The Panasonic EH-ND52V is the quiet one. At 49 dB on the Set position it is the lowest-noise dryer in this Panasonic range — below the EH-ND57H at 55 dB and the EH-ND56 at 51 dB — and that single number is the reason to choose it.

What makes it credible is that the quietness is engineered rather than achieved by fitting a weaker motor. Panasonic did three things: split the airflow into a dual path, fixed the clearance between the fan and the body so the two do not resonate, and used a high-efficiency fan that moves the same air with less turbulence. The result is a dryer that still draws a full 1500 W. You are not trading drying power for peace.

Three positions cover the work. Turbo moves the most air for the initial rough dry. Set steps down to a controlled flow — this is the 49 dB position, and where you will spend most of your time shaping with a brush. Cool sends unheated air to fix the finished style, which is what stops a blow-dry dropping an hour later.

The handle folds flat against the body, so a full-size dryer collapses into something that fits a bathroom drawer or a suitcase, and the 1.8 m cord gives enough slack to move around a mirror.

If you share a bathroom, dry your hair before anyone else is awake, or simply dislike the racket a normal dryer makes, this is the model in the range that solves it.