As a cosmetologist and lover of hair health, I was curious about the revolutionary hair straightening brush. Before I knew much about hair, I used to excessively straighten my hair with a flat iron and ended up having to cut about six inches off due to heat damage. Yikes. So when I heard about the hair straightening brushes while attending a class on hair tools, I was intrigued.
The 5 Best Hair Straightening Brushes at a Glance
- Best Overall: Ella Bella Hair Straightening Brush
- Best Budget Pick: MiroPure Enhanced Hair Straightening Brush
- Best for Thick Hair: Revlon Salon One-Step Straight & Shine XL Heated Brush
- Best for Wet-to-Dry Styling: CHI Lava Heated Straightening Brush
- Best Luxury Option: Drybar The Brush Crush Heated Straightening Brush
Why Use a Hair Straightening Brush?
Before we jump into this overview of the best straightening brushes, let’s first talk about: Why use the straightening brush over a flat iron?
- Gentler on hair: The brush allows you to gently pass the heating element over the strands of hair without clamping and pulling the hair.
- User-friendly: There is little to no learning curve when it comes to a straightening brush, and although I would recommend sectioning your hair for a more even style, it does not require precise sectioning.
- Controlled Volume: When straightening your hair with a flat iron, yes, you can get your hair pin straight, but as someone with fine hair, it can leave you with a lack of volume and life to the hair. The straightener brush is great at smoothing the hair while still leaving volume and life in your hair.
- Perfect for touch-ups: I love how easy it is to grab for quick fixes if you’re like me and you’re going a few days between washes.
I’m regularly asked, “Which brand would you recommend? There are so many options out there.” To better answer this question, I compiled this list to compare prices, materials used, best features, and my overall opinion. Let’s get into it, starting with my favorite contender.
1. Ella Bella Hair Straightening Brush
Price: Around $59.97 on the official Ella Bella site
Materials: Ceramic-coated heating surface with ionic technology
Features: Adjustable digital temperature settings, ionic technology, and automatic shut-off
The Ella Bella Hair Straightening Brush comes from a trusted brand that has been endorsed by top magazines such as Vanity Fair, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and more.
Like most of the brushes I’ll review today, it has ceramic plates which heat the hair from the inside out and ionic technology which reduces frizz. It’s such a solid option in my opinion because you combine the trust of a great brand, my top favorite features, and a price that feels reasonable for what it delivers. The one con I will give Ella Bella over some of the others is that it does not come with a heat-protecting glove or case to store it in, but for me, I don’t find this to be much of an issue, as I have never been burnt while using the brush (knock on wood).
2. MiroPure Enhanced Hair Straightening Brush
Price: $30–$50 (varies on Amazon and major retailers such as Walmart)
Materials: Ceramic heating plates with ionic generator and anti-scald bristles
Features: Adjustable digital heat settings, automatic shut-off, dual voltage, heat-lock button
If you are more of a casual hair straightener and don’t necessarily mind a cheaper tool, this is an affordable alternative to a high-end tool. Its dual voltage also makes it ideal for traveling outside of the US.
MiroPure still uses ceramic plates and the ionic technology, which means it releases both positive and negative ions into the air to reduce static and seal the hair cuticle, giving hair a shinier and sleeker appearance. Also, it does come with a glove and protective bag, depending on where you purchase it from.
3. Revlon Salon One-Step Straight & Shine XL Heated Brush
Price: Typically $35–$80 depending on retailer (at the time of writing this article, it is listed at $35.99 on Amazon)
Materials: Ceramic-coated heating surface and ionic technology
Features: Extra-long 4.5″ brush head, adjustable digital heat settings, anti-scald bristles, dual-voltage design.
The Revlon Salon One-Step Straight & Shine XL Heated Brush is a larger, faster version of Revlon’s original straightening brush. Revlon, as a brand, is well known in the beauty world, but has had mixed reviews on many products. When searching this tool, I got an array of prices, but the cheapest option I found was on Amazon.
The XL ceramic surface was created to reduce time spent on your hair. The large paddle means less sections and more surface area covered, which is positive for anyone who has lots of hair. In my opinion, this a great option if your biggest goal is saving time, but in my experience, a bigger brush also tends to make it more difficult to get close to the scalp, which may mean an imprecise finish.
4. CHI Lava Heated Straightening Brush
Price: $120–$150, depending on retailer and model
Materials: CHI’s signature volcanic lava + ceramic combination
Features: Ionic technology, 3-1 dryer, brush, straightener combo
The CHI Lava Heated Straightening Brush is a 3 in 1 styler that comes from a highly respected name in the hair world. This particular brush’s signature volcanic lava and ceramic blend and its ability to style the hair from wet to dry make it unique to most other brushes.
However, although CHI is a professional brand, the fact that this tool only has two heat settings is a big turn-off for me. Each of my clients’ hair has different needs, and to me, two heat settings does not cut it if healthy hair is the goal.
5. Drybar The Brush Crush Heated Straightening Brush
Price: $100–$150
Materials: Ceramic surface and ionic technology
Features: Adjustable digital temperature control, automatic shut-off and professional length 9ft cord.
Drybar, a brand known for its salon blowouts, designed the Brush Crush tool as a way to help users achieve their salon blowouts from home.
With its ceramic plates and ionic technology, Brush Crush is known for maintaining wanted volume and bounce to the hair while smoothing the cuticle and adding shine. Plus, if you love color like me, it comes in a fun shade of yellow.
The only downside I could really see to this option is the price point, and like Ella Bella, it does not include a glove or protective bag.
How to Choose the Best Hair Straightening Brush for You
First and foremost, you should always be prioritizing the health of your hair. As a stylist, these are the thing I’d recommend you consider before purchase a tool to use at home:
1. Your Hair Type
Will this tool work well on your hair type? Based on my personal experience and many users’ reviews, the styling brush and straightener combo is best for fine-medium hair, and while it can work for coarse hair, it will require more passes, and the ends may not get as straight as you want.
2. Safety Features
I want to see a tool with multiple heat settings to prevent excess heat damage and auto shut-off for peace of mind.
4. User-Friendly
From my experience, the one common positive in all straightening brushes is its ease of use. It is comfortable to hold and does not require a lot of skill to use. One notable thing to consider as well is if you plan to travel outside of the US, you will need to choose an option with dual voltage.
Some Common Questions About Hair Straightening Brushes
1. Are straightening brushes safe for daily use?
Yes, and because you are not clamping onto the hair and pulling as you do with a flat iron, it is actually gentler on the hair cuticle, but like with any heated tool, you should always use a good heat protectant.
2. Can they work on curly or coily hair?
Yes, though as mentioned before, if your curly hair is also considered coarse, it may not work as well and will require more passes.
3. How long does the straightened style last?
Typically, 1–3 days with touchups in between, depending on humidity, hair texture, and products used.
Pro Tips for Getting the Best Results
If you’ve read through this overview and you’re ready to test out the Straightening Brush for yourself, here are a few of my pro tips to help achieve the best results.
- Start with dry, detangled hair. Unless using the CHI, which is intended to dry the hair as well, always start with completely dry hair. This will reduce unnecessary damage from multiple passes.
- Always apply heat protectant. Heat protectant adds a barrier of protection between your hair and the heat and should always be used with hot tools, even ones like the straightening brush, which is considered more gentle.
- Work in small sections. For the first day styling after a wash, you will want to section your hair into small sections to get a more even style. For touchups on second-day hair, you may be able to run the brush through with zero sectioning.
- Don’t rush. Slowly pass the brush through your hair to allow the tool to heat the strands evenly. Slower passes should also reduce the number of passes required to get the intended result.
- Oil. Adding oil after you style will seal the cuticle, which will help with longevity of the style as well as adds extra shine. Remember when applying, focus only on the mids to ends of the hair to avoid oily roots.
In Conclusion
The heated straightener brush is an amazing alternative for the straightener, but is not effective on all hair types. Although each brand would suggest so, based on my experience, this tool is not very effective for coarse hair and would take a long time to achieve a completely smooth look. However, if you have straight, wavy, or curly hair with fine to medium texture, as a stylist, I would absolutely recommend this tool. There are so many noteworthy brands, and depending on your overall goal and budget, any of these could be a great fit for you, but if I were to narrow it down to just one, I would choose the Ella Bella Heated Straightening Brush. Its cost versus performance, safety features, and overall positive reviews make it a well-rounded choice.
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