As a 5 year curly girl veteran, I’ve encountered hair products and tools that don’t live up to their hype. However, the Black Orchid Diffuser surprisingly accomplished what it promised. Today, I’m here to give you my unfiltered hair diffuser review.
UPDATE: 8/10/2022 – I was asked on Instagram (@shinewithjl) if I still use the Black Orchid Diffuser. Yes!!! Every single wash day.
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Xtava Black Orchid Diffuser
A quick overview of this curly hair diffuser.
- 1.8 inch diameter nozzle opening
- Over 90 air vents
- Made from plastic and fiberglass
- 12.8 ounces in weight
Pros
- Better Curl Formation: My normal hair diffuser attachment would push my hair against my scalp resulting in oddly shaped curls. The Black Orchid Diffuser defined by curl pattern leaving my 2c 3a hair coiled beautifully.
- Consistent Drying Overall: No more over drying the ends of your curls due to a wet scalp.
- Loads of Volume: The “fingers” on this curl diffuser lifts your roots while drying them. Thereby creating perfect, soft volume. The Xtava Diffuser claims it provides 360 degree airflow!
- Less Frizz: Without this large hair diffuser, I would use my fingers to separate and lift my curls for drying. The result was more frizz! Ugh.
- Thick, Long Hair: If you are like me, the underside of your hair never fully dries. The underside of my hair is a different texture and wavy. The Black Orchid Diffuser softened the texture and turned my wavy hair to curls.
- Cool to the Touch: Not to worry about burning your fingers on this large hair diffuser. There were times I thought my hair dryer was on the cool setting as I didn’t feel the heat coming from the attachment.
- Toned Arms: Due to the size of this curly hair diffuser, it does add weight. My normal BaBylissPRO Diffuser is 3.2 ounces. The Black Orchid Diffuser is 12.8 ounces. The plus side, my arms get a workout!
- Moderately Priced: The hair diffuser is priced well for what it is. After all, we curly girls aren’t using all the curling irons, flat irons and accessories. Why not invest in a diffuser that gives you better curls?
Cons
- Not Compatible with Most Hair Dryers: The Black Orchid Diffuser is not a compatible fit with my BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Portofino hair dryer. Therefore, it needs an attachment to work. It took me a few tries with the SnozzlePro. (8/23/2021 Update: the manufacturer let me know that I had the SnozzlePro on backwards. Since then, it has worked great!)
- Diffuser Insert Falls Out: The silicone grip insert designed to keep the diffuser attached to your hair dryer falls out. The inner banded seal isn’t glued and the SnozzlePro attachment pulls it out each time the large diffuser is taken off.
- No Significant Reduction in Drying Time: While I did not see an improvement in the time it took to dry my hair, the results were worth the investment.
- Heavy and Cumbersome: The trade off of a large hair diffuser is additional weight. If you have neck or shoulder problems, this might not be the diffuser for you.
- Lack of Portability: I can’t say I’ll be taking this diffuser on the road. It would take up too much room in my suitcase and I’d be worried the fingers would break as they are plastic. I’ll continue to travel with my collapsible curly hair diffuser. <— Review of curly travel hair dryer and diffuser.
Universal Hair Dryer Nozzle Adapter Attachment
If your hair dryer does not fit curly diffusers with a 1.8 inch diameter, consider the SnozzlePro. It fits the Xtava Black Orchid and blow dryers with a diameter of 1.5 inch to 2.25 inch.
My curly hair dryer of choice has always been BaByliss. They effectively dry your hair and put out loads of heat, should you need it. However, the Black Orchid Diffuser does not fit my BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Portofino.
The SnozzlePro Adapter worked great with hair dryer. Attaching it to the large curly diffuser will take some practice but it works.
Black Orchid Diffuser and SnozzlePro Test Run
I began my test by performing my normal curly hair wash day routine. A simple shampoo and conditioner in the shower followed by plopping for an hour. I’ll list the simple styling products below.
To begin drying, I attached the small end of the SnozzlePro to the Black Orchid Diffuser. Make sure to push it until it is snug against the diffuser head. Then attach the other end to the barrel of your hair dryer.
I dried my 2c 3a curls on low and cool heat for about 20 minutes while rotating my head side to side. Utilizing the diffuser fingers, I lifted my curls at the roots in sections for 1.5 minutes each.
Hair Diffuser Conclusion
I’m excited to add the Black Orchid Diffuser to my curly hair accessories. While it might not travel the world with me, it’s going to be my go-to hair diffuser at home!
