Battery operated hair dryer

A hair dryer comprising:

• a housing;
• a battery pack including at least one battery cell, the battery pack disposed within the housing;
• the battery pack electrically connected to a battery management and control module;
• at least one switch to control operation of the hair dryer;
• a heating assembly disposed within the housing, the heating assembly including a fan attached to a motor, and at least one heating element, wherein the motor turns the fan, which draws ambient air into an inlet and expels air through an outlet;
• the heating element positioned such that air passing through the heating assembly may be heated to a temperature greater than the ambient air temperature;
• and
• the battery management and control module electrically connected to the at least one fan and the at least one heating element, wherein the battery management and control module adjusts an electrical current delivered from the battery pack to the fan and heating element to optimize the drying performance of the hair dryer and the performance of the battery pack.