One of the things we love most about going to the hair salon is walking out with that fresh, perfect blowout. But no matter how closely we observe our hairdresser through the mirror, we just can't seem to replicate the same look at home. (Honestly, it seems like they have way more than just two working hands sometimes.) Thankfully, the gods of beauty appliances heard our prayers and designed a blowdryer to help us feel like we, too, have all the appendages we need for easy, breezy mornings. Enter the hot air brush, a clever mix between a blow dryer and a hair straightener. This great hybrid tool dries and styles your hair without the frizz and without the hassle. If you're not convinced yet, take a look at our favorite picks below and confirm that we're not full of hot air (only the brushes are). Revlon One-Step Hot Air Brush All-In-One StylingDry, detangle, smooth, and curl your locks with the Revlon One-Step Hot Air Brush in half the time of your normal styling routine.Best OverallFind on Amazon When we sit in that salon chair, watching wide-eyed as our hairdresser expertly wrangles and tames our stubborn locks, we can’t help but wonder just how they’re achieving all those different hairstyles with the same two tools: a round brush and a blowdryer. Sometimes we ask for straight, sleek locks, and other times we want a little bit more curl and bounce. Yet, no matter the request, those two items deliver just what we need. Now, while there is definite skill involved in your hairdresser’s movements, don’t underestimate the power of a good tool. This Revlon hot air brush is calling into question everything people know about what it means to style hair – mainly the fact that you have to be a professional to do it. With a large oval head designed to smooth out hair while creating volume with the rounded edges, this brush uses high-quality nylon pin bristles to grip large volumes of hair while still allowing for a smooth glide. No matter your hair length or volume, the Revlon One-Step Hot Air Brush will dry and style your hair all in one go, faster than you can book an appointment to the salon. Pros: 6-foot swivel cord Reduced heat damage Cool tip for easy styling Nylon bristles for detangling Cons: Only 2 temperature settings, and the high one gets very hot Can’t be combined with a voltage converter HOT TOOLS Professional One Step Dryer All That Shines is GoldWith charcoal-infused bristles and a 24K gold surface, this hot air brush from HOT TOOLS achieves that shiny salon-style blowout everytime.Runner UpFind on Amazon One of the biggest differences between our salon-style blowouts and what we try to achieve at home is the lack of shine in our hair when we’re done torturing our arms for a half hour. And while adding products makes a big difference, the design of the tool itself is a strong indicator of your frizz level post-dry. The Professional One Step Dryer features a 24K gold surface to ensure even heat distribution, while the Direct ION technology maintains a neutral charge on each strand, paving the way for a smooth, silky finish. Even on day two, the brush has your back as its charcoal-infused bristles expertly refresh the strands, adding volume and bounce to your locks. You won’t believe how shiny their hair looks after drying with this HOT TOOLS brush. And while it’s more expensive than our other selections, it will definitely save you money in the long run since you won’t need to spend as much on different products for before and after styling. Pros: 8-foot swivel cord Charcoal-infused bristles 3-speed/temperature settings Comes with a 7-year warranty Cons: Higher price point Makes a loud noise TDYJWELL Hot Air Brush Love Your Look For LessMany women can't get enough of the multi-functionality, three-temperature setting, and great cost value of this 3-in-1 hot air brush.Best on a BudgetFind on Amazon Though DIY hairstyling is cheaper than going to the salon every time you want your hair to look mildly manageable, some of these appliances can still put a pretty big dent in your wallet. But we don’t think you necessarily need to choose between breaking the bank and keeping your hair in a ponytail for the foreseeable future. Thankfully, the folks at TDYJWELL don’t think that, either. That’s why they designed the ultimate value hot air brush, which has all the same multi-functionality and great features of the other brushes on our list but at a much lower price. Dry your hair in no time while also straightening and smoothing it or alternatively adding more bounce and volume – the choice is yours. But while this brush is beloved by finer haired ladies, we recommend adding a bit of smoothing product if your hair is overly frizzy and thick just to get that sleek salon-style look. Pros: Anti-scalding top 3 temperature settings depending on hair type 360-degree swivel cord Great cost value Cons: Barrel is better suited for longer hair Not the best at curling hair, so using extra product will be helpful HOT TOOLS 3/4″ Hot Air Styling Brush Short Styling SuperstarThis hot air styling brush by HOT TOOLS is designed for finer, shorter hair, drying and styling your locks perfectly without the need for extra equipment.Best for Short HairFind on Amazon While all-in-one hair tools are great, it only takes one or two unfortunate purchases to realize that this description refers more to functionality and not different hair types and cuts. The products that work best for straight hair often don’t have much impact on thick, curly hair, and vice versa. This is definitely the case with hot air brushes as well. One obvious difference between the HOT TOOLS 3/4″ Hot Air Styling Brush and our other recommended models is the size of the barrel. Whereas big barrels are good for longer hair as they hold and style more hair at once, these same barrels won’t let you even get close to your scalp if you have a short haircut. For this reason, a thinner barrel is a short haircut’s best friend. This particular hot air brush by HOT TOOLS is great for achieving quick, perfectly full-bodied curls – even on the finest of hair strands – all without burning your hair as a normal curling iron would. Don’t get the short end of the stick again when it comes to easily styled mornings; instead, reach for the slimmer barrel and be on your perfectly-coifed way. Pros: Flexible, ball-tipped bristles Curl-release switch Cool tip that unscrews the barrel for easy cleaning Cons: Might tangle medium to long hair FURIDEN Ionic Hair Straightener Brush Safe, Smooth StylingStraighten your hair faster and with less damage with this hot air brush designed specifically to smooth your locks.Best for StraighteningFind on Amazon Though hot air brushes are a hybrid between hair dryers and flat irons, not all brushes are created equal. While the round brush design is the most popular one as it offers maximum styling versatility (drying, curling, smoothing), it isn’t actually the best one for smoothing out all the little kinks in our wavy or curly locks. If you’re looking for this latter styling option, reach instead for a paddle-brush design like the one used in this hot air brush by FURIDEN. Backed by a ceramic plate that heats up to different temperature settings depending on your hair texture, this brush combs heat through your hair while keeping your natural volume intact. And while flat irons apply direct heat to your strands, causing damage over time, this brush keeps natural moisture in and spreads the heat throughout all your hair to ensure a safer, smoother slide. We recommend drying your hair slightly more thoroughly before using it, though, as this brush blows less air than the other ones and works more for styling. Pros: Auto shut-off Warms up in 30 seconds Universal voltage 4 adjustable heat settings Cons: Requires drier hair (about 80%) before using Frequently Asked Questions What’s the most effective way to use a hot air brush? Though everyone has their own styling preference, a general guide can be as follows. Your hair needs to be slightly wet to get the best styling results, so you’ll want to shampoo and condition it first. Towel dry it after and wait until your hair is about 70% dry before applying a heat protectant spray (not necessary but always a nice thing to do for your beloved locks). Next, you’ll want to gently brush or comb through your hair to get rid of any knots before you run the hot brush through it. You can turn the hot air brush on at this point. Then, section the hair into three parts from top to bottom, and starting with the bottom section, encircle (without fully wrapping) a 2-inch section of hair on the brush from the root and pull downwards. Repeat throughout the bottom and middle sections until they’re dry styled. At the top, we tend to pull upwards instead of downwards to give that extra bit of volume. Add some finishing product and voila – you’re done. Does your hair need to be dry to use a hot air brush? While in principle a hot air brush should work on wet hair right out of the shower (and some of the models we listed above state that this is possible), we personally prefer to towel dry our hair a little bit to make sure it’s not overly soaked. Since these brushes use heated tips, you want to make sure you’re not burning your hair when it is wet, i.e. when it is at its most vulnerable. And since these brushes save you styling time anyways, we say wait a little bit. Related posts:Powered by SearchIQ The Best Deshedding Brushes Read more The Best Slicker Brushes Read more The Best Dog Brushes In 2024 Read more