New York's summer humidity is a constant battle for its glamorous residents. But are the city's new wave of blow-dry bars able to tame the wildest of locks?

By Sadie Whitelocks

PUBLISHED: 14:24 EST, 2 August 2013 | UPDATED: 17:04 EST, 4 August 2013

I put little effort into keeping my unruly hair in check - bedhead is my standard look.

But when a large beetle crawled out of my blonde curls - much to my friend's horror - I begrudgingly decided to take up my editor's challenge of checking out New York's widely popular blow-dry bars.

Much-loved by ladies who don't have time or energy to wash and style their own hair - especially in the frizz-inducing summer humidity - these no cut, no color salons are cropping up everywhere.

But is it worth paying a professional up to $120 a week to tame your tresses?

I secretly tested three of Manhattan's hottest spots to investigate what the craze is all about.

During each pre-work, early morning trip I took into account service, salon atmosphere, price and, most importantly, the finished look. 

I also wanted to see how long the immaculate finish would last for, submitting it to the temperamental office air conditioning and 100-plus-degrees at Bikram yoga.

Out of intrigue I then looked at how each treatment compared to my own budget effort.

BLO

Location: 325 East, 64th Street, New York, NY 10065 (), www.blomedry.com

Cost: $40

Although blow-dry bars have become all the rage, Canadian chain Blo - which carries the strapline 'because you can't blo yourself'- claims to have been the first when it debuted in Vancouver in 2007.

I went to its Upper East Side branch for my 7.30am appointment. Its bachelorette party-style decor was quite a wake-up call for the senses.

The work surfaces shone a bright shade of cerise, a bottle of champagne lurked in one corner and a bowl of pink pretzels in another.

First to check in at the ten-seater salon, I was given a picture book with different hairstyles to choose from and went for the 'super sleek' look.

My hairstylist told me that in hot weather, he usually recommends the 'beach wave' because it lasts longer.

However, I wanted to see if he could flatten my mop of hair and stuck to my guns. 

After being given coffee in a Styrofoam cup I was taken to the washing station. Once my hair was shampooed, conditioned and my scalp massaged, the drying process began.

I was slightly disappointed that I didn't see any blow-drying techniques come into play. No rolling or pulling of brushes just a hovering hairdryer over my head - much the way I do it myself.

Once dry, my stylist relied on hair straighteners to produce an 'ironed' look. Looking at the end result I almost felt like my hair was too straight - as though it was stuck to my head.

However, it appeared to last well throughout the day, even attracting compliments from the local fruit seller.

In the evening I decided to put my polished coif to the test and go to a high temperature bikram yoga class.

I was surprised when I took my hair tie out and only found a few small kinks - nothing my own hair straighters couldn't fix.

Sadie's verdict: 7/10

DRYBAR

Location:  180 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013, (), www.thedrybar.com

Cost: $40

Drybar was top on my list of places to try. The Los Angeles-based company, launched by professional hairstylist, Alli Webb in 2010, became an overnight success and hit the $20million revenue mark last year. It currently has five locations in Manhattan.

When I visited the Tribeca branch it was 8am in the morning and the place was full-on buzzing.

Most of the chairs were taken up and I was unable to get a 7.30am slot. 

After checking in I was offered a coffee - this time in a china cup - and instantly led through a back room complete with magazines, flatscreen TVs and a quirky chandelier fashioned out of hair dryers.

I was offered a look book of the hairstyles and asked for the 'straight and sleek' look as I had done the day before.

Although - pining for my curls - I asked for a bit of volume to be added.

My hairstylist was smiley and attentive but didn't get bogged down in conversation. In 40 minutes she blow-dried my hair straight, making sure to keep some 'lift' close to the roots.

She offered me some shine spray - Drybar's own brand - but I decided to go without.

The style stayed intact for the return walk to the office but gradually lost its bounce throughout the day, especially with the onset of rain.

It felt more natural than the previous day but maybe a bit messy and flyaway. Though I have to say that I loved the salon experience.

It was a great start to the day and I can see how women quickly get hooked on the in-and-out routine.

Sadie's verdict: 9/10

DREAMDRY

Location: 35 West, 21st Street, New York, NY 10010 (), www.dreamdry.com

Cost: $40

Opened by celebrity stylist, Rachel Zoe in February, DreamDry created quite a buzz and apparently racked up 1,000 appointments in its first week.

Its success even inspired Gwyneth Paltrow and fitness expert Tracy Anderson to brainstorm a similar concept in Los Angeles.

I was booked in at DreamDry for a Tuesday 8.30am slot but they called me two hours before to tell me the stylist was sick.

Luckily I didn't have a board meeting or interview requiring me to 'look good' so I rearranged to Friday at 7.30am.

They promised me a deep conditioning treatment free of charge for the inconvenience - although this was never offered on the day.

After Drybar this place had more of a sparse showroom feel.

Maybe something to do with its location, the place was pretty empty at this hour in the morning and I counted about three clients.

At reception I checked in and sat for coffee, and about five minutes later a stylist came to get me.

She handed me an iPad with a range of looks and I asked again, for 'straight and sleek'.

Next my hair was washed and rinsed but unfortunately there was no scalp massage.

Before drying began the stylist sprayed on some products from one of Jennifer Lopez's favorite haircare brands, Oribe.

It took 50 minutes for my frizz to flat transformation - a little longer than the previous two bars but I was pleased with the overall look.

It remained smooth and sleek on the sticky subway ride back downtown and had a nice texture. This lasted well throughout the day and indeed into the evening.

Sadie's verdict: 6/10 (Marked down for service, not finished look)

DIY BLOW-DRY

Location:  My bathroom

Cost: Free

I did my usual speedy trick of blending shampoo and conditioner together to make a two-in-one concoction.

Although my hair colorist tells me I should invest in hair products I stick to the cheapest, with Sauve being my go-to brand.

After rinsing the suds off I grabbed my compact Revlon hairdryer and set to work trying to blow-dry my hair with a comb - I don't actually own a brush.

After ten minutes I'd managed to dry everything pretty straight then, following the Blo stylist's tactic, went over everything with straighteners.

As soon as I left my apartment and stepped into the heat I felt my hair get poofy again and throughout the day it got progressively worse.

This was probably something to do with the lack of product I had used and my non-existent toolbox of hairbrushes.

Despite a touch of frizz I was satisfied with my DIY attempt at blow-drying, which took just 25 minutes and left me with $40 in the bank.

Sadie's verdict: 5/10

CONCLUSION:  For a low maintenance girl, was surprised how quickly I eased into the morning routine of being pampered and preened. My hair also looked and felt considerably better than usual.

The compliments I amassed each day got me thinking my hair must have looked terrible before!

If I had spare cash to spend on getting my hair blow-dried I'd definitely hit the Drybar before work or pre-party - it was a real treat and my hair looked totally different to the way I would normally style it.

Blo, with its kitsch interiors, would be fun to head to with a group of girls.

DreamDry was a little bit of a disappointment, especially because of the hype surrounding it, although I loved the high-end products on offer. They are set to open a second location in the city soon.

However, I still think there's something quite nice about washing your own hair. I guess the styling part takes time - but this is often part of the process I choose to bypass.