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The best straightening brushes are time-saving paddle brush-meets-flat iron hybrids that should be your go-to hair tool when you're in a rush.
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There's no need to spend hundreds of dollars on a standing appointment at the salon when you can easily recreate the smooth, shiny look of a fresh blow-out at home. You don't need an arsenal of products to achieve the look. You only need one styling tool to score professional-looking results — a straightening brush.
Unlike traditional flat irons, straightening brushes cut your styling time in half and are a gentler way of straightening your hair because they operate at slightly lower temperatures and only heat one side of your hair, lowering the risk of damage or burns to your scalp or fingers. Our top pick is the amika Polished Perfection Thermal Straightening Brush 2.0 for its innovative far-infrared technology that quickly delivers heat to the hair to manage frizz and lock in shine for a faster, healthier straightening experience. But if you're in need of major frizz management, look no further than the InStyler Straight Up Max Ionic Hot Brush.
Best overall: amika Polished Perfection Thermal Straightening Brush 2.0 - See at Amazon
Best for frizz: InStyler Straight Up Max Ionic Hot Brush - See at Walmart
Best to splurge on: Drybar The Brush Crush Heated Straightening Brush - See at Amazon
Best budget: Revlon One-Step Hair Straightening Brush - See at Amazon
Best for curly hair: MiroPure Enhanced Hair Straightener Brush - See at Amazon
Best for fine and damaged hair: TYMO Hair Straightener Brush - See at Amazon
Best overall
The amika iRed Polished Perfection Straightening Brush 2.0 heats up quickly. However, the ceramic base and cool-tip bristles make it so you won't accidentally burn yourself. A double ion generator at the base of the brush delivers millions of negative ions into your hair, sealing in the cuticle for shiny, frizz-free results.
This is one of the best straightening brushes because it also benefits from iRed Beam technology: It has far-infrared strips along the base to speed up the delivery of heat into your hair for faster styling and to retain moisture for healthy-looking hair (making the tool an excellent choice for fine or damaged hair). It also comes with a 60-minute automatic shut-off.
Best for frizz
Got frizz, poof, and flyaways? InStyler's straightening brush is the first on the market to boast as many ions as a blow dryer. It's these same ionic bristles that add a layer of, what the brand describes as, "superior de-frizzing." That, plus the brush's ceramic plate design (there are 65 in total), adds up to one of the best straightening brushes built to smooth the most undulated strands.
In addition to reducing frizz, reviewers say the Straight Up Max Ionic Hot Brush is as quick as it is efficient in deflating poofy hair. "This brush made my hair smooth and straight with one pass!" one reviewer raved, while another noted it makes their mornings "so much easier."
Best to splurge on
I've been a diehard Drybar fan for years, and next to the brand's blow dryer brush, its Brush Crush Heated Straightening Brush is a beloved tool in my styling arsenal.
Decked out in Drybar's signature yellow, this two-in-one styler is sturdy and built to last. It's structured like a paddle brush and heats up like a flat iron, so you can simultaneously straighten and work through any knots. The design includes ionic technology that seals strands' cuticles, reducing frizz and amplifying hair's natural shine.
The brush also features adjustable heat settings and shuts off automatically after 60 minutes. — Julia Guerra
Best budget
The Revlon One-Step Hair Straightening Brush mirrors the average flat iron in length. Its surface measures 4 ½ inches long and consists of multidimensional combs and bristles that glide through strands without a snag. Bedhead won't stand a chance against this heated detangler.
The budget-friendly is one of the best straightening brushes because it features 10 variable heat settings, and with the combination of warmth and the surface's ceramic coating, even dull hair will see a vast improvement in shine. The inclusion of an ion generator results in smoother, glossier strands.
Best for curly hair
Taming wild curls (if you so choose) can be challenging, but the Enhanced Hair Straightener Brush from MicroPure makes the process less taxing. According to the 10,000+ reviews on Amazon alone, MiroPure's straightening brush significantly reduces the time it takes those with curly hair types to straighten their hair. "I have tight curls/coils, and this brush straightened better than my very expensive flat iron," said one reviewer. "It only took 16 mins to do half of my hair!! I have never straightened my hair so quickly!" added another.
The MicroPure features 16 impressive heat settings that help every hair type get its ideal style. Still, the straightening brush is an especially great option for wavy and curly hair types as the high-density nano comb bristles efficiently work through coarse strands, and its double ionic generator seals the hair cuticles, resulting in smoother, more lustrous hair. Plus, less time styling means less heat exposure, so hair will look and feel silkier, not dry and sullen, by the time you're finished.
Best for fine and damaged hair
Hot tools can do a number on hair if you're not careful (or if you're not using the right heat protectant products). If it feels like your strands are at the point of no return, there's good news: The TYMO Hair Straightener Brush lets you style your hair and heal it too.
The pink tool does more than look pretty on your vanity. The brush is designed with an ionic coating that releases millions of ions in tandem with heat to create a protective layer for hair. What's more, the straightener operates on Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) heating technology. It heats the tool's large styling surface faster, so you can style more hair in a more timely manner.
Another reason the TYMO Hair Straightener Brush takes our top spot for fine hair is because of its temperature setting options. Unlike other straightening brushes, the lowest setting on the TYMO styler is 266 degrees Fahrenheit, so even sensitive hair types can be styled with this tool.
Temperature guide
Straightening brushes can also be used on all hair types. Lower temperatures are better for fine or damaged hair, and higher temperatures are best for thick or coarse hair. Here is a guide to help you work out the right temperature for you:
300° Fahrenheit: Fine, thin, or damaged hair
360° Fahrenheit: Curly or thick hair
430° Fahrenheit(+): For coarse, hard-to-style hair