8 Best Hairdryer Brushes of 2019

What Is A Hairdryer Brush?

A hairdryer brush combines two things that take up most of your time – a hairdryer and a hairbrush. Essentially, it is a hairbrush that blows hot air or a hairdryer that has bristles. While hairdryer brushes are specifically designed to handle wet to damp hair, most of them can also be used on dry hair at lower heat settings.

You can use a hairdryer brush for both, drying your hair and styling it. Your styling options, however, will be determined by the type of hairdryer brush you get. Hairdryer brushes can be grouped into 3 categories on the basis of their design – paddle, barrel, and dual arm.

Paddle hairdryer brushes look like traditional brushes with one exception. They have vents behind the bristles from which hot air blows. These types of hairdryer brushes are best used for straightening hair. Their shape prevents them from being used for any other style including curls and waves.

Barrel hairdryer brushes have cylindrical brushes. Owing to their shape, you can use these brushes for curling and adding waves to your hair in addition to straightening it. While barrel hairdryer brushes can be used for straightening as well, they’re better at creating curls. A few barrel hairdryer brushes have rotating barrels but most are static.

Hybrid hairdryer brushes don’t qualify for either of the above two categories. Their shape and design tend to be a mix. For instance, there are hairdryer brushes that have the cylindrical shape but with bristles only on one side. These half-cylinder bristles act like a mix of barrel and paddle brushes.

Similarly, there are hairdryer brushes that have a dual arm design and look like flat irons. While straightening irons have two flat heated surfaces through which you’re supposed to run your hair, dual arm hairdryer brushes have a roller on one arm and a brush on the other. The idea is to run the hair through the brush while pressing the roller to it. Generally, the barrels in these types of brushes rotate.

What Are The Benefits Of A Hairdryer Brush?

It is easy to figure out the benefits of using a hairdryer brush. They’re quite intuitive, especially if you’ve been styling your hair for some time. We’ll list these benefits quickly anyway.

1. Hairdryer brushes are easier to use because they allow you to style your hair with a single hand.
2. Hair dryer brushes save time because you don’t have to dry and brush your hair separately.
3. Hair dryer brushes can be used to create multiple styles.
4. Hair dryer brushes are designed to counter frizz and flyaway hair.

How Should You Choose Your Hairdryer Brush?

Different models and brands have different features. This is why different hairdryer brushes will suit different women. So, how should you go about choosing one? Here are some things you should consider.

1. Type: If you plan on curling your hair with your hairdryer brush, then you have to focus on barrel based products. On the other hand, if you only want to straighten your hair, then a paddle brush is what you should go for.
2. Size: Women with excessively thick or curly hair will need big barrels measuring 2 inches. Women with thinner, finer, or shorter hair will do well to pick slimmer barrels instead. Paddle brushes, because of their huge heads, tend to do very well with thick, long hair.
3. Temperature / Wattage: If you have coarse and thick hair, then you need as much power as you can get. This means higher wattage. In contrast, if your hair is fine, thin, brittle, or damaged, then you can’t apply too much heat. You’ll need to get brushes with less power.
4. Material: Picking aluminum based brushes is not recommended. Tourmaline, titanium, and ceramic are better materials because they’re safer and gentler on your hair. Ionic technology is also something you should look for. Those negative ions work wonders against frizz and flyaway hair.
5. Weight: Using a light hairdryer brush is obviously easier. Moreover, if you have arthritis or some chronic problem, then the weight of the hairdryer brush becomes absolutely vital.

Top 8 Hairdryer Brushes Comparison Table

Top 4 Affordable (Under $39) Hairdryer Brushes: Detailed Reviews

1. Revlon Hot Air Brush Kit for Styling & Frizz Control (Top Pick)

Editor’s Rating: 4.0/5.0

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This is a barrel based hairdryer brush with a tremendous amount of power behind it. Both of these aspects are important.

The barrel design means that this is an incredibly versatile brush. You can use it to straighten your hair or add curls to it.

It is one of the most powerful hairdryer brushes, rated at 1200 watts. It will have no problems drying your hair, regardless of how thick they are. It blows hot air with power and you’ll notice that immediately because of one of its flaws.

It has holes at the bottom of the head and you’ll feel it on your hand gripping the handle. We don’t understand the purpose of these holes unless the manufacturers thought they had enough power to heat the handle and hand holding it as a bonus. As it is, these holes take away hot air from where it is needed the most – in the hair.

The leftover blowing power of this brush is still enough to help you dry your hair. At the same time, if you’re one of those women who like to style damp or dry hair, the lower heat setting will make it possible. This device has three heat settings with one of them being cold.

This is more than just a simple brush. It is a kit that comes with two barrels of different sizes. They measure 1.5 inches and 1 inch. The 1.5 inch barrel makes this device ideal for women with medium length and medium thickness hair. The 1 inch barrel will serve women with short hair or fine hair well.

Also, the wider barrel will be good for creating loose or big curls while the thinner barrel will help with tight and small curls. You won’t have to worry about the cord wrapping around your body while styling either. This brush comes with a professional 360-degree swivel cord.

While this is an excellent hairdryer brush kit, you need to be mindful of the fact that its barrel is made of aluminum. This isn’t the most desirable material because it can end up frying the hair if the user is not careful. Moreover, with its high power output, the aluminum barrel can end up damaging hair if you use it for too long in a single sitting or even too often.

Despite being made up of aluminum, the barrel still boasts of ionic technology. This technology causes the release of negative ions that counter static to remove frizz and flyaway hair. Further, the aluminum barrel also makes this one of the cheapest devices in its class.

In terms of usability, this device has short and soft bristles that don’t snag the hair. On the other hand, its heat setting toggle switch is difficult to manage. Durability is a major concern too as this device has a tendency to break down too soon.

In the majority of cases, it is the detachable heads that fail because the mount on which they’re fixed wears off with repeated use. Without the mount, the heads become loose and fall off at importune moments.

The device also doesn’t support 220V which means you’ll need a voltage converter if you plan on going abroad.

Who’s it for: This hairdryer brush from Revlon will be perfect for you if you have short to medium length hair, have multiple styling needs, and are looking to save a lot of money.

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2. Brionic One-Step Hair Dryer & Styler

Editor’s Rating: 3.75/5.0

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To dry wet hair or even damp hair, you’ll need a hairdryer brush with a lot of power behind it. This power is not only supposed to heat the air to effective temperatures but also deliver it with enough push. From this perspective, you won’t find many hairdryer brushes better than the Brionic One-Step Hair Dryer & Styler.

This device boasts of a power output of 1200 watts. Not many devices can top that. This power means that this hairdryer brush is excellent even for women with very thick, coarse, and curly hair. A direct downside of a lot of blowing power is noise. With its 1200 watts output, you can expect this device to be incredibly noisy.

Its power is supplemented by a tourmaline paddle with ionic technology. The paddle generates negative ions that eliminate frizz and flyaway hair while sealing hair follicles.

This is a paddle device, however. This means that it is most effective for straightening the hair and cannot be used for creating curls or any other style. Further, there are three heat settings for you to choose from – high, low, and cool.

It is also a user-friendly hairdryer brush because it has a 360-degree swivel cord. No matter how you move this brush around your head, the cord won’t tangle.

This is a good thing too because you won’t have the energy to untangle the cord after using this brush. It is one of the heavier devices in the market, coming in at more than 2 pounds.

Its manufacturing quality is also questionable. Materials used are such that this device feels very flimsy. There is a 30 day money back guarantee, though. If you plan on taking this device abroad, make sure to get a voltage converter because this brush doesn’t support 220V setups.

Who’s it for: If you have especially thick and curly hair but aren’t willing to spend too much, this device may be the one for you.

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3. Lescolton One Step Hair Dryer & Styler

Editor’s Rating: 3.75/5.0

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For a woman with incredibly thick, coarse, or curly hair, nothing can be more annoying than drying them after wash. What’s worse is that there aren’t even a lot of products in the market that can help them with the problem. After all, most hair drying products are designed for medium length hair.

Lescolton One Step Hair Dryer & Styler is not one of those products. It possesses a huge paddle which is a clear indication that it is meant for a woman with very thick or long hair. Reports from its users say the same thing as well.

The big paddle is backed by good power output. With a rating of 1000 watts, this device has enough juice to deliver hot air with force. That’s not all though. It is also good at removing frizz and flyaway hair owing to its ionic technology.

The huge paddle means the handle is huge too. This makes this hairdryer brush very bulky and difficult to manage. So, if you plan on getting this device you better be ready for building some arm muscles.

Its size also means that it cannot be used by women with shorter hair. Needless to say, the paddle design precludes any form of styling other than straightening.

Surprisingly though, it has particularly soft bristles. Softer bristles are recommended for fine, thin, and brittle hair. As a result, when this brush is used on thick hair, the bristles tend to bend. While some women appreciate this gentle treatment, for others,the softer bristles may be unable to grip their hair.

In terms of usability, this device offers three different heat settings including cool. It has a professional swivel cord that prevents unnecessary wire entanglements.

The biggest questions being raised against this device have to do with its durability. A lot of its users have complained of poor construction quality and flimsiness. This means that for this device to last, it needs to be handled with utmost care.

It is also not that travel friendly. If its bulk and weight don’t put you off from taking it with you on your travels, then you the need to get a voltage converter just might do it.

Who’s it for: If you have long, curly, but fine hair, then Lescolton is one of few devices that will fit your requirements.

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4. Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Styler (Best Budget)

Editor’s Rating: 4.0/5.0

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The phrase “one-step” was popularized by Revlon. The company can be seen as the granddaddy of hair dryers and hot air brushes. It has been around for the longest time and has some of the most loyal users. The Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Styler is one of those devices that have created that kind of following.

This is a nearly iconic paddle type hairdryer brush. It boasts of tremendous power and a gigantic head. The two combine to make this brush wonderfully useful for thick and long hair. However, that is only if you wish to straighten your hair. If you wanted to curl it instead, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

Owing to its excellent design and power output, we were a bit surprised by the fact that the lower half of the head doesn’t blow air with the same force that the top does. This can end up forcing you to create some interesting techniques for brushing your wet or damp hair but it is possible as its droves of users are more than willing to testify.

This brush’s awesome power also means that it isn’t suited for women with thin, fine, brittle, or damaged hair. The heat alone will end up damaging your hair further. Also, if you have sensitive ears, give this one a pass because it is very loud.

In addition to drying and straightening the hair, this device is also capable of eliminating flyaway hair and frizz because of its ionic technology. It has three heat settings including the one that blows cool air.

This device isn’t built for usability. While it does possess a very useful swivel cord, it is heavy and cumbersome. Its weight and bulkiness can put a lot of pressure on your arm, especially if you insist on using it one-handed.

It isn’t even a great travel companion. It doesn’t support the 220V power system which is used by most of the countries out of North America. So, if you want to travel abroad, invest in a good voltage converter.

Who’s it for: If you want tremendous power, don’t mind a lot of noise, and have some muscles on your arm, then this device will make you very happy.

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Top 4 Premium (Above $39) Hairdryer Brushes: Detailed Reviews

5. John Frieda Hot Air Brush (Best Value)

Editor’s Rating: 4.25/5.0

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When you want a hairstyling tool, you want one that is used by the best in the business. John Frieda is considered to be a hairstyling legend and the John Frieda Hot Air Brush is the hairdryer brush you want.

It has a barrel design which means that you’ll be able to use it for both, curling and straightening your hair. The barrel, itself, is made of titanium ceramic which is the latest in heat transfer technology.

Further, the brush boasts of ionic technology for women trying to deal with flyaway and frizzy hair. The quality of the barrel and its ionic technology combine to leave the hair smooth, silky, and shiny even for women with brittle, weak, thin, fine, or damaged hair.

The brush comes in two barrel configurations. The first spans 1 inch while the second measures 1.5 inches across. The thinner brush works well for women with shorter hair while the wider one is ideal for medium length and medium thickness hair.

Moreover, you can also choose between the two configurations on the basis of your style preferences. For instance, if you want tighter curls, the thinner barrel is what you need. In contrast, the wider barrel is best if you want looser curls.

As is standard in this category of products, there are three different heat settings that you’ll be able to use with this brush. These are hot, warm, and cool.

The device is also very easy to use. Its handle is thin enough to be gripped with ease and light enough to be manipulated comfortably. Further, it even boasts of a 360-degree swivel cord for extra convenience.

The one area where you may find this hairdryer brush lacking, though, is power output. It is only rated for 500 watts. While you can use this device on wet hair, the lower power output means that it will take longer to dry your hair. In fact, the thicker your hair, the longer this brush will take to dry it.

While light and compact, you’ll still have trouble traveling with this device because it doesn’t have dual voltage support. If you’re going abroad, make sure you have a voltage converter.

Who’s it for: This brush is ideal for women with thin and fine, medium or short length hair.

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6. INFINITIPRO BY CONAIR Wet/Dry Hot Air Brush Styler

Editor’s Rating: 3.75/5.0

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Conair is a very famous name when it comes to hairstyling tools. The INFINITIPRO Wet/Dry Hot Air Brush Styler is an excellent example of the quality of the INFINITIPRO series from the Conair brand.

It is easily the oldest model in this list and possibly one of the oldest hairdryer brushes still available in the market right now. However, despite its age, women are still buying it and raving about it too.

It has a very strange design. It is neither a barrel based hairdryer brush nor a paddle based one. Instead, it is a bit of both. Its hybrid design means that it has a barrel like head but only one half of it has bristles. You can think of it like half a barrel brush.

Because it isn’t a complete barrel brush, it isn’t all that good for curling hair. However, it is very good when it comes to straightening hair owing to its “Triple Action Styling System”.The brush straightens, shines, and removes frizz at the same time.

This is made possible by its tourmaline ceramic technology that produces negative ions. As you may know, negative ions counter static and make hair smoother and shinier.

The real allure of this product, however, is that it is excellent for women with short hair. There aren’t many hairdryer brushes out there that are designed for short length hair but this one is.

Another real quality of this brush is its weight. It is incredibly light which means that even petite ladies will have no problem handling it. In terms of thickness, this device can handle medium to heavy thickness short hair.

It isn’t as effective with very thick and very curly hair, however. The reason for this is that it lacks sufficient power for that level of thickness. Its power output of 700 watts is enough for medium thickness hair but not for hair that is very heavy.

There are three heat settings in the form of the usual hot, warm, and cool. Appearance wise, this is quite an attractive device. It has a pretty pink color and looks like it stepped out of a sci-fi movie.

The brush is a bit on the louder side and that may bother some of you. Still, if you’ve been using a conventional hairdryer till now, this brush’s noise shouldn’t bother you at all.

A bigger problem is durability. Some users have complained that it broke down within a few months. Further, some others think that it is very difficult to clean the bristle area. You’ll have to work very hard with a cotton bud and alcohol solution to clean it.

Also, you can’t take this brush abroad without a voltage converter as it doesn’t support the 220V power system.

Who’s it for: If you have short hair with up to medium thickness or curl and prefer straightening over curling, then this product will suit your requirements.

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7. Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer

Editor’s Rating: 4.0/5.0

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This One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer from Revlon is different from Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Styler. The difference, of course, is their design.

While this one is a barrel based hairdryer brush, the other one is a paddle based hairdryer brush. In practice, the difference comes out in the way that this brush is able to straighten and curl the hair while the other one can only straighten it.

Revlon usually manufactures product for women with medium to long length hair and this one is no different. The barrel on this brush spans 2 inches, which means that it is most suited for women with thicker and longer hair.

Another feature which shows that this brush is intended for women with medium to long length hair is its power output. Rated at 1100 watts, this brush has just the right power for such requirements. This also means that this brush is able to dry hair fairly quickly.

To be perfect for women with longer and thicker hair, this brush has to be bulky. To offer enough surface area and to deliver all that power, it simply needs to be. Unfortunately, that means that you’ll have to improve your grip strength to use this device.

One standout element of this brush is its oval design. It happens to be the only one in the market that has this design. How much of a difference this oval design makes to what you need this brush for, though, is up for debate.

At the same time, this hairdryer brush is quite accomplished at dealing with frizz and flyaway hair. As is usual with these types of brushes, this one has three heat settings – high, low, and cool.

The cost of this device doesn’t match its durability. For what you’ll pay to get it, we’re sure that you’ll expect it to last much longer than it will. Every buyer seems to be feeling this discrepancy between cost and durability.

The most common complaint is that the motor life is fleeting. It apparently burns out very early. The telltale sign of the failure, of course, is a distinct burning smell.

Many users have even complained that this device isn’t very user friendly. We’ve already mentioned its bulkiness, but its toggle switch for managing heat settings has been criticized as well. According to users, it is very difficult to move it without using the other hand.

Also, there is no dual voltage support. You’ll need a voltage converter if you plan to take this device to a country that uses the 220V system.

Who’s it for: If you want versatility backed by a lot of power, then this Revlon product is exactly what you want.

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8. InStyler MAX WET TO DRY 2-Way Rotating Iron

Editor’s Rating: 3.75/5.0

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This device from InStyler is different from most other wet to dry hairdryer brushes in the market. Its design is a mix of all the traditional hair styling devices. It is a dual-armed device (flat iron), with bristles on one arm (comb), and a plain heated barrel on the other arm (barrel).

This device is effective too. It is capable of straightening and curling your hair, which makes it a very adaptable hairdryer brush. It is especially good for women with short to medium length hair because of the 1.25 inch barrel. At the same time, the thinness of the barrel means that this product may not be ideal for longer hair.

The really good bit is that the barrel rotates both ways. This means that you won’t have to contort your arms to get the right hairstyle. You can just choose the direction in which the barrel should rotate and send through sections of your hair between the two arms of the device.

The plates on this device are tourmaline ceramic and the bristles are ionic. The ionic technology produces negative ions which are proven solutions against flyaway and frizzy hair.

This device is very much capable of drying completely wet hair as it can reach temperatures as high as 425 degrees Fahrenheit. However, you may not want to use it on dripping wet hair. The higher temperatures will turn water into steam which may end up scalding your fingers and ears. It is much better to towel dry your hair first and use one of four heat settings of this device.

InStyler has also paid attention to this device’s appearance. It comes in a pretty combination of blue and white. Additionally, they’ve focused on usability by making this device very quiet. In fact, it is one of the quietest hairdryer brushes we’ve ever come across.

Therefore, if you want to watch your favorite TV show while styling your hair, this device should fit right in. You will, however, have to shell out a lot of money to get it. It is very expensive when compared to its competitors.

Further, if you travel abroad, we suggest investing in a good voltage converter because this device doesn’t support the 220V power system.

Who’s it for: If you want a quiet hairdryer brush without compromising on power, then this product from InStyler will make you very happy.

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