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The Best Hair Straightening Brushes for Sleek, Smooth, Bouncy Blowouts at Home
No matter your texture, you’ll appreciate having one of these easy-to-use tools in your bathroom cabinet.
There’s nothing I love more than a fresh, bouncy blowout. My hair never looks sleeker, smoother, or more shampoo commercial-esque than when I leave the hair salon. If I could, I would get a professional blowout done multiple times a week—but unfortunately, more often than not, I’m fighting with my blow dryer at home to try to make my hair look semi-presentable.
For the ultimate at-home styling, hair straightening brushes make the process of doing your hair at home as easy as possible. “It’s basically an easy-to-use, all-in-one tool that combines [the effects of] a hair dryer, round brush and straightening tool together to make managing your hair as easy as it possibly can be,” says Marc Ballance, a celebrity hairstylist in New York City. The best part is that these tools majorly cut down your styling time. Below, find the best hair straightening brushes on the market, recommended by experts, tested by editors, and reviewed by shoppers.
Pros
- Works well on all hair textures
Cons
- No temperature settings
This tool works as both a hair dryer and straightening brush. In a clinical study, it reduced frizz by up to 30 percent, making it ideal for smoothing out the cuticle. There aren’t any temperature settings, so if you want more temperature control, this brush might not be the best option.
Best for: All hair types
Sephora rating: 4.4/5
A Sephora reviewer says: “This is so good that it turns my 4C hair straight. When I use it, I see the same results as I would when I go to get it professionally blow-dried. Not all bristles are made for my hair type, but I trust this one. Plus, it’s sensitive skin friendly, so no need to feel like you’re gonna burn yourself. Because of it, I am confident in washing my hair at home.”
Pros
- Customizable temperature
Cons
- High heat may be damaging
Drybar’s heated paddle brush gets hotter than many other hair straightening brushes, which allows for more precise and speedy styling. The temperature is customizable, so you can choose the heat setting that’s best for your hair.
Maximum temperature: 450 degrees
Best for: All hair types
Amazon rating: 4.3/5
An Amazon reviewer says: “I was very hesitant to try a brush like this on my curly hair, but after using it, this one is by far the greatest purchase ever! It takes me only 10 minutes or less to straighten my curly frizzy hair! Would give more stars if I could. Life changing!”
Pros
- Different attachments allow many different styles
Cons
- Small Learning Curve
The Dyson Airwrap is so much more than a straightening brush—it also curls, dries, and tames flyaways. The tool comes with two different straightening brush heads—one with denser bristles for coarse hair textures, and one with more flexible bristles for finer hair textures. The Airwrap never goes above 302 degrees, so there’s less risk of hair damage.
Maximum temperature: 302 degrees
Best for: All hair types
Amazon rating: 4.2/5
Our expert says: “Not exactly a hair straightening brush, but something that should definitely be on my list. This tool is incredible as it can be used to dry hair from wet, smoothing your hair, straightening and curling. The interchangeable heads mean that you can style your hair in so many different ways with the same tool.”—Marc Ballance, celebrity hairstylist in New York City
Pros
- Different length bristles help smooth hair
Cons
- Might not be the best for shorter hair
Ghd’s oval-shaped paddle brush design makes it easy to glide through strands in a flash. Ionized ceramic technology smooths and straightens hair, while both short and long bristles allow you to style in bigger sections, cutting down styling time.
Maximum temperature: 365 degrees
Best for: All hair types
Amazon rating: 4.4/5
Our expert says: “I find that the Ghd heated tools are usually my go tos and this one is no different. It’s an amazing all-around brush that can be used on all hair types, and it’s an amazing addition to my kit. It also heats up super quick, which means you don’t have to wait around to get to work!”—Marc Ballance, celebrity hairstylist in New York City
Pros
- Helps maintain styles
Cons
- Button location can be an inconvenience for some
Babyliss’ Thermal Paddle Brush is ideal to use on second-day hair. Nano-titanium coated bristles grip the hair without compromising on volume.
Maximum temperature: 400 degrees
Best for: Fine to medium hair types
Amazon rating: 3.9/5
Our expert says: “This is an amazing brush to use on fine to medium density hair. The design means it’s super easy to use and heats up to 400 degrees, so you don’t have to go over the same section numerous times.”—Marc Ballance, celebrity hairstylist in New York City
Pros
- Good for hard to reach areas
Cons
- Some find it doesn’t work well for thick hair
This thermal brush comes with heated, beveled edges, which help smooth tough-to-reach areas closer to the scalp. Meant to combine a flat iron with a styling brush, this tool works overtime to make hair smooth and shiny.
Maximum temperature: 430 degrees
Best for: All hair types
Amazon rating: 4/5
An Amazon reviewer says: “Really love how easy to use this product is. I am not the most adept person when it comes to straightening my hair. I have been burned by so many curling irons and flat irons over the years that I had completely stopped using them. This gives me confidence and it works well with my medium thick hair.”
Pros
- Tufted bristles add tension to smooth hair
Cons
- Heavy
This straightening brush has three different heat settings for different hair types, making it easy to customize. It also has tufted bristles, mimicking a boar bristle brush, which help grip the hair and make it as smooth as possible.
Maximum temperature: 360 degrees
Best for: All hair types
Amazon rating: 3.6/5
An ELLE editor says: “I use this brush for touch-ups, and I love how quickly it smooths out my hair. I have really thick hair, but this tool only requires one pass, and can cover a lot of hair at one time. The textured bristles really help style and add tension.” —Katie Berohn, beauty editor
Pros
- Many different drying options
Cons
- No temperature settings
This versatile hair tool has four different attachments: an airflow nozzle, a round brush, a straightening brush, and a diffuser. It also has three different heat settings and two speed settings, though the company doesn’t disclose the maximum temperature.
Best for: All hair types
Beachwaver rating: 3.7/5
An Amazon reviewer says: “I love that this blow dryer has 4 different heads to blow dry, diffuse, and straighten your hair all in one!”
Pros
- Many different heat settings to customize
Cons
- Some find the button location to be inconvenient
Paul Mitchell’s thermal brush has five different heat settings and uses technology that ensures consistent heat throughout the entire styling process. The ceramic coated bristles are different lengths, which strengthens tension for a smoother, polished finish.
Maximum temperature: 410 degrees
Best for: All hair types
Amazon rating: 4.3/5
An Amazon reviewer says: “This Paul Mitchell Neuro Sleek Smoothing Hot Brush is everything I wanted from a hot brush. The bristles are plastic and hard, but they don’t rip your hair out. You can get a somewhat sleek look by just brushing this from roots to ends like it’s a brush. Or you can get volume and even add a bit of a wave or flip if you go from underneath. The quality is great and it feels solidly made, and it helps a good deal with any frizz.”
Shark SmoothStyle Heated Comb + Blow Dryer Brush
Pros
- Blow dries and styles
Cons
- No temperature settings
This tool is both a blow dry brush and a heated comb combined. Though there aren’t temperature settings, there are three different speed settings for drying hair, and the heated comb helps smooth out the cuticle for a fresh-from-the-salon look.
Best for: All hair types
Amazon rating: 4.1/5
An ELLE editor says: “I’ve been using this brush in favor of more expensive hair tools before leaving my house lately. It dries my hair really quickly and easily, but the big game-changer is the heated comb setting. It genuinely makes my hair look like I just got it done at a salon.”—Katie Berohn, beauty editor
What is the best way to use a hair straightening brush?
Hair straightening brushes are extremely easy to use, since they’re essentially just heated hair brushes. “You should still use heat protection, take sections of hair and take your time going from the roots all the way to the ends,” says Ballance. “I recommend starting in the front and focusing on the hair around your face first, get it perfect and then move on to the back. It won’t take long to master using a hair straightening brush as it’s super easy to use.”
What are the benefits of a hair straightening brush?
The biggest benefit is that hair straightening brushes are incredibly easy to use and style hair quickly and seamlessly. “It takes away a lot of time and effort from your usual hair styling routine,” says Ballance. Most of them are also less damaging than other tools, since they tend to use less heat overall. “The fact that you are combining blowdrying, straightening, and smoothening all together means that there is less heat on the hair strands, resulting in less damage.”
Why trust ELLE beauty?
As a leading publisher of fashion, lifestyle, and beauty content, ELLE.com is committed to highlighting the best products in various categories by personally testing the latest and most innovative products, interviewing countless experts, and vetting customer-loved items. For this piece, ELLE beauty editor Katie Berohn tested tools to find the best hair straightening brushes on the market, and she interviewed a stylist.
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