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There’s something about leaving the house and knowing it’s going to be a great hair day that just hits different. When your hair does exactly what you want it to do, whether that means maintaining bouncy curls or getting pin straight hair that stays so shiny and smooth not even a hint of frizz plagues your strands on the most humid of days, good hair can give you a little spring in your step. But great hair days are rarely a stroke of luck, rather, they rely on the stroke of genius that is using some of the best hair tools on the market. If you consider yourself a wash-and-go type of beauty who prefers a low-maintenance routine, we get it. No one wants to spend hours attending to their hair type on busy mornings and blowing your budget on curling wands, hair dryers, serums, and conditioners galore isn’t anyone’s idea of a good time, either.
But here’s the best-kept secret that celebrity hairstylists and women with great hair know well: investing in the right hair tools for your hair type and hair styling goals can actually save you time and money in the long run. That means: paying closer attention when purchasing something like a paddle brush to ensure it’s ideal for fine hair or choosing hot tools that are designed with improvements like ceramic plates for better heat distribution and less heat damage. Imagine: no more shooting in the dark at your Sephora or Walmart and spending money on mystery products that may or may not work. Shop once, shop well, and snag some of these highly rated hair styling tools that are considered the best on the market.
Best Hair Tools
1. Harry Josh Curling Iron ($185)
This isn’t an ordinary curling iron. The Harry Josh Curling Iron is a 3-in-1 wand that gives you options when it comes to curls and waves. Whether you crave loose beach waves or super-defined curls, the 1.25-inch barrel wand has a detachable marcel clamp and spring clamp so that it works as a marcel, wand, and curling iron. It takes just 40 seconds to heat up and has adjustable temperature settings that range from 190 to 380 degrees Fahrenheit, so you can use it on all hair types.
To boot, beauty experts love this hot tool. “I have to say that the Harry Josh Curling Iron is easily one of my favorite tools of all time,” says Akirashanti Byrd, the co-founder and CEO of Curl Centric. “This product has truly been a game changer for me and has helped me to achieve incredible curls with minimal effort. What I love most about this curling iron is how versatile it is, and it's easy to achieve a wide range of styles. And with adjustable temperature and multiple heat settings, it's perfect for all hair types and textures.”
2. Dyson Airwrap ($599)
Another multi-tasking tool that works on all hair types, the Dyson Airwrap features six interchangeable attachments that do everything from curl hair to smoothen flyaways. Its features include a smoothing dryer, a 1.2-inch barrel for tighter curls, a 1.6-inch barrel for waves, and three brushes: a round volumizing brush and two smoothing brushes in soft or firm textures. Stash everything in its convenient travel storage case and prepare to be amazed at how often you rely on this incredible system to address all of your hair needs.
“The Dyson Airwrap is a revolutionary styling tool that uses air and heat to dry and style hair without the need for extreme heat,” says Khamis Maiouf, the CEO and founder of the Book of Barbering. “It uses an innovative technology to draw in air from all sides and create a powerful airflow that wraps your hair around the barrel, which helps keep your hair from overheating and damaging. It also comes with different attachments for different styling techniques and curls. The Airwrap is great for people who want to style their hair without the use of extreme heat. I love this styling tool because it is easy to use, it is gentle on my hair, and it creates beautiful curls and waves without extreme heat.”
3. Olivia Garden round brush ($31)
Bouncy blowouts all 1960s and 1990s are all the rage right now, and this vented round brush by Olivia Garden is the perfect tool for creating volume as you simultaneously dry your hair. The affordable brush is designed with ceramic and ion construction to help ward off frizz and flyaways. Its bristles are designed with 100 percent boar and it comes in three barrel sizes. Choose the size that works for your hair thickness and hair type.
“Olivia Garden brushes are my go-to behind the chair as for my clients at home,” says Master Hairstylist Natalie Palomino, hair care expert and founder of North Authentic. “They are the best for delivering shiny, frizz-free voluminous blowouts. Their technology ensures heat is distributed evenly so heat damage is minimized which is most important to me. I find these great for every hair type.”
4. Oribe Flat Brush ($100)
Smoothen your hair, add major shine, reduce frizz, and help prevent breakage with a quality flat brush like this pick from Oribe. The glam brush is designed with a beautiful marbled Italian resin and features a combination of boar and rounded nylon pin bristles, which makes it capable of gliding through thicker, coarser hair as well as fine and medium hair textures. This is the kind of investment brush you’ll use daily and won’t mind showing off on your vanity, to boot.
5. GHD Tail Comb ($22)
Whether you want to sharply section off hair to create beautiful braids, backcomb your hair for incredible volume, or try out any other interesting and unique hair style, this GHD tail comb is the tool you need. The fine-tooth comb has a tapered handle that’s perfect for sectioning hair and works to help combat frizz in your strands. Reviewers give this pick high marks and it has a 4.6-star overall rating. Combine it with the highly rated GHD straightener for amazing hair results.
6. Drybar The Tress Press Digital Styling Iron ($169)
Featuring ionic technology and titanium plates, this unique styling iron can do it all — curl, create waves, or straighten hair, all while banishing frizz and flyaways. Its floating plates mean one pass is all you’ll need to get the desired hair outcome you want, which can help prevent heat damage. Reviewers love its digital face that allows you to easily control temperatures so that it suits various hair types. It has a 9-foot cord for ease of movement while you’re styling your hair and a 60-minute automatic shut-off for peace of mind.
7. Wetbrush Volume & Body Round Brush ($17)
Fine hair has its own special needs. If every brush you’ve ever owned leaves your fine to medium hair flat as a board, or is too harsh on your hair and results in breakage, make the swap to this round brush by Wetbrush. The brush boasts super-soft nylon bristles that won’t tug and create breakage, as well as a concave design that allows you to get close to the root while blowdrying your hair for extra volume and the scalp. The barrel is even infused with the brand’s proprietary blend called VitaBoost to help enhance shine.
“The Epic Wet Brush Round Brush is my preferred boar-bristle brush for thick, unruly hair or curly hair that you are trying to achieve a high shine, smooth blow out,” Palomino says. “The combination of intellFlex and board bristles allows you to add the tension needed to smooth curly or kinky hair while the boar delivers softness and shine. I use them behind the chair as well as recommend them to my thick hair clients.”
8. BABYLISSPRO Nano Titanium Portofino Full-Size Dryer ($150)
If you’re only going to invest in one blow dryer to dry your hair to completion, put a BaBylissPRO on your wish list. This nano titanium full-size dryer features a powerful 2000-watt Italian motor and emits negative ions to reduce static electricity and frizz for shinier, more manageable hair. You can adjust it to six heat temperature settings and speed settings and it comes with two interchangeable concentrator nozzles that slide right now. You even get the benefit of a limited 4-year warranty (and who can resist its trademark baby blue color?).
9. Alure Three Barrel Curling Iron Wand ($28)
If you’re always pressed for time but want gorgeous hair nevertheless, this is the 3-barrel curling iron wand that dreams are made of. Unlike single barrel irons, this one works fast, heating up in 60 seconds and delivering gorgeous curls in mere minutes instead of an hour. You can adjust the temperature up to 410 degrees Fahrenheit to suit different hair types and it delivers negatively charged ions to strands to promote shine and reducer frizz. At less than $30, it’s a uniquely affordable choice — one that boasts tens of thousands of reviews.
10. Revlon Ceramic Brilliance Ceramic Hair Flat Iron ($33)
You have one hair goal: straighter, silkier, shinier hair (or maybe with a few waves in the mix for volume). What you don’t want is anything big, bulky, complicated, or cumbersome. Enter this ceramic hair flat iron by Revlon that is a minimalist’s dream. Even though the iron is small in stature, it delivers ionic tourmaline to combat frizz, with 1-inch extra-long plates to capture more hair in one pass. Choose among 10 customizable heat settings and enjoy safety perks like a 1-hour automatic shut-off.
11. Revlon One-Step Volumizer Hair Dryer And Hot Brush ($55)
There’s a reason why this cult-favorite hot dryer brush by Revlon has more than 300,000 reviews — it mimics a professional-quality salon blowout with just one tool (and little professional hair styling know-how). This oversized vented oval hot brush delivers 1100 watts with ionic and ceramic technology to reduce frizz and increase shine. It offers three heat and speed settings with a cooling button to lock in your bouncy style. Its nylon and tufted bristle help detangle strands and create maximum volume.
12. Kitsch Satin Heatless Curling Set ($15)
Pretty curls, zero heat damage, all for less than $20? Yep, it’s possible. This heatless curling set consists of an unassuming satin curling rod and two scrunchies to hold it in place. But once you master the fairly simple trick of wrapping damp hair around the rod, securing it, and leaving it to dry overnight, you’ll find the gorgeous waves and curls it delivers well worth the minimal learning curve. It has a near perfect rating and comes in a number of sweet colors and patterns.
13. Bed Head Wave Artist Beachy Waves Tourmaline Hair Tool ($33)
When you know exactly what you want — and exactly what you want is beachy mermaid waves and not tight curls – you reach for this OG Bed Head Wave Artist Beachy Waves Tourmaline Hair Tool to get the job done right. As always, tourmaline and ceramic technology eliminate frizz and boost shine, while its deep barrels provide a unique beachy wave that requires nothing more than for your to pass it along your strands, from root to tip. The tool heats up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and has adjustable heat settings.
14. Tangle Teezer Detangling Brush ($15)
The original (and some argue the best) detangling brush around is this cutie right here from Tangle Teezer. This $15 pick is as no frills as it gets, yet it gets the job of gently detangling wet hair without pulling or causing split ends beautifully done. It has no fewer than 325 flexible teeth, with a combination of long and short teeth for extra untangling power. The popular pick boasts more than 48,000 reviews and comes in an assortment of pretty colors. At this great price, stock up on a few and keep one in your gym bag and one in your shower.
15. Spornette DeVille Boar Bristle Hair Brush ($31)
A quality paddle hair brush adds major smoothness and silkiness to hair and this one by Spornette DeVille feels like a massaging treat. It features boar hair bristles that are ideal for straightening strands, with a classic wooden handle and cushion paddle. The boar bristles provide the added benefit of distributing oils from your scalp evenly so that your hair looks shinier and healthier. Reviewers say this is a quality brush that you’ll own for a long time and that it’s the perfect choice if you’re looking for pure boar without nylon.
16. Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer ($429)
Diehard fans of the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer will forever wax poetic about the popular investment because its features are unlike any other. Starting with its unique design, this dryer dries fast and protects against mortal hair enemies like frizz and flyaways. It comes with perks galore, including a flyaway attachment, styling concentrator, diffuser for perfect curls, gentle air attachments, and even a wide-tooth comb for styling.
17. Crown Affair The Comb ($46)
Crown Affair The Comb functions like the best comb you’ve ever owned and looks like an heirloom. Hand-carved in Switzerland using biodegradable and renewable plant-based cellulose acetate, you can feel good about how you aren’t contributing waste to the planet, while fully reaping the benefits of keeping this gorgeous comb on your vanity where all can admire it. But let’s not forget its functionality: it has widely spaced teeth with rounded tips that glide through hair for the ultimate detangling, styling, and massaging experience. The cherry on top? The comb hasn’t been tested on animals, is vegan, and comes in two additional styles (which are equally beautiful).
18. T3 Volumizing Hot Rollers ($140)
Without further ado, here it is: the one, the only hot roller set you’ll need to invest in that will deliver the perfect amount of body and large waves for ‘90s supermodel hair each and every time. This T3 Volumizing Hot Roller set comes with eight rollers in two sizes: four extra-large 1.75-inch rollers and four large 1.5-inch rollers. It heats up fast and comes with a glam storage bag. Roll the front sections of your hair with the largest rollers and the bag with the slightly smaller ones for an incredible bouncy finish that hundreds of reviewers rave about.
19. Crown Affair The Hair Towel ($45)
Although you may not consider a hair towel a styling tool, consider this: your best hair begins in the shower. And if you’re stepping out of that shower and rubbing your hair with a plain cotton towel, you’re already making it more vulnerable to frizz, flyaway, split ends, and breakage. By simply swapping your old towel for this microfiber one that absorbs more water and moisture (but gently), you can reduce drying time and frizz. It has a near-perfect rating and is perfect for all hair types.
20. Denman Hair Detangling Brush ($31)
The Denman detangling hair brush is considered a modern classic, but luckily, it’s also an affordable one. The brush is known for its nine rows of alternating long and short nylon bristles that, together, do an even better job of quickly and painlessly detangling wet and dry hair without breakage. Reviewers with curly hair are especially amazed by this brushing, some saying it works like magic and is the only brush that detangles without pulling out their strands.
The Denman detangler is my bestselling brush for curly hair,” Palomino says. “This brush has been around for years and was the preferred brush for blowing out sleek short hairstyles, but it has proven to be one of the best brushes for curls. The straight bristles — there are no bulbs on the end — means detangling without creating tension or pulling. This allows detangling with minimum tug on the hair, exactly what you need to ensure bouncy curls.”
All of these hot tools and hair styling tools have been independently selected based on their amazing reputations, features, and stellar reviews. Snag one or a few of them to create your own perfect hair tool kit that will make getting ready on hectic days so much easier — and more pleasurable, too.
