Have you ever tried styling a pixie cut or a short bob with a hot air brush? If not, this is your chance to find out how this multi-purpose tool can change your hairstyle routine and save you so much time. Finding the best hot air brush for short hair wasn’t an easy task; however, we can proudly announce that we discovered eight excellent products that you should take a look at.
Although hot air brushes don’t replace a hairdryer, they’re such a useful tool for straightening and curling hair of all lengths. Short hairdos can be tricky to style and can easily get damaged when treated with straighteners and curling wands. A hot air brush uses hot air to add extra volume to the ‘do, deliver a bouncy blowout or soft curls, reduce the frizz, and leave the hair silky-smooth.
If you like what you’re seeing, check out our top recommendation and keep reading to learn more about the key features, pros, and cons of all eight tools.
TOP PICK
I think the best hot air brush for short hair is the REVLON One-Step Hair Dryer And Volumizer Hot Air Brush. It’s an inexpensive tool that detangles, dries, and styles your hair; it’s powerful and easy to use. Find out more about it in the reviews section below.
Table of Contents
Here are the Best Hot Air Brushes for Short Hair
If you’re looking for more body and bounce, and a more natural finish for your short ‘do, then a hot air brush is what you need. This tool practically replaces three other hair tools, including a dryer, straightener, and curler. Here are our eight picks that can make your life much easier:
1. REVLON One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer Hot Air Brush — Best Overall
If you’re looking for the best brush dryer for short hair, the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer Hot Air Brush should be at the top of your list. Thousands of customers highly praise it because it detangles, styles, and dries hair, and it’s an affordable tool.
Key Features
- Nylon pin and tufted bristles for detangling
- Non-detachable ceramic oval-shaped brush
- Available in various fun colors
- 6 ft. swivel cord
- Cool tip
The oval-shaped ceramic brush has a nylon pin and tufted bristles that will take care of knots, brush your hair, and then style it. Because of the airflow vents on the brush, you can expect a quick styling session at home that will leave your mane smooth and frizz-free. Finally, the handle is ergonomically designed. The tool is lightweight to make the experience even more effortless.
Pros
- Brush equipped with airflow vents that provide fast, permanent results
- Four heat settings, including a cooling one
- It can dry, detangle, and style hair with 30% less frizz
Cons
- Only designed for 120 Volt USA outlets
Note that the size of this tool won’t allow you to curl your hair much, but will certainly create body and smoothness. This Revlon hot air brush is our top pick because it has incredible results, great drying and styling power, and a high number of heat settings. It’s also very affordable!
2. HOT TOOLS Professional 24K Gold One Step Dryer Volumizer
This Helen of Troy tool is rated as the best hair dryer brush for short hair by thousands of happy customers. Thanks to its luxurious packaging, easy use, and excellent results, it takes the runner-up spot on our list.
Key Features
- 8 ft. professional swivel cord
- Charcoal-infused Smoothflow bristles for faster drying and styling
- Ergonomic design
The surface of this HOT TOOLS Professional brush is coated with 24K gold, so it will leave your hairdo smooth, frizz-free, and damage-free. Unlike most other tools on the list, this one features an oval brush design ideal for bouncy, voluminous blowouts and curled ends.
Pros
- Three rotating heat settings: low, high, and cold for various hair types and styles
- 24K gold surface of the brush allows even heat distribution
- Cord is long enough for full range of movement
- Quick results and fast at-home professional-looking blowout
Cons
- Only designed for 120 V USA outlets
This stunning HOT TOOLS brush is not only beautiful to look at, but it is also a great pick for people with short hair. It uses advanced technology to protect your hair, comes with a long cord, and features an ergonomic design.
3. REVLON One-Step Hair Dryer & Styler
This Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Styler might be the only paddle-shaped brush on the list, but it sure deserves its spot.
Key Features
- Professional swivel cord
- Ergonomic design
- Tangle-free bristles
If you’re looking for a hot air brush for straightening hair, here is a potential winner. This paddle-shaped tool is an excellent choice for short frizzy or curly hair because it leaves it surprisingly smooth and straight. In addition, the tangle-free bristles will go through knots with ease.
Thanks to the three heat settings, you can adjust the temperature to your hair type. Let’s not forget that Revlon designed the handle according to ergonomic principles and made the brush lightweight and simple to use.
Pros
- Three heat settings: low, high, and cool
- Great for straightening all hair types, especially frizzy and curly
- Lightweight and easy to use
Cons
- You can’t use it for curling
The Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Styler is a great tool for straightening frizzy hair. It will work wonders on all lengths, but it’s most suitable for short hair.
4. John Frieda Salon Shape Hot Air Brush
If you’re all about simplicity and prefer hot tools that are easy to use with minimum features, look no further than this John Frieda brush.
Key Features
- Titanium ceramic-coated 1 1/2-inch barrel
- Advanced ionic technology that leaves your hair smooth
- Long swivel cord
After reading so many positive comments about this John Frieda brush, we decided to give it a try. The promise of faster styling holds true, so it will definitely cut the time of your styling session. Another feature we love is the advanced ionic technology that leaves the hair shinier and smoother and provides a salon-like experience.
Pros
- Three heat settings: low, high, and cool for both thick and thin hair types
- Ionic technology releases up to 50% more ions that provide a sleeker hair finish
- Titanium ceramic-coated barrel holds more heat for a faster, more efficient blowout
Cons
- The barrel can be a little large for very short hair
Although this John Frieda Salon Shape Hot Air Brush tool isn’t the most advanced we’ve tested so far, it does a great job for people with short hair. It works great for hair straightening and curling, and the final result is a much smoother, sleeker hairdo.
5. INFINITIPRO BY CONAIR the Knot Dr.
The INFINITIPRO BY CONAIR the Knot Dr. brush is a multi-purpose tool that is the best blow dryer brush for short hair. The unique 176 Flexalite nylon bristles with epoxy tips glide effortlessly through the hair, taking care of tangles and knots.
Key Features
- Flexalite nylon bristles with epoxy tips that successfully detangle hair
- Cool brush tip
- Vertical airflow system for fast styling
- 6 ft. cord
This tool features a ceramic-coated barrel that creates volume without damaging your hair. In addition, you can use the brush for straightening and creating soft curls because of the oval-shaped barrel.
Pros
- Affordable price
- Works great for all hair types
- Three heat settings: low, high, cold
- Multi-purpose tool that can dry, detangle, style, and volumize hair
- A brush attachment and a volumizing attachment
Cons
- You have to buy other attachments for the tool separately
The INFINITIPRO BY CONAIR the Knot Dr. all-in-one hot air brush is a multi-purpose tool for people who want to reduce the number of tools they use. Thanks to the attachments, you can detangle, style, and brush your hairdo with a single brush.
6. REVLON Style, Curl, and Volumize Hot Air Kit — Best Budget
This Revlon Style, Curl, and Volumize Hot Air Kit might be the budget find on this list, but it’s perfect for curly, short, and thick hair.
Key Features
- Tangle-free swivel cord
- Two thermal brushes: 1-inch and 1 ½-inch
- Equipped with 3X ceramic coating that significantly reduces hair damage
This Revlon hot air brush has two thermal brush attachments. The 1-inch brush will help you create soft curls, while the larger 1 ½-inch barrel is perfect for hair straightening. What’s even better is that it has three different temperature settings, which makes it a good alternative for thick and thin hair.
Pros
- Two brush attachments to create various different hairstyles and for different hair lengths
- Packaging also includes a smoothing concentrator
- Three different heat settings: low, medium, and high
- Advanced ionic technology for a smooth, frizz-free hairstyle
Cons
- Buttons are a little hard to push
This red, affordable hair styler works great for all types of short hair, but it’s ideal for people with thick, curly hair because the bristles glide effortlessly without getting tangled.
7. INFINITIPRO BY CONAIR Spin Air Rotating Styler
The INFINITIPRO BY CONAIR Spin Air Rotating Styler is the best rotating hot air brush for short hair on this list. Rotating brushes do half of the job for you and make the styling experience straightforward. They’re the perfect choice for all beginners with short, medium, and long hair that don’t have too much spare time on their hands.
Key Features
- Tourmaline ceramic rotating brush
- Tangle-free antistatic boar and nylon bristles
- Spinning brush in both directions
As we mentioned, the brush rotates in both directions, making it very easy for you to create voluminous curls and a professional-looking blowout. Thanks to the nylon bristles, you won’t have to worry about combing your hair, then drying and styling it. The tool is also enhanced with an ion generator that takes care of frizzy hair, leaving it smooth and shiny.
It has three temperature settings. The low and high will help you dry and style the hair, while the cool setting will set and secure the finished product.
Pros
- The round tourmaline ceramic brush adds volume, detangles, and dries the hair
- Very easy to use because it rotates
- Three heat settings: low, high, and cool
- Ideal for short, thin hair
Cons
- Not the best choice for thick, coarse hair
This is an amazing rotating styler that will cut the time of your hairstyling session in half. We included it on the list because of how well it works for short hair, giving it volume despite the large 2-inch brush.
Check out our roundup of the best rotating hot air brushes here.
How to Choose a Hot Air Brush for Short Hair
What are the factors that make some tools excellent and leave others with unflattering reviews? We listed some of the top features that your new tool should have to make your shopping easier and shorten the list of your potential choices.
Barrel Size
The diameter of the barrel is one of the most important factors to influence your final decision. Unfortunately, so many customers forget to look at the barrel size and are surprised when they receive a huge brush that is not suitable for their short hair.
Different barrel sizes are meant for different hairstyles. For example, larger barrels are great for voluminous curls and a blowout. Smaller barrels are excellent for smaller curls.
So if you have short hair and want to curl your hair, don’t get a tool that has a huge barrel.
Temperature Settings
The more heat settings your new hot air brush has, the more you’ll be able to adapt it according to your hair type. For example, thin, damaged hair should be treated with lower heat to protect it from further damage. Thick, coarse hair requires higher heat for styling.
If the hot air brush has a single heat setting, then it might not be the right choice for everyone. The best option is a tool equipped with several settings such as low, medium, and high.
Weight
A lightweight brush is much easier to handle, especially if you plan on using it every day. On the other hand, heavy tools can be quite challenging to work with considering that you’ll apply them to damp hair and you’ll be styling your mane for more than 10 minutes.
Choosing a lightweight tool with an ergonomic design won’t tire your hands, but it will still deliver a great result. In general, tools that weigh less are easier to maneuver and make everyone’s morning routine more pleasurable.
Price
Thankfully, hot air brushes come at different prices, so anyone can find one that fits their budget. In general, the premium, more expensive alternatives include multiple attachments, temperature settings, are made of higher quality materials, et cetera.
Investing in the most expensive brush isn’t the right choice for everyone. Before deciding which one to add to your cart, think about how often you’ll use it and whether you want to create different hairstyles. If you’re looking for superb quality, a tool that you’ll use for years on a daily basis, and want to stop paying for expensive hair salon visits, then you can invest in the more expensive alternatives.
However, if this is your first time buying a hot air brush and you want to see whether it will be a good fit, you can opt for budget or mid-range products.
Material
The most advanced materials used in the production of hot air brushes are ceramic, tourmaline, and titanium. For example, ceramic technology is best for damaged and thin hair. Tourmaline and titanium reach higher temperatures and work well for thick, coarse hair types.
When it comes to bristles, it’s best if they’re made of nylon, ceramic, or metal. Stay away from plastic bristles since they’re less durable and won’t leave your hair as smooth as ceramic, for example.
FAQs
Is a hot air brush good for short hair?
Yes, hot air brushes are a great alternative for all hair lengths, including short hair. These brushes are available in different barrel sizes, which means you can easily find the size that will work best for your hair length.
The purpose of these tools is to dry and style your damp hair, significantly reducing the damage that other tools can cause. Hot air brushes are surprisingly easy to use, and depending on the style, they can straighten or curl your hair and help you create a bouncy blowout.
What is the best size round brush for short hair?
In general, a round brush with a smaller barrel size is the best choice for short hair. It mostly depends on the length of the hairdo.
For example, short hairstyles that fall somewhere around the ear are best styled with a round brush that has a size of 1.5 inches. This barrel size will be great for drying and styling bangs, layers, and thick, coarse hair. When you want to add extra volume to the look, you can try a bigger round brush, but that one might be harder to use when you want to curl your hair.
Lob hairstyles are a little more flexible when it comes to barrel size. You can opt for the same 1.5-inch size, but you can also go bigger. A 1.75-inch barrel can do a great job at styling your medium-length ‘do. A 2-inch barrel is perfect for bouncy, voluminous hairstyles.
Final Word on Best Brush Dryer for Short Hair
Choosing a great hot air brush can be pretty challenging since there are so many choices on the market. An excellent product will be easy to use, have multiple heat settings, be made of high-quality materials, and be lightweight.
The Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer Hot Air Brush exceeded all our expectations in so many ways. This is an affordable find that’s available in various colors, dries, styles, and detangles short hair, leaving it frizz-free and shiny. In addition, we were pleasantly surprised at how powerful and fast the whole experience was.
Did you find the perfect hot air brush for you on this list?
