You've seen thermal brushes before, maybe touted as a blow-out brush or an infrared brush. The best thermal brush for you will recreate a blow-out type of look on your dry hair—different than a blow-dry brush, which is designed for wet hair but has a similar look. It reminds me of how I would use a curler in my youth to straighten while adding a little body to the roots and a little curl to the ends. If that's your preferred hairstyle too, then these are the devices for you.
Thermal brushes use a different type of heat than your usual hair tools. Rather than blowing hot air or pressing heated plates onto your head, a thermal brush uses infrared heat to warm the hair from the inside out. That style of heat does a good job of locking in moisture compared to other tools, but it can give different results depending on your hair type. It can also be tricky to nail the motion with these devices to create blow-out volume. Even if you don't get the volume you hoped for on your first try, these brushes are great for smoothing out and controlling day-two hair while you learn the method.
The best thermal brush I've tried is the Wavytalk Heatwave Pro ($80), which comes with three different heads you can switch out, allowing for the most styling flexibility. It has five heat temperature settings, too, making it easy to achieve your perfect brush size and heat level for your hair type and intended style. My personal favorite single brush is the Amika Blowout Babe Thermal Round Brush ($100), since I like the easy toggle control, but the Sutra Infrared Thermal Styling Brush ($110) is a good choice for a single brush with five heat options to choose from.
Curious for more information about thermal brushes? Head down to the Frequently Asked Questions section below to learn how the technology works, how to get the best blow-out look with them, and more. Looking for more hair tools and tips? Check out our guides to the Best Blow-Dry Brushes, Best Hair Straighteners, Best Hair Dryers, and Best Heat Protectant Sprays.