We Spent Weeks Testing the Best Hot Brushes on Different Hair Types—These 6 Wowed Us (and 8 That Came Close)

Getting volume and bounce in your hair at home is no mean feat. Especially if you have fine or flat hair that struggles to hold onto a style. We can all dream of having our hair blowdried every day by a personal glam squad, but the majority of us have to rely on ourselves for styling our hair at home. Whilst using a hair dryer and round brush to fake a blowdry is absolutely possible at home, it takes a bit of arm gymnastics to coif your hair around the brush, making it fiddly and time-consuming, especially if you have long or particularly thick hair. That is why I love hot brushes (or blowdry brushes)—they make achieving a bouncy blowout at home a whole lot easier.

Who What Wear UK beauty editor Eleanor Vousden uses hot brushes like the Dyson AirWrap to fake a salon blowdry at home.

How We Chose the Best Hot Brushes

With decades worth of beauty testing between us from working in beauty, our editors have tried several hot brushes in our time. In fact, many of us have bought these hot brushes ourselves and having been using them for many months. We've also tried hot brushes at a range of price points, ranging from Revlon's £60 One-Step Volumiser to the Dyson Airwrap, which comes in at £480 as one of the most expensive hot brush options on the market. I asked our editorial team to put the best on the market to the test and share the hot brushes they think are best and worth the money.

The Best Hot Brushes, Tried and Tested On Multiple Hair Types

1. Best Luxury Hot Brush: Dyson Airwrap (£480)
2. Best Affordable Hot Brush: Revlon One Step Hair Dryer and Volumiser (£60)
3. Best Hot Brush for All Hair Types: Shark Flexstyle 5 in 1 Hair Dryer Styler (£300)
4. Best Hot Brush for Volume: Bondiboost Blowout Brush (£68)
5. Best Range of Hot Brush Attatchments: Bellisima Air Wonder 8-In-1 Hair Styler (£90)
6. Best Hot Brush for Straightening: Shark Flexfusion Straight 5-In-1 Air Styler Dryer Ceramic Straightener (£370)

So, which hot brushes are the best? With so many hair multi-stylers on the market, it can be tricky to decipher which one is best for your hair. Blowdry brushes can range from the £20 to £30 mark, all the way up to £480 for Dyson's AirWrap model. This is why I've called upon our team of editors to give their honest, tried-and-tested reviews of the best hot brushes out there that they actually use. We tested all the best hot brushes on the market across a range of hair types to find out which ones are truly worth your money. Scroll ahead for our edit of the ones that made the cut.

The Best Hot Brushes, as Tested by Editors

1. Best Luxury Hot Brush: Dyson AirWrap

Pros: Premium hair tool, multiple attachments, bouncy blowouts at home

Cons: Expensive, takes a while to get used to how the tool works, curls can drop out quickly on straight hair

Specifications:
Lightweight
Quiet
Suitable for all hair types
Can be used on wet or dry hair
3 speeds and 3 heat settings
6 attachments, including a round brush, two curling wands, a paddle brush, smoothing brush and hair dryer/smoothing nozzle

Our Verdict:
I'm aware that this is the most expensive hot brush out there, but I believe that the Dyson AirWrap is one of the best hair multi-stylers for creating bouncy blowdries at home whilst giving you the option to style your hair in many ways. It offers six different attachments, including a round brush—which is easily my favourite of the bunch—as well as two curling barrels for tighter curls, two paddle brushes for detangling and straightening lengths, and a blow-drying attachment.

The soft bristles of the round brush polish my hair as I twist it through my lengths, leaving it shiny and with an incredible bounce and so much volume at the roots. I will admit that it takes a few goes to get a feel for the styler and how it best works for your hair type. I like to use a good hair mousse and hairspray to ensure my curls last, and I make use of the cold shot button to "set" my hair into place before removing the brush to prevent the style from dropping. These tips, combined with the AirWrap itself, really have helped my curls stay in place. If you've been thinking about investing, I'd recommend it. read my full review of the Dyson Airwrap here.

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2. Best Affordable Hot Brush: Revlon One Step Hair Dryer and Volumiser

Pros: Affordable, has good tension to style

Cons: The brush gets hot, so a heat protector is essential, only one attachment

Specifications:

Lightweight
Suitable for all hair types
Can be only be used on wet hair
2 speeds and 3 heat settings
One built-in round brush

Our Verdict:
Who What Wear UK copy editor Georgia Seago put the Revlon One Step Hair Dryer and Volumiser to the test, and she's convinced me to try it too. "I was umming and ahhing over whether I should bother with a blowdry brush—could it really be as easy as the TikTok girlies make it look to get a smooth, bouncy blowout at home? I opted for Revlon’s iconic version because it was the one I’d seen people use and rave about (and it was the cheapest), and I wasn’t disappointed," she says.

"It takes a couple of attempts to get the hang of the technique, but from thereon in it’s pretty foolproof. The barrel itself is massive and has loads of tightly packed bristles, which is what creates the tension needed to really smooth the hair shaft. I’ve seen some users comment that the brush can be a little damaging to their hair—and it does get very hot—but I think if you look after your hair well in general, use a heat protectant (mine is in my leave-in conditioner) and don’t use the brush on soaking wet hair (I rough-dry mine with my hair dryer first), you’ll be fine. Pro tip: make sure the hair is fully dry at the root and use a light-hold hairspray to repel moisture and keep your hair from going frizzy throughout the day. I also prep mine with my favourite hair oil (L’Oréal Professionnel Mythic Oil) and apply a little extra when I’m done for an extra-smooth result."

3. Best Hot Brush for All Hair Types: Shark Flexstyle 5 in 1 Hair Dryer Styler

Social media editor Joy Ejaria loves the Shark FlexStyler Hair Dryer Styler.

Jerrylyn after using the Shark FlexStyle.

Pros: Works across all hair types, wide range of styling attachments, leaves hair smooth

Cons: More expensive than most models, noisy than others but also powerful

Specifications:
Lightweight
Noisier than other hot brushes, but powerful
Suitable for all hair types
Can be used on wet or dry hair
3 speeds and 3 heat settings
5 attachments, including a round brush, two curling wands, a paddle brush, a diffuser head and hair dryer nozzle

Our Verdict:
"I've found myself reaching more and more for my Shark SmoothStyle Hot Brush Smoothing Comb on those in-between wash days," says freelance editor Joy Ejaria. "With the brush, I can shape my hair in a desired style or smooth away frizz. Unlike other hot brushes, this one has ceramic-coated plates on the side that further help the smoothing process. As someone with coarse Afro hair, it's made a world of difference because I often prefer wearing my hair straight."

Affiliate manager, Jerrlyn Saguiped, also rates this hot brush. "This is lightweight considering it's a multi-styling tool. Where my arms would usually hurt from having to hold up curlers, I find that I don't feel that way when I use my Shark (although it could also be because the Flexstyle works much quicker so I'm using it for less time). It's quite noisy, but powerful so I don't really mind it too much."

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4. Best Hot Brush For Volume: BondiBoost Blowout Brush

Pros: Great for beginners, adds volume and smoothness, lasting hold

Cons: Somewhat noisy and quite large, which could make it hard to hold for some

Specifications:
Lightweight
Suitable for all hair types
Can be used on wet or dry hair
2 speeds and 2 heat settings
8 attachments, including three round brushes, one curling wand, a smoothing brush, a diffuser head and hair dryer nozzle
Long cable

Our Verdict:
"Up until a couple of months ago, my experience with hot brushes was limited to watching my grandmother style her hair with her metal-barrelled hot brush in the mirror on her hallway landing. After a string of professional blowdries that just didn't feel 'me' (and some strategic Instagram advertising) I decided to give BondiBoost's hot brush a go," says Who What Wear UK deputy editor Maxine Eggeneberger. "Since I started using it, I've never had so many compliments on my hair. The huge barrel gives excellent bounce and shape that lasts all day without separating, whilst adding insane shine and dimension.

"My hair has never felt softer and I do think the condition has improved too, as the brush effectively negates the need for other hot tools. Whilst rotating the brush to create your desired effect and bounce does take practice, it's so much easier than doing so with a brush in one hand and a dryer in the other. As someone with a lot of hair, it's nothing short of a miracle that I can give myself a bouncy blowdry (one that I love!) in 15 minutes flat. Another selling point is how lightweight this tool is. My best friend has arthritis in her hands, and she can find it difficult (sometimes painful) to style her hair with anything too heavy or cumbersome. It might be large, but this hot brush presented zero issues for her."

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5. Best Range of Hot Brush Attachments: Bellisima Air Wonder 8-In-1 Hair Styler

Pros: More affordable than other hot brushes, comes with lots of different attachments including a curl-defining diffuser, features two different temperature settings

Cons: Not as powerful as other hair tools on the market, the round brush attachment is a little big which makes it harder to use

Specifications:
Lightweight
Suitable for all hair types
Can be used on wet or dry hair
2 speeds and 2 heat settings
8 attachments, including three round brushes, one curling wand, a smoothing brush, a diffuser head and hair dryer nozzle

Our Verdict:
"This blowdry brush gives my Dyson AirWrap a run for its money," says Who What Wear UK junior beauty editor Grace Lindsay. "With eight different attachments, it can do everything, including curl, wave and add volume. You can choose from two different temperatures and a cool setting which can help set your style in place. I personally like to use the biggest attachment to dry and smooth my hair, and then I go in with the curling attachment to add some movement to my ends."

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6. Best Hot Brush For Straightening: Shark FlexFusion Straight 5-In-1 Air Styler Dryer

Pros: Works on all hair textures, range of attachments as well as straightener, creates long-lasting styles

Cons: More expensive than other hot brushes, you have to hold down the cold shot button for it to work

Specifications:
Lightweight
Suitable for all hair types
Can be used on wet or dry hair
3 speeds and 3 heat settings
Range of attachments, including straightening attachment, two curling wands, a large round brush, a diffuser head and smoothing nozzle for drying

Our Verdict:
I recently tested the new Shark FlexFusion, which is similar to the original Flexstyle model featured above, but also includes a ceramic straightening attachment to create smooth and sleek styles.

What's great about this hair multi-styler is that it can be used on wet or dry hair with the flick of a switch (it will automatically adjust the heat and power settings for you), making it useful for both wash days and topping up in between shampoos. It comes with a range of easy to use attachments, including a large round brush attachment which makes getting a blowout bounce so much easier than others that I've tried—it creates the perfect amount of grip and tension.

Plus, the styler also includes two curling wands, a diffuser and smoothing nozzle to dry all hair textures. The head of the style twists to make a compact yet powerful hairdryer too, which would be great for travelling without taking up a tonne of weight or space in your suitcase.

If I had to nit-pick, I wish that you didn't have to hold down the cool shot button for it to work, as it would make cooling and setting the hair a lot easier but otherwise I can't fault this styler, especially if you want the option to straighten your hair as well as curl.

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Shop More Hot Brushes We Love:

7. GHD Rise Hot Brush

8. BaByliss Air Style 1000 Hot Air Hair Styler

9. T4 AireBrush Duo Interchangeable Hot Air Blow-Dry Brush

10. DryBar The Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush

11. Jose Eber Air Styling Brush

12. Amika Hair Blow Dryer Brush 2.0

13. GHD Glide Hot Brush

14. Amika Blowout Babe Thermal Brush

HOT BRUSH FAQS

Can You Use a Hot Brush on Wet Hair?

Depending on the model of your hot brush, you may be able to use them on wet and/or dry hair. Some hot brushes, like the GHD Rise and Glide, use just heat rather than air, so can only be used on dry hair. However, hot brushes like the Dyson Airwrap can be used on wet hair (damp, towel-dried hair is best) to dry and style at the same time, but can also be used on dry hair to top-up your style in between hair washes.

How Often Can You Use a Hot Brush?

As long as you use a good heat protection spray, using a hot brush a few times a week won't damage your hair. Thankfully, many hot brush models have adjustable heat settings so you can tailor the level of heat to your hair's needs. Those with thicker or coarser hair will typically require more heat, whereas those with straighter and finer hair types won't require as much heat. Using a heat protector is particularly essential if your hair is prone to breakage or has damage from other hair tools or hair colour.

Are Hot Brushes Bad for Hair Health?

As long as you're using a good heat protector and limiting your hot brush use to a couple of times a week, they won't damage your hair. If you're worried, you can adapt the heat settings on most hot brushes to tailor to your hair type and how much heat it requires to style. Be mindful not to drag or tug your hair too hard when using a hot brush.

What's the Difference Between a Hot Brush and a Hot Air Brush?

Generally speaking, they are both styling tools and both of these terms are sometimes used interchangably. However, a hot air brush can be used on wet and dry hair, and uses both air and heat to style and dry your hair at the same time. A hot brush, however, uses heat and can only be used on dry hair.