair and my makeup at the same time this might be a quick fix solution??? I have super long hair and use a larger fish net cap to help set my curls after setting my cast.

I'm from Brazil, sending you love from here 🙏🏻❣️

I was worried my hair would do just this😅🤔 but I'm curious to try it with my head off the bed slightly?🤷‍♀️ Sooo kinda upside-down for better lift in theory. I'm in my first year of my curly/wavy journey so I'm still figuring stuff out, but I just realized the crazy magic power of a good quality strong gel! My hair was frizzing and falling funky like so many of us wavys by the end of the day, or lort.. sleeping 😖😩💩 but girl... Last 2 wash days I didnt even need to refresh! Mind blown y'all 🎉 I'd been avoiding them, worried the cast would slap me back into the 80's, be too heavy and weigh me down, or give that dandruff vibe after scrunching the crunch, but I'm all for a good strong gel now. Anyways, thank you for posting this! I almost picked one up yesterday, and still might, but now I have a much better idea of what to expect. ❤💃

I have neck and shoulder issues, and recently found out (April 2024) that I have curly hair. Not sure if it's due to my hormones or moving from the west coast to Texas. I also have low porosity hair. So with product in my hair, it takes forever to dry. So a bonnet dryer should help me deal with two issues. It will help with deep conditioning, as I need heat for that with my low porosity hair. It will also save my neck in the drying process. I have 2a-3a curls currently. So after reading all the comments I plan to make sure my hair has a cast before I put it in the bonnet. If I end up with wonky curls, then only mostly dry my hair next time. If I'm still not happy I will try net plopping while drying. For deep conditioning, use a shower cap to hold in moisture, and so the hair doesn't dry out. I am a low maintenance gal. Curly hair is so not low maintenance!

Lovely hair girl!

Same problem, but I came up with a hack, I tie my hair ip in a bun and the start. Takes a longer time, but works much bette. And I saw something use fishnets to secure the hair down

My stylist used the hooded dryer on my wavy hair one time, it was terrible. 😂

Hey Courtney! Thank you so much for posting this video and stopping me from making yet another ill-advised purchase hahaha. My hair texture is VERY similar to yours, and my hair is now the same length as yours too, so I was wondering if this would work for me. I'll stay away from this now :D

I’m 100% sure my hair would come out a wreck. Maybe it is something best for shorter hair. It looks like beach waves on you. Try putting it on the counter doing the same pile of curls you do when you plop. See if that helps with the wonky bits. Thanks for the review. 🌟

"Gets a little inebriated"🤣

I wonder if you could do a combination of your regular hover diffusing and this, if you'd like to take advantage of some hands-free time. Maybe you'd have more definition if you do 5 minutes or so of hovering first. Just a thought!

I laughed when you accidentally turned your dryer on … and then you’re like “what is happening?” Lol

I wonder if you did some hover diffusing to set your curls, then used the cap to finish drying to 95% if that would give you better results.🤔

So..I spend a few hrs a week getting my curly hair to look amazing with washing, conditioning, styling all the things we curly n wavies do to look good including bonnets and silk pillow cases and when I go out with my husband who does have mid back length brown pretty straight hair...he is the one getting the ohhhh ur hair is sooooooooo pretty...and I'm over here thinking ummm all he does is use conditioner and let's it air dry. He didn't even use conditioner untill he met me lol. I'm the one tht has a great routine. Once in a blue moon that girl is saying that to me instead of him lol....I think they are just jealous lol jk

So do you think you would have had the same result with a standard hood dryer? I am considering buying one and would like your thoughts on if it would be less likely to blow around in the cap since the hood dryer is like what you find in the salons.

It flattens the hair down against the scalp. Just using the hair dryer is so much faster. The bonnet only dries the outside of the hair, it doesn’t get inside the hair. I have thick hair, when I tried the bonnet it took FOREVER to dry.

I’m curious what would happen if instead of flipping your hair into the cap, you leave the hair as if it was air drying and apply so toot clips, slip the cap on, tips to head and leave it in a more natural state.

I just got one but haven’t used it, did you move it around? I noticed the instructions say to turn the bonnet after a few minutes. It seemed you started and ended in the same position so I couldn’t tell if you had turned it

😅😅😅 That's my hair with this Bonnet... I have long wavy curly (2c /3a) so I decided to look for videos on how to use it so I found your video... I think I will return it.

Off topic question. Do either of your kiddos have wavy/curly hair? If so, would you mind sharing what products you use for them? My four year old had ringlets when she was a baby/toddler but as we've let her hair grow longer, it's become more wavy and my one year old just started getting some little curls.

My hairdresser used this for a hot treatment maybe that's a better way to used it and give it a try ❤ or when you work with rollers it's very helpful 😀 hahha

Also you asked if we wanted you to grow out your hair with you, or maybe keep styling it how it is?(I forgot the alternative choice, lol) PLEASE GROW IT OUT!!! We can grow it out together I need all the tips and tricks along the way 😅😊

I used to use the bonnet in the 1970s with my hair wrapped round my head to dry my hair straight. I can’t see how using this bonnet could possibly give anywhere near as good a result as a diffuser for wavy hair as the waves are not being supported while the hair dries. I have seen a mesh plopping net and I think using that while you’re under the hood might make it more workable.

You should use a “white netting plopping cap” underneath this drying bonnet.

Thank you so much for your impressions video, if it’s okay with you can I use this video of my product review, thanks

Hmmm, just thinking that my wrists and fingers might appreciate this, given their inability to function correctly. I also tried something similar from Amazon, and like you, it did not go well.

Maybe use clips to keep lift and try repositioning hose to the back of hair

Actually, this looks like more of a "fine hair is super susceptible to friction frizz" thing, rather than a "wavy hair is temperamental" thing. My hair does something similar even with hover diffusing.

Us wavy girls need a VERY strong hold gel to keep the pattern; i think it would have made such a difference. I’m not too sure, but it looks over conditioned too? Like a little too much leave in? But it’s still very lovely and healthy looking.

I have one but haven't used it 😱

Oo, I wonder if you could pin curl your front parts and put a clip or something to make sure that it's out of your face.