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8 Best Hair Dryer Brushes to Make Wash Days So Much Better

The easiest way to get salon quality blowouts at home in one easy step.

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Drying your own hair at home can be such a hassle (if you're anything like me, you dread how sweaty and tired it makes you). But blow dryer brushes totally changed the game for me. These 2-in-1 saviors style and dry hair in one step, cutting way down on styling time (and the associated fatigue).

Hair dryer brushes pair the styling skill of a large round brush with the drying power of a hair dryer. Bristles detangle and smooth hair while heat dries it for a bouncy, smooth, salon-level blowout in a single step, which takes less time and skill than a traditional hair dryer/brush combo.

    Our pros test and vet hundreds of hair tools a year, and in our most recent test of hair dryer brushes in the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab, our experts evaluated:

    ✔️ Brushes tested: 10
    ✔️ Duration of testing period
    : 10 weeks
    ✔️ Temperature readings taken
    : 10,980
    ✔️ Time drying hair swatches:
    225 minutes
    ✔️ Tester surveys tallied: 49

    We conducted in-Lab hair swatch tests and trialed products with consumer testers, vetting products for ease of use, performance, drying time and more. After evaluating the results from our testing, we've rounded up the best of the best.

    1
    BEST OVERALL

    Amika Hair Blow Dryer Brush 2.0

    Hair Blow Dryer Brush 2.0

    Pros

    • Top scores for volumizing
    • Gentle heat
    • Works on all hair types

    Cons

    • No cool setting

    Heat settings: 3 | Cord length: 9.6 ft. | Bristles: Nylon ball-tipped pins & boar-style | Weight: 1.3 lb.

    WHY WE LOVE IT: Get a shiny, salon-caliber blowout at home with this easy-to-hold Amika blowdryer brush: 100% of testers agreed this brush was best for creating perfect style and volume on all hair types.

    PERFORMANCE: This pick has the longest cord we found for easy styling without feeling tethered to an outlet and it was the only one we saw with wrap for storage. It's also the quietest hair dryer brush we tested, although we do wish it had a cool setting to help lock in styles.

    TESTER NOTES: Testers found this gives a pro-level blow dry while boosting hair’s fullness, all while having gentle heat. "I also liked that they use two types of bristles (short and long) as it grabbed the strands of hair and glided through," said one.

    2
    BEST VALUE

    Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer Hot Air Brush

    On Sale
    One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer Hot Air Brush
    Now 21% Off
    Credit: Revlon / Good Housekeeping

    Pros

    • Dried hair fastest in Lab tests
    • Reasonably priced
    • Unique shape smooths and adds shine

    Cons

    • Gets very hot during use

    Heating settings: 3 | Cord length: 6 ft. | Bristles: Nylon ball-tipped pins & tufted bristles | Weight: 1.3 lb.

    WHY WE LOVE IT: With hundreds of thousands of Amazon reviews, Revlon's cult fave One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer lives up to its reputation: It achieved the fastest rate of drying hair in Beauty Lab testing.

    PERFORMANCE: The brush's shape allows for smoothing and glides easily through even the roughest hair textures. “I liked how the brush head was large, which allowed it to dry more hair at once,” a tester reported. The downside: It does get exceedingly hot during use, so be careful not to use it on soaking wet hair and use it alongside a heat protectant.

    TESTER NOTES: “It was good for creating smooth, straight hairstyles,” said another tester, and I agree: It makes quick work of transforming my curly, frizz-prone hair into a silky-smooth style. The tool also ranked highly for having simple-to-follow instructions and making hair look shinier.

    READ OUR FULL REVIEW: The Five-Star Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer Brush Is a Total Game Changer

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    3
    BEST FOR TRAVEL

    REVLON One-Step Volumizer Plus

    On Sale
    One-Step Volumizer Plus
    Now 43% Off
    Credit: Revlon / Good Housekeeping

    Pros

    • Detachable head for easy storage/packing
    • Gentler heat than the original
    • Strong, effective airflow

    Cons

    • Smaller brush head may not be best for all hair types

    Heating settings: 4 | Cord length: 6 ft. | Bristles: Nylon ball-tipped pins & tufted bristles | Weight: 1.6 lb.

    WHY WE LOVE IT: A gentler and more versatile option than its big sister, Revlon launched the One-Step Volumizer Plus, which features a new medium temperature/speed setting and detachable base for easy storage and travel. At 2.4 inches, the brush head is a bit smaller than the original, which has its pros and cons.

    PERFORMANCE: The Plus has a much stronger airflow than the original version, per Beauty Lab testing. In Lab tests, we found that the Plus's medium setting runs at the same temperature as the original One-Step Volumizer's low setting, but with a much stronger airflow on all settings, though it did take longer to dry hair swatches likely due to the smaller surface area on the brush. The smaller brush head is also a bit divisive; those with longer hair may prefer the bigger size of the original.

    TESTER NOTES: Testers thought that the Plus was just as effective at styling hair and appreciated that the temperature felt gentler on strands. "It's just as fast as the [original Volumizer], even though it's not as hot, which is so much better," said one.

    4
    MOST VERSATILE

    Shark Beauty FlexStyle Multi-Styler for Curly & Coily Hair

    On Sale
    FlexStyle Multi-Styler for Curly & Coily Hair

    Pros

    • Diverse attachments for curly or straight styling
    • Converts into a hair dryer with diffuser

    Cons

    • Pricey

    Heat settings: 3 | Cord length: 8 ft. | Bristles: Various; nylon & boar on oval brush | Weight: 1.6 lb.

    WHY WE LOVE IT: Most blow dryer brushes are already perfect for curly-haired people since they combine smoothing and blow drying into one streamlined step, but if you want to embrace your texture, this pick is unique because it allows you to style natural hair straight or curly, thanks to diverse attachments and a swiveling base that also lets the tool function as a traditional hair dryer/diffuser combo.

    PERFORMANCE: The brand claims the tool is less damaging than other tools, and we found it operates around 183ºF on average. One Beauty Lab analysis confirmed it had one of the fastest drying times we've seen. One tester with thick, curly hair loved the smoothing brush and found that styles lasted for days.

    TESTER NOTES: When I tested the Shark FlexStyle, I was impressed by its power, airflow and versatility. I love that it comes with so many attachments, and that the diffuser has adjustable prongs to suit different hair lengths. It is definitely expensive and a bit heavier than a traditional hair dryer brush. I thought the tool was a bit hot and didn't produce the smoothest-looking style, but the versatility makes it worth it.

    READ OUR FULL REVIEW: Is the Shark FlexStyle Hair Dryer Really a "Dyson Airwrap Dupe"?

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    5
    BEST FOR THICK HAIR

    Hot Tools Professional 24k Gold Charcoal Infused Blowout Styler

    Professional 24k Gold Charcoal Infused Blowout Styler
    Now 35% Off
    Credit: Hot Tools

    Pros

    • Best scores for styling hair quickly
    • Top scores for easily brushing hair
    • Leaves hair looking shiny

    Cons

    • Heavy

    Heat settings: 3 | Cord length: 8 ft. | Bristles: Nylon ball-tipped pins & boar-style bristles | Weight: 1.4 lb.

    WHY WE LOVE IT: Hot Tools won the gold for effortlessly combing through and speedily styling even dense, coarse or curly strands, with specialized vents for faster drying on even super thick hair.

    PERFORMANCE: In Beauty Lab evaluations, 100% of expert testers found that it styled hair fast and combed through strands with ease, although it's among the heaviest traditional blow dryer brush we tested, so be prepared to put some elbow grease into perfecting your 'do. It ranked as the simplest to use compared with the other models, thanks to its intuitive rotating temperature control.

    Tester notes: “I was surprised by the speed and how fast my hair went from wet to dry,” a user commented.

    6
    BEST FOR FINE HAIR

    Drybar The Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush

    The Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush

    Pros

    • Lightweight and comfortable to hold
    • Gentlest heat in Lab tests
    • Great for short or medium hair

    Cons

    • Pricey

    Heat settings: 3 | Cord length: 8.9 ft. | Bristles: Nylon ball-tipped pins & tufted bristles | Weight: 1.3 lb.

    WHY WE LOVE IT: It can be tricky to find a dryer brush that dries even fine and fragile hair without scorching it, but Drybar's brush does that. It is expensive, but if you're concerned about keeping fine strands healthier long term, it may be worth the splurge.

    PERFORMANCE: In Beauty Lab evaluations, we found that this efficient hair dryer brush had the gentlest heat among the products we tested, reaching a maximum temperature of 167°F over five minutes of use, nearly 100ºF lower than the competition — meaning it will prevent hair, (especially thin, fine strands) from getting overly exposed to heat while still effectively styling. The brush’s narrow barrel and smaller surface area make it ideal for fine or short to medium-length hair.

    TESTER NOTES: “I got great volume with this, yet my hair felt really smooth — it was comparable to a blow-out from a salon,” another said. “Much better results than using a regular dryer and separate brush,” another user noted. One more said it's comfortable to hold and that the brush combed easily through her hair.

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    7
    BEST FOR DAMAGED HAIR

    Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler

    Airwrap Multi-Styler

    Pros

    • Lower heat is less damaging to hair
    • 8 attachments for ultimate versatility
    • Innovative design and technology

    Cons

    • Expensive
    • Learning curve

    Heat settings: 3 | Cord length: 8.5 ft. | Bristles: Various; firm plastic, ball-tipped plastic, nylon pin | Weight: 1.5 lb.

    WHY WE LOVE IT: This do-it-all dryer comes with useful attachments for blowing out hair straight, including a pre-styling dryer, a firm smoothing brush, a soft smoothing brush and a round volumizing brush, in addition to two curling attachments for creating curls.

    PERFORMANCE: The paddle brushes use Coanda technology to guide air flow down the shaft of the hair, mimicking a salon blowout, which is highly effective but takes some getting used to at first. It combines powerful airflow with controlled heat to dry your hair as it styles with less damage, making it a favorite among GH Beauty Lab pros.

    TESTER NOTES: The Airwrap is the only hair dryer brush I can count on to keep my curly hair straight and prevent long-term damage since the heat is gentler than similar options on the market. The attachments are useful and effective, and Dyson also recently launched an Airwrap for curly hair that comes with a diffuser and an even larger round brush to add more volume. This is an upgrade I love for catering to natural curls.

    8
    BEST ROTATING

    Conair Hot Air Spin Brush

    On Sale
    Hot Air Spin Brush
    Now 16% Off
    Credit: INFINITIPRO BY CONAIR

    Pros

    • Rotating mechanism makes styling easier
    • Slimmer barrel makes easy work of styling shorter hair

    Cons

    • Learning curve with rotating brush

    Heat settings: 3 | Cord length: Not listed | Bristles: Boar-style | Weight: 1.9 lb.

    WHY WE LOVE IT: If your arms get tired from pulling hair round and round, snag this rotating pick that basically does the work for you. The smaller-than-average 1 ½-inch barrel is perfect for shorter styles, and the spinning mechanism rotates in two directions to create natural-looking curls and waves on dry hair in between washes.

    PERFORMANCE: While we haven't tested this pick in the Lab, the brand claims the ceramic technology dries damp strands and adds lasting shine, although some reviewers say that the rotating mechanism takes some getting used to at first.

    REVIEW NOTES: "It is ... very easy to switch brushes or remove them for washing. The negative ions seem to be really working and my hair comes out silky and shiny. The brush is great for in-between styling as well."

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    How we test hair dryer brushes

    testing hair dryer brushes in the gh beauty lab

    In our most recent hair dryer brush tests, we evaluated 10 oval dryer brushes with Lab tests and at-home usability tests. In the Lab, we assessed drying speed and air flow and used thermocouples to measure each tool's temperature — our Lab pros logged 10,980 temperature readings as part of this test.

    hair swatches
    Good Housekeeping

    We also measured quantitative factors like weight, size and cord length, and partnered with Quiet Mark, a third-party certifier, to assess each tool's loudness. At home, our expert testers evaluated the dryer brushes and filled out a detailed survey on ease of use, performance and overall satisfaction. After parsing through the data from 784 questions gathered from 49 questionnaires, we found the very best hair dryer brushes you can buy.

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    How to choose the best hair dryer brush

    multiple hair styling brushes displaying different shapes, colors
    Good Housekeeping

    ✔️ Heat settings: Multiple heat settings are ideal to work on a range of hair types and textures; lower heat settings are great for fine or damaged hair while higher heat settings are good on healthy or thicker, coarser hair types. Our Beauty Lab pros recommend a tool with a cool shot to help seal in styles as well.

    ✔️ Bristles: Most hair dryer brushes are made with either pin bristles or boar-type bristles, or a combination of both (in expert evaluations, some testers liked bristles of varying lengths to grab every last hair):

    • Pin bristles do a good job at detangling hair. If you're more focused on detangling, pin bristles are great.
    • Boar bristles grip and smooth hair (though they can sometimes add too much tension, we found in Lab tests). If you're looking to smooth out frizz or make hair look super shiny, look for a dryer brush with boar-style bristles.

    ✔️ Cord length: The length of cord you'll need depends on where you'll be styling and if there's an outlet nearby. For ultimate flexibility, look for a professional-length cord of at least eight feet. Less expensive models tend to have shorter cords, but that may limit your ability to style freely — you may not have an outlet near a mirror!

    ✔️ Ease of use: In our tests, ease of use, comfort when styling and intuitiveness of the controls are all important considerations. Look for a tool that feels balanced in your hand, easy to grip and isn't too heavy.

    Are hair dryer brushes damaging?

    linebreak

    Like any hot tool, they can be if you don't prep hair properly. Exposing hair to excessive heat for long periods of time can cause damage to the structure of hair, so to prevent excessive damage, our Beauty Lab pros recommend coating hair in a proven effective heat protectant before use and letting hair partially air dry before using a hair dryer brush.

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    Why trust Good Housekeeping?

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    Good Housekeeping Editorial Commerce Director Jessica Teich wrote this story, and has over 10 years of experience formally researching and testing haircare products, including many of the hair dryer brushes on this list. She teamed with GH's Beauty Lab for this story, using its data to inform the choices shown here.

    She worked closely with Danusia Wnek, a senior chemist in the Beauty Lab, who has spent a decade researching and developing testing protocols for haircare products for the Good Housekeeping Institute. She led testing for GH's most recent hair dryer brush test, providing robust data and results on usage and claims from experts and Lab tests.

    preview for We Tried the Revlon One-Step Volumizer Plus
    Headshot of Jessica Teich
    Jessica Teich
    Director, Editorial Commerce & Product Reviews

    Jessica (she/her) is the director of editorial commerce and product reviews with over a decade of experience as a product tester, reviewer, writer and editor of beauty and lifestyle content. Previously she was the beauty editor at USA Today's Reviewed where she launched the Beauty vertical and tested hundreds of products and has covered trends for publications like The Boston Globe and The New York Times. You can usually find her sorting through piles of beauty products — and testing the best ones on camera. 

    Headshot of Danusia Wnek
    Tested byDanusia Wnek
    Senior Chemist

    Danusia (she/her) is a senior chemist in the Beauty, Health and Sustainability Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute where she evaluates haircare, skincare, cosmetics and beauty tools. She holds a B.S. in chemistry from St. John’s University and a M.S. in pharmaceutical sciences with concentration in cosmetic science from the University of Cincinnati. Danusia has over 10 years of experience in the personal care industry including formulation, product development, claim evaluation and efficacy testing. 

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