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8 best hair straightener brushes: Cut your styling time in half with these super-hot gadgets

Gentle on hair but tough on frizz – these styling tools will give it to you straight

Anna Samson
Friday 11 February 2022 07:26 EST
Swapping your straightening iron for a brush is a smart move if you’re dealing with heat damage
Swapping your straightening iron for a brush is a smart move if you’re dealing with heat damage (iStock/The Independent )
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If you’re looking to invest in a new hair tool for spring, then a straightening brush could be the way to go. These multi-tasking marvels are often eclipsed by their siblings, straightening irons, but they offer silky smooth hair and a range of benefits.

If your hair is feeling a little fragile due to heat damage, then swapping your traditional straighteners for a straightening brush can be a smart move. Brushes can be a gentler option than straighteners, due to the fact that you are running them through the hair, rather than clamping down on it.

Some straightening brushes not only smooth your hair, but also enable you to add volume and movement without the tell-tale ridges that straighteners can leave. Other models offer a range of temperatures, so you can be safe in the knowledge that you aren’t subjecting your hair to more stress than is necessary.

And, if you want to cut down on styling time and heat stress, then a straightening dryer brush is an excellent investment. These gadgets can provide gorgeous blow-dry in minutes, and don’t require you to straighten your hair afterwards. A few more minutes in bed plus a salon-worthy look each morning – what’s not to like?

How we tested

We tried these brushes over a couple of weeks on long, thick hair that’s prone to unruliness and waves. We noted how easy they were to use, how versatile they were, and how our hair looked after styling.

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The products that most impressed us left our hair looking sleek and frizz-free. They were simple to use even on the back of our head and weren’t too heavy either. We also made sure that they didn’t cause obvious damage to our hair, and there was no frazzled feeling after use. Here are the results…

The best straightening brushes are:

  • Best overall – Revamp progloss multiform hot styling brush: £100, Very.co.uk
  • Best for travelling – BaByliss 9000 cordless hot brush: £129.99, Argos.co.uk
  • Best for a sleek finish – Amika polished perfection straightening brush: £90, Cultbeauty.co.uk
  • Best bargain buy – Glamoriser detangle and dry, £39.99, Glamorizer.com
  • Best for thick hair – Revlon pro collection one step dryer & volumiser, £62.99, Boots.com
  • Best for volume – Ikoo E-Styler hair straightening brush, £142.96, Ikoohair.com
  • Best for taming frizz – TYMO ring hair straightening brush, £108, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best for versatile styling – Nicky Clarke frizz control hot air styler, £49.99, Nickyclarke.com

Revamp progloss multiform hot styling brush

Revamp progloss multiform hot styling brush indybest.jpg
  • Best: Overall
  • Settings: 3
  • Dimensions: D50mm x H60mm x W275mm
  • Cordless?: Yes
  • Features: Ceramic bristles and 2 x ion jets
  • Power: 550W
  • Why we love it
    • In ten minutes, you’ve got a bone-dry bouncy blowdry
  • Take note
    • You might struggle a little to get to your roots with this on

This four-in-one hero product has a variety of different settings – a gentle or more powerful drying setting, and a hot brush setting for use on dry hair. And, if you needed to, you could even use it as a regular detangling hairbrush.

It’s lighter than a regular hairdryer and left our hair looking ultra sleek. The brush very impressively dried our hair quicker than a normal blow-dry, and cut the time required for styling since we didn’t need to use our irons afterwards. It’s a quick and easy option for hair-wash day – it only took around ten minutes to transform our bushy, wet hair into a dry, straight look.

The only downside was that it required a little effort to get into our roots, meaning that you run the risk of leaving them slightly damp. However, we found that by angling the brush we could blow hot air onto our scalp as we pulled the hair backwards. This also helped to tame flyaways, for a super polished finish.

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BaByliss 9000 cordless hot brush

BaByliss 9000 cordless hot brush indybest.jpg
  • Best: Travelling
  • Settings: 3
  • Dimensions: 30mm
  • Cordless?: Yes
  • Features: Travel case and heat mat
  • Power: Multi-voltage
  • Why we love it
    • Whatever your hair type, this will leave it looking glossy
  • Take note
    • If you’re looking for dead straight, you might want to look elsewher

This styler comes with a cute carry case, ideal for popping into your bag before going on trips. One charging session will give it power for forty minutes, and the lithium batteries mean that you can take it through the X-ray machine at an airport.

Once you’re ready to use the styler, simply unplug it from the cord and press the button to heat it up. We found that, without having a cord to restrict our motions, it was exceptionally easy to use. No piece of hair was in too awkward a place – we could always reach it – and found it was ideal for smoothing out kinks or adding a touch of volume when on-the-go.

With three different temperature settings going up to 180 degrees, this brush is suitable for a variety of different hair types – we found that a higher setting worked best on our locks. Our hair wasn’t left poker straight, but rather it became a smoother, glossier version of its natural look – in short, it was still our hair, but better.

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Amika polished perfection straightening brush

Amika polished perfection straightening brush indybest.jpg
  • Best: A sleek finish
  • Settings: 3
  • Dimensions : 8.55 x 5.65 x 2.1in
  • Cordless?: No
  • Features: Double anion spray technology
  • Power: 100-240V
  • Why we love it
    • Not only does it make our hair look fab, it’s got a great look of its own too
  • Take note
    • It takes a few goes to get it where you want it, but it’s worth i

Amika’s haircare and styling products are cult favourites, thanks to their combination of cool packaging and excellent results. Now the Brooklyn-based brand also offers hot tools, including this straightening brush.

The sleek, unfussy aesthetic makes this brush a welcome addition to any dressing table. The instructions are simple – plug it in and select a temperature, then wait for it to heat up. The range of heat settings means this brush is suitable for different hair types, from fine, damaged hair to courser textures.

After one pass of the brush on a high setting, we didn’t see too much of a difference to our hair – however, after running it through our hair again, we noticed that it was left looking much smoother, without compromising on softness. With a long cord and the lightweight design, we found that our arm didn’t get too tired during styling. Plus, the sophisticated aesthetic makes this brush a welcome addition to any dressing table.

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Glamoriser detangle and dry

Glamoriser detangle and dry indybest.jpg
  • Best: A bargain
  • Settings: 2
  • Dimensions: L28cm x W11cm x H14cm
  • Cordless?: No
  • Features: Infrared technology
  • Power: 450W
  • Why we love it
    • All the great results without any damage to your hair
  • Take note
    • Due to its size, this one is a little less powerful than some of the otherson the list

This blow-dry brush uses Infrared technology to dry your hair, rather than more traditional methods which can be damaging. The brush has two heat settings, low and high, and is infused with black diamond oil to reduce frizz and add luminescence.

We selected the high setting and ran the brush through our clean, wet hair until it was sleek and dry. It does feel a little less powerful than a regular hairdryer, but given its small size, it still dried our hair at a good speed. The result was impressive, especially given this product’s price point, and our hair looked like we had just stepped out of the salon.

The petite dimensions of this tool also make it very portable – it’s perfect for taking on holiday when you don’t want to drag both a hairdryer and a straightening iron with you. Plus, it really helped us to achieve great hair without breaking the bank.

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Revlon pro collection one step dryer and volumiser

Revlon pro collection one step dryer & volumiser indybest.jpg
  • Best: Thick hair
  • Settings: 3
  • Dimensions: 71mm x 45mm
  • Cordless?: No
  • Features: Ceramic coating for protection
  • Power: 800 watts
  • Why we love it
    • Great hair in ten minutes
  • Take note
    • This is a little on the heavier side, so watch that arm doesn’t get too tire

It’s little wonder that this brush has been causing a stir online, thanks to its versatility and effectiveness on unruly hair. There are two heat settings – we selected the higher option and it dried our hair in just over ten minutes. The brush is wide and allowed us to dry a lot of hair at once, cutting down our regular styling time. The size of the brush also means it’s a great option for those with long or thick hair that can be difficult to deal with.

However, our hand did feel a little tired after using it, so for longer styling sessions we would recommend taking a short break halfway through. That said, this brush doesn’t limit you to creating only poker straight styles either – with bristles on both sides, you can turn the brush as you use it. Whether you want some added volume at the root or a gentle flick at the end, it’s easy to achieve the style that you want. The tip of the brush is also kept cool, meaning that it is safe to touch when you need to use your second hand during a styling session.

  1.  £62 from Boots.com
Prices may vary
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Ikoo E-Styler hair straightening brush

Ikoo E-Styler hair straightening brush indybest.jpg
  • Best: Volume
  • Settings: 2
  • Dimensions : 33cm x 6.5cm
  • Cordless?: No
  • Features: One-touch navigation
  • Power: Not specified
  • Why we love it
    • This product will add volume and gloss to your hair
  • Take note
    • None worth mentioning, this brush really takes the cake

From the moment we opened the box, we knew we were in for a treat with this beautiful styler. The stylish black brush with bronze detailing is both elegant and effective, offering a range of different ways to use it.

Once it had heated up to our desired temperature, we slowly ran it through our hair. After a few passes, our locks were left looking straighter with some added shine too, thanks to the ionic technology that seals the cuticles. The even distribution of heat means that there’s less stress on the hair, and a memory function even remembers your favourite temperature for next time.

The brush also has additional heat plates on the sides, making it simple to create a few different styles while still smoothing the hair. We were able to easily use the brush to add some volume to our roots, and even create some soft waves. This premium product is an excellent way to add some movement into your hair while still creating a sleek look.

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TYMO ring hair straightening brush

TYMO ring hair straightening brush indybest.jpg
  • Best: Taming frizz
  • Settings: 5
  • Dimensions: 31cm x 4.6cm x 4.5cm
  • Cordless?: Yes
  • Features: Anti-scald technology
  • Power: 110-240V
  • Why we love it
    • This would be perfect both for shorter or longer hair
  • Take note
    • This takes a couple of goes, but the results are grea

The TYMO ring hair straightening brush is a bit of a cult favourite in the US, and for good reason. With a sixty-second heat up time, we were off to a flying start, and small details like the 360 degrees swivel cord made styling simple. We especially liked the anti-scald technology, which meant we could use the tool close to our roots without burning our head.

As with many of the other brushes, one pass through our hair didn’t change it too much, but after running it through our hair a couple more times, we started to see some excellent results. Our hair was much less bushy, and looked strong and healthy with a heavy dose of shine. It worked well on our long hair, but we think that it would provide equally great results on shorter hair too.

And, as an added bonus, this brush comes with a travel bag, a glove for heat protection and two sectioning clips, making styling that little bit easier.

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Nicky Clarke frizz control hot air styler

Nicky Clarke frizz control hot air styler indybest.jpg
  • Best: Versatile styling
  • Settings: 2
  • Dimensions: 23cm x 28cm x 9cm
  • Cordless: No
  • Features: Ionic technology to reduce frizz
  • Power : 1200W
  • Why we love it
    • This has a nice gentle feel compared to the rest on our list
  • Take note
    • If you’re looking for dead-straight hair, this might not be the right choic

This hot brush comes with a range of four different attachments, which help you to create a range of looks. Along with a straightening head, there is a 20mm brush, a 38mm brush and a concentrator nozzle, meaning that you can create a selection of different styles with the same tool.

We focused on the straightening head, which was different from any of the other ones that we tried – rather than having hard bristles, these bristles are very soft. The attachment clamps down on the hair, as with traditional straighteners, but it felt like the most gentle brush out of all the ones we tried, as the soft bristles are very flexible.

Our hair wasn’t left poker straight, but it was much smoother than previously due to the ionic technology which eliminates frizz. This would be an excellent choice for fine or colour-treated hair that is prone to feeling damaged, and the lower price point makes it a good bargain too.

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The verdict: Hair straightening brushes

The Revamp progloss multiform hot styling brush is an excellent choice that slashes styling time and left us with a salon-style result. If you’re looking for a budget buy, then Glamoriser detangle and dry really impressed us and made our hair look sleek and chic, while the Ikoo E-Styler hair straightening brush is a luxurious option that minimises heat damage.

Voucher codes

For offers on hair straighteners and other hair and beauty products, try our discount code pages:

For more hairstyling heroes read our guide to the best hair rollers for every style, from bouncy waves to tight curls

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