What size generator to run a hair dryer?
Hair dryer sizing at a glance: it draws 1500 running watts.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Running watts | 1500W |
| Starting (surge) watts | 1500W |
| Recommended class (this load + margin) | 2000W |
Why the startup surge matters
A hair dryer is a resistive load, so it has no meaningful startup surge. If you size a generator only for the running watts, it can stall the instant the hair dryer switches on. Always size for the surge.
Sizing the whole system
The number above covers the hair dryer on its own with a safety margin. In a real outage you'll run other things too — and the right method is your total running load plus the single largest surge among everything, not the sum of every surge. Use the full calculator to size your actual setup:
Common questions
How many watts does a hair dryer use?
A typical hair dryer draws about 1500 watts, with no significant startup surge.
What size generator runs a hair dryer?
For the hair dryer alone plus a safety margin, a 2000W (≈2.0kW) class generator is appropriate. Add your other essential loads to size the full system.