There isn’t a tool or product out there that can achieve that fresh, bouncy blow dry quite like our beloved hair stylists. But for the next best thing, turn your attention to the latest hot tools making waves (or curls, or straight sleek looks) in the beauty industry. Enter: the hot air brush. Bridging the gap between a heat styling tool and a hair dryer, a hot air brush allows us to twist and style our hair all the way around for a blow-dry finish. Far easier than trying to emulate the pros with a round brush and hair dryer, a hot air brush does it all – detangling, styling as well as drying. Clever, right?
So, how does a hot air brush work? The heat emitted from the brush dries your hair as your styling, while the bristles detangle. What’s more, certain brushes come complete with silicone bristles to add shine and others can actually rotate for added bounce and volume. For our pick of the best hot air brushes in the business, including the cult classic ghd brush and the Babyliss rotating hot brush, keeping scrolling.
Shop: The Best Hot Brushes Available To Buy Now
Best Hot Air Brushes UK - Grazia
1 of 8BaByliss Big Hair Care Hot Air Styler, £70
Summary: For a polished finish, give this hot tool a whirl. The rotating brush easily glides through the hair with soft bristles to detangle and smooth. Plus, sensor protect technology ensures the heat it evenly spread over the barrel so strands don't dry out.Details: There are three hot and cold settings, ionic frizz control and a swivel cord to easily reach your hair at the back. Use once your hair is 80% dry. Pros/Cons: It can be difficult to perfect the technique when using this tool - the barrel spinning quickly can take getting used to - but once you have practiced you will have a sleek finish.
2 of 8Revlon Salon One-Step Hair dryer and Volumiser, £69.99
Summary: This innovative oval brush has been designed to create volume at the roots and curl at the ends. Ideal for short and mid-length hair, simply section your hair before lifting it and wrapping it around the barrel. Details: Two heat settings (select high for thick or coarse hair and low for fine and thin hair), ceramic coating to reduce heat damage and a mix of nylon and boar bristles to detangle, smooth and add shine. Pros/Cons: This is a reduced sized tool which makes it easy to use and manoeuvre. However, if you have longer hair this is not the one for you.
3 of 8ghd Glide Hot Brush, £139
Summary: A speedy, easy to use hot brush that tames and smooths dry hair effortlessly. Great for second day hair, the ions control frizz while the heat straightens hair for a full, soft finish (rather than poker straight). Details: Ceramic technology controls frizz. A mix of short and long bristles smooth strands. After 60-minutes of non-use, the brush automatically goes into sleep mode for peace of mind. Pros/Cons: The ghd Hot Brush reaches optimum styling temperature of 185C, meaning less damage to your hair. Tick!
4 of 8Remington Flexibrush Steam CB4N, £15.65
Summary: Another hot brush designed to be used on dry hair, this skinny barrel creates a loose curl when you wrap your hair around it. Use with steam for added hold. Details: Reservoir tank, can be used with or without water. Two comb lengths to suit your styling needs and heats up to 140 degrees in just 60 seconds. Pros/Cons: There is a clever curl release button on this tool which releases your hair to prevent tugging and breakage.
5 of 8AEVO Hot Air Brush, £35.99
Summary: A do-it-all wonder brush that can dry, straighten and curl your hair. Go for the hot mode for fast drying, the low mode for styling and the cool mode for adding shining. Triple tick!Details: Ionic technology reduces frizz and the 360 degree swivel cord makes it super easy to use. Pros/Cons: It has a combination of nylon teeth and tufted bristles to detangle your hair while giving your scalp a massage - dreamy!
6 of 8EGO Vitality Smoothing Hot Air Brush, £34.99
Summary: An affordable hot air brush that comes complete with three brush attachments – one to enhance shine, one to add volume and one to smooth strands. Begin by blow drying your hair until it's 80% dry before picking your attachment for your desired finish. Details: 300W-500W for a choice of cooler, more gentle or hotter, faster drying. The brush also features Tourmaline Ceramic with ionic conditioning for super smoothing results.Pros/Cons: Each attachment works differently on each hair length, so find what works best for you. The larger barrel creates volume for longer hair; the smaller barrel works best for shorter hair; and the vent brush detangles to create a smooth finish.
7 of 8Revamp Progloss Perfect Blow Dry - Volumiser Hot Air Styler, £59.99
Summary: With several 5-star reviews, this powerful tool dries, detangles and styles your hair in one fell sweep. The oval ceramic barrel gets right to the root to add volume for a salon-worthy finish. Details: Customise your blow-dry with three heat and three speed settings, include a cool option to set your hair in place. Oh and it's infused with Progloss oils for added shine. Pros/Cons: This is super lightweight which makes styling more flexible and comfortable to do.
8 of 8ghd Rise Hot Brush, £169
Summary: The ghd rise is slimmer than your regular hot brush and its MO is to give maximum volume at the root and allow you to curl in that blow-dry-esque flick at the ends of your hair too.Product Specifications: The barrel is 32mm wide and the temp sticks at 185 degrees, which is the optimum temperature for styling without damaging your hair.Pros/Cons: After maximum volume and a blow-dry finish at home? This one's hard to beat. Use on dry hair only.
Are Hot Air Brushes Bad For Your Hair?
When dealing with heated styling tools there is always the possibility of excess heat causing damage to the hair. That said, a hot air brush is often considered a far gentler option over some hair straighteners (look for heat controlled options like GHD and CloudNine for gentler, safer styling) when it comes to preserving the health of our hair. Why? The optimum temperature tends to be much lower on most hot air brushes as opposed to some hair straighteners. Just remember to always apply a heat styling protection spray first (this goes for any heated tool!).
Do You Use Hot Air Brush On Wet Hair?
It depends on the brush. There are some brushes (like ghd and Remington) that are only designed to be used on dry hair. Others can be used on hair that’s 80% dry, while some can be used on hair that’s completely wet. Always check the instructions before using your chosen hot air brush.
The New Kid On The Hot Brush Block
Meet the ghd Rise, £169. It's a hot brush but not as you know it. With a 32mm barrel this brush is much slimmer than your average hot brush, making it great for those with shorter hair, and great for those with longer hair who really want to concentrate on adding volume in at the root and curling in that flick at the ends once hair is dry. Yes this one isn't for part-drying your hair. Its MO is to style in maximum volume and shape once your hair is dry. Keen to see more? Grazia's beauty editor Annie Vischer shows us how best to use this tool on long hair below:
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