Blow-Dryer Brushes Are Having a Moment, But These Defy Trends

On top of its original hair-enhancing Coanda effect technology, some of the attachments have a few upgrades to point out as well. Now, both curling barrels feature a rotating cool tip to change the direction of airflow, so no more shuffling between left and right attachments. The Firm and Soft smoothing brushes now provide more airflow between bristles, creating a quicker and sleeker at-home blowout. (Just make sure you clean this device’s filter monthly to ensure its airflow is smooth and steady, which we found was critical for maintaining its performance during testing.)

Tester feedback: Editor-in-chief Jessica Cruel was pleasantly surprised to see the results of styling her 4B hair. "I used the firm brush in the Airwrap collection to stretch my hair before doing a DIY trim, and I was surprised at how easy the process was," she says. "The attachment never went flying like with previous combs I've used, and I didn't have to become a contortionist like when I use a separate brush to straighten."

Tester feedback: "The first time I tried the Airwrap multi-styler, I was stunned. Not only did it give me the same effect as the original, but it did it in less than half the time," says Allure market editor Angela Trakoshis. “How? This is all thanks to the new technology in the brushes (the airflow was so much stronger), and the fact I didn’t have to swap barrels was such a game-changer. To give you the entire play-by-play, here’s exactly how I styled my hair.”

• Best for: all hair types and textures
• Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Wattage: 1300W
• Noise level: 77.8 dB
• Attachments: 6 (1.2-inch barrel, 1.6-inch barrel, round volumizing brush, soft smoothing brush, firm smoothing brush, coanda smoothing styler, filter cleaning brush)

Best for Fine Hair: Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System

Why it's worth it: At first glance, what makes the Shark Beauty FlexStyle Multi-Styler instantly stand out from other multi-stylers is its ergonomic, “flexible” neck that rotates to create a 90-degree angle, making it easier to style the back of your head without straining your arms. Whether you grab the Straight & Wavy (above) or Curly & Coily Hair options—the latter comes with our favorite curl diffuser—your interchangeable attachment set will come with the Oval Brush.

This attachment utilizes a mix of heated airflow and a mix of boar and nylon bristles to smooth, polish, and lock your style in place. No matter which of its three heat settings you choose, you can trust that your hair won’t be seared, since it reaches a max of 203 degrees Fahrenheit. Heads up: We’ve found that both the oval and round brush attachments are pretty large, so they’re best for lob lengths or longer.

Tester feedback: Contributing editor Deanna Pai has fine, curly hair—which can sometimes fall flat throughout the day. “I’m more of a wash-and-go girl, but if I need more polish and staying power, I go for the Oval Brush attachment,” she says. “I used it at the base of my hair to get some lift and volume, and more importantly, really loved that the brush didn’t totally eliminate my curls. They still had some definition and bounce, and didn’t look as frizzy as they sometimes do when I use the diffuser attachment—which I’ve found is better for tighter curls and a more tousled look.”

• Best for: all hair types and textures
• Weight: 1.54 pounds
• Wattage: 1600W
• Noise level: 85 dB
• Attachments: 5 (Straight & Wavy: 1.25-inch Auto-Wrap Curler (left), 1.25-inch Auto-Wrap Curlers (right), Oval Brush, Styling Concentrator, Paddle Brush; Curly & Coily: 1.25-inch Auto-Wrap Curler (left), 1.25-inch Auto-Wrap Curlers (right), Oval Brush, Styling Concentrator, Curl-Defining Diffuser

Best Smoothing: Wavytalk Thermal Brush

Why it's worth it: This viral sensation isn’t exactly a hot air brush (and should only be used on already-dry hair), but the Wavytalk Thermal Brush is, nevertheless, our favorite heated round brush for creating smooth, polished blowouts. It’s one of the few TikTok tools that’s actually worth checking out because it’s simple to use, relatively affordable (it’s usually on sale, by the way!), and creates swoon-worthy volume without using hot air. Its five temperature settings quickly polish and smooth hair without frying strands, thanks to its two inner heaters that evenly warm up the barrel in less than a minute. Its LED display makes it easy to navigate through heat modes, so you’re never playing a guessing game with your temperature settings. One thing to keep in mind: our tester notes that styling her shorter sections of hair and bangs were a bit limited, but turning the brush towards her face is the best way to create a voluminous "swoop" effect.

Tester feedback: "I'll admit there's a bit of a learning curve with this thermal brush but overall, I'm really happy with how easy it is to mimic the results of a blowout with this affordable tool," says commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann. "For my longer layers, wrapping my hair around the brush before gently pulling while twisting did the trick for creating a nice curl all the way through."

• Best for: medium-to-long hair lengths
• Weight: 1 pound
• Wattage: 74W
• Noise level: 0dB (silent)
• Attachments: none

Best Volumizing: Drybar The Double Shot

Why it's worth it: The Drybar The Double Shot packs everything we love about visiting a Drybar salon into a handy yellow hot tool. The Double Shot blow-dryer brush uses ionic technology to reduce frizz and a combination of nylon and tufted bristles for a thoughtful balance of tension and control. The brush is lined with vents, which assure even, strong airflow and leave your hair with a springy bounce (without looking like Shirley Temple ringlets). If you have very thick or very long hair, you can do a preliminary rough dry with a regular blow dryer to prep for The Double Shot.

Tester feedback: "If you want people to ask if you just got a professional blowout—that is, super smooth with loads of bounce—Drybar’s The Double Shot Oval Blow-Dryer Brush is the tool for you," says Allure content director Kara McGrath. "Since the barrel is larger than others, it gives tons of volume, but is still thin enough to create some curls as well (and to really get into the cowlick that curses my bangs)."

• Best for: fine-to-medium hair textures, straight-to-wavy hair types, short-to-medium lengths
• Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Wattage: 1100W
• Noise level: 80.8 dB
• Attachments: none

Best Interchangeable: T3 Airebrush Duo

Why it's worth it: Endless blowouts and super straight hair are just one hair tool away, thanks to T3's Airebrush Duo. This Allure Best of Beauty winner gives you options, thanks to the interchangeable barrel and paddle brush styling attachments. Each attachment is made with a ceramic base and a mix of nylon bristles and firm pins for a smooth, shiny, and knot-free finish. If this brush's interchangeable attachments don't entice you, its 15 heat and speed combinations for a truly customized approach to drying and styling your hair definitely will. Like most blow-drying brushes, the Airebrush's interchangeable heads work best on slightly damp—not soaking wet—hair.

Tester Feedback: “This was the first blow-dryer brush I've ever used, so it'll always hold a special place in my heart. It's pretty quiet for how powerful it is, and it's not particularly heavy either, which eliminates two notorious annoyances when it comes to blow-dryer brushes," says Allure commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann. “I like holding it upside down and letting my hair wrap around the barrel as I pull the brush through while twisting—I prefer a curly blowout, and find that letting a freshly passed strand cool a bit on the barrel before letting it go really helps hold the shape for a long time. A little bit of mousse to prep and hairspray to finish really help with longevity too, especially if your hair is textured.”

• Best For: all hair types and textures
• Weight: 16.4 oz
• Wattage: 900 Watts
• Noise level: low noise
• Attachments: 2

Best Budget: Revlon One-Step Volumizer Plus 2.0

Why it's worth it: If you haven't already seen one of the many Allure editors and TikTokers raving about the award-winning Revlon One-Step Volumizer Plus 2.0, you have some serious catching up to do. This baby arguably started the entire blow-dryer brush trend and has four temperature settings that'll get you your desired look, no matter the texture. This brush's innovative, groundbreaking design (which has inspired many copycats) is so good that we gave it a 2022 Best of Beauty Award. This under-$100 tool gets bonus points for having a slightly smaller brush head than the original (better for those with shorter hair or seeking extra volume) and a slimmer handle that's easier to grip.

Tester feedback: "I'm no expert at styling my hair, so the more straightforward a tool, the better—so I really appreciate that Revlon's One-Step 2.0 doesn't have much of a learning curve," says commerce editor Sarah Han. "I wrap my hair in a microfiber towel and wait until it's 75% dry before going in with low heat. I'll sometimes set my front pieces with the cool shot mode but I'm not super precious about it. The tool itself is still rather bulky for my liking—even though the top of the handle is slimmer than that of the 1.0—but it gets a good job for the price, and you can probably snag it when it's on sale, too.

• Best For: all hair types and textures
• Weight: 1.8 lbs
• Wattage: 1100 Watts
• Noise level: 75 dBs
• Attachments: 1

Frequently Asked Questions

Even with the fanciest hot tool, the key to a glorious blowout starts with prep, prep, and more prep. Always start on clean, detangled, and damp hair with a bit of leave-in conditioner, advises New York City-based hairstylist Takisha Sturdivant-Drew. "Start at the root and work your way down to the ends without putting too much heat or tension on the hair, "Sturdivant-Drew explains.

Volume is even easier to achieve, especially for straight or wavy textures. "Twist the dryer as you go in a circular motion to add volume if that's what you are looking for," says Sturdivant-Drew. If your hair is on the curly or coily side and you're going for a sleek look, you can follow up with a flatiron or brush it out with the heat off. "If you want it straight, you should use the blow-dryer brush and, right under it, use another brush to smooth those kinky strands all the way out," she says.

To minimize the risk of heat damage, opt for a blow-dryer brush that features several temperature settings, so you can better moderate the amount of heat your hair is undergoing. Not all hair types call for the same heat level, so if you're getting acquainted with a new blow-dryer brush, pay attention to how your hair reacts to different temperature settings as you become more familiar with the tool.

Another tried-and-true defense mechanism is to prep your blowout with a heat protectant. Cosmetic chemist Ginger King tells Allure, "If you're using heat styler or any heat products directly on hair, using a heat protectant, usually made with meadowfoam seed oil, light polymers, or even silicone, can help to minimize damage as they can form a coating on hair." But the best way to fend off heat damage is to not overuse heat on your hair—plain and simple.

Choosing a new hair tool is a matter of personal preference, but shoppers and professional hairstylists alike vouch for the ease of use of blow-dryer brushes. "I predict that soon, all consumers will be using blow dry brushes when styling their manes," New York City-based hairstylist Devin Toth says. "Drying your hair with two hands (a brush in one hand and a blow dryer in the other) could become a thing of the past. Less effort and more efficiency will always be the trend," he adds. Additionally, if you have pain or limited mobility in your hands or arms, a blow-dryer brush is an excellent alternative to a traditional blow-dryer. That said, keep in mind that a rough dry with a traditional blow-dryer is needed for minimal breakage and a more polished, frizz-free finish, as these tools are not designed for wet-to-straight styling.

Blow-dryer brushes come in a range of designs, so depending on the type of barrel, bristles, or shape of your tool, cleaning techniques may vary. "Every brand has different features, but if yours has a filter, remove the dust from it every week," says Toth. "If you are interested in removing hair from the bristles, use either a comb or a boar bristle brush cleaner—a brush used to clean other brushes," he suggests.

If you want to remove product buildup from the bristles of your blow dryer brush, you can wipe it down with a damp cloth. Cherin Choi, a Los Angeles-based hairstylist, previously told Allure that if product buildup won't budge, she uses a small amount of rubbing alcohol to tackle residue from hairsprays, pomades, and the like.

Remember that cleaning your hot tool regularly is critical to peak performance. "[The product/hair buildup] can prevent your tools from working at full capacity," Atlanta-based hairstylist Tukia Allen told Allure. Brian O'Connor, a Nashville-based hairstylist, agreed with Allen, adding that a hot tool with buildup can lead to the "uneven heating of the hair."

• Takisha Sturdivant-Drew, a New York City-based hairstylist
• Ginger King, a cosmetic chemist
• Devin Toth, a New York City-based hairstylist
• Cherin Choi, a Los Angeles-based hairstylist
• Tukia Allen, an Atlanta-based hairstylist
• Brian O'Connor, a Nashville-based hairstylist

We always enlist a range of testers for our makeup vertical, but hair-care products and tools are another story. While there are certain products that can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind. Many are created in order to address a concern (dandruff, breakage, brittleness) or to work most effectively for a specific hair type (4C curls, wavy hair, gray hair). You wouldn’t want to pick up a purple shampoo that’s only been reviewed by someone with, say, auburn hair, or a diffuser that’s never been tested by anyone with curls— right?

For our review of the best blow-dryer brushes, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and stylists—each of whom have different hair types, experiences with blow-drying, and desired outcomes. Testers considered performance across four primary categories: efficacy, versatility, ease of use, and value. For more on what's involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.

A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.

After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.

Read more about our favorite hair tools and accessories:

• Our Editors' All-Time Favorite Hair Straighteners, Revealed
• 8 Best Heatless Curlers for Divinely Damage-Free Ringlets
• Every Curling Iron and Wand to Achieve Photo-Ready Hair

Now, here's a step-by-step look at Brooke Shields's quick and effortless hairstyling routine:

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