Hot Tools Blow Dryer Brush review: we try the 2-in-1 Volumiser

Let me start this Hot Tools Blow Dryer Brush review by saying I am a girl who loves a blow dryer brush. Mastering the dexterity required to use a hair dryer and brush to achieve anything near an in-salon blow dry is no mean feat, but these tools essentially combine the two in one easy-to-use styler.

So, I’ve made it a personal mission to find the best hair dryer brushes on the market. I’ve tested everything from pricey iterations like the Dyson Airwrap to '$100 and under' tools like Amika’s Blow Dryer brush. This time I’m putting the spotlight on Hot Tools’ 2-in-1 Volumizer with changeable heads.

As the brand has been creating styling tools for more than 30 years, my expectations were pretty high. And now that I’ve dried and styled my hair with this blow dryer brush several times over the past few weeks, here’s my in-depth Hot Tools Blow Dryer Brush review to help you decide whether to purchase it for yourself.

Our beauty editor's Hot Tools Volumiser 2-in-1 Brush review

Hot Tools Blow Dryer Brush design

At a glance, the color scheme is pretty chic and understated – mostly matte black with metallic accents – which those who don’t enjoy bold and bright colorways will appreciate. Upon first picking it up it’s not noticeably heavy, which always gets a tick in my book as I’m not immediately dreading an impending arm ache. 

We’re dealing with a fairly standard hot brush shape here. The three settings – high speed with heat, low speed with heat, and high-speed cool shot – are easily changed by twisting the bottom end of the brush. There are two brush heads in the box (more on those later) and the attachment-changing process is very easy, simply requiring you to push two buttons to unlock and release the brush head. This means that they are very secure once attached to the dryer handle, so there’s no risk of them falling off mid-dry. There are multiple lengths and types of bristles on each, including some 'charcoal activated' bristles, which promise to neutralize odors in hair that isn’t freshly washed, a pretty unique touch. 

What attachments come with the Hot Tools Volumiser Blow Dryer Brush?

Many blow dryer brushes are a case of what you see is what you get. But this Hot Tools Volumiser 2-in-1 Brush gives you two different changeable heads in the box – one 2.4”/61mm and one 2.8”/71mm, which allows for more options when styling.

Unusually, the product description says that the smaller head suits short to medium-length hair, while the larger head suits medium to long hairstyles – which doesn't sound very versatile if you are intending it to be solely for your own use. However, the larger head is useful for drying and styling off larger sections of hair, while the smaller one allows for more precise styling and adds bounce to smaller sections. There’s also a nice velvety drawstring bag to keep all the parts together, which is also good for travel. 

How well does the Hot Tools Volumiser Blow Dryer Brush perform?

Hot Tools’ Blow Dryer Brush certainly ticks the ease of use box. It brushes through sections of hair easily, without snagging, and settings can be changed quickly – both in terms of twisting the dial to do so and how quickly the tool jumps from one to another. 

On testing, it yielded nice, sleek results with a great amount of volume, particularly when using the jumbo-sized attachment, and it’s nice to have options with the attachments. Both have flat sides which allow for straighter smoothing or angling to add more bounce and shape, so it’s quite versatile, and I found that my style lasted well throughout the day. I’m not sure the charcoal-activated bristles made a noticeable difference on my hair, but mine doesn’t get greasy very easily, so I wasn’t best placed to give a true picture of their odor-neutralizing and toxin-absorbing capabilities.

What’s not good about it?

I’ve tested quite a few hot brushes in my time, and there was one area where the 2-in-1 Volumiser didn’t perform quite as well as some competitor tools. When my hair was on the wetter side of damp, it took quite a lot of passes through each section of my hair to dry it, which significantly added to my overall drying and styling time.

That said, the overall process is still quicker than drying and styling your hair in two stages, so the time-saving element of a blow dryer brush is still there. This was easily avoided by ensuring my hair was closer to damp than wet before styling, which could be achieved by leaving my hair wrapped in my microfiber towel for a bit longer. Another option is to use your regular hair dryer to part dry the roots and lengths of your hair and remove some of the excess water before you take up your hot brush. 

Hot Tools Volumiser Blow Dryer Brush review: My verdict

This brush might not have blown my socks off and made it to the top of my list of the best-ever buys, but it is decent and styles nicely. If your priority is volume and you’re looking for a blow dryer brush that gives you options with its attachment heads, this is a good deal, but do note that, at the time of writing, this bundle doesn’t seem to be available in the US; you have to buy the Detachable Volumizer for $89.99 then purchase the larger 2.8" brush head separately for $29.99 – though there are additional smaller sizes on offer, too.

I do like that multiple attachment heads are available here. Most other similarly priced hot brushes on the market are an all-in-one, uncustomizable affair, so its value for money is a real plus. Despite not being the quickest tool to dry and style my hair that I’ve ever had my hands on, the Hot Tools Volumiser 2-in-1 Brush did deliver on the more important sleek and well-styled results – and that’s what it’s all about!