The Best Blow Dry Brushes in Australia

Can a blow dry brush really give you a salon blowout at home?

Mostly, yes, as long as you buy the right kind and keep your expectations sensible. A powered blow dry brush combines a hair dryer and a round brush in one handle, so you dry and shape in a single pass instead of juggling a dryer in one hand and a brush in the other. For soft volume, smoother ends and that gentle bend a lot of Australians want on a work morning, they genuinely deliver. What they will not do is turn poker-straight hair into ringlets or match a professional stylist with 20 years of wrist technique. The trick is matching the barrel size, weight and power to your hair, and knowing the difference between a real powered styler and the passive round brushes that hide under the same search term.

The short answer: which blow dry brush should you buy?

If you want one tool that dries, smooths and adds volume across most hair types, the Shark FlexStyle is the strongest all-rounder here and, discounted, surprisingly affordable for what it is. If you just want the proven, no-fuss option that millions of people already own, the Revlon One-Step Volumiser Original is still the sensible default. And if your budget stops at about $80, the BaByliss Hydro Fusion is a capable rotating brush that punches above its price.

• Best all-rounder: Shark FlexStyle 2-in-1, a versatile styling system that switches from dryer to multi-styler.
• Best value for most people: Revlon One-Step Volumiser Original 1.0, the classic oval brush with a genuine Australian plug.
• Best under $80: BaByliss AS773E Hydro Fusion, a 50mm rotating barrel with a dual ion system.

How our six blow dry brushes compare at a glance

All six are powered hot-air brushes sold on Amazon Australia, so every one dries and styles at the same time. They split into three groups: the premium do-everything tools, the mid-priced classics, and the budget rotating brushes. Prices move around, especially on the Shark and the ghd, so treat the figures below as a snapshot rather than a promise.

How we chose these blow dry brushes

NestPath researches rather than sponsors, and this guide is built from Australian retail listings, manufacturer specifications and verified Amazon Australia owner reviews rather than a paid photoshoot. Because three very different products share the phrase "blow dry brush", the first job was scoping. We deliberately excluded the passive ceramic round brushes that have no motor, since those need a separate dryer, and we set aside the Dyson Airwrap, which owns the conversation but sits in its own price bracket. What is left are powered hot-air brushes, the category most people actually mean.

• Every pick is a real, currently listed product on Amazon Australia with a genuine star rating and a meaningful number of reviews, not a single-review dropship listing.
• We read the critical reviews as closely as the glowing ones, because overheating, weight and durability complaints tell you more than a five-star "love it".
• We checked that stated power, barrel size and plug type matched the listing, since some One-Step listings are United States 120-volt units that will not work here.
• We looked for a spread of hair types and budgets, so there is a sensible answer whether your hair is fine and short or thick and past your shoulders.

Which blow dry brush is the best all-rounder?

The Shark FlexStyle is the pick if you would rather own one clever tool than a drawer full of single-purpose gadgets. It twists apart so the same 1650-watt barrel works as a straight hair dryer or as a multi-styler with four attachments, covering drying, smoothing, volumising and curling. Owners rate it 4.5 out of 5, the highest score of our six picks, and at the time of writing it was heavily discounted to about $180, down from a recommended price near $400, which is what pushes it from "nice" to "hard to argue with".

The appeal is control and comfort. You get four heat levels and three airflow speeds, smart temperature regulation that aims to keep the heat off the extreme end, and a body that weighs only about 700 grams, so your arm does not give out halfway through. The 2.8-metre cord is long enough that the powerpoint placement in a rented bathroom stops being a daily annoyance. Because the attachments click on and off, one household can share it across straight, wavy and curly hair without anyone compromising. First-home buyers who are slowly kitting out a bathroom tend to value a tool that does five jobs over five tools that each do one.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The review count is still small, so the 4.5 average is early rather than proven across years of use. Some owners with very short hair found the attachments more useful in theory than in practice, and one reviewer felt it was more hype than substance and passed hers on. The regular price is genuinely high, so this is a much easier recommendation while the discount holds than at full recommended price.

What is the best value blow dry brush most people should buy?

The Revlon One-Step Volumiser Original 1.0 is the default answer for a reason: it is the most reviewed tool on this list by a wide margin, with about 27,700 ratings and a steady 4.1 average, and it usually sells for around $90. The oval ceramic barrel dries and adds volume in one step, with curved sides that smooth and rounded edges that lift at the roots. If you have never used a blow dry brush and just want the thing everyone else already trusts, start here.

Buy the Australian-plug version and this is a genuinely fuss-free tool. It runs at 1100 watts with three heat and speed settings plus a cool option, and the version we point to operates on Australian 220 to 240 volt power. Reviewers with fine, thick, curly and 4C hair all report faster drying than a normal dryer plus a brush, with gentle root lift and a smoother finish. The barrel is large, so it suits medium to long hair especially well, and because it is a fixed oval rather than a bristle jungle, it glides without swallowing your hair the way some rotating brushes can.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It is bulky and a little slippery when your hands are damp, and it does not detangle as neatly as a dedicated brush, so work through knots first. The most important caution is not about styling at all: some listings for this model are United States 120-volt units that will be destroyed by an Australian powerpoint, so buy only the clearly labelled Australian-plug version. A minority of owners report the motor weakening within a year, which is worth weighing against the low price.

Is there a good blow dry brush under $80?

The BaByliss AS773E Hydro Fusion is the budget standout, at about $74 and with more than 1,200 owner ratings behind a solid 4.0 average. It is the most affordable of our three headline picks, and unlike the fixed-barrel Revlon it is a rotating brush: the 50-millimetre ceramic-coated barrel spins left or right so the hair wraps itself around the brush while a dual ion system fights frizz and static. For smooth, shiny, gently curved blow-dry looks it is a lot of tool for the money.

At 700 watts it is not the most powerful brush here, which actually suits people who worry about heat, and it pairs two temperature settings with a cool air function and two speeds. The rotation is the party trick, because letting the barrel pull the hair through means less wrist work on longer sections, and it comes with a bristle-protection attachment for storage. Reviewers across several countries call out the fast warm-up and the tidy finish on thick hair after only a few passes. If your budget is firm and you want more than a bare-bones styler, this is the one to beat.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

At 800 grams it is one of the heavier brushes on this list, so long sessions on very long hair will be felt. Rotating barrels take a little practice, and a few owners wanted the top heat setting to climb higher for coarse hair. As with any hot air brush, do not sit on the highest heat for extended periods, both for your hair and for the motor.

Which blow dry brush is worth the premium splurge?

The ghd duet blowdry is the purpose-built luxury option, and at about $386 it is the priciest pick here by a comfortable margin. Where the cheaper brushes ask you to towel-dry first, ghd's Heat-Air Xchange technology is designed to take genuinely wet hair through to a styled blow-dry, sensing the temperature hundreds of times a second to hold a lower, gentler heat. It carries a 4.0 rating so far, and the detailed owner write-ups are unusually enthusiastic for a tool at this price.

What buyers keep repeating is that it makes drying feel effortless. People with long, thick or curly hair describe cutting their routine to under ten minutes, with the large heated barrel and snag-free heated bristles gliding through without catching, and a smooth, voluminous finish that lasts. It comes with a heat-resistant travel pouch and a cleaning tool, and it is well balanced enough that arm fatigue is rarely mentioned. If you dry your hair most days and you have the budget, this is the one that feels like an upgrade rather than a compromise.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The price is the headache, and the review base is still small at 18 ratings. One buyer received a faulty unit that smelled of burning rubber and heated the handle dangerously, a reminder to check yours carefully on the first use and return it immediately if anything is off. A thoughtful reviewer also pushed back on the "no heat damage" marketing, noting all heat styling causes some damage, so keep using a heat protectant regardless of the claims.

What is the best blow dry brush for thick or long hair?

The Revlon RVDR5222 Salon One-Step is the updated take on the classic, and it is the one to look at if your hair is thick or long. It holds a 4.2 average across more than 2,500 ratings and sits at about $77, and the headline change is a removable head, which makes it far easier to pack for travel or tuck into a drawer than the one-piece Original. Revlon describes it as the improved One-Step, with ionic tourmaline technology aimed at more shine and less breakage.

The oval barrel and 1100 watts of airflow are tuned to fill out lengths and lift roots on hair that a smaller brush would struggle to move. Ceramic coating spreads the heat evenly, and the two speeds with a five-setting range give you room to dial the heat down on finer sections. International reviewers with frizzy, curly and long hair single it out for taming volume into a clean blow-dry finish, and the removable head is the detail owners appreciate once they live with it. It is close enough in price to the budget brushes that the extra rating strength and the travel-friendly design make it easy to justify.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Like the Original, it works best on hair that is already mostly dry, so it is a finishing and styling tool more than a from-soaking-wet dryer. The very large barrel is overkill for short crops, and a removable head is one more join that needs to seat firmly each time. Reviews are strong but skew international, so Australian long-term durability data is thinner than the raw count suggests.

Which blow dry brush suits short and fine hair on a budget?

The Remington Volume Plus AS500AU is the small-and-fine specialist. It runs at a gentle 500 watts and, crucially, ships with two interchangeable brush heads: a 19-millimetre round brush for tight curls and flicks that shorter styles need, and a 25-millimetre soft bristle brush for volume and body. It holds a 4.2 average across 215 ratings and sits at the affordable end of the market, making it a low-risk first blow dry brush for anyone with a fine, cropped or bob-length cut.

The lower wattage is a feature rather than a flaw for this audience, because fine hair does not need a wind tunnel and benefits from a gentler heat. The slimline handle and ceramic-coated barrels are easy to manoeuvre near the roots, the swivel cord keeps things from tangling, and owners repeatedly describe a tidy salon-style finish with very little effort. Reviewers with short and medium hair call it a great little tool for the money, and the smaller 19-millimetre head is exactly the size most other brushes on this list are missing.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The 500-watt motor means slower drying on thick or long hair, so this is squarely a short-and-fine pick, not an all-hair one. A couple of owners found it bulkier than an older model they were replacing, and one reported it smoking and failing early, so register the two-year warranty and keep the lint out of the vents. Live pricing was not showing on the listing at the time of writing, so confirm the current cost before you commit.

What should you look for in a blow dry brush?

The specification sheet matters less than matching a few basics to your hair. Get these right and almost any of the brushes above will work for you.

• Barrel size and shape: larger oval or 50-millimetre barrels suit medium to long hair and create soft waves, while smaller 19 to 25-millimetre round barrels give short and fine hair the grip and curl it needs.
• Fixed versus rotating: fixed oval brushes like the Revlons are forgiving and quick to learn, while rotating barrels like the BaByliss do more of the wrapping for you once you get the knack.
• Power and airflow: 1100 to 1650 watts dries faster and suits thick hair, while 500 to 800 watts is gentler and plenty for fine hair.
• Ionic and ceramic features: ceramic coatings spread heat evenly and ionic technology cuts frizz and static, and nearly every serious model now includes both.
• Heat settings and a cool shot: more heat levels give you control, and a cool shot at the end locks the style in.
• Weight and cord: anything near 800 grams will be felt on long sessions, and a swivel cord of two metres or more makes an awkward bathroom far less annoying.
• Australian plug and voltage: confirm the unit is a 220 to 240-volt Australian model, because a United States 120-volt import will fail on our power.

How do you keep a blow dry brush working longer?

Answer first: the two habits that matter most are drying your hair to about 70 to 80 percent first, and keeping the vents and bristles clean. Using one of these on soaking wet hair overworks the motor and pushes the heat harder than it needs to, which is where the overheating and burning-smell complaints in the reviews tend to come from. Rough-dry or towel-dry until your hair is just damp, then let the brush do the shaping.

• Let the barrel cool completely before you put it away, and store it standing up or with the bristle guard on so the bristles do not bend out of shape.
• Clear hair and lint from the bristles and the air intake regularly, since a blocked vent is the fastest way to cook a motor.
• Always run a heat protectant through damp hair first, no matter what a brand claims about heat damage.
• Never rest a hot brush on its bristles or on a bench it can scorch, and use the travel pouch if one is included.
• Register the warranty, because two and three-year cover is common and these do occasionally fail early.

Accessories that make a blow dry brush easier to live with

A blow dry brush works better with a couple of cheap extras around it. A detangling brush stops knots wrecking your blow-dry, a manual round brush lets you finish sections by hand, and a case keeps the barrel safe in a small bathroom.

• Wet Brush Ceramic Speed Dry for gentle detangling before you switch the heat on.
• Belula boar bristle round brush set for hand-finishing ends and adding extra volume.
• Linkidea hard travel case to protect a one-step brush in a drawer or a suitcase.
• Round volume brush attachment for the Shark FlexStyle if you want bigger, bouncier volume from the styling system.
• Travel storage bag for the Revlon brush so the Original or Salon head travels without bending the bristles.
• Three-piece boar bristle round brush set in small, medium and large for shaping different sections.

What about the Dyson Airwrap and the brushes that missed the cut?

The Dyson Airwrap is the tool everyone pictures, and it is genuinely clever, but it sits in a much higher price bracket and is really a curling-and-styling system rather than a one-step drying brush, so it belongs in its own guide. We kept this list to powered hot-air brushes you can buy today on Amazon Australia. A few others were close. The VS Sassoon Hot Air Brush n' Style earns a strong 4.4 across 148 ratings and is a lovely, light choice for short and fine hair, but its pricing and stock were inconsistent when we looked. The Remington Hydraluxe leans on a moisture-lock coating and a lower-heat Hydracare setting, yet a run of reviews about overheating and units failing early held it back. The Remington Amaze is a versatile 5-in-1 with five attachments, but several owners felt its drying power was weak, which is the one thing a blow dry brush cannot afford to lack. Finally, the passive ceramic round brushes that show up under the same search are not blow dry brushes at all, since they have no motor and need a separate dryer, so we left them out on purpose.

Blow dry brush questions from first-home buyers

Are blow dry brushes bad for your hair?

They are no worse than a normal dryer and often gentler, because you dry and style in one pass instead of applying heat twice. The risks are the same as any hot tool: too much heat, too often, on hair that is not protected. Use a heat protectant, keep the temperature moderate, and start on hair that is already mostly dry, and a blow dry brush is a reasonable everyday choice.

Should I use a blow dry brush on wet or dry hair?

For most of these brushes, damp is the sweet spot. Rough-dry or towel-dry to about 70 to 80 percent first, then use the brush to finish, style and add volume. The exception is the premium ghd duet blowdry, which is engineered to take genuinely wet hair through to styled. Using a standard hot air brush on soaking wet hair is slower and harder on the motor.

Will a US Revlon One-Step work in Australia?

No, not a United States 120-volt unit. Australia runs on 220 to 240 volts, and plugging in an American One-Step, even through an adapter, will damage it. The fix is simple: buy the version clearly labelled as an Australian-plug, 220 to 240-volt model, which is what we link to here. Always check the voltage and plug in the listing before you order.

What is the difference between a hot air brush and a Dyson Airwrap?

A hot air brush is a single heated brush that dries and shapes in one step, usually for a fraction of the cost. The Dyson Airwrap is a modular styling system that uses airflow to wrap and curl hair around cool-to-warm barrels, with several attachments, at a premium price. If you mainly want a fast, smooth blow-dry with some volume, a hot air brush is the practical choice. If you want elaborate curls and have the budget, that is Airwrap territory.

How long does a blow dry brush take to dry your hair?

On damp, medium-length hair, most people finish in five to fifteen minutes depending on thickness and the wattage of the brush. Higher-powered brushes such as the Shark FlexStyle and the ghd duet are quicker on thick or long hair, while gentler 500 to 700-watt models like the Remington Volume Plus and the BaByliss suit fine hair and take a little longer on thick hair. Sectioning your hair is the single biggest time-saver.

Which blow dry brush is best for short or fine hair?

Look for a smaller barrel and gentler power. The Remington Volume Plus AS500AU is our pick here, thanks to its 19-millimetre round head and low 500-watt heat that will not overwhelm fine hair. The VS Sassoon Hot Air Brush n' Style is another well-liked option for short and fine hair. Larger oval brushes like the Revlons and the 50-millimetre BaByliss suit medium to long hair better.

Keep building your bathroom and hair kit

A blow dry brush is one piece of the puzzle. If you are working through the rest of your styling and bathroom setup, these NestPath guides pair naturally with this one:

• The best hair dryer brushes in Australia for a closer look at the one-step category.
• The best hot brushes in Australia if you want heated styling brushes for straightening and smoothing.
• The best hair dryers in Australia for a standalone dryer to pair with a manual round brush.
• The best hair straighteners in Australia for sleek, poker-straight finishes.
• The best curling wands in Australia for curls a blow dry brush cannot quite create.
• The best hair rollers in Australia for setting extra volume after your blow-dry.
• The best scalp massagers in Australia for healthier hair between styling days.

About the author

Anish Puri founded NestPath in 2026 after going through the Australian first-home-buyer process himself. NestPath focuses on Australian first-home buyers because the existing review sites are American, generic, or both. Anish handles editorial selection across the homeowner hub. Reach out: hello@nestpath.com.au