We all know the feeling of having a Bad Hair Day at the worst possible time. Important meeting. Long-awaited date. Job interview. Dinner with the in-laws. We could go on, but we’re not here to remind you of the times when it was bad. We’re here to show you how to go from “super frizzy; possibly just been struck by lightning” to “had a quick trip to L.A. for a haircut done by a celebrity stylist” in a couple of minutes.
Styling hair is hard for the best of us. It’s fortunate that technology is on our side and has blessed us with the gift of the hair dryer brush. These round, heated contraptions combine a hair dryer and a round brush to save time, money, and most of all, your sanity.
Now, there are good hair dryer brushes and then there are great hair dryer brushes. How do you pick the best one? We’ve got you covered! Check out our ultimate guide to the best hair dryer brushes in 2024.
- Hair Dryer Brushes — A Quick Guide
- Top 10 Best Hair Dryer Brushes for Beautiful Hairstyles 2024
- 1. Best Overall Hair Dryer Brush Revlon One-Step Hot Air Brush
- 2. Best Portable Hair Dryer Brush HOT TOOLS Professional Dryer & Volumizer
- 3. Best Paddle Hair Dryer Brush MiroPure Heat Brush
- 4. Best Premium Hair Dryer Brush BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Rotating Brush
- 5. Best Rotating Hair Dryer Brush INFINITIPRO by Conair Spin Air Rotating Styler
- 6. Best Hair Dryer Brush for Styling Dyson Airwrap Complete Styler
- 7. Best Straightening Hair Dryer Brush Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer
- 8. Best Ergonomic Hair Dryer Brush Bed Head One-Step Hot Air Brush
- 9. Best Hair Dryer Brush for Short Hair Conair 2-in-1 Hot Air Brush
- 10. Best Budget Hair Dryer Brush Crislan Hair Dryer Brush
- A Full Guide to Hair Dryer Brushes
- Be Your Own Hairstylist!
Hair Dryer Brushes — A Quick Guide
Hair dryer brushes, also known as hot air brushes or hot air stylers, can seem confusing to a first-time user. Before we send you off on a journey to find your new hot air brush, we want to show you a few things to keep your eyes peeled for as you shop. But first, let’s answer the question that some of you may be asking: what even is a hair dryer brush?
What Are Hair Dryer Brushes?
A hair dryer brush is basically what it says on the label — it’s usually a corded, round brush that dries your hair while you use it. This replaces the traditional combo of a hair dryer and round brush. It blows heat from the inside as you brush your hair, granting you a whole new level of flexibility.
With a hot air brush, you won’t have to use both your hands. If you find yourself struggling with styling your hair or spending ages on it every morning, this just might be the quick solution that changes your life for the better.
If you want to learn the full benefits of a hair dryer brush, jump down to our section on the various uses of a hot air brush.
Things to Consider
Okay, so you know the pros of hair dryer brushes, but the question remains: how to pick the best one? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Hair Type
Hair type plays a huge role in what type of brush is good for you, so we will make sure to point it out to you in each and every product review. Once you know what your hair type is, keep an eye out for this section of our reviews. As an example, you should never use titanium hot air brushes on damaged hair. On the other hand, a simple ceramic hair dryer brush may not be able to handle thick & coarse Type 4c hair.
Brush Type
Hair dryer brushes come in several types, varying by brush head style and the coating that covers it. We will give you a full rundown of all the different types in the buying guide section.
- Round brushes are the best if you want to style your hair in many ways. You can straighten using these, but you can also create waves, loose curls, or style your bangs.
- Paddle brushes are large and flat. You won’t be able to do much in the way of styling with one of these, but you’ll straighten your hair better than you would with a round brush.
Aside from the type, pay attention to what the brush is made of.
- Tourmaline brushes are recommended for hair that needs gentle treatment. If you’ve got fine hair in need of smoothing, go with this one.
- Titanium is very effective and heats up to high temperatures quickly. You’ll style your hair fast, but you may not enjoy the high heat. We recommend titanium for thick, coarse hair.
- Ceramic is an affordable option that combines the two above variants. It’s less effective, but it works with most hair types and is generally inexpensive.
Barrel Size
Barrel size is the diameter of the barrel in your hot air styler brush. Most brushes are somewhere between one and two inches, but you may find both smaller and bigger models.
If you plan to use your brush for curls, a smaller diameter will be helpful in creating accurate locks. Similarly, shorter hair will do fine with a smaller barrel of 1″. On the other hand, if you’ve got hair reaching to your shoulders or more, aim for 1 ½” or even 2″. We will always inform you about the barrel size to make it easier for you.
Heat Settings
Similar to flat irons, hair dryer brushes should have several heat settings. This is especially important if your hair is delicate and/or damaged — you don’t want to go too high on the temperature. You should also consider using a heat protectant. We’ve made sure to point out the temps in our reviews so that you don’t have to search for them.
Price
You may think that the more expensive a brush is, the better it will be, but that’s not always true. We point out products that offer the best value for the money, such as Crislan Hair Dryer Brush.
We also aim to guide you through the pricing without taking up your time, so here’s a quick rundown of our price grading system:
- $$$$ — $150 and above
- $$$ — $100-150
- $$ — $50-100
- $ — under $50
If you’d like to be fully prepared to buy yourself the best hair dryer brush, we suggest that you check out our complete guide below before jumping on ahead!
We’re not only here to show you what to look out for, we’re here to guide you through the process of finding your dream hair dryer brush. Keep reading to check out the best 10 models on the market right now.
Top 10 Best Hair Dryer Brushes for Beautiful Hairstyles 2024
1. Best Overall Hair Dryer Brush Revlon One-Step Hot Air Brush
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts
- Brush Type: Round/Oval
- Material: Ceramic
- Temperature Settings: 2 heat settings + 1 cool setting
- Cord Length: 6 ft.
- Hair Type: All types; medium to long length
- Price Range: $-$$
- Voltage: 120V
- Barrel Size: 2″
Overview
This is an oval hair dryer brush with a 6 ft. cord and a whole lot of super-useful features. It’s quite affordable for how effective it is, as it is capable of bringing Type 4c hair down to a sleek, fully straight hairstyle.
It sports nylon pin & tufted bristles that prevent tangling & boost the volume of your hair. As the barrel is rather large, we don’t recommend it for short hair. However, if you’ve got a head full of locks, you’ll love how easily this brush can tame them. If you’d like to see how others do it, you can watch this video on styling your hair with Revlon.
It’s rather lightweight and easy to use. You can take it with you on your travels and not regret it! Just remember that it has a voltage of 120V and should not be plugged into voltage converters or you may damage it. As a result, it won’t work in every area of the world.
Features
Revlon offers two heat/speed settings. These settings affect how well it will style your hair and also how fast it heats up & is ready to go. The use of a ceramic plate on the brush ensures quick & even heat distribution. On the other hand, there’s also a cooling setting that is necessary for certain hairstyles.
It can be used for all hair types, as ceramic is safe even towards damaged hair. However, if you want to be extra-safe, go with tourmaline ceramic such as in the Crislan Hair Dryer Brush.
You can use this for the creation of elaborate, professional hairstyles, but it can also be your daily companion as you get ready for work or school.
Pros
- Amazing value for the money
- Several temperature settings
- Long cord
- Strong bristles
- Suited for all hair types
Cons
- Not usable in areas that don't support its required voltage
2. Best Portable Hair Dryer Brush HOT TOOLS Professional Dryer & Volumizer
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts
- Brush Type: Round/Oval
- Material: Ceramic
- Temperature Settings: 2 heat settings + 1 cool setting
- Cord Length: 8 ft.
- Hair Type: Normal, not damaged
- Price Range: $$
- Voltage: 110V
Overview
Some of us dislike being tied to the length of a cord. On the other hand, most hair dryer brushes are corded and don’t give you too much freedom of movement. As a result, you may feel incapable of styling your hair the way you like. Fortunately, HOT TOOLS provides a much longer cord than most dryers – a whopping 8 feet. This will grant you perfect access to every part of your hair, ensuring that your hairstyle comes out the right way.
Other than the long cord, even the barrel itself is large in this brush. It measures at about 2.8″, so you can use it on medium and long hair, but not so much on short hair. Like many others, it cannot be used internationally due to the lack of dual voltage.
Features
This hair dryer brush offers quick & efficient drying. It has three different heat settings, so you can be pretty versatile with how you use it & on what kind of hair. If your hair is fine and thin, you might want to stick to the lowest heat setting due to the great heat conduction in this brush. There’s also a cool shot button that allows you to quickly switch to a blast of cold air.
The bristles are a mix of boar and charcoal-infused bristles. They’re soft, so if you prefer something coarse, you should check out Revlon’s One-Step Hot Air Brush instead.
As long as you don’t mind the softness of the bristles, you’re bound to like them. Your hair won’t get tangled in these — they brush out even knotted hair with a surprising delicacy. As for the brush itself, the use of ceramic plates ensures that it’s gentle on all hair types. On the other hand, it’s not as powerful as titanium on thick, coarse hair.
Pros
- Long 8 ft. cord
- Soft bristles
- Delicate ceramic technology
- Affordable price range
Cons
- The barrel is really large, so it works best with long hair
- No dual voltage
3. Best Paddle Hair Dryer Brush MiroPure Heat Brush
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts
- Brush Type: Paddle
- Material: Ceramic
- Temperature Settings: 16 temperature settings (300-450 degrees Fahrenheit)
- Cord Length: 6 ft.
- Hair Type: All types, including damaged hair
- Price Range: $
- Voltage: 100-240V AC 50/60Hz
Overview
Don’t want to style your hair endlessly? Do you just want it to be perfectly straight & silky smooth with little effort? You’ve got it! Even if you feel like your mane is a beast that can’t be tamed, it’s possible that this paddle hair dryer brush will prove you wrong.
Suited for all kinds of hair, including fine and frail types, this paddle brush features a metal-ceramic heater technology. The heat is spread evenly throughout the surface of the brush, ensuring that you get consistently gorgeous results when you use it. In a hurry? No problem — the heat-up time falls below 60 seconds.
The Nano comb bristles on this brush are really high-density, which means that your styling time is cut down considerably. It’s gentle on your hair & massages your scalp as you use it. However, nothing is perfect — this brush cannot be used on really wet hair. Dry your hair with a towel and make sure it’s just damp & not dripping.
One thing that sets it apart from other brushes, other than the paddle design, is the fact that this is a travel brush. It can be used all over the world due to its dual voltage.
Features
The number of temperature settings on this affordable little guy is mind-blowing! You get to choose from 16 temperature settings in the 300-450°F range. However, there’s no cooling option, so keep that in mind.
MiroPure comes with a dedicated travel bag and a heat-resistant glove to prevent burns when you use it. It’s suitable for all kinds of hair, although full-on Type 4 curls might take a long time to straighten out.
This is a straightener & hair dryer combo. It cannot be used for curling your hair, so if you’re after some lovely waves, check out the Dyson Airwrap Complete Styler instead.
Pros
- Many different temperature settings
- High-density bristles
- Even heat distribution
- Dual voltage
- Suitable for thin hair
Cons
- Can only be used on damp or dry hair
- Cannot be used for curling, only straightening
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts
- Brush Type: Round
- Material: Titanium
- Temperature Settings: 3 heat settings
- Cord Length: 6 ft.
- Hair Type: Most hair types
- Price Range: $$-$$$
- Voltage: 110V
Overview
This BaBylissPRO brush is going to give you the styling experience of a lifetime — even if you’re super new to all this! It’s remarkably easy to use, powerful, and durable. This is largely due to the way it was built, with the use of an aluminum barrel covered in chrome plating. The addition of pure ceramic makes this a safe bet for most types of hair, even if your hair is rather damaged.
The barrel is on the larger side here, measuring at 2″. Chin-length and longer hair will do just fine with BaByliss, but if you’ve got a short cut, you will struggle to use it. The synthetic Nano Titanium bristles were made to reduce static and frizz. The result? A shiny hairstyle pulled straight out of a shampoo commercial.
You don’t need to have any prior styling experience to use BaByliss. Whether you want a smooth blow-dry, a sleek, perfectly straight mane, or a head full of loose curls, all of those are 100% doable with this product. As long as you’re willing to give it a few tries as you learn, you’ll be satisfied. It also has a steady grip that makes it easier for you to practice.
Features
This brush features a multi-direction rotating design. It rotates forward and backward, doing half the work for you. It has three heat settings, which is not too bad by any stretch, but it could have more for a premium product. If you want to have a large variety of heat settings, check out MiroPure Heat Brush.
Pros
- Suited for most types of hair, including damaged, fine, thin, etc.
- Rotating for maximum volume & style
- Durable build
- Steady grip
Cons
- Quite pricey
- It could have more heat settings
- No dual voltage
5. Best Rotating Hair Dryer Brush INFINITIPRO by Conair Spin Air Rotating Styler
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts
- Brush Type: Round
- Material: Tourmaline
- Temperature Settings: Heat setting, cool setting
- Cord Length: 5 ft.
- Hair Type: All types, including damaged hair
- Price Range: $$
- Voltage: 125V
Overview
Ah, rotating brushes. They do have a bit of a learning curve, but once you master yours, you’ll love the hair volume that you’ll get in return. If using a regular hair dryer and a round brush is the maximum effort, then an electric hot air brush halves it. By that equation, using INFINITIPRO requires about 25% of the effort while delivering salon-worthy hairstyles.
This is a large, but not too big, tourmaline ceramic hair dryer brush. The barrel measures at around 2″, so it can be used for medium or chin-length hair. However, anything shorter and you might struggle to use it without hurting yourself.
Conair does a good job at reducing frizz & static thanks to the antistatic boar and nylon bristles. They’re semi-soft and will do well even with damaged hair. The build is lightweight, so you can take this with you when you travel. Keep in mind the single 125V voltage that won’t work outside of the US and Canada.
Features
As this is a rotating brush, it comes with several different settings. Temp settings are not too impressive — just two: hot and cold. The rotation has a set of settings of its own. You can make the brush spin in both directions or allow it to stay put. However, you won’t be able to use the rotation feature while you’re using the “cooling” setting.
You can use this brush for straightening your hair, pumping up the volume, or giving yourself some gorgeous loose curls.
Pros
- Rotation settings for more volume & salon-worthy hairstyles
- Tourmaline ceramic is gentle on damaged hair
- Reasonably large size (2")
- Frizz-reduction; antistatic features
Cons
- Single voltage
- Only two heat settings (hot and cold)
- Can't rotate on cool setting
6. Best Hair Dryer Brush for Styling Dyson Airwrap Complete Styler
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts
- Brush Type: Round and Paddle Attachments
- Material: Varies Depending on Attachment
- Temperature Settings: Three settings: high, medium and cool
- Cord Length: 8’9″
- Hair Type: Normal, thick, coarse
- Price Range: $$$$
- Voltage: 110V
Overview
This is a premium hair dryer brush that combines several hairstyling tools into one amazing package. The price tag may scare you away, but stick around for a moment — you’ll see why this is a worthy investment.
Dyson offers an interchangeable brush head with three different extensions. You get to choose between the 2″ barrel for creating loose waves, the 6″ barrel — perfect for loose curls, or the firm smoothing brush. The last extension minimizes hair frizz and helps you straighten your mane into a sleek hairstyle. You’re also getting 1.2″ and 1.6″ Airwrap rotating barrels.
Due to the barrel size, chin-length bob is probably the shortest hair you can use this on. Medium and longer lengths are ideal, while really short cuts just won’t work with the barrel size.
Features
Other than the impressive set of different brush heads, this hair dryer brush also has quite a few settings. There are three air speeds, which means you can adjust accordingly to what you’re doing — high for a quick dry and low for an elaborate hairstyle. Similarly, Dyson offers three heat settings, only two of which are warm. There’s also a cold shot that helps you set your hair and minimizes frizzing.
Pros
- Complete hair styling tool
- Several interchangeable brush options
- Full control over the speed and rotation
- Quick and efficient drying
Cons
- It's really expensive, so if you want something cheaper, check out our best budget option.
7. Best Straightening Hair Dryer Brush Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts
- Brush Type: Paddle
- Material: Ceramic
- Temperature Settings: Two heat settings and a cool option
- Cord Length: 6 ft.
- Hair Type: All types, especially coarse, thick hair
- Price Range: $
- Voltage: 120V
Overview
As we established in our guide to the best hair dryer brushes, paddle brushes are renowned for their straightening capabilities. This wide paddle-style hot air styler is capable of taking you from Type 4c hair to perfectly straight in a short time.
With 1100 watts of drying power, this one doesn’t just style well, it also dries your hair quickly. Slept in? No problem — jump out of the shower and be out the door in minutes with a perfect hairstyle.
The pad in this brush is soft, resembling a real hairbrush. It’s topped off by plastic bristles with a detangling design. The downside lies in the handle, which, while ergonomic, is huge. If your hair is a piece of work, your arm will start hurting by the end of your styling session.
With a 110V voltage, it can be used anywhere in the US and Canada, but not anywhere else in the world. Some people use socket converters, but Revlon advises against this.
Features
Revlon offers two heat settings and two speed settings, which is not outstanding, but it’s enough for a paddle brush. However, some paddle brushes have way more. As an example, MiroPure Heat Brush has sixteen!
Revlon utilizes ionic technology, saturating the airflow and locking moisture within your hair. This is partly why it’s so good at hair straightening — the strands feel like silk & look as though you’d just undergone a keratin hair treatment.
The price you pay for perfectly smooth hair is small in comparison. What is it? The brush heats up considerably, so you have to be careful not to burn yourself when you touch it. Despite this, you can safely get it all the way to the roots and the bristles won’t burn you.
Pros
- Excellent straightening capabilities
- Moisture-locking technology is ideal for damaged hair
- Safe to use even close to the scalp
- Strong enough to work with Type 4c hair
Cons
- No dual voltage
- Hot to the touch
8. Best Ergonomic Hair Dryer Brush Bed Head One-Step Hot Air Brush
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts
- Brush Type: Round
- Material: Tourmaline
- Temperature Settings: 3 heat settings/speed settings
- Cord Length: 6 ft.
- Hair Type: All types, including damaged hair
- Price Range: $-$$
- Voltage: 120V
Overview
We stressed the importance of a steady grip & lightweight build in our dedicated section. If you’ve got long hair that takes ages to style, you’ll like this brush simply because it’s easy to hold for extended periods of time.
This brush is rather wide, measuring at 4.5″ with the bristles included, which amounts to anywhere between 2-2.5″ without the bristles. You can still use it on shorter hairstyles, but not for curling — just take advantage of the volumizing properties. It has a lightweight build and an adequately sized grip.
Bed Head truly lifts up your hair and gives the impression that you’ve just stepped out of a hair salon. The best thing about it is definitely the fact that styling takes very little time. You can give yourself a beautiful blow-dry in just a few minutes.
Like many other brushes on our list, this one doesn’t offer dual voltage. If you want to take your brush overseas, take a look at Conair 2-in-1 Hot Air Brush.
You’ll also like the use of tourmaline ceramic in this hair dryer brush. It’s gentle on all hair types, but still effective, even on coarse hair.
Features
This vibrantly colored brush has 3 heat settings (high, medium, cold) and 3 speed settings, combined with 1100 watts of power. While it doesn’t rotate, it has an oval design that further boosts volume.
The heat settings both provide ample heating, in some cases — too much. It heats up fast, so try out the lowest setting first and check whether it’s within your comfort zone. We definitely recommend using a heat protectant with this — we like HSI Professional.
Pros
- Lightweight build
- Ergonomic grip
- It can make your hair super voluminous
- Gentle on damaged hair
Cons
- It gets hot too easily
- It has no dual voltage
9. Best Hair Dryer Brush for Short Hair Conair 2-in-1 Hot Air Brush
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts
- Brush Type: Round
- Material: Aluminum
- Temperature Settings: 2 settings (high and low)
- Cord Length: 6 ft.
- Hair Type: All types
- Price Range: $
- Voltage: 110V-240V
Overview
A hair dryer and an effective curler all in one? Yeah, it’s possible, and yes, this is it. Conair, unlike most other hair dryer brushes, is not just effective on short hair. It also doubles as a curling iron, having the capability to give you some gorgeous, long-lasting locks. For some ideas on how to style your hair using this hot air brush, check out this video.
For such a low price, it’s almost shocking that this product actually comes with two interchangeable brush heads. You get a 1.5″ curling brush and a 1″ aluminum bristle brush that can be used for all kinds of styling. The latter also lets you build up volume.
The curling brush has rather hard bristles, while the all-purpose brush is a little softer. Overall, if your hair is very frail, you might want to avoid this brush and leave curling for later.
Going on a trip? No problem! This is a hair dryer brush that can be used internationally thanks to the dual voltage.
Features
In terms of heat settings, we’re not too impressed. With just two — high and low — it’s difficult to adjust to your hair type. We recommend starting out with the low setting and moving up as needed.
Heat-up time is not overly impressive here, as it does have just 300 watts of power. However, once you’ve got it on the right temperature, it boosts volume, straightens your hair, or curls it very efficiently.
As the heads are replaceable, you may run into the issue of the brush head feeling loose. This is easily avoided. There is a ring around the base of the brush that has a lock and unlock position. All you have to do is line up the indent on the brush with the indent on the replaceable head and push it in slightly until you hear a click.
Pros
- Excellent for curling
- Suitable for short hair
- Two brush heads to choose from
- Dual voltage
Cons
- Slow heat-up time
- The heads are not very easy to change (need to install properly)
10. Best Budget Hair Dryer Brush Crislan Hair Dryer Brush
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts
- Brush Type: Round
- Material: Tourmaline
- Temperature Settings: 3 adjustable heat levels
- Cord Length: 6.5 ft.
- Hair Type: All hair types, including damaged hair
- Price Range: $
- Voltage: 110V
Overview
You don’t have to spend a fortune to give yourself a hair-salon-worthy look. This affordable tourmaline ceramic hair dryer brush offers the best bang for your buck that you can dream of.
The use of tourmaline boosts the negative ions that this brush releases. This locks down the moisture in your hair and protects it more efficiently than a titanium or plain ceramic brush would. We recommend this one for all types of hair, especially fine or damaged.
It has a really large barrel of 3″. Perfect for long hair, it will be impossible to use on shorter cuts. Also, much like Revlon, this one can only be used in US sockets and should not be plugged into a converter.
Features
Despite being cheap, this brush is actually pretty powerful with its 1000 watt motor. It takes a bit of time to heat up, but once it’s ready, you can swap between three different temperature settings. There are also 2 speed settings for you to choose from.
This brush will straighten just about any type of hair, and it will do so gently. The end result is smooth as silk & frizz-free. You can also use it to replace a curling iron, but due to the size of the barrel, aim for beach waves and not tight curls.
Pros
- Gentle tourmaline ceramic technology
- Large barrel
- Creates a silky-smooth effect
- Eliminates frizz
Cons
- Not suitable for shorter hair
- Can't be plugged into a power converter
A Full Guide to Hair Dryer Brushes
You’ve seen all of the best hair dryer brushes that we wanted to show you. But do you know it all when it comes to these lovely Bad Hair Day preventatives? What do you need, what do you have to keep in mind? And how do you even use these things?
No worries — we’re here, we’re up to date on our know-how, and we’re going to guide you through this whole process. Keep reading to learn how to pick your new hair dryer brush, how to style your hair, and so much more.
Sounds exciting? Hold on just a moment. First, let’s talk about the many reasons why you might NEED one of these devices.
Benefits and Uses of Hair Dryer Brushes
What can you do with a hair-dryer brush? A lot. You might find it replacing your blow dryer, curling iron, and hair straightener all in one.
- This kind of brush will keep your hair smooth & remove the frizz most of us get from using a simple hair dryer.
- It will dry your hair in a gentle way that a blow dryer won’t always offer. Additionally, unlike a hair straightener, it’s safe to use on wet hair.
- Round hot air brushes add volume to your hair like nothing else. If you feel like your hair is a bit flat, you’ll be blown away by the results.
- These brushes are also quite awesome at straightening your hair. Even if you’ve got natural, thick curls, enough time with one of these will give you the straight style you’ve been dreaming of.
- Lastly, they can double as curling irons — of sorts. Don’t expect tiny little ringlets, but you can definitely give yourself nice waves.
Hair Dryer Brushes VS Flat Irons VS Curling Irons
All of these things serve their own purpose and excel at their designated uses.
- A hair dryer brush is the halfway point between a curling iron and a hair straightener. It will remove frizz, smooth out your hair, and help you style it. It’s superior to the other two simply because you can safely use it to dry damp hair.
- A curling iron will create locks and curls when you wrap your hair around the plate. A hot air brush can do the same, but it’s less effective than a regular curling iron.
- Similarly, a hair straightener (a flat iron) will give you a perfectly sleek & straight hairstyle. Your hair will be straighter than with a hair dryer brush, but flat irons tend to be more damaging to use long-term.
Choosing the Best Hair Dryer Brush
It’s time for the most important thing — how do you even choose the right brush for you? Sure, you can pick up any old hot air brush at your local electronics store, but is that going to treat you right? Probably not.
We already covered some things you need to be mindful of in our quick guide above. Below, we will cover all the important qualities for you to consider on your quest for the best hair dryer brush.
Brush Type
Hair dryer brushes come in several variants. The first thing you’ll notice is that while some of them are rounded and resemble a typical round brush, others have a large, flat, paddle-like shape. These brushes look more like your standard hairbrush. What’s the difference between the two?
- Round brushes are more commonly used for styling of all sorts. They boost the volume of your hair and they can be utilized to either create waves or straighten it out.
- Fun fact: some electric round brushes have rotating heads which make it even easier to create waves and curls. They’re also fantastic for bangs.
- Paddle brushes are more straightforward. They help you brush out your mane, get rid of frizz, and straighten your hair while you dry it.
Most of the good hot air stylers utilize ceramic for the surface of the brush. Ceramic can be found in hot air brushes, flat irons, and curling irons. However, there’s more than one type.
Tourmaline ceramic
This is a crystal-born silicate material which improves the smoothing process. It generates 20 times more moisture-locking ions than the other surfaces, making it really gentle for your hair. This type of brush will be the best at smoothing out your locks, especially if they’re quite damaged.
Tourmaline ceramic is ideal for the following hair types:
- Thin to coarse
- Normal to damaged
Titanium
Titanium is far less gentle than tourmaline ceramic, but it is a great deal more effective. It heats up way faster & it helps you style your hair quicker. However, as it can reach really high temps, you need to be careful with it. We don’t recommend titanium to first-time users, be it flat irons or hot brushes.
You can use titanium with the following hair types:
- Thick to coarse
- Normal to very strong
Ceramic
Ceramic without the addition of tourmaline is also found in hair dryer brushes. While not as strong as the other two, ceramic alone is affordable and makes for a good value for the money option. You can use it for basic hair straightening and day-to-day styling.
Ceramic is recommended for the following hair types:
- Thin to thick
- Damaged to normal
Extras
Some hair dryer brushes come with extra functions, such as the addition of interchangeable brush heads.
If the hair dryer has more than one brush head, it means that you’ll be able to swap from round to paddle, or even a heating comb in some cases. This, again, gives you more flexibility in terms of hairstyling.
Rotation
Rotation is one of the other extra features found in a hair dryer brush. This is a feature that lets you achieve a salon-quality hairstyle without ever leaving the house.
Rotation is only found in circular brushes. As the brush blows out hot air to dry your locks, the barrel rotates. This boosts the volume of your hair and makes it easier to create more elaborate hairstyles rather than simply blow-drying.
Heat-Up Time
If you tend to do your hair in the morning, look for hair dryer brushes with a quick heat-up time. These may sometimes be made out of a mix of ceramic and titanium, so if your hair is in a bad condition, be extra careful.
Time is of the essence? Check out Bed Head One-Step Hot Air Brush, a brush known for its really quick heat-up.
Bristles
When buying a plain old brush, bristles are one of the first things you look at. They’re what makes the magic become reality, and a hair dryer brush is no different in that regard. However, keep in mind that in an electric brush, the bristles will be dealing with immense amounts of heat. You should look for a brush that is fully heat-resistant and equipped to handle high temperatures for a long time.
If you have short hair, you can go with short bristles, but medium to long hair is fine with a standard length. As far as coarseness goes, that is up to your preference, but don’t use coarse bristles on very damaged hair. Go with something softer instead, such as HOT TOOLS Professional Dryer & Volumizer.
Weight, Cord Length, & Grip
As styling your hair can take anywhere between five and thirty minutes, you should value your comfort of use just as highly as the other factors.
- Weight is important for two reasons. The lighter the better, of course, but keep in mind that the lightest hot air styling brushes will be made out of cheap plastic. This makes them far less durable. This is why you should check what material the brush was made of.
- Cord Length — This is another tricky factor. A very long cord may get tangled, so it’s best to go with a tangle-free option. On the other hand, if the cord is too short, you’ll struggle to style your hair the right way.
- Grip — Most hair dryer brushes feature an ergonomic, anti-slip grip. We don’t recommend buying one that doesn’t have some sort of a safety measure to prevent your fingers from slipping.
We especially like Bed Head One-Step Hot Air Brush in terms of how easy it is to use & hold for prolonged periods of time.
How to Use a Hot Air Brush Correctly
Like flat irons, hot air brushes are easy to use, but also easy to use the wrong way. While the results are usually not as catastrophic (you’re unlikely to end up with burnt off sections of hair here), they’re still pretty bad.
Using your hair dryer brush incorrectly may result in you having to go over several sections more than once. This is not ideal for your hair, and simply put, it’s a bit of a waste of time. That’s why it’s important to learn how to style your hair with a hair dryer brush.
We’re here to help you. If you’re a first-time user, check out our guide below.
- Make sure your hair is damp. Damp hair is optimal for a hair dryer brush. This means that you should dry it as much as possible with a towel prior to using your brush. Don’t bother with trying to style fully dry hair — the result will be underwhelming.
- Let the tool heat up properly. Some hair dryers have an LCD screen that displays the current temperature. If yours doesn’t, allow it a couple of minutes to heat up.
- Consider applying a heat protecting spray, especially if your hair is rather frail.
- Sectioning your hair is a great idea. It will save you time (you won’t repeatedly dry the same strand of hair) and it will keep your hair safe. If you’re not sure what to section your hair with, most clips will do.
- Use the lowest possible heat setting at your first attempt with a new hair dryer brush.
- Once you’re ready to begin brushing, start at the root of your hair and move towards the top. Go over each section more than once if you need to straighten it perfectly, but try not to overdo it.
- For curling, make sure to wrap the entire strand around the brush and allow it to absorb heat for a few seconds. Here’s a quick guide on curling with a hot air brush.
- Use cool shot if your brush offers it. This “locks in” the hairstyle that you want & gives your hair a moment to breathe after all that heat.
- When you’re happy with all the sections, remove the sectioning clips, unplug the brush, and allow it to fully cool down.
Extra Tips
Here are a few more things to keep in mind when styling your hair.
- Hair care products are great. We mentioned heat protectants, but there are also voluminous sprays[/amazon] or sprays for straight hair[/amazon].
- ALWAYS let your brush warm up properly before you use it. It’s important enough for us to restate that.
- Pick the right barrel size — if your hair is too short, a 2″ brush will do nothing but frustrate you. Check out Conair 2-in-1 Hot Air Brush for short cuts.
- Clean your brush regularly. The more hair gets stuck in there, the less happy you’ll be with the performance.
- Don’t pull too hard. You may feel tempted to, but it won’t do anything for your hair other than to damage it & hurt you. The straightening effect comes from repeatedly heating up sections of your hair, not from pulling on it until tears appear in your eyes.
Be Your Own Hairstylist!
We’re not going to lie to you — we’re not all natural-born hairstylists. If that were the case, we’d all have been spared the mortifying sensation of a self-experiment gone wrong. If you’ve ever had to go to school after a failed attempt at giving yourself bangs in your teens, you know the drill.
Whether you’ve got the skill of a master stylist or you, like many others, curse under your breath as you try to tame your mane, a hair dryer brush is bound to help you look your best. Give it a try. You’ve got nothing to lose and so many cute selfies to gain when you try out your new look!