The Best Blow-dryer Brushes 2024 | The Strategist

Nov 04, 2024

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The Strategist’s carefully chosen and rigorously vetted flagship shopping guides. Learn about our methodology here, and find all our Best in Class guides here.

Blow-dry brushes may seem like a new invention, but they’ve actually been around since the ’80s. While the blow-dry brushes of the past were cumbersome, today’s iterations are more sophisticated, combining the process of blow-drying with a round brush into one easy-to-use tool. I’ve been following hair trends for years (it’s a part of the gig), and after the virality of the Revlon One-Step brought the tools back into the spotlight, there are now plenty of options to choose among. “Blow-dryer brushes take away the shoulder fatigue and allow more mobility and ease,” says Drew Schaefering, master stylist and senior educator at Rob Peetoom Salon. And just as a blowout with a round brush creates a voluminous style, these blow-dryer brushes act as an all-in-one styling tool. Ahead, six experts on their eight favorite blow-dryer brushes, plus my thoughts on some of my favorite models.

Update on October 29, 2024: Updated prices and checked stock for all products.

Blow-dryer brushes exist in different sizes, shapes, and strengths to suit all sorts of hair lengths and textures, but generally our experts prefer blow-dryer brushes with multiple heat settings. The more heat settings the brush has, the better you can customize the dryer to your hair’s needs. Lower heat settings are a must if you have fine, fragile, or damage-prone hair so you don’t cause unwanted heat damage, while higher settings are best if your hair is thicker.

You’ll also want to pay attention to the type of bristles the brush has. Our experts generally prefer brushes with a combination of nylon and tufted bristles, which they say help create the best tension and control for styling most hair types. Ceramic bristles are also a good option as they help distribute heat evenly to prevent excess-heat damage to hair.

Ideally your brush will have a cool-shot button or cool setting, which can help to set and lock your style.

Heat settings: 3 heat settings | Bristle type: Nylon and tufted bristles | Cool setting versus no cool setting: Cool setting

It’s not surprising to see the Double Shot take the top spot, coming from a brand well known for its blowout salons. The brush has a combination of tufted and nylon bristles, which allows for both tension and control to give the hair less frizz and more shine. As I mentioned in the criteria above, temperature control lets you tailor your blow-dry to your hair type. The Double Shot has three settings: cool, medium, and high. I used the medium and cool ones only, which gave my fine hair shine and bounce without it feeling fried. While I usually find blow-drying to be a slightly strenuous activity, the Double Shot clocks in at just 2.6 pounds, something my wimpy wrists appreciated. I also noticed that the strategically placed vents on the brush allowed for greater airflow, which resulted in a speedy blowout. And it’s powerful enough to be fast, confirms stylist Takisha Sturdivant-Drew, whose celebrity clients include Kerry Washington and Renee Elise Goldsberry. It works well on a variety of hair types and particularly well for those with longer hair. (If you have shorter, thinner hair, consider Drybar’s smaller model: the Single Shot.)

Heat settings: 3 heat settings | Bristle type: Nylon and tufted bristles | Cool setting versus no cool setting: Cool setting

We’ve written about the older version of the Revlon One-Step, which features a paddle-brush design instead of a round brush. It’s been widely praised by Amazon reviewers with natural hair, and a writer for Strategist U.K. was thrilled that it dried her natural hair efficiently and quickly while requiring the use of only one hand. “With my other hand free to help section as I went, my hair was left fantastically blown-out, without a hint of dampness to be found,” she wrote. The old model racked up more than 5,000 reviews after going viral, but this newer version is even more popular with more than 170,000 reviews on Amazon. It also comes recommended by the professionals we spoke to.

A word of caution, though, to my fellow fine-haired folks: I tried out the Revlon One-Step when a well-meaning, curly-haired cousin offered to let me borrow her beloved blow dryer brush and it was way too hot for my hair to handle. As Sturdivant-Drew, who is also a fan, notes, the blow dryer will help you achieve a smooth, no-frizz look but is best for those with thick and curly hair types. Stylist Jessica Lee thinks that blow-dryer brushes are particularly helpful for people with coarse and curly hair who typically have to use two hot tools to style their hair, she explains. A blow-dryer brush can be a great two-in-one, while also cutting down the amount of heat that is applied to the hair, preventing heat damage caused by excessive styling.

Heat settings: 3 heat settings | Bristle type: Ceramic bristles | Cool setting versus no cool setting: Cool setting

Earlier this month Dyson released a new model of its AirWrap called the AirWrap Complete. While a majority of our experts praise Drybar’s brush, many noted that its single barrel is a big downside, limiting the hair lengths the brush works for and styles it can create. Another reason to splurge for the updated Dyson: It comes with a whole slew of attachments so you can style your hair in a variety of ways. The biggest difference I found when testing is the curling barrels: With the original model, you had to swap the barrels out mid-style. Now you can change the airflow from clockwise to counterclockwise, which makes the process much easier and faster.

For someone looking for versatility the Dyson Airwarp Styler is “an all-around Swiss army knife for blowing out hair,” says Schaefering. Another fan, Lee, admires the versatility and high-powered airflow, but she points out that at almost four times the price of Drybar’s version, it’s quite an investment. Still, Schaefering says, the cost is justified. “One of the main points of difference between a high-end machine like the Dyson Airwrap and a less expensive brand is the quality of heat and the control of the temperature,” he says. While any blow-dryer brush can get the job done in terms of drying the hair, machines like the Dyson measure the air’s heat hundreds of times per second to make sure you aren’t getting more than your hair can handle, which ultimately means less heat damage. In addition to the regular Airwrap Complete, Dyson also released a new kit designed specifically for curly/coily hair, which includes a wide-tooth comb attachment, as well as a kit for long hair, which includes longer curling barrels.

Heat settings: 4 heat settings | Bristle type: Nylon and tufted bristles | Cool setting versus no cool setting: Cool setting

Launched this past fall, the FlexStyle is Shark’s answer to Dyson’s Airwrap. Clocking in at $300, the FlexStyle is half the price of the Airwrap and utilizes the same high-speed airflow technology and a variety of attachments. The FlexStyle for straight and wavy hair comes with five attachments: a round brush, a paddle brush, a concentrator nozzle, and two curling barrels. For curly hair, there’s a bundle that swaps out one of the brushes for a diffuser. I appreciated that the FlexStyle has a rotating handle that swivels down to turn it from a styler into a more traditional hair dryer. Plus the base of the wand works as a dryer without any attachments. The main difference comes down to curling. The FlexStyle has two barrels: one that curls hair to the right and one that curls hair to the left, which is how the original version of the Airwrap worked until Dyson improved its tech. The latest Airwrap has barrels that can blow air in both directions, which I find makes styling much easier. So while I will still opt for my Airwrap, if you don’t want to drop $600 on the original, the FlexStyle offers a similar experience for half the price.

Heat settings: 5 heat settings | Bristle type: Nylon and tufted bristles | Cool setting versus no cool setting: Cool setting

T3’s Airebrush Duo is my favorite for versatility because it offers five heat settings and three speed settings, the most of any brush on this list. That’s 15 different styling combinations. I especially appreciated this, since my fine hair doesn’t need high heat, so the lower settings were perfect for me. But this tool still packs plenty of punch if you need higher temps. And, because it features an interchangeable paddle brush and a round brush, you can use it for both blowouts or for straightening. (If you don’t need the paddle attachment, T3 does offer the Airebrush without it, for $40 less.) The brush is also easy on the eyes and easy to use: The nylon and tufted bristles moved through my hair easily without snagging and created a bouncy, shiny, frizz-free blowout.

Heat settings: 2 heat settings | Bristle type: Nylon and tufted bristles | Cool setting versus no cool setting: No cool setting

This little round blow-dryer brush has a 1.25-inch barrel, making it ideal for shorter hair. And while it’s small, it’s also mighty. Lee says it adds lots of volume while smoothing out your curls. Like the above, it has two types of bristles to smooth out the root, and it has two heat settings and a tourmaline barrel to help with frizz.

Heat settings: 4 heat settings | Bristle type: Nylon and tufted bristles | Cool setting versus no cool setting: Cool setting

Revlon has released an updated version of its original One Step, which features a more compact size and a thinner barrel. While it does work for all hair lengths, the smaller brush head is specifically designed for those with medium-length lobs and shorter bobs. It features the same power the original is known for, but now with one extra heat and speed setting. But, as I’ve noted before, Revlon’s brushes get very hot, so people with damage-prone or fine-textured hair should steer clear. However, if you have a thicker hair type, and need that extra heat and power to achieve a silky, frizz-free blowout, this is a great, affordable option.

Heat settings: 3 heat settings | Bristle type: Nylon and tufted bristles | Cool setting versus no cool setting: Cool setting

The main appeal of a blow-dryer brush is that you no longer have to use two tools to style your hair, which can be tedious (not to mention exhausting for your arms). With that in mind, it’s important that your two-in-one tool doesn’t weigh too much, defeating the entire purpose of a blow-dryer brush. De La Paz likes this one because of how lightweight it is. “I highly recommend this for elders or anyone being mindful of injuries,” he says. At a mere 1.25 pounds, it’s among the lightest on this list. (Drybar’s model is a touch lighter, but it’s also $50 more.) Beyond size, it has lots of other appealing features: multiple heat settings; ionic technology, which tackles frizz; and a mix of nylon and tufted bristles, which helps with volume and detangling.

• Cassadi Currier, hairstylist and extension specialist• Henry De La Paz, hairstylist• Maria Elizabeth, founder of Salon deZen• Jessica Lee, hairstylist• Drew Schaefering, master stylist and senior educator at Rob Peetoom Salon• Takisha Sturdivant-Drew, hairstylist

Additional reporting by Jenna Milliner-Waddell.

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