The Best Blow-Dry Brushes
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Blow-dry brushes have changed my life. That's a little extreme to say, I'm sure, but it's solved a quest I've been on since I was a teenager. I've struggled to get my fine hair under control for more years than I care to name, and while my hair is naturally wavy, those waves are delicate and easy to destroy with a simple night of sleep or a grabby toddler hand. Hair straighteners left my hair feeling flat and fried, while my dexterity in controlling a blow dryer left quite a lot to be desired. But lucky for me, the solution was out there: a blow-dry brush.
Blow-dry brushes, also called blow-dryer brushes and blowout brushes, combine a hairbrush and a blow dryer into one, funneling air out the sides and letting you style your hair with the brush and dry it at the same time. It tends to have fluffier results than if you used a standard blow dryer and hairbrush instead, sometimes leading to more frizz, but it's much easier than handling two devices at once. Suddenly, I was able to achieve smooth, voluminous hair that didn't look crushed and deflated the next day (or after wrestling my child) without needing three different tools and shoulder mobility I'll never develop. Instead, I use one of these tools for somewhere between five and 10 minutes, and leave my bathroom feeling fantastic.
So that you can feel the same joy I do after giving myself a blowout, I've been testing blow-dry brushes for the past six months to find the best of the bunch. My favorites are clear after my testing: the Drybar Double-Shot ($155) and the T3 AireBrush Round ($160). The Drybar gives a fantastic, smooth blowout thanks to its oval shape, while the T3's round shape is fantastic for shorter hair, bangs, or adding more of a curl to your blowout. Looking for something more specific, or curious how blow-dry brushes and infrared brushes compare? Read on to find out all of our recommendations.
Looking for more hair tools and products? Check out our guides to the Best Hair Dryers, Best Hair Diffusers, Best Hair Straighteners, Best Curling Irons, Best Heat Protectants, and Best Dry Shampoo.
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| I'm currently testing the WavyTalk Thermal Brush Pro Set ($80). |
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How to Use a Blow-Dryer Brush
You'll be tempted to use a blow-dry brush while your hair is sopping wet, but it's best to wait until your hair is mostly dry. Alanna Safarik-Ashby (also known as @folliclefatale), hair stylist and co-owner of Ivy & Luna Studio in Carlsbad, California, recommends waiting until your hair is 90 percent dry to protect it. “Your hair is its most fragile when it's wet," she says. "Think of when you pull on cooked spaghetti. It's super elastic and breakable, right? Wet hair is the same way. So the more dry, the better.”
Similarly to other styling tools, it's best to section your hair into three or four sections to use your blow-dry brush to style it. Taking one section at a time, you'll start at the root with the blow-dry brush and pass through to your roots. I do this at least once on both the top and bottom of a section, if not twice for each side to create plenty of volume and fully dry the hair. Julie Chung, co-founder of T3, also shared her tip for getting the best volume in your blowout: “For extra lift at the roots, hold the brush under the roots for two to three seconds,” she says.
Play around with your hair and your brush of choice to figure out how you want your ends to look. With my shoulder-length hair, I find flipping out the ends easiest, but you'll have to experiment with your own hair length and brush shape to see what works best for you. Whether you choose an oval or round-shaped brush can influence how this works as well.
Blow-Dry Brush Versus Infrared Brush
You might have seen two different kinds of brushes that promise blowout results. In this guide, the term blow-dry brush is exclusively used for devices that blow hot air out of the bristles onto wet hair to dry and style your hair. Meanwhile, devices for dry hair are called infrared brushes, as they use infrared heat instead of hot hair to style your hair in a smooth blowout. Blow-dry brushes are only meant for wet hair, while infrared brushes are only meant for dry hair. You can read more about infrared brushes and which ones I recommend below.
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
Best Oval Blow-Dry Brush
Drybar Double Shot Blow-Dryer BrushDrybar is known for its shops across the US where you can walk in and get your hair professionally blown out. The brand has since morphed into an entire hair care and product line, along with its storefronts. It's no surprise Drybar specializes in hair drying tools, given the origin of the brand, and the popular Double Shot brush is the best I've tried on my hair. I have fine, curly hair that has tons of frizz, but the Double Shot makes it nice and smooth while giving it volume, and gives me less frizz than other models. Since I have shorter hair, I thought I'd prefer the rounded Half Shot from Drybar (more on that below), but the 2.4" oval shape still gives my hair the nice bend I look for without getting overly curled, and still smooth results. My friends can always tell when I use the Drybar, and I get the most compliments on my Double Shot days.
The Drybar has just three heat levels, and I tend to use the hotter setting to get a faster dry. Drybar gets the hottest of the brushes I've tested, reaching 275 degrees Fahrenheit at the highest level, but it doesn't leave my hair feeling fried. I wish it had an option to customize both the heat and speed of the air, but I got just as good (if not better!) results with Drybar's simpler settings compared to brushes with more options.
Best for All hair types Settings Three heat/speed settings, highest level reaches 275 degrees Fahrenheit What's included 2.4" oval blow-dryer brush Warranty Two-year limited warranty - Photograph: Nena Farrell
Best Round Blow-Dry Brush
T3 Airebrush RoundBlow-dry brushes often have both oval and rounded barrels, and the smaller round barrel is often the best choice for my fellow short-haired folks who want to get a nice bend in their hair before, well, running out of hair. T3's AireBrush Round is easily the best round I've tried, with both a nice range of settings—you can customize both the heat level and the air speed on this one—and a great little curl you can get on the end, even if your hair is barely chin-length. It's a great option for those of us with shorter, finer hair, especially since the heat range is one of the lowest, so you're at less risk of heat damage compared to hotter brushes.
Now that my hair is a little longer, I get almost a curled result, looking like I did a gentle pass with a hair curler after drying it. You can get straighter results depending on how you angle the brush (I treat mine almost like a curler.) The rounded shape doesn't force it to be curly, but it does make it easier. The slimmer design gives you more options with the style, though longer-haired folks might find the smaller barrel more of a hindrance than a help. It reminded me a lot of using a Dyson Airwrap with the slim size of the barrel.
There's also an oval version of the AireBrush ($160) if you want the same level of heat and speed controls for a larger blow-dry brush. I preferred the Drybar out of my oval tests, but the oval AireBrush did deliver similar results if you'd prefer to control your heat and air settings separately.
Best for Shorter hair, bangs, or a curlier blowout Settings Three heat settings and three speed settings, ranging from 170.6 to 213.8 degrees Fahrenheit What's included 2.5" round blow-dryer brush Warranty Two-year limited warranty
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
Best High-Tech Brush
GHD Duet Blowdry BrushThe GHD Duet Blowdry (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is unlike any other blow-dry brush I've tried. While it's still doing what a blow-dry brush does best—blowing air around a brush to dry and style your hair—the air is released through 16 different chambers within the device to act more like a diffuser, resulting in less frizz and flyaways. Also, unlike other blow-dry brushes, the surface is heated, with both the surface and air reaching 248 degrees Fahrenheit. GHD says the two heat sensors on the Duet check its temperature 400 times per second to ensure consistency. While consistent, you can't adjust this temperature. It's a little hot compared to other blow-dry brushes, but cooler than other hot surface tools.
Another difference in design is the bristles of the brush, which are firm and hard, rather than the wire style you'd find on both other devices and regular hair brushes. There are two rows of these bristles, and the shorter set is heated along with the surface of the brush, while the longer ones are unheated. I never had an issue with a hot surface touching my scalp or skin while using the Duet Blowdry, since the taller unheated bristles keep the heated surface away.
All that in mind, it's an impressive blowout that the Duet Blowdry delivers. It's certainly the smoothest results I've gotten, with the least amount of frizz and flyaways while still delivering on volume and style. GHD says you can use this device when your hair is up to 80 percent dry, though you can use it sooner as more of a blow dryer until you can style your drier hair with the brush. I did get the best results waiting until my hair was on the drier side to start using it. The downside, of course, is the cost: It's got the best tech in it, but I did get similar (though a little frizzier!) results from the cheaper Drybar and T3 brushes.
Best for All hair types Settings One heat setting, 248 degrees Fahrenheit What's included 2.5" oval blow-dryer brush, heat resistant storage bag, cleaning brush Warranty Two-year warranty - Photograph: Kat Merck
Best Blow Dryer Set
Shark FlexFusion Air and Ceramic SystemI’ve tried multiple blow-dry brushes in the past on my thick, frizzy 3a curls, but I was never a believer until I happened upon this wet-or-dry fusion brush. Though more known for its air straightener attachment, this Dyson Airwrap dupe and close relative of the Shark FlexStyle (9/10, WIRED Recommends) also comes with a round brush head that fits onto the tubular hairdryer base. Designed to prevent snagging, it’s got grooves on one side and ball-tipped bristles on the other; the bristle side shoots out heat that’s internally regulated to not exceed 230 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s much longer than a typical blow-dry brush with the hair dryer fully extended, but at less than 2 pounds it’s not heavy or unwieldy, and I appreciate the generous 96 inches of cord.
None of the Shark’s attachments get my curly hair sleek-straight, and this includes the blow-dry brush, but it does get it most of the way there in less time than with a regular blow dryer. If you have slightly curly or just wavy hair, a quick once-over with the excellent new FrizzFighter finishing tool attachment ($33) will likely be all you need. I prefer my hair stick-straight, so I still use a flat iron afterwards, but for a much a shorter time and on a lower heat setting than my hair usually needs. Plus, my hair has never felt softer. —Kat Merck
Best for All hair types, especially thick hair Settings Three heat settings, three speed settings, and a toggle for wet or dry hair. Reaches 230 degrees Fahrenheit What's included Blow dryer and four attachments: fusion brush, concentrator, air straightener, 1.25” left/right curling barrels Warranty Two-year warranty
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
Best Budget Brush
Revlon Revlon One-Step Volumizer PlusIf you've looked into blow-dryer brushes at all, you've stumbled across the Revlon One-Step Volumizer (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It's an impressive brush that costs a fraction of the cost compared to the rest of the competition. I was pretty impressed by the results given how cheap it is—it's nice and lightweight, but still dried my hair quickly. It also has more heat settings than other blow-dry brushes, with a cool setting and three heat settings, compared to other brushes that just have two hotter heat options. I did get the largest amount of frizz with this tool, but you could fix that with a smoothing product after finishing your blowout; I only use a heat protectant during my tests to keep results consistent.
I also got the best curtain bang blowout using this tool, which might be a fair trade off if you're looking for Sabrina Carpenter-level bangs. While it's not the most polished blowout, it still gives great results and users say it's lasted them for years, which is especially impressive for the cheap price point.
Best for Most hair types (might get hot for finer hair) Settings Four heat/speed settings, reaching between 200 to 260 degrees Fahrenheit What's included 2.4" oval blow-dryer brush Warranty One-year limited warranty - Photograph: Beachwaver
A Great Set for Curly Hair
Beachwaver Blow BrushIf you're looking for a blow-dryer brush that can handle your thick, curly hair, the Shark set above might still be your best bet. But if you're debating buying a blow-dryer brush or a diffuser for your curly days, I've got the answer for you. The Beachwaver Blow Brush is one of the only blow-dry brushes that has a diffuser attachment, allowing you to choose freely between a blowout or curly day without needing multiple gadgets. My blowouts did look a touch frizzier when I used the Beachwaver compared to the Drybar or the T3, but not so frizzy that anyone besides me would notice. That could also be solved by smoothing or frizz control products, which I didn't use in my tests for accurate results but would usually use on my own.
While the brush is oval-shaped, my short hair still gets a nice little bend to it. Not only is the brush pretty shade of pink (or black with pink detailing), it's insanely lightweight compared to the rest of our picks. I'm always delighted by how powerful it is with such a light weight, whether I'm giving myself a blowout or diffusing my hair. If you only want to buy one device that can do it all for curly hair, this is the one to get. You'll also get a paddle brush attachment, which can be used similarly to the oval brush, and an oval nozzle attachment for a more standard blow-dry experience.
Best for Wavy or curly hair, given diffuser option Settings Three heat/speed settings, reaching 250 degrees Fahrenheit What's included Blow dryer handle and four attachments: 3¾" oval blow-dryer brush, paddle brush, diffuser, and concentrator Warranty One-year limited warranty
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
What About Thermal Brushes?
Sutra Infrared Thermal Round BrushInfrared brushes might look similar to a blow-dry brush on the outside, but they work differently. They use a different type of heat—infrared surface heat, rather than hot air—and are intended for dry hair rather than wet. Infrared is different than your usual hot tools, since infrared will heat the hair from the inside out rather than outside in. I interviewed a handful of hair stylists and beauty experts, and nearly all of them confirmed that this style of heat is gentler on your hair. “Infrared heat works differently than traditional hot tools. Instead of heating just the surface, it penetrates the hair shaft, styling from the inside out. That means better moisture retention, less frizz, and way less damage over time,” says Vito Esposito, founder of Vito Esposito Salon in Beverly Hills.
I've tried a few different thermal brushes, and I haven't had a huge difference in the results so far. I got similar results from both the BondiBoost Bounce Brush ($98) and the Sutra Thermal Round Brush ($110) once I got the hang of using these devices. The BondiBoost is out of stock most places, though, so the Sutra is a better bet if you're willing to spend a little more.
The trick with thermal brushes is to take the time to brush the hair in a way to create volume, since there's no flow of hot hair to make it that volume for you. It does also make my hair super slick—this type of heat will definitely retain moisture better. I like these best the day after I diffuse or air-dry my curls, and it's been a handy replacement for my hair straightener.
- BondiBoost Blowout Brush Pro 75 mm for $70: The BondiBoost (6/10, WIRED Review) gave me results on par with the Drybar and T3 for half the price. Amazing, right? The only problem is that online users have reported the BondiBoost breaks after a few months of use. If you're willing to roll the dice, the results are great; they just might not last forever.
- Chi Volumizer 4-in-1 Blowout Brush for $75: This set comes with four attachments, including an oval brush, a small diffuser, a paddle brush, and a nozzle. The set works fine, but it gave me more frizz than other options and the hardware feels cheap. It's a fine, affordable set if you want all these attachments on a budget, but I prefer the Beachwaver set.
- Drybar Half Shot for $155: This is the round version of the Double Shot I recommend above. I like it, but I preferred the T3's lower temps with the smaller brush. The Half Shot also got hotter to the touch than the Double Shot did, maybe because the bristles aren't as far from the internal blow dryer.
- T3 Aire360 Ceramic Air Styler for $300: This set is gorgeous, but the ceramic makes it heavy, and I didn't see hugely different results with it compared to our lighter, cheaper picks.
- Dyson Airwrap for $600: The Dyson Airwrap set (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is great, and was my first introduction to a blow-dry brush attachment. But it's better compared to other blow dryers than just a blow-dry brush, especially given the price. Check out our guide to the Best Hair Dryers for more advice.
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