Handheld hair dryers made by a variety of manufacturers had existed since the early part of the 20th Century, but they weren’t very popular; They were heavy, unwieldy, and even dangerous, offering a risk of electrocution. They were also ugly: Most of them looked like a large metal teardrop with a stick-like handle shoved into the side of it.
By the early 1960s, Braun was confident enough in their technology that they knew they could produce a safe, reliable handheld hairdryer—and one that was beautiful. What is fascinating about this timeline of Braun’s haircare products is that you can see their thinking evolve. As per usual, they undertook bold experimentation in form factor, ignoring what their competitors were doing, until finally arriving at a “correct” solution on their own terms. They also started out thinking the hairdryer was a unisex product, then later realized that each gender was using them differently, and bifurcated their offerings to address this.
1964
HLD 231
Reinhold Weiss
Braun’s first hairdryer, the HLD 231, eschewed the teardrop-on-a-stick form factor that was the current norm. Instead the sleek unit resembled a small heater, one meant to be grasped by the cylindrical bulge at the back. A single switch at the front, with a minimalist red dot, leaves no doubt as to how you were meant to turn it on. The device sold well enough that it did not require updating for some six years.
1970
HLD 4
Dieter Rams
Rams’ 1970 update, the HLD 4, featured a friendlier shape and a grill area nearly as tall as it was wide. Aesthetically, the split, horizontal lines of the grill resemble earlier versions of Braun stereos, attempting to convey a brand identity across product categories.
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