You’ve probably already heard about the hot air brush and how it will improve your life. Evidence is readily available with just a few taps on TikTok. We were intrigued by the before and after pictures of people who had used the trendy styling product. Still, we were also curious whether it was worth the money to invest in a hot air brush. What exactly is a hot air brush, you ask?
You no longer have to juggle a round brush and a hot tool because this two-in-one brush is powered by the same kind of motor as your hairdryer (like a blow dryer or flat iron).
To get more specific, the heated bristles uniformly stretch and straighten your hair as you move them through it. You can use a hot air brush to add volume and luster to fine or curly hair, tame frizz, and control unruliness. However, the primary benefit of a hot air brush is the time it saves in the style process, meaning less time spent in the restroom and more time spent enjoying your new hairdo.
I’ll be honest and say that I had my doubts regarding the effectiveness of the hot air brush. Despite all the hype, I was still skeptical about how effective this “miracle” hair dryer-like device is. Therefore, it was time to put them to the test.
My coworkers and I conducted an experiment in which we handed each of them a different brand of a hot air brush to use for a few weeks before reflecting. Below, you’ll find their unfiltered thoughts on their various instruments.
Dyson Airwrap Complete Styler
A top performer in a variety of tasks
Advantages:
- A variety of attachments are available to accommodate various hair kinds and styles.
- It has excellent wave and curl retention.
Disadvantages:
- The cost is relatively high.
Type of hair: Hair is thick and coarse, with a touch of a wave, and tends to expand in the presence of moisture or immediately after a wash. It takes an hour or two to dry on its own, and hair’s an actual arm workout if I try to blow it dry, so I usually just let it air dry before night.
In what ways did you find the hot air brush to be useful?
The Airwrap is unlike any other tool I’ve used before, and it’s more than just a hot air brush, thanks to the variety of available attachments. With the 1.2-inch barrel of the stiff smoothing brush, I dried my hair straight and then curled it here and there.
It was simpler than using a regular blow dryer and curling iron because the equipment is lighter, and the attachments do most of the job.
Do you think it’s money well spent?
I will utilize this when I’m in a hurry or need to do something unique with my hair, and I don’t generally worry too much about my hair. Still, suppose you’re the sort that often uses heat styling tools and has trouble with your hair. In that case, this is a fantastic alternative (though it’s obviously an investment!).
Hot Tools Professional Charcoal Infused One Step Blowout
Optimal for wavy or curly hair
Advantages:
- Boar bristles are ideal for those who have thick, curly hair.
- It swiftly dries hair and smooths it out.
Disadvantages:
- Keeping it clean is a hassle.
Type of hair: My hair is curly and has a defined curl pattern; it tends to be a little frizzy but is otherwise lustrous and soft. To preserve the curl definition in my hair, I prefer to let it air dry rather than utilize heat tools. Air-drying takes an hour and a half, while salon straightening cuts that time in half.
In what ways did you find the hot air brush to be useful?
Utilizing the hot tool was a breeze. This helped keep my hair from becoming tangled up. Still, there were occasions when I felt its heaviness, and the time it took to dry my roots was excessive. My hair took about an hour to dry entirely.
My hair ended up looking terrible the first time I used the brush. After the second attempt, I recognized that I needed to work in smaller portions to achieve the desired results; however, this would require me to devote at least an hour to my hair, which is just not possible at the moment. The second time around, I used a more powerful, heat-resistant serum, which was also really helpful.
Do you think it’s money well spent?
The result is quite close to what you’d get at a salon if you straightened your hair. In addition to adding volume, the brush helped keep my ends from drying out. In all honesty, I would recommend this hot brush tool to my fellow curly girls over a flatiron any day of the week.
InfinitiPRO by Conair The Knot Dr. Detangling Hot Air Brush
Budget-friendly
Advantages:
- A volumizing add-on is included with the brush.
Disadvantages:
- The hair drying time is really long.
- You’ll be struggling to hold it for very long.
Type of hair: Baby fine and relatively straight hair type. Typically takes about an hour to dry when let to air out for 30 minutes.
In what ways did you find the hot air brush to be useful?
Generally speaking, I had a joyous time. This works perfectly well. Getting completely dry took around 25 minutes. Although I’m not very good at this sort of thing, the volume was identical. Although it was impossible, I wanted my hair to be as complete and bouncy as the models in shampoo commercials. Still, I don’t think this is the correct product for my hair.
Do you think it’s money well spent?
In a word, no. I’d rather not put in the time and energy required daily, especially since the results are precisely the same as if I did nothing to my hair. Midway through the experiment, I had my hair colored and cut, and I saw that a stylist blasts air downward, which smooths the hair, whereas the tool blasts hair away from the brush and scalp, culminating in frizzies. My final verdict is that none of these gadgets can substitute for a professional blowout at a salon.
Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer Hot Air Brush
Perfect for lush locks
Advantages:
- It’s great for those with thin or thick hair alike.
- As a result of the barrel’s expansive coverage, drying and styling times are shortened for extensive areas.
Disadvantages:
- Having it in your hands is a strain.
- Using the “hot” option is quite uncomfortable.
Type of hair: coarse, chemically-treated, and brittle. It becomes unmanageable and frizzy at the first sign of moisture. I give it a thorough cleaning every ten days with a round brush and a Dyson hair dryer, and then I blow it out. Once my hair is mostly dry, I spend around 30 minutes sectioning and styling.
In what ways did you find the hot air brush to be useful?
It’s straightforward! After washing my hair, I let it air dry overnight and sprayed it with water and a heat protectant before getting out of bed. Clips were helpful for sectional styling, but it was far simpler to use one hand on the tool and the other to secure the ends.
Do you think it’s money well spent?
It gives me back a quarter of an hour each day. However, it didn’t change the texture of my hair in any way. I hoped this brush would give me the same results as a salon blowout, but it has not.
InfinitiPRO by Conair Hot Air Paddle Brush Styler
Excellent for reshaping
Advantages:
- The brush’s flexibility means you may use it on the thickest hair.
- Curly and coiled hair will benefit greatly from this.
Disadvantages:
- There is insufficient drying power.
Type of hair: very wavy and unruly. It takes me about an hour to dry off with a towel and let it air dry.
In what ways did you find the hot air brush to be useful?
I’m not experienced in using a hair dryer, so my results weren’t awe-inspiring. But when I enlisted the aid of a sibling, they did a fantastic job and raved about how simple the brush was to operate. My sibling took around 25 minutes to perform it on me, and it took me 30–40 minutes to do it myself. Both times, I was left with straight hair that had a feathery appearance reminiscent of Farrah Fawcett.
Do you think it’s money well spent?
I prefer my natural curls and will not [use it]. Even though it doesn’t totally straighten my hair as a regular straightener does, I think this product would be fantastic to use in place of a traditional straightener if I had to straighten my hair for anything because it’s faster and easier to use.
DryBar Double Shot Dryer Brush
Great for curly hair
Advantages:
- To get the best results, use it on hair that is naturally curly or wavy.
- It’s a fast-acting hair dryer.
Disadvantages:
- The cost is relatively high.
Type of hair: My hair is straight, somewhat uninteresting, and quite delicate. Sometimes I’ll use a hair dryer, but I usually just let it air dry, which takes around 30 minutes. Additionally, the volume is close to 0%.
In what ways did you find the hot air brush to be useful?
When I initially tried the Drybar brush, my hair looked dry and frizzy, quite different from how I had imagined it would look. Therefore, I did some digging and went to YouTube to find the most helpful tutorials available. I was fascinated once I figured out how to divide my hair into six pieces, curled my ends inward, and pumped up the top layers. So much so that I went to Amazon and bought clips to help me part my hair in a more manageable way.
Do you think it’s money well spent?
In a word, yeah. Since beginning this trial, I’ve used it every other day, and I have no plans to quit. YouTube lessons will likely be my go-to for learning advanced features and functions. More importantly, it improves the aesthetics immensely to the point where a friend asked whether I’d gotten a haircut, which never happens, even when I just got out of the barbershop.
John Frieda Salon Shape 1.5 Inch Hot Air Brush
Best buy
Advantages:
- Because of its compact form, it’s a breeze to move around.
Disadvantages:
- Inconveniently, blow-drying your hair takes a long time.
Type of hair: Long, fine hair that naturally waves or frizzes. I use an ion blow dryer and an ion round brush to dry my hair. About 10 minutes is the average time it takes me to dry my hair.
In what ways did you find the hot air brush to be useful?
Nope, not for me. I found it inconvenient that after getting my hair around 80% dry with my regular blow-dryer, I had to start re-blowing it with the brush, strand by strand. It was extremely time-consuming, and I wasn’t satisfied with the outcome. Instead of the customary ten minutes, this took me at least twenty, and I’m still not wholly convinced my hair was dry at the end of it.
Do you think it’s money well spent?
Unfortunately, the brush did not become hot enough or intense enough to straighten my hair. At first, I didn’t have the time or energy to keep trying. The second time, I could not get my hair as straight as usual and was left with frizz. The only positive aspect was that I could curl the ends of my hair, but it wasn’t even hot enough to keep the curl in place!
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