Top 6 Hot Air Brushes You’ll Want to Own Right Now [2024 Edition].

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They’re all the rage for hair lovers this year.

Part hair dryer, part hair brush, they’re fast winning our hearts with its ability to style our mane using ONLY.ONE.HAND.

But! Which is the best hot air brush for you?

Our team of experts have tried them all, so we can tell you exactly what works best for each type of hair. Just click through below to find out more about your perfect match!

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What is a hot air brush?

A hot air brush is a round brush with bristles and a heating element inside. The heat basically helps to dry and style the hair. It promises healthy looking hair that is full of life and bounce.

A blowout brush is kinder to your hair than straighteners or flat irons because they don’t clamp your strands between two hot plates that heat and damage your hair.

They’re also extremely versatile. 

We’ve never really got the hang of holding our hair dryer with one hand and styling with a hair brush in the other hand, who has? There’s a reason hairstylists are trained to do it!

A hot hair brush is the answer to arm-ache, not being able to see the back of your head and working out your left from your right on a daily basis.

They won’t get your hair poker straight as most of the brushes are round, but they are absolutely fantastic at smoothing or adding gentle curls or waves to your hair.

They reduce frizz, and there are even ones suited to curly hair too.

How do I choose a hot air brush?

There are many different types of hot air brushes on the market, and choosing the right one can be tricky. Here are a few things to keep in mind when making your selection:

What is your hair type? If you have fine, thin hair, you’ll want a hot air brush with ceramic ionic technology. This will help to add volume and prevent frizz.

For thick, coarse hair, look for a hot air brush with titanium or tourmaline barrels. These materials heat up quickly and provide even heat distribution, resulting in sleek, shiny locks.

Hair length matters too. Choose a large-sized barrel (2 inch barrel +) for medium to longer hair and smaller barrels (1 or 1.5 inch barrel ) for shorter hair or if you want to create curls.

Boar and nylon bristles are the best choice for frizz-free hair.

-What is your budget? Hot air brushes can range in price from $20 to $200. Decide how much you’re willing to spend before you start shopping around.

-What features are important to you? Some hot air brushes come with multiple heat settings, while others have built-in ion generators.

There are two types of hot air brush to choose from – rotating and non-rotating types.

There are also ceramic, paddle brush dryers that work much the same as straighteners with your hair touching a ceramic hot plate.

Rotating ones do as they say so your wrist has even less work to do! They’re often multi-directional too which really adds the volume.

If you’re lucky yours will come with interchangeable brush heads and brush attachements of various sizes too. 

Decide which features are most important to you and narrow down your options accordingly.

Keep this checklist in mind and choosing the right hot air brush should be a breeze!

Which is the best hot air brush?

All you need to know now is which is the best hair dryer brush you need to buy this year. That’s why we’re here!

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Best hot air brush at a glance.

Hot air brushLooks likeBest forRatingBuy now
BaByliss Big Hair Rotating Hot Air Brush.

BaByliss Big Hair Rotating Hot Air Blow dry Brush, Dry and style in one step, 50mm

Budget. three star icon Edited 1
Toni & Guy Brush and Shine 2-in-1 Hair Dryer Volumiser

Toni & Guy Brush and Shine 2-in-1 Hair Dryer Volumiser, TGDR5374UKE

Volume. four star icon Edited
Dyson Airwrap Styler

Dyson Airwrap™ Multi-Styler Complete Long, Nickel/Copper

Everyday use. five star icon Edited 1
Revlon One-step hair dryer and volumizer

REVLON One-Step Volumizer Enhanced 1.0 Hair Dryer and Hot Air Brush | Now with Improved Motor | Amazon Exclusive (Black)

Finer hair.four star icon Edited
ghd Glide Brush.

ghd Glide Hot Air Hair Brush ― Professional Smoothing Blow Dryer, Ceramic Hair Straightener, Styler, and Blow Dry Brush ― Black

Easy use. five star icon Edited 1


Struggling to choose? Check out our in-depth review for two of the best on the list – Dyson Airwrap™ styler vs ghd Glide.


TOP PICK!

Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler.

Dyson Airwrap™ Multi-Styler Complete Long, Nickel/Copper

Best for: Everyday use.

Beautiful design and great results of the smoothes, silkiest hair from those clever engineers at Dyson.

However, it’s the fact that this uses air and not heating elements to give us salon-worthy results that makes this our choice for damage-free, perfectly styled hair. Read on!


#1 BaByliss Big Hair Rotating Hot Air Brush

BaByliss Big Hair Rotating Hot Air Blow dry Brush, Dry and style in one step, 50mm

BEST FOR: Beginners on a budget

The BaByliss Big Hair range is all about bounce and volume. This one is middle of the range and comes at a very affordable price. IT ROTATES. Yes, this is a rotating one which means it saves your wrists from aching too.

It takes a while to get used to the rotating setting! But once you get the hang of it, the results are fab.

The Big Hair brush can be rotated in a clockwise or anti-clockwise rotation, and even with no rotation at all. It has three settings – cool, warm and hot – and all functions are easily operated with your thumb while using the brush. 

A good all rounder.

The 50mm barrel is ideal for hair from just above shoulder length to very long length hair, you’ll need to grab the smaller barrel version, the BaByliss Rotating Styler 42mm if your hair’s shorter. 

It certainly gave us great volume and smooth tresses, eliminating any frizz and flyaways and delivers plenty of shine to even the dullest, flattest dry hair types.

Some reviewers report that their hair gets caught in the barrel because of the rotating mechanism so if you have coarse hair that’s prone to breakage it might be better to choose a different type of brush without the rotating aspect. 

But overall, it’s a brilliant buy if you’re just starting out your air brush journey to fabulous colored hair.

Top features:

  • 700W.
  • Large 50mm rotating ceramic barrel.
  • Super Ionic frizz-control for a high shine finish.
  • 2 heats plus a cool setting.
  • 2 rotation speeds for total styling control.
  • Multi-directional brush for ease of use.
  • Bristle protective cover.

#2 Toni & Guy Brush and Shine 2-in-1 Hair Dryer Volumiser

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BEST FOR: Creating volume and lift.

One from the hairdressing duo we trust, this is a blow dryer brush and volumizer that does what it says on the box.

It’s an oval shaped brush with a flat side to smooth your hair and add a little volume, while the curved side gives a lotta volume and curls the ends to give a flirty flick.

Bristles that condition your hair.

This one makes the list for its activated charcoal bristles with comfortable tips to softly detangle hair and with a purifying effect. So not only is the dryer gentle on your hair, but the brush is too.

It has a 3 heat, 2 speed settings and the all important cool setting that stops our hair being burnt to bits. The only downside is that it’s a bit bulky and heavier to grip than other ones on the list.

The results? Volume, and loads of it. The brush really helps to lift and sculpt out hair at the roots. We used this on medium to thick hair so used the hottest setting but there were no frizz or flyaways to report. And hair was shiny as well as smooth.

Top features:

  • 3 heat and 2 speed settings including a cool shot.
  • Charcoal bristles to softly detangle hair.
  • Ceramic Titanium coating for even heat distribution and less damage.
  • Suitable for all hair types.
  • Ionic Technology for smooth, shiny, frizz-free hair.
  • 3 metre salon-professional cord.

#3 Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler

Dyson Airwrap™ Multi-Styler Complete Long, Nickel/Copper

BEST FOR: Everyday use.

From the brand that brought you the best vacuum cleaners and without a doubt, the best hair dryer, the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer, behold…the Dyson Airwrap styler. Will this be the best for colored hair?

Like the Supersonic, The AirWrap uses the same tiny but powerful motor as the hair dryer, which has been engineered within an inch of its life to be magically powerful yet quiet. 

Stylish design for the best hair styling.

The motor creates the ‘Coanda effect’ which means instead of heat, it uses a jet flow of air that attracts your hair to the barrel, wrapping it around to create amazing results. 

The idea is that the airflow mimics a hair stylist’s blow-drying technique, directing air down the hair and creating the style, relying on air rather than extreme heat  – working wonders for color treated hair.

Because it’s so powerful, it also does a really great job of drying your hair, so we only had to air dry ours for 10 mins or so before using it.

Goodbye all other styling tools.

It’s pricey, but it also comes with a very generous six, yes six attachments that will help you to create anything from beach waves, to curls. It also does an incredibly good job at straightening hair compared to others on our best hot air dryers list.

Since we’ve had this, we haven’t touched our straighteners and it’s easily less damaging than using your hair dryer and straighteners every day. It’s worth the investment to look after your colored hair and keep that color from fading.

Top features:

  • Engineered for longer hair, multiple types.
  • Includes 6 Dyson long Airwrap™ brush attachments.
  • Soft and Firm brushes to smooth or control.
  • Round volumising brush engineered to add body and shape.
  • 30mm and 40mm long Airwrap™ barrels to curl or wave.
  • Pre-styling dryer to prepare hair for styling.

#4 Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer

REVLON One-Step Volumizer Enhanced 1.0 Hair Dryer and Hot Air Brush | Now with Improved Motor | Amazon Exclusive (Black)

BEST FOR: Styling fine hair.

Revlon’s One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer is a nifty brush with the power of a dryer and the volume of a styler. The brush has combination bristles and an oval design so you get smooth, tangle-free and high volume hair in no time. 

The one-step hair dryer has built-in ionic technology and a ceramic surface that distributes the heat evenly – ensuring that the brush never gets too hot for your colored hair.

A hot air styler for fine hair.

This is a brilliant hot brush for finer hair. We sectioned our hair as instructed and had it dry and silky in 15 minutes flat. In fact, we needn’t have dried our hair beforehand, it could probably be used from wet (remember to use heat protection product!).. 

You have to make sure that the handle doesn’t get overheated during your styling session. Also, the high-powered brush might feel too noisy. But now we’re being picky. This is a great hot air styler for the price and the reviews are excellent.

Top features:

  • 3 heat/2 speed settings including cool setting.
  • Titanium coating for fast drying
  • Designed to distribute air quickly and evenly 
  • Pouch for easy storage 

#6 Ghd Glide brush

ghd Glide Hot Air Hair Brush ― Professional Smoothing Blow Dryer, Ceramic Hair Straightener, Styler, and Blow Dry Brush ― Black

BEST FOR: Easy use for frizzy hair.

The ghd Glide Brush is from those masterful hair heat experts at ghd. Queens of the straightening irons, they’ve developed this award-winning marvel that takes everything that works about their straighteners and packs it into a brush.

Like their infamous, award-winning straighteners, it has ceramic technology with ioniser heats up the brush consistently to the optimum styling temperature of 185ºC for healthier looking colored hair. 

Glides through hair to eliminate frizz.

The brush also contains ions that eliminate frizz so your hair is smoothed in just a few quick strokes. We love it for looking just like a brush and making the whole blow drying experience seem so easy.

The ghd Glide Brush doesn’t straighten our hair as well as straighteners, but you wouldn’t expect it to anyway. They are MUCH easier than straighteners to use, however, particularly on the back of your hair, so they make the list for that.

To give you extra peace of mind, it also has the automatic sleep mode which switches off after 60 minutes of non-use. Hurrah!

Top features:

  • Ceramic technology. With ioniser for taming hair and eliminating frizz.
  • Pearl ceramic bristles.
  • Combination of high density shorter and longer bristles for larger sections of hair to be styled.
  • 185ºC temperature control for optimum styling.
  • Automatic sleep mode.
  • Professional length cable.



TOP PICK!

Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler.

Dyson Airwrap™ Multi-Styler Complete Long, Nickel/Copper

THE BEST HOT AIR BRUSH FOR EVERYDAY USE.

Beautiful design and great results of the smoothest, silkiest hair from those clever engineers at Dyson. However, it’s the fact that this uses air and not heating elements to give us salon-worthy results that makes this our top choice for colored hair. Buy it now!

How to use a hot air brush tutorial.

Here’s a great tutorial that shows you how to use a hot air brush step-by-step. Just be sure to use a good hair heat protectant before you start!

Can you use a hot air brush on wet hair?

Yes you can use a hot air brush on wet hair. A hot air brush is essentially a hairdryer and styling brush in one, so it can be used on wet hair, damp hair or dry hair.

A hot air brush can help to speed up the drying process. It can also help to smooth out frizz and add a touch of shine.

If you’re using it on wet hair, just make sure to use the lowest heat setting to avoid damaging your locks. Most have a cool shot setting that can be used to seal the style too.

We always recommend getting around 80% of the wetness out of your hair before you dry it.


“For volume, start with your hair slightly damp. Section your hair and work the brush upwards, from your roots to your ends.”

~ Elena Rossi, Hair Stylist

And of course you still need a hair heat protection spray to keep your hair from frizzing. 

How does a hot air brush work?

Hot air brushes are an easy plug-in heat styling tool of dreams. They work by blowing hot air through a vented barrel to style your hair while you brush it dry. 

The ones that are kindest to your hair have a barrel with a ceramic coating that protects your hair from heating elements. Much like straighteners do.

This also helps to ensure an even heat distribution throughout your hair.

Many have temperature settings you can control. And most use ion technology which means they stop you losing negative ions and prevent frizz, static and flyaways.

Are heated brushes bad for your hair?

You might be wondering whether heated hair brushes are bad for your hair.

The answer is not always, but it really depends on what you’re using it for and how often you use it.

For instance, if you have curly or frizzy hair then a brush that heats up can help tame flyaways and give more even curls which can lead to smoother looking locks.

But if you have fine straight hair then the heat could cause breakage or dryness.

So before investing in one of these fancy tools, make sure to consider what type of texture your mane has!

Are hot air brushes safe to use on colored hair?

Hot air brushes give you more control than a standard hair dryer, and they can help you achieve a range of styles. But if you have colored hair, you might be wondering if a hot air brush is safe to use.

The short answer is yes! Hot air brushes are safe to use on colored hair as long as you take a few precautionary measures.

  • First, make sure your hair is completely dry before you start styling.
  • Second, use the lowest heat setting possible to avoid damaging your hair.
  • And third, invest in a quality hot air brush that has ceramic or tourmaline-coated plates. These materials help to distribute heat evenly and prevent hot spots, which can cause breakage and split ends.

With these simple tips in mind, you can safely use a hot air brush on colored hair without fear of damage.

Are hot air brushes as good as a salon blow dry?

Of course, a professional blow dry done by a hairstylist is always the best for giving you a lift and making you feel and look fabulous – with minimal effort.

But for styling your colored hair at home then you can’t beat one of these for bounce, volume and shine. 

Hot air brush pros.

  • Extremely versatile (for smooth, curly, short or long hair)
  • It gives gives great volume, unlike straighteners
  • It’s lightweight and easy to manoeuver.
  • It only takes one hand! Your arms won’t get so tired.
  • It doesn’t heat up your hair or have as much contact as straighteners so it’s less damaging.
  • Great for travelling – you can just air dry your hair and finish off with one heat styling tool.
  • Cool air setting to seal your color in and prevent fade.

Hot air brush cons.

  • They’re not as good as straighteners for making poker straight hair, but we’re all about waves now anyway.
  • The can be tricky to master and heavier ones make your wrists ache.

Parting words.

So, what’s the verdict? Are hot air brushes worth all of the hype?

In short, YES! They’re a quick and easy way to achieve great looking hair without damaging it.

Plus, they come in a variety of shapes and sizes so there’s one for everyone. We hope this article has helped you find the perfect hot air brush for your needs – now go out there and style like a pro!

This article was written by:

  • Nicola Freeman, Creative Director & Content Lead
    Creative Director & Content Lead

    With over two decades of passionate hair dyeing experience, I've experimented with nearly every shade imaginable. My journey began long before blogging; as an award-winning copywriter in London and New York, I shaped narratives for iconic brands. However, when friends sought advice during lockdown for at-home hair dyeing, I realized my true calling. Beyond being your hair color expert, I'm a mom of two girls, wife to artist Tony, and an avid soccer player!