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These Are The Very Best Hot Brushes (And Almost All Are On Sale)
It guarantees to cut your styling time in half.
If the thought of drying your hair and then styling it with a separate tool feels a little too much to bear (we don't blame you), hot brushes are the ticket to a polished style with minimum effort.
The best hot brushes combine a brush, hair dryer and straightener into one hybrid hair tool — they dry, detangle and style simultaneously, giving you a speedy bouncy blow dry from the comfort of your bedroom, without requiring too much time or professional-level skills.
Best hot brushes: the ELLE top five
- Best hot brush for wet-to-dry: GHD Duet Blowdry Hairdryer Brush, Was £379, Now £279
- Best hot brush for short hair: Babyliss Air Wand Hair Dryer, £120
- Best hot brush for smaller waves: Drybar The Half Shot Round Blow-Dryer Brush, Was £125, Now £93.75
- Best hot brush for soft waves: T3 AireBrush Duo Blow Dry Brush, Was £179, Now £95.95
- Best hot brush for multi-use: Dyson Airwrap Complete Multi-Hair Styler Long, Was £479.99, Now £399.99
Can you use a hot brush on wet hair?
Most hot brushes use the power of hot air to dry as you style, meaning you can use them safely on wet or damp hair, but if your tool comes with varying styling attachments (as seen with the Dyson and Shark), make sure to use the hairdryer attachment first to minimise heat damage and encourage better hold.
How to use a hot brush
Hair is most fragile when wet, so before taking to your hot brush, detangle your strands and make your parting with a wide-tooth comb to avoid unwanted snagging later on. Then, apply a heat protection product evenly through the strands.
While hot brushes deliver less direct heat than a curling tong or straightener, it is still putting your hair in contact with heat, so do make sure to always keep it well protected and incorporate nourishing masks and treatments in your routine if you use your hot brush regularly.
Hot brush or hair straightener: which is better?
Hot brushes and hair straighteners both deserve a spot in your haircare arsenal, for different reasons.
Though versatile, straighteners often struggle to create the bigger, bouncier waves that a hot brush can produce. That said, they're better for tight waves and curls, so the choice really depends on your desired style.
'Hot brushes, straighteners and wands all have their purposes, but hot brushes are very easy to use and great for smoothing out the hair while creating body and movement,’ explains Michelle Thompson, an award-winning Afro and textured hair specialist.
'This makes them ideal for use on medium to fine hair, but they are equally effective on thick, wavy, curly and coily hair when you want to eliminate frizz.'
How we test
There are plenty of hot brushes to choose from on the market, but our discerning beauty team pays close attention to the little details. Snag-free bristles, clever on/off button that works on a timer, varying temperatures and ability to perform on various hair types and hairstyles are only some of the things we look for. The hot brushes should also be easy to use and fit seamlessly into our daily routines.
The Best Hot Brushes On The Shelves Now
As the festive season approaches and with Black Friday just around the corner, most of favourite hot brushes are on sale, including the likes of Dyson, ghd, Shark and Revlon. Now is the time to invest.
A real icon of the beauty world, the Dyson Airwrap continually sells out. Requiring minimum effort on your part, this hot brush automatically grips sections of hair to create a full-volume blow out. It comes with six styling attachments and works to straighten or curl hair without compromising on body.
The innovative airflow system helps reduce frizz with little noise, and it heats up quickly and delivers impressive results – just remember to prep your hair properly to ensure long-lasting hold.
For all the lazy girls who'd rather hit snooze for another 15 minutes instead of spending hours styling their hair, the new GHD Duet is a saviour. It takes hair from damp to dry (and with plenty of volume at that) impressively quickly, with little effort. The large barrel and smooth bristles deliver even heat, and the aerodynamic system promises to minimise energy consumption up to 40%. The best part, however, is in the clever snag-free bristles which are gentle on fine hair.
Shark FlexStyle 5-in-1 Hair Styler, Stone
The FlexStyle is the tool that put Shark firmly on the beauty map. Easy to use, it comes with a remarkably powerful in-built hairdryer along with five attachments to curl, straighten, volumise, smooth and define hair.
Using clever airflow technology, it wraps, curls and sets hair automatically, without the heat damage that comes with a set of straightener plates.
This iconic hair tool sold out immediately when it launched back in 2019, so it’s unsurprising that it's still a fan favourite for the brand years later. The slim, lightweight design is intuitive to use and it glides through hair without snagging or tangling, meaning you're able to create salon-worthy styles quickly.
It also keeps flyaways at bay, and depending on your hair type, you might find it speedier to use than straighteners.
Revlon One Step Volumizer Hair Dryer and Styler
Revlon got our attention when that blow-dry brush went viral. This is an update to the TikTok-famous styler, which the brand reckons will give you even better results.It stands out for its affordable price tag and snag-free styling, working wonders on even the thickest hair. Easy and comfortable to use, it won't fry strands or leave them feeling parched, either.
The narrow 1.5 inch barrel makes light work for speedily styling fringes, layers, and shorter lengths. Or, for those who prefer to wear their hair in tighter waves, this is a great way to achieve it too. There are three temperature settings, and we love how lightweight the device is.
T3 AireBrush Duo Blow Dry Brush
This clever dual-ended gadget allows you to effortlessly flip between bouncy curls or poker-straight strands.
It also has a broad temperature range, making it a great choice for anybody with damaged or fragile hair, plus its great for smoothing flyaways and delivering a smooth, shiny finish.
Revamp Progloss™ Deepform Ceramic Straightening Brush
There's no denying that it can take both time and patience to style thicker hair. However, this deep-bristled brush takes heavier tresses in its stride, ploughing through chunkier sections with ease for a silky, shiny, smooth finish.
The bristles are infused with keratin, argan and coconut oil, while the advanced intelligent heat control continuously regulates the temperature to ensure minimal hair damage.
This two-in-one hair dryer and straightener takes lengths from damp to swishy smooth in record time thanks to its anti-frizz technology. It comes with three airflow settings and four temperature settings. The compact size is not only excellent for shorter bob hairstyles, it's also easily portable for travel.
This round brush and blow dryer delivers a voluminous blow-dry with more shine.
The oval barrel provides extra root lift, while the bristles work to detangle and smooth hair – all whilst minimising breakage. It has adjustable heat settings for a customised approach, plus it's suitable for all hair types, from curly to colour-treated.
Florence is our Senior Beauty Writer, specialising in expert-tested beauty and grooming reviews — from toothbrushes to the latest skincare launches. She’s committed to sharing recommendations for products that truly work and make people feel confident and healthy. Prior to this she was at Tropic Skincare, where she worked closely with biochemists in the lab, delving into the functions of each fresh, natural ingredient and conveying its efficacy to her audience in easy-to-digest terms.
With over five years’ experience in beauty and health journalism, Florence has written for ELLE, Women’s Fitness, Sister Magazine, National Geographic Traveller and many more, with a strong sustainability angle thread through much of her work.
When she isn’t packing for a trip away, working out, eating out or reading up on retinol serums, you’ll probably find her experimenting with her film camera and building her portfolio of portraits. Florence’s photography can be found at florencereeves-white.com, her Instagram is @florencereeveswhite and her twitter is @floreadsnwrites
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