I have worn my hair long for the past 60 years (yikes!). Although it began thinning about 15 years ago, for most of that time, my hair was thick as well as long. It has also been highlighted or color treated for the past 30 years. Like most people with long, thick, hair, especially if it has been colored, chemically processed, or heat-styled for a long time, I'm always looking for ways to dry my hair faster—without added stress to my tresses. I have purchased hair towels, hair wraps, and turbans, in a variety of shapes, fabrics, and sizes, with and without a button and loop or elastic closure, and from different brands. All of them promised to deliver everything I was looking for in a hair towel, claiming their towel would dry wet hair in half the time, be easy to wrap and close securely, stay in place without shifting, and without pulling or tugging on vulnerable, wet strands or abrading the hair's cuticle, which causes frizz.
Unfortunately, none of them delivered on everything they claimed, and all fell short of my (admittedly high) hopes and expectations. But that was before I bit the bullet and invested in the VOLO Hero Microfiber Hair Towel, a premium product with a price tag to match. I thought about it for close to a year before deciding to see whether this could finally be the hair towel that lived up to its hype. I have been using it for the past two months, and so far, I have nothing but good things to say about it. It delivers on the marketing promises, and has significantly outperformed every other hair towel I have used.
If you're happy with your current hair towel, there's no reason to spend more on one of these. However, if you have long, thick, color-treated, or damaged hair, and you can comfortably afford to upgrade to a higher quality, larger, more absorbent microfiber hair towel that can dry your hair faster and more gently, I highly recommend giving consideration to the VOLO Hero Premium Microfiber Hair Towel, which the company also refers to on its website as the VOLO Hero Quick Dry Towel.
Why the VOLO Hero Microfiber Hair Towel Is the Best Towel for Drying Long or Thick Hair
Based on my own experience, these are the features and characteristics that put the VOLO Hero Microfiber Hail Towel head and shoulders (so to speak) above all the others I've tried.
Soft, Silky, Plush Microfiber Fabric Absorbs More Water, Wicks It Away Better, and Dries Hair Faster vs. Cheaper Hair Towels
Microfiber is known for its ability to absorb many times its own weight in liquid, and then wick away that moisture. This makes it ideal for drying hair.
However, not all microfiber towels are equally effective at absorbing and wicking away moisture!
Microfiber fabrics with longer, finer, more numerous fibers not only absorb more liquid, but also wick it away faster than those with shorter, thicker and fewer fibers.
This extreme close-up shows the thick, plush, super-absorbent pile of the VOLO Hero Hair Towel's premium microfiber fabric that allows it to dry wet hair faster and more efficiently |
The cloud-soft, microfiber fabric of the VOLO Hero Hair Towel features an extremely plush, dense pile made up of many long, smooth, slender fibers, so it can absorb and wick away more water from your hair than other towels, pulling that moisture up to the surface where it can evaporate.
According to the manufacturer, this premium microfiber towel can absorb 10x its weight in water and reduce drying time by 50% by removing more water than other towels. Although I have never tried to weigh and compare the amounts of water absorbed by different hair towels I have owned or the residual moisture in my hair after using them, my hair is noticeably drier, and in less time, since I replaced my previous microfiber turban with my VOLO Hero hair towel.
Large, Flat Rectangular Shape = More Surface Area That Absorbs More Water vs. Triangle- or Teardrop-Shaped Wraps
The tapered end of a seamed, curved, teardrop or triangle-shaped hair wrap or turban is to narrow to hold much hair, or absorb much water. |
This Oversized, Thick, and Plush Microfiber Towel Can Hold a Lot of Wet Hair, and Dry It Faster and More Effectively
Comfortable to Wear, and Gentle on Your Hair
Over the years, I have tried several different elongated, triangle- or teardrop-shaped, turban-style hair wraps, and disliked them all. Here's why:
- Most had a button and loop closure that I found awkward to use, especially since I preferred to have it at the nape of my neck, which meant fumbling with it behind my head without being able to see what I was doing.
- If I fastened it in the front, the tapered part of the towel was too narrow to cover the front of my hair.
- The wrap wouldn't cover my hair, or the weight of my long, wet hair would eventually cause it to shift to one side or sag down in the back, unless it twisted the long, narrow "tail" tightly.
- Unfortunately, twisting it enough to keep both the towel and my hair in place immediately gave me a headache. It made towel drying my hair more like torture!
- Putting my hair under so much torsion and tension when it was wet and, therefore, more vulnerable to breakage or abrasion of the cuticle (the root cause of frizziness).
The much larger size and rectangular shape makes enclosing my entire head of hair, from roots to tips and nape to hairline, practically effortless. After bending forward, a bit, I drape the towel over my head, with the elastic strap centered above the nape of my neck. Then, I just bring the ends of the towel around my hair, cross one end over the other, give them one or two loose twists, and bring them up and over my head, pulling the ends through the elastic strap at the back to secure them. No pulling, tugging, or tension on my hair or my scalp, no headaches, no breakage, and no risk of roughing up the cuticle and causing more frizz than I already have (thanks to decades of highlights and hair coloring).
The thick, plush, microfiber fabric results in wider twists that form a taller turban than typical hair wraps, which keeps the bulk of the wet hair (and, therefore, the weight) centered on top of my head, instead of toward the back, so it seems less prone to shifting. I'm honestly amazed at how loosely I can wrap this towel and have it still stay put.
This hair wrap is so comfortable, and feels so soft against my face, that I'm happy to leave it on for as much time as I have (which is a welcome change from those tight, headache-inducing turbans!).
The Softest, Silkiest, Most Luxurious Hair Towels Imaginable
That plush, dense, fine microfiber pile doesn't just provide superior absorbency and wicking properties that can dry wet hair faster and more thoroughly. It also makes these VOLO Hero and VOLO Super Hero Premium Microfiber Hair Towels incredibly soft, silky, lightweight, and luxurious to the touch.
I never imagined that a towel could not only dry wet hair so quickly, but also feel so opulent!
VOLO Hero Microfiber Hair Towel - image courtesy of Amazon.com |
There's Also a VOLO Super Hero Quick Dry Hair Towel for Drying Super Long, Super Thick Locks
The VOLO Super Hero Hair Towel is made with the same ultra-soft, plush, silky, premium microfiber fabric, but is seven inches wider and has 30% more fabric than the original, signature VOLO Hero towel. The VOLO Super Hero's whopping 39.4 x 30.5 inch size would be a match for even Lady Godiva's famous, ankle-length mane!
A Premium Product With a Premium Price Tag
I discovered the VOLO Hero through a rave review by a well known fashion and beauty expert. Even though it sounded like exactly what I had been searching for all these years, I resisted buying one for nearly a year because of the price. Since none of the other towels I had purchased lived up to their ambitious claims or 5-star customer reviews, why would I believe that this one would be different? It seemed gullible, as well as extravagant. to spend $39 for ANY hair towel that didn't have a $20 bill clipped to it, lol.
After 10 or 11 more months of needless aggravation every time I shampooed, I decided enough was enough. So, I finally bit the bullet and ordered a VOLO Hero microfiber hair towel. If you've gotten this far in my product review, I'm sure it will come as no surprise that I am absolutely thrilled with my purchase, and consider it well worth every penny I paid for it. My only regret is not having bought it much sooner!
For someone with extremely long or very thick hair, I definitely would recommend the VOLO Super Hero version that, for $10 more, gets you an extra 7 inches of width and 30% more fabric, so can easily accommodate even the longest, most voluminous hair, and absorb the higher volume of water from all that extra hair.
Terrific that you found just the hair towel that was perfect for you, Margaret. I will have to tell my daughter about this towel, as she has worn her hair long most of her life and has problems with drying.
ReplyDeleteI wore my hair long all through my youth, finally cutting it short after high school, so drying is not a problem now. Wish I'd known this when I was in high school, though. LOL.
Thanks so much, Elf! I know it seems like such a minor thing to people whose hair dries quickly without a lot of extra help. Most people have no idea that rubbing their wet hair briskly with a towel, wringing it out, twisting it it tightly, drying it with a terrycloth towel, and many other common methods of removing excess water from their hair can cause breakage or frizz, and have other unintended (and undesirable) consequences. I unknowingly subjected my long hair to unnecessary stress for many years, before I learned more about this topic.
DeleteI appreciate your sharing this review with her daughter, and I hope she finds it helpful in solving her hair drying problems. Maybe one of these VOLO towels will turn out to be the ideal solution for her, too. Fingers crossed!
Oh I know someone who would love this hair towel. She also has thick, very thinck long hair and often it is still wet when she leaves for work in the mornings. This would be a great birthday prezzie for her, as she is not likely to spend the extra $$ on herself. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Next time I'm talking to my friend, I will steer the comversation to problems encountered by long haired ladies. I wonder if it works well for those with really curly hair too? My DIL has the most beautiful long curly (really curly) hair. She just might jump on board with liking this product as well. Humm, something to think about!
ReplyDeleteOlivia, what a generous and thoughtful present to give a friend who clearly could benefit from a towel that will dry her long, thick hair 50% faster, so she doesn’t have to leave for work when her mane is still wet, especially when it’s cold outside. (Brrrrr!)
DeleteYour DIL’s hair sounds as though it must be her “crowning glory!” I think the chances of her finding value in a hair towel that dries her hair so much faster, feels incredibly soft and luxurious, and doesn’t put stress on her lovely, long tresses, which are more fragile and vulnerable to breaking and other types of damage.
I’m betting she’ll thank you for telling her about these VOLO hair wraps!
Awesome! I'm glad you found a great drying towel for long hair. I'm sure there are many of us, including myself, who need one, especially now that beauty salon trips are less frequent. My hair is longer now than it has been since I was a teenager and it certainly takes longer to dry.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mouse! I know you're enjoying wearing your hair longer again, and I'm betting you would find having a VOLO Hero hair drying wrap a time saver (especially since it's important to get hair as dry as possible before using a blow dryer). I hope the Hair Care Fairy leaves one under your pillow, lol!
DeleteMargaret, great product to know about. This would make a great gift for someone I know (besides me lol) with super thick, long hair. I'd like one myself now. My hair is thick and curly, but I flat iron it and since I do that I only have to wash my hair once a week. You have me wondering what my mop might look like after being wrapped in this towel for a bit? Honestly a great gift for certain people.
ReplyDeleteBarbara, I absolutely agree that this towel would be a much-appreciated gift for anyone with long or thick hair (or any hair that takes a long time to air-dry). It's great that you are able to shampoo only once a week. (I'm sure you're using a good heat protectant before flat ironing!) :)
DeleteAbout 5-10 years ago, I began washing my hair only once or twice a week, too, when my stylist explained that daily shampooing wasn't good for my hair. (Who knew, lol?) But even on a less frequent schedule, I still had to wait for hours while my long hair air-dried enough to finish drying it with a blow dryer (or pull it into a ponytail or braid) without risking damage. (I'm sure you've had that experience as well!) I love that my VOLO Hero Microfiber Hair Towel has given me back a couple of hours every time I shampoo. And since your long hair is also thick and curly, I'll bet it would trim even more off your drying time. :)
I'm so glad that you found a towel that fits your needs and works for you. As for me, my hair is dry before I get out of the shower!!!! This may be a towel Fran may want to use so I'll make sure she reads this. As always thanks for a detailed review.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sam! You don't know how lucky you are not, lol. I hope Fran finds this review helpful - thanks for sharing it with her!
DeleteWonderful you have found a great towel for drying your hair. I have very fine hair, but according to my hairdresser a lot of it! I am growing it longer now and its about shoulder length. In the summer it dries really fast but in winter takes longer. I tend not to use a hairdryer if I can help it as I am allergic to most hair products that protect hair from heat. So I am wondering if a towel like this would be good for me! Thank you for a great review.
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy you found this review helpful! Yes, I think a VOLO Hero would be great for your fine hair, since you have so much of it (lucky you!) and drying takes longer when the weather is colder. Since it's also such a gentle way to dry your tresses, it also will help them stay healthy as you let them grow below shoulder length.
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