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When I want to create a smooth, bouncy blowout or super-sleek look, I either (a) give up halfway because it takes so long or (b) fry my hair in the process—that was, until I tried a hair straightener brush. I was initially skeptical—a hot tool that promises to detangle, smooth, and straighten my hair? Like, come on, that can’t be real? But here’s the thing: Hair straightener brushes—provided you buy the right one for your specific hair type and goal—are pretty freaking amazing and shockingly easy to use. Think of hair straightening brushes as your hair dryer brush and flat iron combined in one handy tool.
Seriously, I’ve been using one for months now, and it’s made doing my hair so much easier. Not only do I skip blow-drying entirely now, but I use fewer styling products, too, since hair straighter brushes have frizz-reducing and shine-boosting benefits as well. After personally testing and reviewing the very best hair straightener brushes on the market, I rounded 'em up, below. Keep reading for how to choose a hair straightener brush for your hair type and everything you need to know about them.
✔️ FYI: We updated this article in September 2023 to give you the most up-to-date info on hair straightening brushes, including new tried-and-tested picks, many reviewers' take on which ones are the best, and how to choose a hair straightener brush for yourself.
Now, after that fun little sneak peek, keep scrolling for all the reviews, pros and cons, and deets about what makes each of these hair straightening brushes so good. Trust me when I say all of these put in the work and result in super sleek, super smooth hair.
This versatile hair straightener brush can be used on all hair types and curls types, heats up to 365 degrees (the temp is effective for smoothing and straightening without damaging your hair), and uses a combo of short and long bristles to make styling both quick and easy. I use it whenever I want the smoothest, sleekest hair, and know that this bb will get the job done super quickly and easily.
THE REVIEW: “When I use a flat iron, it usually takes two or more hours for me to straighten my hair," one tester notes, adding, "but with this hot brush it literally took 30 minutes to make my hair totally smooth.”
The Dyson Airwrap is definitely an investment, but considering it can be used to rough dry, blow dry, straighten, *and* curl your hair—I’d say it’s totally worth it. The Airwrap kit comes with six different attachments—two of which are hair straightener brush heads. There’s a soft option that’s best for straightening fine hair and a firm option that’s great for coarse, frizz-prone hair.
THE REVIEW: “I’ve never been one to do my hair every day, but I have been since I bought this,” writes one tester. “It’s so easy to use—and I love that I can create multiple styles with just one tool. When I straighten my hair it literally takes five minutes.”
You know that one hair that will never lie flat, no matter what you do to it? Yup, it’s finally met its match: this hair-straightening brush. The long bristles (which are able to get all the way to your roots) and the ion generator (which seals the hair cuticle) make sure every single hair lies smooth and frizz-free.
THE REVIEW: “This brush did a great job at straightening by 3b curls,” writes one reviewer. “I love it for touch-ups too—I run it through my day-three hair and my frizz disappears.”
If you have fine hair that lacks volume, then you’ll love this hair straightener brush. It’s designed to smooth and straighten your hair, but it won’t make it fall flat in the process. It also heats up to 400 degrees, but don’t worry about burning yourself—the tangle-free swivel cord makes it easy to maneuver so you don’t singe your forehead or scalp.
THE REVIEW: “Don’t sleep on this brush," one reviewer notes. "I have an older, OG hot brush that cost more than twice the price of this one and it doesn’t work half as well.”
This straightening brush can smooth the thickest of hair—yes, even yours. The ion-coated bristles straighten hairs from root to tip without causing breakage. You’ll be left with silky and shiny hair that has almost zero flyaways. Oh, and another bonus? The brush heats up in 30 seconds.
THE REVIEW: “I was amazed with the results from this brush,” writes one tester. “It only took me five minutes to straighten and smooth my hair just by brushing through it on the 330-degree heat setting compared to my using 20 minutes with a flat iron.”
Way too many hair straightening brushes say they’ll add shine, when in reality, all they do is leave your hair in an even worse state. Like, so dull, no amount of shine spray can fix it. Enter: This brush, which has bristles placed strategically to better control heat flow (so no need to worry about the flat, burnt look) and the ion-generating plates leave behind a silky finish as you brush.
THE REVIEW: "It takes me over an hour to flat iron my hair with my traditional flat iron (and chase technique)," one reviewer writes, adding, "I’m able to straighten my hair in 20 minutes with this brush and it’s just as straight."
This full-size hair straightener brush is a must if you’re constantly fighting with your roommates for bathroom outlet space. The innovative design is totally cordless—each charge lasts for 40 minutes—so you can get ready pretty much anywhere...even your car!
THE REVIEW: “This tool is a total game changer for me," writes one tester. "As someone who is pretty low maintenance with their hair routine, I love how this lets me air dry my hair after showering at night and then quickly smooth it out in the morning.”
Yes, it’s the cheapest option on the list, but that doesn’t mean it lacks hair-straightening abilities. This top-rated straightening hair brush heats up to 450 degrees, is made with smooth ceramic bristles, and has titanium coating protection for added shine benefits.
THE REVIEW: “This works so well for the price,” writes one reviewer. “I let my hair air dry first then I use this in small sections from roots to tips—the level of shine and smoothness is unreal.”
Yes, you can use a hair-straightening brush on thick, curly hair and not end up looking like a poodle. This brush heats up to 450 degrees and has ceramic, iron teeth bristles that will glide through your hair without causing frizz or damage. The result? A sleek, blown-out finish.
THE REVIEW: “I have thick, frizz-prone curls and love how straight hair looks on me, but I refuse to use a flat iron since they take so long to use,” reads one review. “Instead of a flat iron I use this brush—it’s seriously the BEST hairstyling tool I have ever tried! It takes me 10 minutes to get my hair exactly where I want it with almost no frizz.”
A lot of hair-straightening brushes say they work on naturally curly and coily hair, but that isn’t always the case. This one from MiroPure (which has almost 3,600 reviews on Amazon) actually lives up to the claims though—it’s truly a brush that’s designed just for curly hair. Just run the brush through small, separate sections of hair (instead of larger ones) to make your hair lie flat.
THE REVIEW: "Will it work on thick tightly coiled hair? Yes, it does!" one tester writes, adding, "just remember to use your heat protectant, and it only took me about 22 minutes on each side with medium to long hair."
If you have curly hair, you might think a hair-straightening brush won’t work for you. Well, think again. By sealing your hair cuticle, this brush is able to straighten even the curliest of hair without damaging your curls.
THE REVIEW: “I bought this brush with low expectations and let me tell you how wrong I was—this thing can straighten my waist-length curls in two passes of the brush," one reviewer writes. "It takes 15 minutes for my hair to look silky and shiny.”
This one’s a little pricey, but IMO, if you’re looking for something that actually works on 4c hair, this is the straightening brush for you. Not only do the bristles reach all the way down to your roots without scorching your scalp, but they never tug or pull on your curls either. Win-win.
THE REVIEW: “I live in a humid climate so my hair tends to frizz up as soon as I leave the house but not when I use this brush," one tester notes. "The smoothing and shine-boosting results are super impressive.”
Yes, hair straightener brushes really do work, provided you’re using the right one for your hair type and texture. They won’t give you the same super sleek look as a flat iron, but they’re great for smoothing and straightening your hair and even reducing frizz too.
You shouldn’t experience any major damage or breakage from your brush, as long as you’re following your straightening brush’s specific directions and applying a heat protectant spray or cream to your hair before using it. Using a heat protectant is key for preventing breakage and split ends induced by exposure to high heat. Luckily, there a ton of different heat protectant options out there, from lightweight mists to moisturizing creams, to choose from. My personal fave is Bumble and Bumble’s Hairdresser Invisible Oil Heat/UV Protective Primer.
Just because a hair straightener brush comes with a big price tag doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to give you big-time results. There are plenty of affordable and effective brushes out there—in fact, there are multiple options under $50 on this list—so be sure to read reviews and ratings before adding anything (regardless of how expensive or fancy it may seem) to your cart.
If you want to avoid frying your hair every time you bust out your hair straightener brush, then you’ll definitely want to invest in a tool that has adjustable temperature settings. If your hair is fine or thin, lower temps (around 250 to 325 degrees) will get the job done. If your hair is thick and coarse? You’ll want to dial up the heat (around 350/375 degrees is ideal) to get your hair smooth and shiny in as few passes as possible.
Hair straightener brushes with a small, narrow brush heads are typically meant to be used on smaller areas of hair—like bangs, roots, or face-framing pieces. They’re also great for styling pixie cuts. Larger, oval-shaped brushes (think: a paddle brush size or bigger) are usually the better option for general smoothing and creating soft styles.
Siena Gagliano is an associate editor at Cosmopolitan who writes beauty and has three years of experience writing about beauty, fashion, and lifestyle news. She’s an expert at researching and writing hair stories, like the best shampoos for thinning hair and the best purple shampoos, and feels especially knowledgeable in hair straightener brushes thanks to having long, dense, wavy hair that takes a particularly long time to straighten and style. She regularly tests and analyzes hair straightener brushes on her own hair for efficacy, while working with the industry’s top hairstylists to assess new formulas and brands.
Lauren Balsamo is deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan with nine years of experience researching, writing, and editing hair stories that range from the best detanglers to the best shampoos for dry, damaged hair. She regularly tries out hair straightener brushes for efficacy, while working with the industry’s top stylists to find new technologies and brands.
Siena Gagliano is the associate editor at Cosmopolitan, where she primarily covers beauty, fashion, travel, and lifestyle. Wanna know how to get the best brows of your life? Gotchu. What about how to find the best fashion deals of the season, the softest sheets on the market, or exactly how to use retinol without irritating your skin? Check, check, and check. Before joining Cosmopolitan, Siena was a writer at Bustle and several other media outlets. As her 2024 goal, she has vowed to find the best (extra) dirty martini NYC has to offer—and yes, that means ~attempting~ to try every cute cocktail spot in the city (hit her up with some recs, pls). Follow Siena on Instagram for a behind-the-scenes look at that magazine life.
Lauren Balsamo is deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan, where she writes, edits, and produces all types of beauty content—from product reviews to personal essays and trend reports. She has covered beauty for nine years at Cosmopolitan and has contributed to Women’s Health and Seventeen magazines as well. Follow her on Instagram.
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