Blow-drying your own hair can sometimes feel like a very vigorous arm workout as you try to effectively maneuver both the brush and blow-dryer. That’s why lately we’ve been pulling out the best blow-dryer brushes to style and smooth our hair. Thankfully, some brands have made the hair-styling process quicker and easier by putting the brush and blow-dryer together, thus creating the game-changing blowout brush.
The handy, two-in-one tool combines the detangling ability of a brush with the power of heat, letting you do a voluminous, blown-out Afro or a super-straight style with just one tool. It gives you a bit more control and makes styling so much easier.
But even with the fanciest hot tool, the key to a glorious blowout starts in the prep stage. Always detangle your hair and apply a heat protectant prior to styling. New York City-based hairstylist Takisha Sturdivant-Drew recommends starting on clean, damp hair with a bit of leave-in conditioner, depending on your texture and hair health. To get the best results, “start at the root and work your way down to the ends without putting too much heat or tension on the hair,” she says.
If you want volume, it’s actually fairly easy, 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. Now, if your hair is on the curly or kinky side and you’re looking for a sleek and frizz-free blowout, you can follow up with a flatiron or, as Sturdivant-Drew recommends, a separate brush. “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,” says Sturdivant-Drew.
Now, it’s time to put all of that hair-raising knowledge to use. Below, take a look at some of the best hair-dryer brushes for versatile styling across a variety of hair types.
Our Top Picks:
- Best Overall: Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler Long Complete Set, $600
- TikTok-Favorite: Shark FlexStyle Hair Blow Dryer & Multi-Styler, $299
- Allure Best of Beauty Winner: Revlon One-Step Volumizer Plus 2.0, $75
- Best Straightening Brush: Amika Double Agent, $120
- Best for Short Hair: GHD Rise Hot Brush, $189
- Best Travel Blow-Dryer Brush: BaBylissPro Nano Titanium Compact Hot Air Brush, $60
- Best for Detangling: InfinitiPro by Conair The Knot Dr. Detangling Hot Air Brush, $50
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