The 11 Best Hair Dryer Brushes, According to Experts
If the pandemic taught us one thing, it’s that we love a streamlined beauty routine. When it comes to blow drying your hair, anything that will cut down on time, yet not sacrifice one bit of volume or shine, is nothing short of a miracle product. That’s where the best hair dryer brushes come in. A hair dryer brush is a hot tool hybrid—half blow dryer, half traditional round hair brush — that can create waves, curls, or a smooth, straight blowout in one simple step.
“I’m a huge fan of blow dryer brushes!” says Chicago-based celebrity hairstylist, Alex Brown, who counts Hailey Baldwin, Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid as clients. “They are such an easy way to get a smooth, voluminous ‘blowout’ look. They make it easier to tame frizzy hair, rather than managing a dryer in one hand and a brush in the other.”
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And the benefits keep rolling. Brown adds that they’re designed to not only combine two blowout steps into one to “make it quicker to achieve a nice style,” but also to manage and smooth all hair types and textures, even wispy fine hair. She says that “fine hair can achieve volume so much easier when using a blow dryer brush.”
Top Hair Dryer Brushes for 2022
Best on Amazon: Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer
Best for Long Hair: Drybar Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush
Best with Multiple Attachments: Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler
Best for Fine Hair: Infinitipro By Conair Hot Brush
Best for All Hair Types: Amika Hair Blow Dryer Brush
Best for Shine: BaBylissPro Nano Titanium 2” Rotating Hot Hair Brush
Best for Straight Hair: Moroccanoil Smooth Style Ceramic Heated Brush
Best for Thick Hair: Hot Tools 24K Gold Charcoal Infused One-Step Blowout
Best for Short Hair: Ghd Rise Hot Round Brush
Most Lightweight: L’Ange Le Volume 70MM 2-in-1 Volumizing Brush Dryer
Best for Dry or Damaged Hair: Bed Head Blow Out Freak One Step Dry + Volume
How to Choose the Best Hair Dryer Brush
Blow-dryer brushes come in all different shapes, sizes and setting strengths to tackle various hair lengths and textures, but there are a few settings that our experts find to be non-negotiable features.
Heat settings: More is more here, because you can use different temperatures to customize the dryer to your hair’s needs. If you have fine, fragile or damage-prone hair, brown says to “use the lowest setting and be gentle.” For those with thicker or curly hair, a higher heat setting is best.
Bristle type: Bristles detangle and smooth hair while the heat dries it, and the kind of bristles your brush has make all the difference. “Depending on your hair type and how you style your hair will determine the type of brush you need,” says celebrity stylist, Andrew Fitzsimons, who recommends looking for a blend of nylon and tufted bristles. “It will not only gently detangle your hair, but will help bring the oil from the roots and scalp to the tip of your strands.”
Cool setting: Just like a regular blow dryer, a good hair dryer brush should have a cool shot button to lock in the style.
Ease of use: If the tool isn’t intuitive, chances are you’re not going to use it as often as you’d like. Make sure your hair dryer brush is ergonomic so it feels nice and balanced in your hand, has a grippy material on the handle and is lightweight.
Below, Brown, Fitzsimons, and Annagjid “Kee” Taylor, the stylist that KeKe Palmer has on speed dial, and natural hair YouTuber, dish on the best hair brush dryers, tips on how to use them and how to maintain your hair’s health throughout.
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Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer
Best Hair Dryer Brush on Amazon
Heat settings: Three
Special features: Designed with ionic and ceramic technology, lightweight ergonomic design
Pros:
Promises 30% less frizz
Ceramic material distributes heat evenly to reduce damage
Nylon pin and tufted bristles detangle and create shine
Has cool setting
Oval design gives extra lift at the root
Cons:
Not a great option for fine hair
With nearly 300k five-star reviews on Amazon, this hot air hair dryer brush is clearly a game-changer, and the most popular hair brush dryer on Amazon. One reviewer with hair so thick she had to start doing arm workouts to manage holding up a hair dryer and brush for the eternity it took to dry her hair, says that the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer “took me 8 minutes” and to her disbelief, her hair looked “silkier than silk.” That is, after she triple checked that it had, in fact, only been 8 minutes.
Courtesy of Amazon
Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer
Drybar Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush
Best Hair Dryer Brush for Long Hair
Heat settings: Three
Special features: Innovative vents ensure maximum airflow and a faster blowout
Pros:
Cool setting
Three heat settings — cool, medium, high — work on most hair types and textures
Fast drying
Tufted and nylon bristles offer tension and control for more lift and body
Cons:
Larger than most hair dryer brushes, but still surprisingly light
Another favorite of Brown’s, this blow-dryer brush from the brand that basically invented on-the-go blowouts, features ionic technology to seal the cuticle and reduce flyaways. Its 2.44 inch barrel with slightly curved edges helps create a seamless curl, and the strategically placed vents around the brush maximize airflow to seriously cut down on drying time. “It has flexible bristles that can be used on wet or dry hair, and even extensions,” says Fitzsimons. “It’s also suitable for all hair types.” The best part? It’s impossibly lightweight.
Courtesy of Sephora
Drybar Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush
Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler
Best Hair Dryer Brush with Multiple Attachments
Heat settings: Three
Special features: Harnesses the Coanda effect for airflow filled with negative ions for faster, easier, frizz-free and longer-lasting styling, doesn’t use extreme heat in order to maintain the hair’s integrity, intelligent heat control measures airflow temperature over 40 times a second to prevent overheating
Pros:
Designed for all hair types and textures
Comes with 5 attachments for maximum versatility
Attachments are charged with negative ions to reduce hair static
Three airflow styling speeds
Cool shot button
Cons:
Pricey
Once you overcome the sticker shock, you’ll thank your lucky stars that you gave the Dyson Airwrap Styler a whirl, says Brown of her favorite round brush hair dryer. “The heat control is amazing because it ensures the brush will never get too hot for your hair and I love all of the attachments it comes with. The barrel attachments are similar to curling iron size barrels that you can wrap your hair around to achieve a very bouncy blowout!”
Courtesy of Sephora
Dyson Airwrap Styler
Related: I Tested the New Dyson Airwrap Styler — Here’s My Honest Review.
Infinitipro By Conair Hot Brush
Best Hair Dryer Brush for Fine Hair
Heat settings: Two
Special features: Powerful ion generator leaves hair silky and frizz-free, large size barrel easily produces curls and volume
Pros:
Cool shot button
Large titanium ceramic barrel adds body
Soft bristles are antistatic and create a shiny finish
500 watts of power ensure a quick drying and styling experience
Cons:
Soft bristles don’t detangle hair well
This genius tool by Conair is one of the best blow-dryer brushes for fine or frizz-prone hair, thanks to its Advanced Ionic Technology, which provides twice the amount of ions, for an even heat with less damage. Its nylon and ball-tipped bristles offer just the right amount of tension to create volume while detangling still-damp hair. Taylor recommends only using a hair brush dryer on “freshly washed and conditioned hair, with heat protectant layered on,” especially for curly and coily hair types 3 and 4. Fitzsimons explains that curly hair “can handle a heat protection product that’s a bit thicker and more moisturizing. Check out Brigeo Heat Protection cream.” But to get that next-level shine, Taylor adds that “you can use additional shine products after using the heat tool.”
Courtesy of Amazon
Infinitipro By Conair Hot Brush
Amika Hair Blow Dryer Brush
Best Hair Dryer Brush for All Hair Types
Heat settings: Three
Special features: Tourmaline coated barrel generates negative ions and infrared heat to smooth hair and minimize frizz, oval design creates extra root lift
Pros:
Features long and short bristles, which detangle and increase bounce and shine, respectively
Weighs less than a pound
Adjustable heat settings to customize blowout
Quiet motor
Cons:
No cool setting
Unlike its ceramic-barreled sisters, the Amika Hair Blow Dryer Brush’s barrel is coated with tourmaline to swirl negative ions through your hair to slash frizzies and lift hair from the root to give mega-volume. A mix of long and short bristles detangles hair first, preventing any breakage from the blowout. For hair dryer brushes with adjustable heat settings like this one, you can customize your blowout to have it exactly as you like it, but Brown cautions against using too much heat and tension while styling the hair for a long time.
Courtesy of Sephora
Amika Hair Blow Dryer Brush
BaBylissPro Nano Titanium 2” Rotating Hot Hair Brush
Best Hair Dryer Brush for Shine
Heat settings: Three
Special features: Bi-directional feature to style any curl pattern with a button to rotate and reverse
Pros:
Hair looks and feels smooth and soft
Rotating hot-air brush head for a sleek, shiny result
Antistatic nylon bristles grab and glide through hair without tugging
Cons:
Not user friendly at first
With a 2” barrel that rotates forward and backwards, this BaBylissPro styler with three different heat settings adds the perfect amount of bounciness to curls or shine to slick, straight strands. While this tool is no slouch when it comes to lift and volume, it’s especially great for a stick-straight blowout — just turn off the rotation, et voilà.
Courtesy of Ultra
BaBylissPro Nano Titanium 2” Rotating Hot Hair Brush
Moroccanoil Smooth Style Ceramic Heated Brush
Best Hair Dryer Brush for Straight Hair
Heat settings: Select temperature shown on digital screen up to 430 degrees
Special features: Ceramic cool-tip bristles heat quickly to slide through hair, the brush’s heated beveled edges smooth hair close to the root
Pros:
Has a grippy, no-slip handle
Heats up quickly
Brush edges are useful to tame frizzy hair close to the root
Ionic technology reduces static and flyaways
Cons:
Not a versatile styler — it’s best for those who want straight, soft hair
Want a hair brush dryer, but with a flat iron design? Moroccanoil’s got you. Shaped like a paddle brush, this tool boasts ceramic cool-tip bristles that heat and cool quickly to minimize your hair’s heat time, which Brown says is key to a healthy relationship with heat tools. “Don’t use them too often,” she says. “Try to prolong your blowout to every few days, if possible. The less styling with heat, the healthier your hair will be.” Even with a paddle brush-style hair brush dryer, be sure to use a heat protectant to keep static at bay.
Courtesy of Sephora
Moroccanoil Smooth Style Ceramic Heated Brush
Hot Tools 24K Gold Charcoal Infused One-Step Blowout
Best Hair Dryer Brush for Thick Hair
Heat settings: Three
Special features: Rotating temperature control button makes it easy to control temperature, strategically placed vents deliver strong, consistent airflow for a speedy experience, gold barrel surface distributes heat evenly from end to end
Pros:
Brushes hair easily, even with tangles or knots
Fast drying
Charcoal-infused bristles extend the lifespan of the blowout
Ergonomic handle
Lightweight design
Cons:
Heavy and not the easiest to hold
The beautiful design not only looks super chic on your vanity, but it’s one of the best hair brush dryers to give hair gorgeous volume and body. This Hot Tools blowout brush’s Direct Ion innovation maintains a neutral charge on the hair, making flyaways and static a thing of the past, and the boar tech bristles let hair glide seamlessly through, but a pro tip from Taylor: “Make sure your hair is well detangled ahead of using a tool like a blowout brush.”
Courtesy of Ulta
Hot Tools 24K Gold Charcoal Infused One-Step Blowout
Ghd Volumizing Rise Hot Round Brush
Best Hair Dryer Brush for Short Hair
Heat settings: One constant temperature
Special features: Flexible, half-centimeter nylon bristles create gentle styling tension for long-lasting volume
Pros:
Blowout lasts for days
Small 1.25″ barrel lets you grab hair close to the root for extra lift or to style shorter hair
Easy to use
Heats up in 25 seconds
Lightweight
Has a built-in stand
Cons:
Can only be used on completely dry hair
“People with short hair can definitely use a blow dryer brush, too,” says Brown. The trick is to find a blow dryer brush that is light and tight enough to sail through strands, like Ghd’s Volumizing Rise Hot Round Brush. Its 1.25 inch barrel heats quickly to a consistent 365 degrees for an even impact from root to end, while the half-centimeter nylon bristles create soft styling tension close to the root for lots of lift for strands that may be too short for bigger barreled brushes. Those with lob or bob-length styles — or shorter! — can create the blowout of their dreams.
Courtesy of Sephora
Ghd Volumizing Rise Hot Round Brush
L’Ange Le Volume 70MM 2-in-1 Volumizing Brush Dryer
Best Lightweight Hair Dryer Brush
Heat settings: Three
Special features: Ionic plates reduce frizz and ionic technology prevents heat damage
Pros:
High speed motor for fast drying
Grippy handle for total control
Lightweight design
Easy to twist barrel lets you choose three heat settings with an LED light to indicate which one you’ve chosen
Comes with protective cover and cleaning brush
Cons:
Bristles shed after continued use
Powerful, hushed, and clocking in at less than two pounds, L’Ange’s Brush Dryer is built with Tesla-style high-tech features — our favorite is the variety of heat and speed settings — low is ideal for fine hair, high is best for thick or textured, and ending a blast of the cool setting will enhance shine and lock the style into place. To boot, its advanced ion engineering will leave strands satin-smooth and show your frizz who’s boss.
Courtesy of Ulta
L’Ange Le Volume 70MM 2-in-1 Volumizing Brush Dryer
Bed Head Blow Out Freak One Step Dry + Volume
Best Hair Dryer Brush for Dry or Damaged Hair
Heat settings: Three
Special features: Tourmaline ceramic provides smooth heat distribution and adds shine to dull hair
Pros:
Mix of bristles promise volume, shine and no sign of frizz
Cool air setting
Heat-proof brush tip
Excellent at reviving second day hair
Cons:
Brush motor sometimes unexpectedly stops when it needs to be cleaned
What sets this Bed Head hair brush dryer apart is the thoughtful placement and structure of the brush bristles. Featuring two very distinct bristle designs, the bushy tufted bristles are on opposite sides to give hair volume while the smaller nylon ones are spaced evenly all over to brush the hair with every pull through to control shape. “To tame flyaways, brush down from roots to ends starting at your part,” explains Brown. “I like to smooth my hand over the hair after drying to help lay them down.” And with three temperature settings, this brush is also a great option for dry or damaged hair, “just use the lowest setting and be gentle,” she says.
Bed Head Blow Out Freak One Step Dry + Volume
Are Hair Dryer Brushes Damaging?
“Investing in a good blow dryer brush will pay off in the end, and your hair will thank you for it,” says Brown, adding that it cuts down on drying time as well as harm from the heat, as using a hair dryer then a curling iron causes double the damage.
But just like any hot tool, moderation is key. “Don’t use a hair dryer brush too often,” says Brown. “Try to prolong your blowout to every few days, if possible. The less washing and styling with heat, the healthier your hair will be, and use anything lower than the hottest heat setting to maintain hair integrity.”
How to Use a Hair Dryer Brush
Brown’s trick is to only start using a hair dryer brush once the hair is already 50% dry (and we recommend air-drying that first 50%!). Doing anything to soaking wet hair doubles the time, but especially in this case, as “it would also mean that you’re applying much more heat and tension on the hair for a longer period of time.”
But the most important step, according to Fitzsimons is protecting your hair. “I tell my clients, friends, and anyone who will listen: *always* use heat protectant on your hair! Never skip this step,” he cautions, adding that “as long as you’re protecting your hair and using hair brush dryers correctly,” then you shouldn’t have an issue with keeping hair healthy and breakage-free.
Here’s our expert-approved guide to using a hair dryer brush
Shampoo and condition hair with a duo designed for the style you’re looking to achieve.
Use a wide tooth comb, like this one from Pattern by Tracee Ellis Ross, or a hair brush to gently detangle any knots.
Air dry hair until it’s 50% dry, but first, apply a heat protectant. Brown loves Kérastase Nectar Thermique. If you must, you can also use a hair dryer instead of air drying.
If you’re using a paddle hair dryer brush for a straight look, simply start at the root and glide the bristles through the bottom of the strands. “Make sure you’re giving your hair a hard pull to get good tension,” says Brown. “The harder the pull, the smoother and straighter your blowout will be.” Repeat until hair is completely dry.
For a big, salon-quality blowout, use a circular or oval-style brush that looks “similar to a curling iron size barrel,” says Brown, then “wrap your hair around the barrel to achieve a very bouncy blowout.” To create more defined curls or waves, wrap sections of hair tightly around the bristles, hold for a moment, then pull downward with a firm hand.
If you notice any flyaways after styling, Brown suggests smoothing her hand over her hair after the heat has been removed to help lay them down. “You may also want to spray a lightweight hairspray into your hand and smooth the hair to help it set.”
Meet the Experts
Alex Brown is a Chicago-based hairstylist who learned the ropes from the legendary Jen Atkin. Brown is a favorite of many of today’s It girls, including Hailey Bieber, Bella Hadid and Chrissy Teigen. She recently opened her own hair studio in Chicago.
Andrew Fitzsimons got his start working with the Kardashian sisters, who still have him on speed dial when they’re looking for an especially show-stopping ‘do. He recently launched his eponymous line of hair care products exclusively at Ulta to much fanfare.
Annagjid “Kee” Taylor owns the Philadelphia salon Deeper Than Hair, which is one of the country’s premiere salons for naturally textured and Black hair. She’s also the author of the children’s book, All Hair Is Good Hair, to help girls love their natural hair.
Meet the Author
Kaitlin Clark is the Beauty + Style Commerce Editor at WWD. Her ultimate goal in life is to recreate 90s supermodel hair with ease and the best hair dryer brushes have brought her closer than ever to her dream. Off-hours, you can find her at Prospect Park with her dog, Tucker, or buying too many plants.
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