Hair dryer brushes remove the uncertainty from the equation for anyone who struggles to blow dry their hair at home. These innovative 2-in-1 tools successfully style and dry your hair at the same time, combining the styling strength of a round brush and the drying power of a hair dryer in a single instrument. Bristles detangle and smooth hair as it dries, producing voluminous, frizz-free shine in a single step. However, there are numerous dryer brushes to pick from, each with its distinct features.
We test and vet hair styling items every day at the HomeAccessoris Institute Beauty Lab, from style tools like the best straightening irons and hair straightening brushes to top-rated hair dryers, hair brushes, and more – so we know what constitutes a good hair tool. Our experienced testers examined 10 hair dryer brushes at home and in our lab for ease of use, performance, drying time, and other factors in our most recent hair dryer brush test. We rounded together the best of the best after analyzing the results of our testing (which included approximately 11,000 temperature readings!).
Our top picks:
3
BEST HAIR DRYER BRUSH FOR VOLUME
Style Craft Hot Body Ionic 2-in-1 Blowout Hot Air Brush
6
BEST HAIR DRYER BRUSH FOR THICK HAIR
HOT TOOLS Professional 24k Gold Charcoal Infused Blowout Styler
Please scroll to the bottom of this post for more information from our Beauty Lab specialists on what makes a great hair dryer brush. If you want to learn more about how to obtain your best hair at home, see our guide on the best hair tools and how to use them.
1
PROS
- Dried hair fastest in Lab tests
- Reasonably priced
- Unique shape smooths and adds shine
CONS
- Gets very hot during use
specifications
Heating settings
3
Cord length
6 ft.
Revlon’s cult favourite One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer lived up to its reputation, with over 300,000 Amazon reviews. In Beauty Lab tests, it achieved the fastest rate of drying hair. The form of the brush enables smoothing and gliding through even the hardest hair textures. “I liked how the brush head was large, which allowed it to dry more hair at once,” said one tester. “It was good for creating smooth, straight hairstyles.” The tool was also praised for its easy-to-follow instructions and ability to improve hair shine.
2
PROS
- Top scores for volumizing
- Gentle heat
- Works on all hair types
CONS
- No cool setting
specifications
Heat settings
3
Cord length
9.6 ft.
With this simple-to-hold Amika blow dryer brush, you can achieve a salon-quality blow-out at home. This brush was unanimously voted the finest for generating excellent style and volume on all hair types by all testers. Testers discovered that the product provides a professional-level blow dry while also increasing hair fullness and using mild heat. “I also liked that they used two types of bristles (short and long) as it grabbed the strands of hair and glided through,” one user wrote. This selection has the longest chord for simple styling and was the only winner with a storage wrap. It is also the most silent hair dryer brush we tested.
3
BEST HAIR DRYER BRUSH FOR VOLUME
Style Craft Hot Body Ionic 2-in-1 Blowout Hot Air Brush
PROS
- Top Lab scores for making hair look shiny
- Pin and boar bristles detangle and smooth
CONS
- Controls can be confusing
specifications
Heat settings
3
Cord length
5.8 ft.
With this simple-to-hold Amika blow dryer brush, you can achieve a salon-quality blow-out at home. This brush was unanimously voted the finest for generating excellent style and volume on all hair types by all testers. Testers discovered that the product provides a professional-level blow dry while also increasing hair fullness and using mild heat. “I also liked that they used two types of bristles (short and long) as it grabbed the strands of hair and glided through,” one user wrote. This selection has the longest chord for simple styling and was the only winner with a storage wrap. It is also the most silent hair dryer brush we tested.
4
BEST HAIR DRYER BRUSH FOR FINE HAIR
Drybar The Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush
NOW 20% OFF
PROS
- Lightweight and comfortable to hold
- Gentlest heat in Lab tests
- Great for short or medium hair
CONS
- Pricey
specifications
Heat settings
3
Cord length
8.9 ft.
In Beauty Lab testing, we discovered that this efficient hair dryer brush provided the gentlest heat of the products we tested, reaching a maximum temperature of 167°F after five minutes of use, nearly 100 lower than the competition — indicating that it will keep hair from becoming overly exposed to heat while still effectively styling. The narrow barrel and modest surface area of the brush make it perfect for fine or short to medium-length hair. With a weight of little under a pound, one tester found it easy to grasp and that the brush combed through her hair quickly. “I got great volume with this, yet my hair felt really smooth — it was comparable to a blow-out from a salon,” said another. “Much better results than using a regular dryer and a separate brush,” said another user.
5
MOST VERSATILE HAIR DRYER BRUSH
Get Salon-Quality Hair at Home with The 5IN1 Hot Air Comb
PROS
- Lower heat is less damaging to hair
- 8 attachments for ultimate versatility
- Innovative design and technology
CONS
- Expensive
- Learning Curve
specifications
Heat settings
3
Cord length
8.5 ft.
In addition to two 1.2-inch and two 1.6-inch barrels for curling, the dryer has handy attachments for straightening hair, such as a pre-styling drier, a strong smoothing brush, a gentle smoothing brush, and a round volumizing brush. The paddle brushes employ Coanda technology to direct airflow down the hair shaft, simulating a salon blowout. What makes it even more incredible? It combines forceful airflow with controlled heat to dry and style your hair while causing minimal damage, making it a favourite among HA Beauty Lab professionals. According to one HA editor who has thick, curly hair, “the Airwrap is the only hair dryer brush I can use to keep my hair straight and less damaged than traditional counterparts.”
6
BEST HAIR DRYER BRUSH FOR THICK HAIR
HOT TOOLS Professional 24k Gold Charcoal Infused Blowout Styler
NOW 40% OFF
PROS
- Best scores for styling hair quickly
- Top scores for easily brushing hair
- Leaves hair looking shiny
CONS
- Heavy
specifications
Heat settings
3
Cord length
8 ft.
Hot Tools won gold for effortlessly combing through and quickly styling even dense, coarse, or curly hair. The controls were also the easiest to operate among the models, with a rotating temperature dial with three heat settings and vent platforms for speedier drying on even the thickest and curliest strands. In Beauty Lab tests, 100% of experienced testers noted that it styled hair quickly and easily combed through strands. “I was surprised by the speed and how fast my hair went from wet to dry,” one user said.
7
PROS
- Rotating mechanism makes styling easier
- Slimmer barrel makes easy work of styling shorter hair
- Boar and nylon bristles smooth and detangle
CONS
- Learning curve with rotating brush
specifications
Heat settings
3
Cord length
Not listed
If twisting hair round and round exhausts your arm, grab this spinning pick that performs the work for you. The 1 12-inch barrel is ideal for shorter styles, and the spinning mechanism turns in two directions to create natural-looking curls and waves on dry hair between washes. While we haven’t tested this product in the Lab, the brand claims that the ceramic technology dries damp strands and delivers long-lasting shine.
How we test hair dryer brushes
In our most recent hair dryer brush tests, we used lab tests and at-home usage tests to evaluate 10 oval dryer brushes. In the Lab, we measured drying speed and airflow, as well as the temperature of each tool using thermocouples – our Lab experts logged 10,980 temperature data as part of this test. We also assessed quantitative characteristics such as weight, size, and cable length and collaborated with Quiet Mark, a third-party certifier, to determine the loudness of each item. Our expert testers tested the dryer brushes at home and completed a full evaluation on ease of use, performance, and overall satisfaction. We discovered the best hair dryer brushes available after processing data from 784 questions obtained from 49 questionnaires.
How to choose the best hair dryer brush
✔️ Heat settings: Multiple heat settings are suitable for working on a variety of hair kinds and textures; lower heat settings are ideal for fine or damaged hair, while higher heat settings are ideal for healthy or thicker, coarser hair types. Our Beauty Lab experts also recommend using a product with a cool shot to help seal in styles.
✔️Bristles: The majority of hair dryer brushes are designed with pin bristles, boar-type bristles, or a combination of both. Pin bristles detangle hair well, while boar bristles grip smooth hair (though they can sometimes create too much strain, as we discovered in lab studies). Look for a dryer brush with boar bristles if you want to smooth out frizz or make your hair look extra shiny. Pin bristles are wonderful for detangling if you’re more concerned with that. Some professional testers preferred bristles of varied lengths to capture every last hair.
✔️Cord length: The length of the cord you’ll need is determined by where you’ll be styling and the proximity of an outlet. Look for a professional-length rope of at least eight feet for maximum flexibility. Shorter cords on less-priced models may limit your ability to style freely – and when travelling, you may not have an outlet near a mirror!
✔️ Ease of use: In our evaluations, we looked into things like Ease of use, comfort when styling, and the intuitiveness of the controls. Look for a tool that fits well in your hand, is easy to hold, and isn’t too heavy.
Are hair dryer brushes damaging?
They can be damaging to your hair, just like any other hot instrument, if you don’t properly prepare it. Exposing hair to intense heat for extended periods can cause structural damage. Therefore, our Beauty Lab experts recommend covering hair in a heat protectant before usage and allowing hair to partially air dry before using a hair dryer brush.
Why trust Home Accessories?
HA has more than 15 years of experience researching, producing, and editing content on skincare. It draws on the knowledge of top industry experts like dermatologists and aestheticians as well as the scientists at the Home Accessories Institute Beauty Lab. She is an authority in moisturizers and all other types of facial skincare products. April collaborates closely with the HA Beauty Lab to organize the testing of skincare products and transform test results into top-notch, enticing content for Home Accessories that is factually correct and validated by science.
Former senior editor at the Home Accessories Institute, Nicole Saporita frequently worked with specialists from the Beauty Lab.
