Best blow dry brush for thick curly hair

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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.”

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.

Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer $44.99 Buy Now

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.

Drybar Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush $150 Buy Now

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!”

Dyson Airwrap Styler $549 Buy Now

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.”

Infinitipro By Conair Hot Brush $39.99 Buy Now

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.

Amika Hair Blow Dryer Brush $100 Buy Now

 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.

BaBylissPro Nano Titanium 2” Rotating Hot Hair Brush $89.99 Buy Now

 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.

Moroccanoil Smooth Style Ceramic Heated Brush $130 Buy Now

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.”

Hot Tools 24K Gold Charcoal Infused One-Step Blowout $74.99 Buy Now

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.

Ghd Volumizing Rise Hot Round Brush $189 Buy Now

 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.

L’Ange Le Volume 70MM 2-in-1 Volumizing Brush Dryer $99 Buy Now

 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 $59.99 Buy Now

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

1. Shampoo and condition hair with a duo designed for the style you’re looking to achieve.
2. Use a wide tooth comb, like this one from Pattern by Tracee Ellis Ross, or a hair brush to gently detangle any knots.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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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