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The 8 best blow dryer brushes for achieving a professional blowout at home

 

If you love the look of professional blowouts — but hate spending a small fortune on them — then consider investing in a blow dryer brush. This versatile tool pulls double (or more like triple) duty as a brush, hairdryer, and styler. Put simply, blow dryer brushes are designed to save you time, effort, and energy when it comes to styling your hair, and, fortunately, they're suitable for all hair types, textures, and lengths. 

While there are dozens of great options on the market, keep in mind that the best blow dryer brushes feature ionic technology, which is supposed to help minimize frizz and enhance shine. The result? Frizz-free, softer strands in mere minutes. You'll also notice that most blow dryer brushes are round- or oval-shaped which is ideal for creating volume. Many have three or more temperature settings, cool-touch tips to prevent you from burning your fingers/hands, and a ceramic surface. A handful of options offer bonus features like cool settings for preserving curls, interchangeable barrels for custom styling, and two different types of bristles that allow for simultaneous detangling and styling. 

As someone who owns several blow dryer brushes — including a few mentioned below — I've picked up quite a few tricks. For example, I've found that blow dry brushes work best on my hair when it's about 80% to 90% dry. Not only does this cut down on styling time, but it also helps minimize heat damage. 

From a wallet-friendly favorite to a splurge-worthy staple, I've scoured the Internet — and spoke to the pros — to narrow down the best blow dryer brushes for every hair type and budget.

Here are the best blow dryer brushes of 2022:

Best blow dryer brush overall: T3 AireBrush Duo Interchangeable Hot Air Blow Dry Brush, $179.99 on Sephora
The T3 Airebrush Duo includes two attachments, making it easy to achieve sleek strands or voluminous waves.

Best budget blow dryer brush: Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer And Volumizer Hot Air Brush, $34.88 on Amazon
The Revlon One-Step is a versatile pick that won't break the bank.

Best blow dryer brush for all hair types: Drybar The Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush, $150 on Sephora
This blow dryer brush from Drybar fights frizz while adding volume, making it a solid pick for all hair types.

Best splurge blow dryer brush: Dyson Airwrap Complete Styler, $549.99 on Dyson
The Dyson Airwrap features innovative technology to protect hair from overheating — plus six attachments for essentially effortless styling.

Best blow dryer brush under $50: Trademark Beauty Babe Waves Easy Blo Single Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer, $49.99 on Amazon
This ultra-lightweight blow dryer brush comes complete with combination bristles, a cool setting, and powerful airflow.

Best blow dryer brush for thick hair: Infiniti Pro by Conair Spin Air Rotating Styler, $64.99 on Amazon
This rotating blow dryer brush from Conair rotates as you use it — saving you time, effort, and energy when styling thick hair. 

Best blow dryer brush for fine hair: BaBylissPRO Titanium Rotating Hot Air Brush, $89.99 on Amazon
The Babyliss Pro Rotating Hot Air Brush adds fullness to fine hair. 

Best blow dryer brush for oily hair: Hot Tools Professional Charcoal-Infused One-Step Blowout Styling Tool, $74.99 on Ulta
This blow dryer brush boasts charcoal-infused bristles to combat oily strands.

Best blow dryer brush overall

The T3 Airebrush Duo includes two attachments, making it easy to achieve sleek strands or voluminous waves.

The T3 Airebrush Duo is a personal favorite since it has two attachments (one 2.5-inch round brush and one 3-inch paddle brush). I like to start with the round brush before switching to the paddle brush to eliminate frizzy roots. 

Other highlights include the cool shot button and volume booster switch, the latter of which helps create extra-tousled and textured tresses. Plus, the built-in microchip — which helps regulate temperature to ensure an even distribution of heat — is another nice touch. To top it off, users can choose from a whopping 15 heat and speed combinations.

Best budget blow dryer brush

The Revlon One-Step is a versatile pick that won't break the bank.

Revlon's One-Step Hair Dryer And Volumizer Hot Air Brush is the OG of blow dryer brushes — and, at just $35, it's a total steal. Hairstylist Genevieve Garner tells Insider she "absolutely loves" the all-in-one blowdryer and hairbrush combo.

Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of reviewers — including myself — have raved about the One-Step's large, 4.2-inch barrel that makes styling a breeze. The oval-shaped brush also features two types of bristles for smoothing and detangling. Plus, I've found the cool setting to be incredibly convenient for preserving my curls.

Best blow dryer brush for all hair types

This blow dryer brush from Drybar fights frizz while adding volume, making it a solid pick for all hair types. 

The Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush from Drybar comes highly recommended by hairstylist Gina Rivera. The stylist has deemed the Double Shot "great for reducing frizz, good for all hair types, and excellent for creating volume" — all despite the tool's slightly higher price point. 

The 2.44-inch barrel also features a combination of nylon and tufted bristles for a secure yet gentle grip. "This is a tool that combines the hot air of a blow-dryer with the structure of a round brush to create a smooth, shiny blowout with tons of volume!" Rivera tells Insider.

Best splurge blow dryer brush

The Dyson Airwrap features innovative technology to protect hair from overheating — plus six attachments for essentially effortless styling.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've likely seen the Dyson Airwrap come across your social media feed at least several times over the past year or so. Several hair pros flooded my inbox to sing the Airwrap's praises, including stylists Devin Toth of Salon SCK in New York. "It's the most improved and most advanced blow dryer brush on the market," Toth tells Insider.   

However, this isn't your traditional blow dryer brush — and not just because it's incredibly expensive at nearly $550. The Airwrap utilizes innovative technology to pull hair towards the device. The built-in thermistor helps regulate temperature and prevent your strands from burning. It also comes with six attachments, including a round brush, flat brush, and several curling barrels.

Best blow dryer brush under $50

This ultra-lightweight blow dryer brush comes complete with combination bristles, a cool setting, and powerful airflow.  

Ditch your basic, bulky hairdryer in favor of the Trademark Beauty Easy Blo. Weighing just under one pound, this blow dryer brush is among the lightest on the market. And, according to Amy Abramite, Creative Director and Stylist at Maxine Salon in Chicago, the tool "checks all the boxes for a great beauty buy." The cool setting is a bonus, as are the combination bristles (nylon to detangle and boar to smooth and tame frizz). 

"I have tried other dryers, and this model stands out for its lightweight design and powerful airflow," the stylist tells Insider. Additionally, according to Abramite, this tool offers users the chance to "quickly get a salon-quality blowout without fatigue from the weight of the tool, which typically accompanies high wattage dryers."

Best blow dryer brush for thick hair

This rotating blow dryer brush from Conair rotates as you use it — saving you time, effort, and energy when styling thick hair. 

If you hate twisting, flipping, and twirling your thick hair to achieve your desired results, then consider this Air Rotating Styler from Infiniti Pro by Conair. This rotating brush spins in both directions, making it easy to style your strands sans the strenuous arm workout that often follows (because let's face it, blow drying is a low-key workout). Plus, the boar and nylon bristles work together to glide through knots and smooth strands. Choose from two heat settings.

Best blow dryer brush for fine hair

The Babyliss Pro Rotating Hot Air Brush adds fullness to fine hair. 

Hairstylist Michelle DeMartino has dubbed BaBylissPRO's Titanium Rotating Hot Air Brush "the perfect styling tool for anyone with fine hair looking to achieve more volume." Users can also select from three heat settings based on their hair type and texture. According to the stylist, the device's rotating brush is a huge plus since it helps prevent hair from overheating and getting damaged.

Best blow dryer brush for oily hair

This blow dryer brush boasts charcoal-infused bristles to combat oily strands. 

 "This product was designed for people with oily hair because the bristles are infused with charcoal, which helps to absorb oils naturally," DeMartino says of the Hot Tools Professional Charcoal-Infused One-Step Blowout Styling Tool. The results? Near-perfect, salon-worthy strands that last for days on end. 

While the charcoal-infused bristles are noteworthy, there's another fun feature that sets this blow dryer brush apart from the rest. The barrel surface features real 24K gold, which can help evenly distribute heat to prevent damage.