Does spending more on hair tools get you better results? I bought and tested 5 of the top-rated Amazon blow dry brushes to help me answer this question.

I did the research for you, so you don’t have to. The prices ranged dramatically - from $33 to $300!

Justin Hickox holding two blow dry brushes for comparison. — *this post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links at no cost to you.

The Test Phase

As a hairstylist for almost 30 years, I wanted to test the factors that I would look for in a blow dry. The four factors that I considered in each blow dry brush were:

Ease of use
Tension
Speed of styling
Overall build quality

I wanted to go through these brushes from cheapest to most expensive so I could determine the question: if you spend more, do you get a better product?

The Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer Plus - $33

I tried the Revlon brush first, when using it on my model, she mentioned that it felt hot on her face on the HIGH setting. But, I liked the ergonomics of the blow dry brush. I was impressed by the build quality. While using this to do a full blow-out, I noticed that this brush gets very hot, so be careful. I would recommend using it on a lower setting. It only took 10 minutes and 7 seconds to dry an entire head of hair with this brush.

Score: 3.5/5

The CHI Volumizer 4-in-1 - $72

My first impression of The CHI was the build quality wasn’t as good as the Revlon OneStep Volumizer Plus. The grip on the CHI wasn’t as ergonomic and felt plastic-y. I liked that this brush didn’t get as hot, and I was able to do a full blow-out in 8 minutes and 54 seconds. I also noticed that the hair texture after using this blow dry brush was a bit smoother.

Score: 3.5/5

Dry Bar Double Shot Oval Blow-Dryer Brush - $101

The Dry Bar brush felt more solid in my hands. The build quality is definitely better than the CHI Volumizer. I did notice that this brush also has an oval head, like the others. It only took me 7 minutes and 15 seconds to do a full blow-out with this brush, which is quite a bit faster than the others. I also felt that the tension was better.

Score: 4/5

T3 AireBrush Hair Dryer Brush -$142

As soon as I unboxed the T3 AirBrush - it felt much higher end than the others. It’s made out of ceramic. It is a bit smaller in size than the other brushes, which makes it easier to use at home. I do love that this brush has an adjustable fan power setting, five different temperatures and a cold setting. But it gets very hot since it is ceramic, so I did burn myself while I was doing a full blow-out.

Score: 3/5

Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System - $300

Shark HD430 FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System

This is an Shark all-in-one blow dry brush, so it comes with multiple attachments. Immediately, I noticed the ergonomics of the brush. It has an extra long handle compared to the other brushes, and was heavier too. It had different air-flow settings, adjustable temperature settings and a cold setting which I liked. I did notice it was also louder than the other brushes. The full blow-out time with this brush was 7 minutes and 30 seconds.

Score: 3/5

Honestly, I don’t think the price of these brushes makes a difference in their performance. I found that one of the most expensive options was my least favorite. Depending on the factors that matter most to you, grab the one that fits in your budget and makes styling the easiest and most comfortable for your lifestyle!

What blow dry brush do you currently use? Do you use any of the ones I mentioned above? Let me know, I’d love to hear how you like them.

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