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The 6 Best Hot Air Brushes That Deliver Bouncy Blowouts At Home

Our top picks are worth every penny.

Collage of hot air brushes we recommend on a gray background

Byrdie / Kevin Liang

It’s no secret that achieving a sleek blowout at home using a hair dryer and a round brush can be challenging—it requires coordination, arm strength, and skill. Enter hot air brushes also known as blow dry brushes. They act as part blow dryer, part curling iron, and part straightener, allowing you the ability to dry your hair and create smoothness, bend, or movement in one fell swoop. “The best part of a hot air brush is that it cuts down on styling time,” says Zoya Ghamari, hairstylist and owner of Zoya Salon in Dallas. “It also helps you dry and style your hair at the same time.” Alex Brown, a Chicago-based celebrity hairstylist, adds that hot air brushes can help pump up the volume and give you the look of a round brush blow-dry without having to use multiple tools.

We narrowed down the best options for you by conducting two comprehensive tests—one in our lab facility in Manhattan with testers and professional hairstylists, and one in the real world where we each took home one tool to try out in our daily lives. We evaluated each tool based on how well it dried the hair, how it made the hair look, how easy it was to use, its design features, and its value. And ahead, we’re sharing the hot air brushes that impressed us the most.

What We Like
  • Comes with 6 attachments

  • Can create a range of styles

  • Multiple heat and airflow settings

  • Tool has an ergonomic design that’s intuitive to use

What We Don't Like
  • Curls aren't as long-lasting in fine hair

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

This hot air brush is a favorite of Ghamari, who says it's the best in terms of quality and versatility—and we agree. The do-it-all tool 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.

It has 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 different hair types. Three different air pressure settings also allow for further customization. Plus, each and every attachment does what it claims to do. It’s also worth noting that it comes with a two-year warranty—so you can ensure your big purchase is protected.

What We Like
  • Comes with a variety of different attachments

  • You can customize your set of attachments on the brand website

  • Has four different heat settings and a cold shot

  • Is more affordable than similar options on the market

  • Great for all different hair types

What We Don't Like
  • Comes with two curling attachments that each turn a different way rather than one that can be flexed

  • Can feel a bit heavy after a few minutes of styling

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

There's so much to love about Shark's FlexStyle brush. First, 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.

What We Like
  • Nice, powerful airflow

  • Features multiple temperature settings which are easy to adjust

  • Easy and intuitive to use

  • Affordable and accessible

What We Don't Like
  • Entire tool gets very hot when using the highest heat setting

  • No truly cool setting or cold shot

  • Could be more smoothing

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

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.

What We Like
  • Teardrop shape brush head

  • Lightweight and easy to maneuver

  • Creates smooth results

What We Don't Like
  • Airflow could be a bit more powerful

  • Could get a bit hotter

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

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.

What We Like
  • Comes with three attachments

  • Weighs less than one pound

  • Glides smoothly through hair

  • Intuitive and easy to use

What We Don't Like
  • Could do a better job at taming frizz

  • Pricey compared to similar options on the market

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

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. This makes 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.

What We Like
  • Has multiple heat settings

  • Large barrel is nice for long hair

  • Glides through hair easily

  • Leaves hair looking shiny

  • Affordable

What We Don't Like
  • Doesn’t have a cold shot to set hair

  • Could get a bit hotter

  • Doesn’t create a bouncy look

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

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 it impressed us in terms of how shiny it makes the hair look. We appreciate that it has three heat settings and 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.

What to Look for When Buying a Hot Air Brush

  • Bristle Type: According to Ghamari, you want to pay attention to what kind of bristles a hot air brush has. Ceramic-coated bristles, for instance, do a great job of distributing heat so you don’t damage your hair. Meanwhile, boar and nylon bristles work to smooth and detangle strands.
  • Cord Length: Ghamari says to check out the cord length of a hot air brush too. A long cord will make the brush super easy to use, no matter where you are. (A cord length of 6 to 9 feet is best for ease of use.) It’s also wise to choose an option with a swivel cord so that the tool and the cord move with you.
  • Temperature Control: Having the ability to control the temperature of a hot air brush is key, says Ghamari. That’s because being able to choose the temperature will prevent you from overheating your precious hair. Have fine or damaged hair? Simply set your hot air brush to the lowest temperature setting to avoid damaging your hair further.
  • Cool Shot: Ghamari also suggests looking for a hot air brush with cool shot functionality. Ending your drying and styling session with a cool shot may help lock your look in place and add shine.
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.”

  • 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.

  • 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.

Why Trust Byrdie

Angela Trakoshis has more than five years of experience in beauty journalism. She has tried and researched countless hot air brushes and personally swears by them for at-home use. For this story, we recruited other testers with different hair types to test each hot air brush. Each tester graded each tool on the same scale and on different pieces of hair. Angela also interviewed stylists and spent hours conducting her own product research in addition to testing the durability, heat, and performance of each brush.

Alyssa Kaplan is an experienced writer in the beauty industry and product tester specializing in cosmetics. She received a bachelor’s degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she studied marketing and product development in the cosmetics industry as well as fashion business marketing. Alyssa has been a commerce writer at Byrdie since 2022, where she covers all things beauty.

We also spoke to experts to learn more about what to keep in mind when shopping for a hair dryer brush. Those experts include:

  • Zoya Ghamari, a hairstylist and owner of Zoya Salon in Dallas. She specializes in hair extensions, top hairpieces, and wigs. She caters to clients in both Texas and California.
  • Alex Brown, a celebrity hairstylist and the founder of Space by Alex Brown in Chicago. She’s worked with the likes of Kendall Jenner, Hailey Baldwin, and Bella Hadid, splitting her time between New York, LA, and her Chicago home base.

    According to our Diversity Pledge, 15% of products in our newly-published market roundups will feature Black-owned and/or Black-founded brands. At the time of publishing, we weren’t able to find any hot air brushes from a Black-owned and/or Black-founded business. If you know of one we should consider, please email us at contact@byrdie.com and we will evaluate the product ASAP.

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