The 6 Greatest Blow-Dry Brushes (2025): Spherical, Oval, and Extra

Metro Loud
9 Min Read


What About Thermal Brushes?

You may need seen two completely different sorts of brushes whereas buying that promise blowout outcomes. On this information, the time period blow-dry brush is completely used for units that blow scorching air out of the bristles onto moist hair to dry and elegance your hair. In the meantime, units for dry hair are referred to as infrared or thermal brushes, as they use infrared warmth as an alternative of scorching air to fashion your hair in a easy blowout. Blow-dry brushes are solely meant for moist hair, whereas thermal brushes are solely meant for dry hair.

Thermal brushes may look just like a blow-dry brush on the surface, however they work in another way. They use a unique kind of warmth—infrared floor warmth, somewhat than scorching air—and are meant for dry hair somewhat than moist. Infrared is completely different than your ordinary scorching instruments, since infrared will warmth the hair from the within out somewhat than outdoors in. I interviewed a handful of hairstylists and wonder specialists, and practically all of them confirmed that this fashion of warmth is gentler in your hair. “Infrared warmth works in another way than conventional scorching instruments. As a substitute of heating simply the floor, it penetrates the hair shaft, styling from the within out. Which means higher moisture retention, much less frizz, and means much less harm over time,” says Vito Esposito, founding father of Vito Esposito Salon in Beverly Hills.

I’ve tried a number of completely different thermal brushes, and I have not had an enormous distinction within the outcomes thus far. It takes a little bit getting used to My favourite is the Wavytalk Heatwave Professional ($80) because it comes with a set of three completely different thermal heads, so you’ll be able to select one of the best measurement for the coiffure you wish to obtain that day.

Honorable Mentions

Beachwaver Blow Brush for $189: when you’re debating shopping for a blow-dryer brush or a diffuser to your curly days, I’ve received the reply for you. The Beachwaver Blow Brush is likely one of the solely blow-dry brush units that has a diffuser attachment, permitting you to decide on freely between a blowout or curly day with no need a number of devices. My blowouts did look a contact frizzier after I used the Beachwaver in comparison with the Drybar or the T3, however not so frizzy that anybody apart from me would discover. That may be solved by smoothing or frizz management merchandise, which I did not use in my exams for correct outcomes however would often use alone. It comes with a paddle brush and concentrator attachments, too.

BondiBoost Blowout Brush Professional 75 mm for $70: The BondiBoost (6/10, WIRED Evaluate) gave me outcomes on par with the Drybar and T3 for half the worth. Superb, proper? The one drawback is that on-line customers have reported the BondiBoost breaks after a number of months of use. Should you’re keen to roll the cube, the outcomes are nice; they simply won’t final perpetually.

Chi Volumizer 4-in-1 Blowout Brush for $77: This set comes with 4 attachments, together with an oval brush, a small diffuser, a paddle brush, and a nozzle. The set works high quality, but it surely gave me extra frizz than different choices and the {hardware} feels low-cost. It is a high quality, inexpensive set if you need all these attachments on a funds.

Drybar Half Shot for $155: That is the spherical model of the Double Shot I like to recommend above. I prefer it, however I most well-liked the T3’s decrease temps with the smaller brush. The Half Shot additionally received hotter to the contact than the Double Shot did, generally scalding my brow whereas I did my bangs.

T3 Aire360 Ceramic Air Styler for $300: This set is attractive, however the ceramic makes it heavy, and I did not see massively completely different outcomes with it in comparison with our lighter, cheaper picks.

Dyson Airwrap for $600: The Dyson Airwrap set (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is nice, and was my first introduction to a blow-dry brush attachment. But it surely’s higher in comparison with different blow-dryers than only a blow-dry brush, particularly given the worth. Take a look at our information to the Greatest Hair Dryers for extra recommendation.

Often Requested Questions

How Moist Does Your Hair Have to Be?

You will be tempted to make use of a blow-dry brush whereas your hair is drenched, but it surely’s greatest to attend till your hair is generally dry. Alanna Safarik-Ashby (often known as @folliclefatale), hair stylist and co-owner of Ivy & Luna Studio in Carlsbad, California, recommends ready till your hair is 90 p.c dry to guard it. “Your hair is its most fragile when it is moist,” she says. “Consider if you pull on cooked spaghetti. It is tremendous elastic and breakable, proper? Moist hair is similar means. So the extra dry, the higher.”

How Do You Use a Blow-Dry Brush?

As with different styling instruments, it is best to separate your hair into three or 4 sections to fashion it. Taking one part at a time, you will begin on the root with the blow-dry brush and cross by means of to the ends. I do that not less than as soon as on each the highest and backside of a piece, if not twice for both sides to create loads of quantity and absolutely dry the hair. Julie Chung, cofounder of T3, additionally shared a tip for getting one of the best quantity in your blowout: “For further raise on the roots, maintain the comb underneath the roots for 2 to a few seconds,” she says.

Mess around together with your hair and your brush of alternative to determine the way you need your ends to look. With my shoulder-length hair, I discover flipping out the ends best, however you will must experiment with your personal hair size and brush form to see what works greatest for you. Whether or not you select an oval- or round-shaped brush can affect how this works as nicely.

How I Check Blow-Dry Brushes

I exploit every choose for no less than 5 wash days, which may happen over two weeks or generally the higher a part of a month. I attempt each excessive and low settings to see how completely different it feels on my hair, and the way a lot the outcomes change. I additionally document the ends in the identical sweatshirt and spot in my rest room to simply examine how nicely the blowout turned out, and I observe how scorching every blow-dry brush will get to see how that affected my ultimate blow-out look. I exploit a warmth protectant every time, primarily utilizing the Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil ($25), the highest choose from our information to the Greatest Warmth Protectant Sprays. I’ve discovered {that a} warmth protectant does assist give me smoother outcomes, on prime of defending my hair from warmth harm.


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