While we'd love to have a hairstylist style our strands every morning, unfortunately we're left to our own devices wondering how to recreate a salon-worthy blow dry from the comfort of our own home.
Let us introduce you to the one tool you need in your hair styling arsenal to perfect an at-home blow dry, one of the best hot brushes. Mimicking a hairstylist's professional blow dry technique, this tool combines the drying capabilities of one of the best hair dryers with a round or paddle bristled brush, The results? Effortlessly smooth locks that are full of body and bounce.
Hailing the easiness of these tools, Syd Hayes, session hair stylist and BaByliss ambassador says: "Hot brushes are great for people who struggle to blow dry their hair themselves, they are a quick and easy way to add body and volume to the hair [and] are a great hybrid to dry and style at the same time – time-saving at its best." So, for those in the market for a hot brush, we've put dozens of options to the ultimate test in order to scout out the very best tools that are actually worthy of your investment.
The best hot brush deals
Our six top hot brush picks
RRP: £49.99
It's not hard to see why Revlon's One-Step Volumiser found viral fame on social media; it's serious value for money, priced at just under £50 and often discounted for even less, drying and styling speedily and effectively considering its price tag. Results are a nice voluminous blow dry effect with enhanced bounce to boot.
RRP: £479.99
One of the most versatile multi-stylers on the market – and arguably the tool that sparked the trend – the Dyson Airwrap combines serious innovation with customisable styling thanks to its many attachments. It is undeniably pricey, but a worthwhile investment if you like to rotate different hairstyles and rather than stick to just one or two, max.
RRP: £125
With a generous brush head that's ideal for longer lengths or styling larger sections of hair at once, the Drybar Double Shot Blow Dryer Brush is a brilliant 2-in-1 tool. The flatter sides mean you can stretch out the hair for style or angle the tool for more lift and movement.
RRP: £179
Though this ghd tool doesn't dry and style simultaneously (it has to be used on dry hair), it's a good option for those whose hair lacks volume naturally. Heating up quickly to impart impressive lift in the hair, it's great for creating big and bodified hairstyles – and has a handy cool tip.
RRP: £95
A very reasonably priced option and ideal for those who only want to spend two figures, Amika's 2.0 Blow Dryer Brush is another that has a generous sized brush head that can style larger sections of hair with ease. Expect smooth results with a nice amount of body.
RRP: £68
With a chic, monochromatic design, the BondiBoost Blowout Brush's larger brush head means big volume is easy to create, while the larger flatter sides lend themselves well to smoothing out longer hair. Costing less than £70, it's also pretty reasonably priced compared with many competitor tools.
The best hot brushes, reviewed by our beauty team
Best hot brush overall
The Revlon One-Step Volumiser Hot Brush
With almost 30,000 reviews on Amazon, the Revlon One-Step Volumiser is easily one of the most famous tools in the category, gliding through even very thick hair with relative ease. Because of its design, I found this brush could be placed fairly close to the scalp and underneath sections of hair, achieving the much-coveted bounce and volume many would usually see from a salon blow dry.
The dryer has an elliptical cylinder shape, marrying the perks of a flatter, smoothing paddle brush with those of a volumising round brush. What this means in practice is that the flatter sides of the brush can create a smoother and sleeker finish, while the rounded edges can lift and add more body. Though it is quite bulky and wide, I found this brush surprisingly lightweight to hold for its size, which allowed for greater control over my styling.
That being said, it does heat up quickly and intensely, which is why it's all the more essential that you apply heat protection for hair before styling with this hot brush (in the same way that you would when using your best hair straighteners). This will help to preserve your hair's health. Torn between the Revlon vs Drybar Hot Brush options? Our detailed comparison of the two tools should help you make a decision.
Read our beauty writer, Annie's full Revlon hair dryer brush review for an in-depth analysis of the One-Step Volumiser
Best hot brush with attachments
Arguably the most famous hair styler on the market, the Dyson Airwrap is a master of pretty much all trades. Though it's the most expensive option here by quite some way, this system leverages clever and unique technology called the Coanda effect as well as a proprietary digital motor. The various attachments can curl, wave, smooth and dry strands without the direct extreme heat of a traditional iron. These one-click, agile attachments can be quickly adjusted or changed while styling, enabling you to create everything from a bouncy blow dry to loose waves or tighter curls. The technique takes a little getting used to, particularly in the case of the barrels, but our step-by-step guide to how to use the Dyson Airwrap is loaded with tips to help you.
Without getting too technical, said Coanda effect is a physical phenomenon that "attracts" hair and curls it around the barrel of the brush to gently heat and style it with air. In other words, you don't have to wrap each section of hair around the barrel yourself – the Airwrap does this slightly tedious task for you. Yes, it's a costly gadget, but I'd argue that if you have the funds and want a versatile tool that won't damage your hair, the investment is worth every penny. It's one of the best hot brushes we've tried for creating a professional-looking DIY blow dry that doesn't take hours to create, and it's particularly useful for those with long hairstyles.
In order that this guide mostly includes hot brushes that are all-in-one tools, the Dyson Airwrap is the only multi-styler we've featured here – but if you want something similar with a smaller price tag, we've reviewed other multi-stylers in our guide to the top Dyson Airwrap alternatives on the market.
Read Lucy's full Dyson Airwrap review to find out more about this advanced tool.
Best hot brush for damaged hair
The Drybar Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush revives lacklustre hair, creating a shiny blowout in a fraction of the time it would take using a typical hair dryer and brush combo (such is the power of a 2-in-1 tool). Though it's suitable for all hair types, I deem this option one of the best hot brushes for those with damaged or damage-prone strands – its wide and lightweight construction offers exact control over styling; in other words, you're less likely to overexpose fragile strands to heat.
What's more, the variable temperature control means you have options depending on what you find works best with your hair texture. From the gentle curved edges to its defined bristles, this dryer is thoughtfully designed to build body and fullness from every angle without the use of excessive heat.
The thicker barrel also means this model was great for creating volumised looks and glassier straighter styles, rather than beach hair waves. It's a powerful tool that transformed my towel-dried hair to a glossy, volumised blow dry in just 15 minutes. If your hair lacks natural volume and you really want to add lift, our tip is to turn your head upside down and curl the hair upwards, holding the heated brush for a few seconds when you reach the root for a polished, bouncy blow dry look. I was also particularly impressed with how glossy and shiny my hair looked after using this tool.
Read Lucy's full Drybar Double Shot Blow Dryer Brush review for more insight into this sunny yellow tool.
Best volumising hot brush
Unlike many hot brushes, the ghd Rise heats up like a traditional curling tong rather than using air to style. This means it can only be used on dry hair, so you’ll need to use a hair dryer beforehand. You can then use the Rise in several ways, all of which require practice. Adding lift was probably the easiest; wrap a small section of hair around the barrel close to the roots, hold it for five seconds and rise up as you release.
For body and bounce, you use the Rise in a similar way to the best heated rollers, wrapping it up from the ends to the roots and holding it there for five seconds. This technique didn’t seem to do much for my hair, which I put down to its sheer length and thickness. Curls were the trickiest to master as you have to glide the barrel down the hair, then roll up towards the root, hold it and unwind. (Luckily, ghd has pre-empted this with some great online tutorials.)
As with other ghd tools, the Rise beeps once it’s heated up and is ready to use, which takes 15 seconds. There are no settings here – it styles at the brand's optimum temperature of 185ºC, which is consistently maintained across the barrel while styling. The bristles are short, which allows you to get right into the root without tangling. I’ve seen some amazing "after" pictures using the Rise on long hair, so although that didn’t happen for me, I think it would be great for those with short hairstyles or medium hairstyles who want a tool that adds "oomph" to hair quickly.
The best affordable hot brush
As the 2.0 of its name suggests, this is a newer and improved version of Amika's original fan-favorite Blow Dryer brush that is designed to yield even smoother and shinier results. With a tourmaline-coated barrel and ion technology, it's been engineered to reduce frizz and boost shine, while multiple-length bristles keep hold of every hair in your chosen section to smooth it all out into your desired blow-dried finish.
I really loved the minimalistic design here – the almost entirely black colour scheme is a hit with those who prefer their styling tools not to have a loud design. But more uniquely, it weighs a tiny 380g, so it is very lightweight and there's pretty much zero risk of getting arm ache during your styling session as a result. There are brushes on the market that have more functions and settings, yes, but if your max budget is £100 and you aren't fussed about having lots of attachments to play with, I loved the sleek and bouncy results that can be achieved with this easy tool.
Read our contributing beauty editor's Amika 2.0 Blow Dryer Brush review for a detailed analysis of this hot brush.
The best hot brush for a bouncy blow dry
This blow dryer brush from BondiBoost is, quite frankly, huge. Not in terms of its overall size or weight, but because the supremely large brush head makes it a bumper blow drying tool. Measuring at 75mm, or just shy of 3", it's by far and away one of the biggest options that money can buy – and certainly among the options we've tested at woman&home. Not everybody will want a blow dry brush this large, of course, but for those who think that bigger is better when it comes to their blow dry, this tool ticks that box and then some.
With a pleasing monochromatic colour scheme, the Blowout Brush Pro is quite standard in terms of its design and the technology involved, though I was glad to see there's ionic technology to help prevent excess frizz and contribute to a nice, smooth finish. But at less than £70, its price-tag is very reasonable and it's therefore a good choice for those who don't have a triple digit budget to play with when shopping for the best hot brushes.
The best hot brush for healthy looking results
This super-luxe hair dryer brush is designed to create beautiful styles, but also healthy-looking hair, with three heat settings for different hair types. The large paddle brush detangles the hair easily, while the iconic technology promises to combat frizz for a sleeker blow dry. I found this hair dryer brush delivered that swishy, freshly-cut feeling without having to actually book in for the fresh cut. After use, my hair felt glossy and healthier, with instant bounce. I found this hair dryer brush to be powerful too, as it dried the hair quickly. The cool setting was also useful when it came to setting styles in place.
This hair tool uses a moisture-balancing ionic system that combines positive and negative ions to help the hair stay healthy and hydrated. The soft bristles also create a sleeker finish and softer look overall, but this might not be the tool for you if you're looking for a more dramatic shape. This is perfect for those who want natural-looking, swishy hair without having to spend hours styling it.
The best paddle hot brush
Beauty Works' Speed Styler is arguably one of the best hair straightener brushes around, delivering the same smooth results that you’d expect from the Airwap’s firm brush head. Unlike the Airwrap, however, there are no extra attachments and it can only be used on dry hair.
Though it's heavier than most (I found it weightier than my ghd straighteners), it is the only one on this list to have a digital temperature display – a nice touch – as well as being adjustable. It takes a while to heat up (two minutes to 180ºC), so it’s not the best for those who are often in a rush. Despite the large paddle design, I found it best to style in small sections with this tool. It straightened and smoothed my hair well and made it look healthier, though it's worth noting that the results were more natural than the poker-straight finish of straighteners.
Its curved design and ionic-coated bristles help to detangle strands as you style – but despite this, I struggled to get it through my thick, coarse hair at times. I therefore think it’s better suited to finer hair; of the five-star reviews I read, many described how well it worked styling these hair types.
How we tested the best hair dryer brushes
A selection of the hot brushes we tested for this feature from (L-R) T3, BondiBoost, Dyson, Drybar and Hot Tools
To ensure our final guide to the best hair dryer brushes is truly the best, I washed and blow-dried my hair using each one at least once to assess and compare how well it styled the hair. With years of beauty industry experience behind me, I made sure to take note of the following factors during the testing process.
- Price
- Number of heat and speed settings
- Number of attachments (if any)
- Inclusion of a cool shot function
- Bristle types and lengths
- Any additional technology, e.g. smoothing
- Cable length
- Colour options and overall design
As with all woman&home hair tool guides, from the best diffusers for curly hair to the best ghd hair straighteners, I rigorously tested a broad selection of tools – including every one featured here – in order to share in-depth reviews of truly the best on the market. After testing various hot brushes, assessing each one's features and technology, ease of use, overall design and who it is best suited to, the selection here encompasses those that came out on top.
Meet our experts
The main tester for this guide, Lucy is a freelance beauty editor with close to a decade of experience and has written for titles including Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Glamour and OK!, as well as regularly contributing to woman&home. She is very experienced in reviewing hair tools – from straighteners and curlers to hair dryers – and has tested many of the hot brushes on the market during her career. This and her wealth of experience interviewing hairstylists means she knows what makes a good one.
Syd Hayes is a renowned session hair stylist and the director of Q Cut salon in Kew Gardens, London. He is also an ambassador for BaByliss and has worked on countless photo shoots and fashion week shows during his career.
How to choose the best hair dryer brush for you
The woman&home team trialling hair dryer brushes
There are several factors to consider when choosing between the best hair dryer brushes. Think about your hair’s texture, length and overall health, and then consider the following factors in line with those to inform your choice.
- Shape: A round or oval barrel will give you the best results for volume, while a straight-sided or paddle brush will work well with curly hair. The diameter is also an important consideration, as a wider barrel will give you more lift and works well with longer hair types, but if you're rocking a short hairstyle or medium haircut, then you'll need a smaller barrel.
- Weight: Most hair dryer brushes tend to be reasonably lightweight and may be a viable alternative to the best travel hair dryers. (though these tools don't tend to be particularly space-saving). The lighter the tool, the easier it is to use for a prolonged period of time without arm ache – an important consideration for those with very long and/or thick hair.
- Materials and tech: Brands will call-out any handy features, such as an automatic shut-off feature. Ceramic or titanium barrels are better for a smoother finish compared with plastic counterparts. We also love tourmaline barrels and ionic technology, which help to keep excess frizz to a minimum and boost shine.
- Bristles: Longer and widely-spaced bristles are ideal for styling longer and thick hair, as they generally fit through thicker and denser strands more efficiently without adding more heat and power, while shorter bristles should be sufficient for shorter and very fine hair. "Tuftier" bristles are better for a more secure hold and tension.
- Settings: Top tools will have variable heat and speed settings, meaning more control over styling. If there's only one heat setting, those with fine hair should make sure it's a relatively low heat, while higher settings may be more beneficial to styling thicker strands. A cool shot is always a plus for setting the hair at the end of styling.
- Customisability: Hair brushes are often all-in-one tools, but some feature the dryer unit and additional brush attachments. This allows you to customise your tool to style your hair type and thickness optimally, or to create different end hairstyles.
What are the different types of hot brush?
There are several different types of hair dryer brush available on the UK market, covering different sizes, materials, the technologies listed in the previous section and even interchangeable brush heads. However, the key types of hot brush are as follows.
- Stationary hair drying brush: Feature a fixed brush head that has to be rotated manually if desired. This might sound daunting, but stationary brush dryers are less likely to tangle hair – unlike rotating models – making them great for beginners. They also work well for those who want to create a sleeker style and limit bounce to the very ends of the hair, for example.
- Rotating hair drying brush: Here, the brush head automatically rotates to add more volume and remove the need to curve the brush yourself. If flexibility is your priority, you can also opt for a hair drying brush with a spinning head, which tends to 'catch' more hair than stationary options.
- Dual-rotating hair drying brush: Includes two directional buttons, enabling the brush to spin either forward or backward. Whether you’re left or right-handed, or simply want to alternate the direction of your curls, this nimble feature is super convenient.
- 'Tangle-free' brush head: Features a button that enables the barrel to swivel and release jumbled hair sections or strands.
- Heated brush: Some brushes don't double as dryers, instead featuring a heated plate (and sometimes bristles) that's designed for use on already-dry hair as with the best hair curlers.
How to use a stationary hair dryer brush
- Prep: After washing your hair, apply any styling products to your hair while wet/damp, depending on what you find best for your hair type, and remove any excess water with a hair towel. Your go-to products will depend on if you want more moisture, volume, etc, but the non-negotiable across all hair types is some form of heat protection for hair.
- Section: The number of sections will depend on how thick and dense your head of hair is. You'll learn what works best for you as you go, but generally if you have a lot of thick hair you'll want more sections, while those with thinner heads of hair often find they can style more of their hair at once. A pin tail comb is useful for dividing the hair; secure each section with a clip or hair tie.
- Detangle: Each time you unclip a section, brush it through using the regular brush or comb you usually use to detangle your hair until it's completely tangle-free. This will help the tool to glide through with no snagging for a more seamless experience, as well as stretching out the hair a little before you use the brush.
- Turn on the tool: Once you've switched the tool on with your chosen heat and speed setting, take a section of hair that's about as wide as the brush head and wiggle it into the roots. If your hair is quite thick and/or dense, hold the brush here for a few seconds to help dry the roots. Then, slowly brush through that section of hair, holding it taut if you need to create more tension. You can either brush the tool through in a straight motion, or curve as you brush to create more lift and bounce.
- Repeat until dry: Depending on your hair's thickness, you'll probably find it takes at least a couple of passes through the hair to dry it completely. Dry from both the top side of the section and the underside to ensure the hair is dried, stretched and smoothed from both directions. If you have time, it's also smart to let the hair cool and set before unclipping your next section.
- For more volume and bounce: If your goal is a voluminous and bouncy blow dry look, roll the brush up the hair until you reach the root and then hold there for a few seconds. Then, switch to a cool setting (if the brush has one) to set the hair.