These Hair Dryer Brushes Deliver Better-Than-Salon Blowouts (2024)

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• Where We Stand

• How We Tested

• What to Look For

• FAQ

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Dyson, first known for its high-tech household appliances (think: vacuums), made a big splash in the beauty world when it launched its techy blow-dryer in 2016. Since then, the brand has made beauty waves with its hair straightener and this multi-use styler that can dry, curl, wave, or smooth your hair. This hot air brush is a favorite of Ghamari, who says it's the best in terms of quality and versatility—and we agree.

It comes with six different attachments that work to dry, blow out, smooth, or curl the hair. Each attachment glides smoothly through the hair without tugging or causing knots, and a major bonus is that the dryer head has a special flyaway attachment that quite literally works to vanish flyways in one swoop.

This do-it-all tool comes with three different heat settings as well as a cold shot which can be used to set the curls in place if you’re using the wand attachments, and having a variety of heat settings makes it usable for people with all different hair types. Three different air pressure settings also allow for further customization. Each and every attachment does what it claims to do, and while this hot air brush is expensive compared to other options on the market, we believe that the versatility that this one tool boasts makes it a great investment for anyone who styles their hair at home on a consistent basis. It’s also worth noting that it comes with a two-year warranty—so you can ensure your big purchase is protected.

Heat Settings: 3 | Voltage: 1,300 W | Barrel Size: Varies per attachment | Cord Length: 8.5 feet | Cold Shot: Yes

First came the Dyson Airwrap, then came the FlexStyle from Shark. While they’re comparable, for sure, there are a few differences to note. First, the price difference—we love that this one costs a few hundred dollars less. However, it’s a bit heavier than the AirWrap, and rather than featuring one curling attachment that can curl in both directions, it comes with two that need to be swapped when you want to change the direction of your curl. This isn’t a deal breaker, but it’s not the most convenient.

However, we still absolutely love this tool and highly recommend it. You can purchase a premade set that comes with the attachments that are best for straight or wavy hair, a set that comes with attachments for curly or coily hair, or you can design your own set and choose three attachments on the Shark website. Each attachment works beautifully to dry, smooth, or curl the hair, creating a sleek finish. We love that it features four different heat settings plus a cool shot, as well as three airflow settings. While the body of the tool is fairly large and long, both our at-home testers and professional stylists said it was pretty easy to maneuver and intuitive to use. If you’re looking for a hot air brush that will allow you to create a variety of hairstyles (at a more affordable price than the Dyson Airwrap), we absolutely recommend this one.

Heat Settings: 4 | Voltage: 1300 W | Barrel Size: Varies per attachment | Cord Length: 8 feet | Cold Shot: Yes

Read Full Review: Shark FlexStyle vs Dyson Airwrap: Which One Should You Buy?

If you’re in the market for an affordable blow-drying brush, this is a great place to start. This updated version of the original tool from Revlon now comes in a more compact design with a slightly smaller brush head for a more defined blowout look. It features four temperature settings as well as four airflow settings, and our professional stylists who participated in our lab test agree that the airflow is smooth and powerful to provide fast drying capabilities. It’s intuitive and easy to use, and we love it for beginners who are simply looking for one tool to quickly style their hair at home.

It’s great for creating a straight hair look with a bit of flip at the ends and volume at the roots, and while people with thicker and less frizzy hair were able to create a sleek, smooth style, we didn’t find this tool to be the best option at eliminating frizz or flyaways on those with frizzy hair. The bristles are pretty far apart, which isn’t ideal for thoroughly combing through and smoothing strands. It’s also important to note that while the hottest setting could be ideal for people with thick hair, it does get extremely hot—so does part of the actual brush handle—so beware of this if you’re prone to damage or you have fine hair. All things considered, we believe it’s a solid option for anyone looking to create a simple blowout at home without investing in an expensive tool.

Heat Settings: 4 | Voltage: 1110 W | Barrel Size: 2.4 inches | Cord Length: 6 feet | Cold Shot: No

Read Full Review: Dyson Airwrap vs. Revlon One-Step Volumizer: Which Is Best?

If you’re new to styling your hair on your own, we recommend checking out this blow-dry brush. People often struggle to smooth their roots and add volume, which is why we love that this brush has a unique teardrop shape—the round part is perfect for smoothing the lengths and ends, while the narrow end is great for targeting the roots. Aside from the shape, we also appreciate that this tool helps to reduce frizz, is lightweight and easy to use, and has multiple heat settings. It’s easy to hold in your hand thanks to a curved grip with a matte coating, and it’s a great option for those with thin or fine hair because it never feels too hot.

While we were incredibly impressed with the design and performance of this hot air brush, we and the stylists felt that it could be improved by having a stronger airflow. There are three airflow settings, but even the strongest one isn’t the most powerful, especially for people with thick hair. We also wish that it got a bit hotter so it could better smooth coarse or curly hair, but the fact that it doesn’t get extremely hot is nice in the sense that it’s likely not as damaging to the hair as other options.

Heat Settings: 3 | Voltage: 1100 W | Barrel Size: 2.4 inches | Cord Length: 7.9 feet | Cold Shot: No

Giving yourself a blowout at home takes arm strength, but this tool helps to alleviate some of the struggles because it weighs less than one pound. It felt when using it, making it a great option for those with limited upper body strength or anyone who will be using the tool for long periods of time. Aside from the lightweight aspect, we love that it comes with three different attachments—a dryer, a round brush dryer, and a paddle brush dryer—to create a variety of results. Both brush attachments glide through the hair seamlessly without tugging or creating knots. The tool features four heat settings, three airflow settings, and a cool shot which are all easy to access via buttons near the bottom. Compared to other options we tested, this one didn’t blow us away in terms of its frizz-taming capabilities, but it does create smooth results with some volume.

It’s a pricey tool compared to other similar options, but we noticed how sturdy and high-quality it felt throughout our tests. If you’re looking for a hair dryer that you can also use to brush out your strands for a smooth look, this one has our stamp of approval.

Heat Settings: 4 | Voltage: 125 V | Barrel Size: Varies by attachment | Cord Length: 9 feet | Cold Shot: Yes

Hot air brushes with larger brush heads are ideal for those with long hair because long strands will easily wrap around the barrel all the way to the ends. Short hair likely won't wrap fully around the brush head, and therefore it will be harder to achieve flipped ends. And if you have long hair, then you know how time-consuming it can be to blow out your hair at home. When using a tool like this one that has a wider brush design, you’ll be able to shorten that process a bit without sacrificing beautiful results.

Though this tool has a pretty basic design which is in line with similar options like the One-Step Volumizer PLUS 2.0 Hair Dryer and Hot Air Brush and the L'ange Hair Le Volume 2-in-1 Titanium Brush Dryer, this one, in particular, impressed us in terms of how shiny it makes the hair look. We appreciate that it has three heat settings, but we do wish that it got a bit hotter on the highest setting and that it also featured a cold shot to set the style. While it doesn’t create the bounciest results (likely due to the fact that the brush is pretty large), it does an excellent job and smoothing and straightening the hair. If you have long hair and you’re looking to give yourself a quick blowout at home, this is a great option at an affordable price point.

Heat Settings: 3 | Voltage: 1200 W | Barrel Size: 3 inches | Cord Length: 9.8 feet | Cold Shot: No

FAQ

• How do you use a hot air brush to curl hair?

  Ghamari points out that using a hot air brush is very similar to using a round brush, except there’s no struggle to hold a blow-dryer in one hand and a round brush in the other. Brown, meanwhile, shares this tip for using a hot air brush to curl hair: “You can curl hair with a hot air brush by twisting the hair section out of the brush on the last pass through,” she says. “Adding a light hairspray to the section before twisting will also help the curl hold.” But if you’re looking for a more defined curl, we recommend going for the Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler Complete Long or the Shark FlexStyle Air Drying & Styling System, which both come with curling barrels.

• Do hot air brushes damage hair?

  “Hot air brushes can only damage hair if they get too hot,” says Brown. She suggests reading reviews and doing your research on whatever brand you choose to buy. A hot air brush with temperature settings will help you control the heat so you don’t hurt your hair. And if your hot air brush has soft bristles, such as nylon and boar, this can help reduce any unnecessary tension. If you’re concerned about a brush getting too hot and damaging your hair, we recommend the L'ange Hair Le Volume 2-in-1 Titanium Brush Dryer because it doesn’t get as hot as the other options on our list.

• How do you clean a hot air brush?

  To clean a hot air brush, remove all of the shed hair using your fingers or tweezers after every few uses, says Brown. “Wiping it down with a hot towel will also help remove any excess product buildup,” she says.