I haven't seen a hooded dryer do much to improve volume. It simply "freezes" the hair in more or less in the same position you started with after washing your hair. I mean the curls plump up some as they're drying, of course, but nothing major. And you can still end up w/some frizz from the air current. One thing to do is when using a hooded dryer, is to place a damp paper towel over the top of your head as it dries to reduce the frizz. You could always sit under the hood dryer for a while and then, once your hair is partially dry, finish it off by diffusing upside down. That would at least save you a lot of the arm work of an entire diffusing session, plus you'd have time to do some reading or whatever.