I think the foldable Panasonic Nanoe Hair Dryer is one of the great travel products — with some caveats. It’s got a few features that I’ve never seen before, all of which sounded gimmicky; so I had to try it. For $85, I was willing to roll the dice.
When you travel a lot, taking a few things that remind you of home is nice. For me, those things are high-powered electrical appliances such as steamers and hair dryers. I really don’t like to compromise with that stuff when I’m at a hotel.
Below is a summary of the impressive (and disappointing) attributes of the Panasonic Nanoe Folding Hair Dryer.
This has impressive power for a travel-friendly device and great features like Nanoe technology for hydration and an oscillating cap for heat dispersion, though its lack of dual voltage and short cord may limit its international appeal.
What we liked about it
Travel-friendly folding handle
This 1400-watt hair dryer is the travel version of Panasonic’s heavier-duty 1875-watt Panasonic Nanoe Hair Dryer. By forfeiting the extra power, you get a more compact product with a handle that folds to become parallel with the nozzle. This makes it much easier to nestle into a suitcase.
“Nanoe” technology
My hair is an absolute frizzball after I’ve dried it. Panasonic’s Nanoe feature is meant to solve this issue by hydrating hair while you’re drying it. In short, the small Nanoe outlet above the nozzle shoots a virtually imperceptible amount of moisture into your hair. After ample use, I do believe it makes a difference (though I didn’t find it to be as jaw-dropping as the Panasonic ads make it to be).
Oscillating cap to disperse heat
Attached to the front of the dryer is an oscillating nozzle. It’s there to prevent you from concentrating hair-singeing heat in one spot. Not necessary, but an interesting feature that I’d not seen before. I’ll readily admit that I expected this to be a cheap trick — but I found it to actually help regulate the temperature.
The oscillating piece isn’t powered; it moves as it reacts to airflow. Because of this, it works best when the dryer is on high. Give the dryer a snap of your wrist to create momentum for the nozzle, and it’ll keep going by itself.
What we didn’t like about it

Not dual voltage
If you’re looking for a dryer to bring on international trips there are better options than the Panasonic Nanoe Hair Dryer. That’s because it’s single voltage. In other words, it works great in the U.S.; but when traveling to another country with a different voltage, you may quickly ruin the dryer without purchasing a power converter. The need to bring a converter effectively adds weight and bulk to your trip — something you’re trying to avoid with a travel hair dryer.
Relatively short electrical cord
This may not be a big deal to some, but the Panasonic Nanoe Foldable Hair Dryer has one of the shortest electrical cords I’ve seen for a dryer. It reaches just over 60 inches. That’s enough to get the job done — but as a comparison, my standard blow dryer’s cord spans more than 100 inches.
No storage case
For a product that’s marketed as “travel,” the Panasonic Nanoe Hair Dryer didn’t come with a carrying case. Yes, I can pop the thing in a plastic grocery bag. But including a simple fabric drawstring pouch seems like a definite oversight.
There is currently a limited-edition travel bag included when you buy directly through Panasonic (though it’s considerably pricier than purchasing through Amazon).
How the Panasonic Nanoe Hair Dryer compares
The foldable Panasonic Nanoe Hair Dryer is a happy medium between a travel dryer and a regular dryer. In my opinion, it’s not the best hair dryer for either situation.
It can’t match the power of a full-size dryer; 1400 watts is extremely impressive for a travel option, but it’s not in the same ballpark as, say, the 1600-watt Dyson Supersonic hair dryer (our all-time favorite).
On the other hand, the Panasonic Nanoe Hair Dryer’s above-average power requires a girthier chassis — making it less portable than many other travel dryers, both in terms of weight and size. As a comparison, my previous travel hair dryer is considerably smaller and weighs 9 ounces less (that’s a lot).
The dryer also comes in fewer colors than you’ll often find with competitors (black and white are the only options), but it’s got good aesthetics. Additionally, its speeds and high/medium/cool airflow settings are located conveniently on the handle — which is bafflingly not always the case with hair dryers.
In terms of cost, the dryer comes in around the middle of the pack. You’ll currently pay $85. Sure, you can find travel hair dryers for under $20 — but you can also find some that cost more than $200.
Bottom line
We think the Panasonic Nanoe Hair Dryer is a great product. Those looking for power in a semi-compact hair dryer will have a tough time finding a better option. If you can spare the room and excess weight in your bag, it’s about as close to a full-size hair dryer as you can find for your on-the-go needs.
FAQs
Both the air inlet and exhaust grill on the Panasonic Nanoe Hair Dryer are easy to simply wipe clean. You can vacuum them occasionally, too.
The filter is held onto the back of the dryer with one screw. Remove this, and you can unclip and properly wash the filter if you need to.
The Panasonic Nanoe Hair Dryer is foldable. There’s a joint at the handle that allows you to collapse the dryer into a relatively small package.
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