A blow-dry brush has become my holy grail hair styling device. Maybe you’ve heard the term, or one of its synonyms like heated brush, thermal brush, or blowout brush. These aren’t all the same thing—blow-dry brushes blow out hot hair, acting as both a blow dryer and a brush, while thermal or heated brushes are brushes with a heated surface, creating a twist on a curling or straightening iron. My hair begs to be either diffused or blow-dried after a shower, and I rarely have time to blow-dry and style my hair with two separate devices—the single blow-dry brush has become a hair routine hero.
Some of the most popular models in the world of blow-dry brushes include the Dyson Airwrap (8/10, WIRED Recommends), the Drybar Double Shot, and BondiBoost Blowout Brush, along with the reason we’re here today: the famed Revlon One-Step Volumizer Plus. The One-Step blow-dry brush originally launched in 2016, and the Plus is the most updated version, arriving in 2021. It’s often touted as a much more affordable option in a field of pricey blow-dry brushes and hair tools, especially since its price tag is so low compared to the other options out there.
For such a cheap price, it does a great job delivering on its premise. The One-Step gives my hair a voluminous blowout, especially my curtain bangs, in a matter of minutes. It does give me a little more frizz and a little less polished ends than more expensive options like the Drybar and Dyson, though even the best of the blow-dry brushes will still add a little frizz. Regardless, the Revlon is easily the best bang for your buck if you’re in the market for a blow-dry brush.
Power Play
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Photograph: Nena Farrell
The One-Step is a pretty straightforward concept. It combines a round brush and a hair dryer into one device, allowing you to both dry and style your hair at the same time. It’s easier to manage since it’s a single device—I’ve never had the dexterity to manage two tools at the same time, let alone get good results. Keep in mind, though, that blow-dry brushes tend to make more frizz than using a blow dryer and a round brush, since the air is coming through the center of the brush rather than on top of it, thus blowing hair in multiple directions while you use it.
The Revlon One-Step Volumizer Plus has three heat settings, each with an attached airflow level, plus a fourth “cool” setting. You can’t customize the air speed and heat, but that’s true on more expensive models, too, so I wouldn’t count that too heavily against the One-Step. Most other blow-dry brushes only have a cool mode and two heat settings, so while the Revlon is more affordable, it also offers more heat levels than you’ll find on a Drybar brush or even the Dyson.
Revlon says the One-Step’s three heat settings reach between 200 and 260 degrees Fahrenheit, though Revlon can’t confirm how hot the individual levels will get. This range is a little hotter than others we’ve tested; the Shark FlexStyle (9/10, WIRED Recommends) reaches only 230 degrees Fahrenheit, for example, while T3’s AireBrush ranges from about 170 degrees to 214 degrees Fahrenheit. That higher heat range adds to the extra frizz I find myself getting when I use the Revlon compared with a T3 or Dyson blow-dry brush, and does put me at risk for more damage than with the more expensive brushes.
Volumize Me
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Photograph: Nena Farrell
Revlon recommends using the One-Step on damp hair, rather than wet hair. Ivy & Luna Studio co-owner and hairstylist Alanna Safarik-Ashby (also known as @folliclefatale) recommended I wait until my hair was 90 percent dry for the safest results when using any blow-dry brush. Using it on wet hair can lead to more damage since it pulls on your hair strands when they’re at their most fragile, Safarik-Ashby explained.
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