The Best Hot Air Brush for Your Hair Type

Last Updated on December 29, 2022 by Gaga

The latest style-perfecting gadget is a hot airbrush, which is a hairdryer and a round brush in one device. This versatile product blows hot air through a vented barrel to finish drying your hair while you style it.

The hot airbrush is not designed to replace your regular hair dryer because it doesn’t have enough power to fully and efficiently dry wet hair. Your hair should be blow-dried until it is about 80% dry before you start using the hot air styling brush to give it the desired finish.

The hot air brush won’t make curly hair pin straight; it is typically used to smooth curly hair or add gentle curls to straight hair.

There is a bit of a learning curve to master this tool, but with time and practice, you will be able to get that stunning “just back from the salon” blowout. You can also use it on dry hair for touchups between hair washings.

A hot air hair brush works best if you have short or shoulder-length hair. People with fine hair will get the most benefit. The blowing hot air delivers explosive volume while the round brush provides control and style, leaving your hair flowing and shiny.

Types of Hot Air Brushes

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1. Stationary hot air brush dryers have the brush in a fixed position, so you have to manually roll it to style your hair. Some people prefer stationary over rotating brushes because they don’t tangle the hair.

Popular brands: Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer Hot Air Brush and HOT TOOLS Professional 24K Gold One Step Dryer Volumizer.

2. Rotating hot airbrushes have a rotating brush head, which gives your hair more volume and makes your styling routine easier. The rotating feature is optional, so you can also choose to use the brush without rotation.

Popular brand: One-Step Hair Dryer Brush by CORNMI.

3. Hot air brushes with the spinning feature tend to catch the hair more than stationary brushes, and it also takes more time to master a rotating hair brush dryer than one you rotate manually.

4. Brushes with dual rotation have two directional buttons, so they can spin either forward or backward, which makes them equally convenient for both lefties and righties—and both sides of your head!

5. Hot air brush dryers with interchangeable brush heads have one dryer unit and two or more brush attachments to fit different hair lengths and create different styles.

6. “Tangle-free” drying hairbrushes have a release button that allows the barrel to swivel to release a tangled section of hair.

Some hot air brushes utilize advanced ionic technology to dry hair faster while eliminating static and frizz.

Popular brands: All-in-One Dryer Brush by Conair and Hot Air Brush by TDYJWELL.

Hot brushes typically range anywhere from 250 to 1200 watts of power. 250 watts may be sufficient for fine hair. For thick and coarse hair you will need much more power.

Benefits of Drying Hair Brushes

1. A hot air brush dryer gives great volume, unlike a flat iron, which can leave your hair too flat. You can get close to the roots, which gives your hair more life and body than you can get from your flat iron.

2. It is convenient to have it handy in humid weather. It helps tame frizz and gives a shiny finish to your hair.

3. With this tool, you can get your ends rolled under beautifully. You can also use it for touch-ups between hair washings. A hot air styling brush can be perfect for the last touches before a special event.

4. A hot air styler is lightweight and easy to maneuver which is great for your wrists. It’s also easier to use than using a hairdryer and a separate round brush for styling your hair. Your arms won’t get exhausted and you can use your other hand to hold the section and help with styling.

5. A hot air round brush doesn’t get as hot as your flat iron. This is important if you are concerned about the damage that could be done to your hair with the high heat from styling tools.

6. A hot air styling brush is great for traveling. You can take just one item with you instead of overloading your suitcase with several heat-styling tools. When you are on the vacation, you can just air dry your hair a bit and then use this hot airbrush to finish drying and styling your hair.

How Do Hot Air Stylers Work for Different Types of Hair?

When shopping for a new hot airbrush, it is important to select the tool that will work for your hair type and is also suitable for the length of your hair.

Fine hair: Hot airbrushes are great for people with fine, limp hair. They can get close to the scalp to lift the roots and leave your hair fluffed up. If you have super fine hair, look for soft to medium bristles. If your hair is over-processed or damaged, choose a brush with a ceramic heater and use a lower temperature setting. If your hair is frizzy, select a hot air styler brush that has an ion generator.

Thinning hair: A hot air brush styler works well for thin hair because it adds body to thin hair, tames frizz, and boosts shine. If you have thinning hair, apply some volumizing mousse before styling it with this tool.

Straight hair: A hot air hairbrush can be used to give a gentle curve to straight hair and add more body and shine. For a more lasting volume, you need to apply a volumizing mousse or hair spray. If you have straight hair, the brush won’t give you a lot of curls, but it can give you a little bit of casual wave or a touch of curl at the bottom of your hair.

Short hair: A hot airbrush is a perfect tool for people with short and medium-length hair. It is especially great for a short bob because it lifts short, fine hair and gives it body. However, be aware that for short hair, you need a small barrel. It can be tricky to get very short hair around the barrel, especially if it is straight. For really short hair, choose a barrel no bigger than 1 inch in diameter.

Long hair: Section off your hair and work small sections for a big bouncy look. If you want loose waves, go over each piece a few times while twisting and turning the brush. Do small portions at a time. If you grip too much hair, it might get caught in the brush. For very long hair, look for a “tangle-free” brush.  You’ll need the release button to untangle sections of hair.

A hot air styler works exceptionally well on shoulder-length hair.

Coarse hair: If you have coarse and thick hair, make sure to pre-dry your hair well, then use this tool to finish your style; a hot styling brush is not powerful enough to dry and style thick, coarse hair. If you keep trying, the tool gets pretty warm, which causes the bristles to become softer and less efficient in managing your hair. For coarse hair, use stiffer brushes and select a higher heat setting. Make sure to choose a unit with higher wattage that provides enough heat and power to properly dry and style your hair.

Curly hair: A hot air styling brush won’t give you stick-straight hair like a flat iron; it will smooth the hair and slightly turn it under. If you want to make your curly hair straight, you’ll still need to use a flat iron. You’ll also still need to use your flat iron if you want your ends straighter because the round brush tends to curl your ends.

How to Use a Hot Air Round Brush

A hot airbrush is not made to be used straight out of the shower, as it will take forever to dry your hair. Allow your hair to air dry or use a regular hair dryer to pre-dry it. When your hair is about 80% dry, use the hot air styler to finish drying and create the style you desire. Keep your hair sectioned with clips, wrap a small portion of hair around the brush, and slide downward.

It takes a little practice to get used to it, especially to a rotating hot airbrush.

Read the manual and watch a few videos on YouTube to figure out how to use it.

Always use a heat protection spray.

For maximum body, position the brush close to the roots, wrap your hair around the brush, and hold the brush in place for a few seconds. Gently pull your hair away from your head, then move the brush down the section. Make sure to select a large barrel if you want more body and fewer curls.

The hot air brush styler does not get hot enough to curl your hair. It is not a good choice if you want to achieve tighter curls. Curls also do not last long as using a curling iron. Depending on the length of the hair and the diameter of the brash, you can get some curls or slight natural waves.

To get a curlier style, wrap a portion of your hair around the brush and hold the brush for about 10 seconds close to your head before unrolling your hair from the brush. Work on just one small section at a time. For tighter curls, use a barrel not wider than 1”. Use a 1.5″ barrel or larger if you want to get more. To get big soft waves, slide the brush vertically.

If your hair gets tangled, press the release button that allows the barrel to swivel to untangle the hair. If you use a brush with dual rotation, you need to change directions to let your hair out of the brush.

Once you have finished with the hot settings, use the cool setting to set the style and add more shine to your hair.

How to Choose the Right Barrel Size?

For longer hair, choose a larger diameter of brush. The 2-inch barrel will probably work perfectly if you have long hair.

If you have short hair, choose the 1″ barrel. Larger barrels will not work on short hair, as hair cannot be wrapped around the brush.

Select 1-1/2″ barrels if you have medium-length hair.

The 1-inch will give you tighter curls.

The 1.5-inch barrel gives you more relaxed curls.

The 2-inch barrel will give you a straighter style with more volume. It can also give you loose, short-lasting curls.

Ceramic or titanium barrels tame frizz and smoothen hair more beautifully than those made of plastic material.

A Few Words about Bristles

Most hot air stylers have nylon bristles. Plastic bristles transfer heat well, easily pick up the section of hair, and don’t have a tendency to tangle hair. Nylon bristles are suitable for styling coarse hair.

Brush bristles are softer than plastic ones and work best for fine hair.