• Why it’s -approved: The Duet Blowdry is a great option for anyone who considers using a hairdryer and a styling tool one appliance too many. “If you’re someone who is really time-poor and wants to go from wash to styled in a single step, it is absolutely your answer,” says Cusick. Unlike a conventional thermal brush, it combines airflow with a heated elliptical barrel to dry and shape the hair simultaneously. Ghd recommends rough-drying larger sections to around 80 per cent first, before working through smaller sections to smooth and shape – particularly useful if you have a lot of hair to contend with.
• Use on: Wet hair
• Best for hair types: All hair types; particularly useful for thick or longer hair that takes time to dry

• Why it’s -approved: Cloud Nine’s hot brush is pleasingly straightforward: an oval brush, 100°C airflow and detangling bristles that grip the hair sufficiently to create tension without making you fear you’ll have to cut the brush free. As you pull it through the hair, the oval shape helps lift the roots and curve the ends, while two speed settings give you some control over the airflow. There’s a Cool Shot setting to help set your handiwork once you’re finished, too.
• Use on: Damp hair
• Best for hair types: Straight, wavy and moderately thick hair

• Why it’s -approved: Think of this one as a heated roller you can brush through your hair. There’s no airflow involved, so it won’t dry freshly washed hair; instead, the heated round barrel is designed to add lift, bend and bounce to already-dry lengths. This makes it particularly useful the morning after a blow-dry, when your roots have dropped and your curtain fringe has lost the will to cooperate. Its far-infrared heat and ionic technology are designed to heat the hair efficiently while helping to smooth the cuticle – use it at the roots for lift, or wrap sections around the barrel to create a more pronounced curve.
• Use on: Dry hair
• Best for hair types: Fine to medium hair; straight and wavy textures

• Why it’s -approved: If you’re less interested in creating a Cindy Crawford blowout and more concerned with making unruly lengths look smooth and polished in five minutes, the Ghd Glide+ is the one for you. Somewhere between a paddle brush and a straightener, its combination of ceramic heat and an ioniser helps take down frizz as you brush, but leaves hair with more natural movement than traditional straighteners. It maintains a temperature of 185°C and the redesigned bristles on the latest iteration allow you to get closer to the roots, too. For very long, thick or curly hair, it’s worth looking at the Glide+ Max instead: its larger heated paddle is specifically designed to tackle bigger sections of hair at once.
• Use on: Dry hair
• Best for hair types: Straight, wavy and frizz-prone hair

• Why it’s -approved: Cleverly, this hot brush doesn’t become redundant once your hair is dry. In Wet mode, vents around the large oval barrel release warm air to dry and shape towel-dried hair; switch to Dry mode and the airflow is reduced, allowing you to go back in on dry hair to restore root lift and reshape the ends. There are three temperatures and two airflow settings, plus an ionic function that can actually be switched off if you prefer a little more texture over a very silky finish. Which is helpful if your carefully constructed blow-dry has a habit of collapsing by day two.
• Use on: Damp or dry hair
• Best for hair types: All hair types, particularly medium to thick hair

• Why it’s -approved: Of the three Ghd hot brushes, the Rise is the one to choose if volume is the priority. “It’s perfect for a polished blow-dry finish,” says Cusick. “It’s the one I recommend to clients who want that really effortless, everyday voluminous finish at home without any of the faff.” Its slim round barrel and short nylon bristles can get close to the scalp to lift the roots, while wrapping the lengths around the barrel creates bends, flicks and loose curls. Particularly good on bobs and fine hair that tends to fall flat shortly after styling.
• Use on: Dry hair
• Best for hair types: Fine, flat, short and mid-length hair

• Why it’s -approved: Shark’s Glossi sits somewhere between a blow-dry brush and a smoothing styler, combining controlled airflow with heated ceramic surfaces. The advantage is tension: it’s really easy to stretch and smooth hair as you work through it, while still allowing enough movement to create a curved, bouncy finish rather than ironing everything poker-straight. For thicker, wavy or curly hair where smoothing is as important as volume, it makes a great alternative to a traditional round hot brush.
• Use on: Wet or dry hair
• Best for hair types: Wavy, curly, thick and frizz-prone hair

• Why it’s -approved: Long before every hair brand had a blow-dry brush, there was Revlon’s One-Step Volumiser. The viral tool helped kick-start our collective obsession with doing away with the separate brush-and-dryer routine, and remains one of the more affordable ways to do it. The generously sized oval barrel creates tension through the lengths while lifting at the roots, with curved sides that make it easy to turn the ends under or out.
• Use on: Damp hair
• Best for hair types: Medium to thick, straight and wavy hair

• Why it’s -approved: The clue is in the XXL. Its extra-long 38mm barrel lets you work with more hair at once, which makes a noticeable difference when your lengths extend well beyond your shoulders. Flexible bristles help the brush move through the hair without snagging, while adjustable temperature settings mean you can tailor the heat to your hair type. Beauty Works has also designed it to be suitable for extensions, and the large barrel lends itself especially well to the big, sweeping bends and turned-under ends required for a ’90s blow-dry.
  Use on: Dry hair
  Best for hair types: All hair types, particularly long, thick hair and extensions

What’s the difference between a hot brush and a hair dryer brush?

The terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference. A hair dryer brush uses hot air to dry and style damp hair simultaneously, while a traditional hot brush uses a heated barrel or plate and is designed to shape hair that is already dry.

The finish tends to sit somewhere between a traditional blow-dry and straightening. “It’s smoother and more polished than air drying, but it has so much more softness and movement than a straightener gives you,” says Cusick. “Think that really classic, bouncy blow-dry finish with volume at the root, smoothness through the mid-lengths and that gentle curve at the ends rather than anything poker straight.”

Can you use a hot brush on wet hair?

Some, yes – but certainly not all. Hot air brushes and wet-to-dry stylers are specifically designed to dry and shape damp hair in one go, while thermal hot brushes should only be used on completely dry hair.

Using a hot brush designed for dry styling on wet hair can cause unnecessary damage. Check the manufacturer’s instructions before you start and, whichever type you’re using, apply heat protection first.

Do hot brushes work on short hair?

They do, but barrel size matters. On shorter hair, a slimmer brush makes it easier to get close to the root and create lift without requiring several inches of hair to wrap around it. “On a pixie, a bixie or a short bob, the ghd Rise adds that really beautiful root volume and smoothness that makes short cuts look sharp,” says Cusick, who recommends working in smaller sections to ensure you reach right down to the roots. On a bob, turn the ends gently under for a polished ’90s finish, or alternate their direction if you prefer things a little more undone.

Can you use a hot brush on curly hair?

Yes – and you don’t need to straighten your hair first. The trick is choosing a brush according to the finish you want. If the aim is to loosen curls into a softer, stretched-out wave, a thermal hot brush can work beautifully on dry hair.

“Go through section by section slowly with a little tension to encourage that smoothness without completely removing the texture,” advises Cusick. If you have tighter curls or coily hair and want a smoother finish, a wet-to-dry tool that creates enough tension as it dries may make the job easier. Either way, work in small sections, use heat protection and avoid repeatedly going over the same piece of hair.

How do you get a bouncy blow-dry with a hot brush?

If ’90s supermodel hair is the goal, barrel size is a good place to start: generally speaking, the bigger the barrel, the bigger and softer the resulting bend. Divide the hair into sections and work from underneath, lifting each one away from the scalp before slowly drawing the brush through the lengths. Once you reach the ends, turn the brush inwards to create that all-important curve.

For extra lift, pause for a few seconds with the brush positioned beneath the roots, and direct the front sections up and away from the face – especially if you have long layers or a curtain fringe.

Finally, resist the temptation to immediately rake your fingers through your handiwork. Letting the hair cool in its new shape will help the bounce last longer. For full supermodel territory, wind each freshly styled section around a large roller and leave it there to cool while you finish the rest.