The 10 Best Round Brushes to Shop Now

Whether you're looking to simply smooth and polish your hair or go all-out with a voluminous blowout, there's one tool that you absolutely need when styling it: a round brush. This brush is exactly what it sounds like—a cylinder-shaped piece with bristles all around the barrel meant to smooth strands and add volume to hair. There are iterations of the tool for all hair types and lengths, from straight and short to curly and long. Choosing the right one will bring you one step closer to getting a salon-quality blowout at home.

Erinn Courtney, a natural hair care professional and stylist
Ana Paz, creative team member at Alterna Haircare

What to Consider When Shopping for a Round Brush

Choosing the right round brush depends on the style that you are trying to achieve and the type of hair texture you have. "Round brushes with stiff bristles are great for thick and curly hair because they help to detangle," says Erinn Courtney, a natural hair care professional and stylist. "A round brush with a smaller barrel, when used with low heat, would be a good option for someone with finer, thinner hair."

You'll also want to consider the length of your hair when selecting the best round brush for you. A smaller sized barrel is best for shorter hair, while a larger sized barrel is ideal for long hair, says Courtney.

While you can use a round brush on dry hair to add body, the tool is often used with a blow-dryer to manipulate the smoothness of the cuticle, says Ana Paz, Alterna Haircare creative team member. Aluminum- and ceramic-coated barrels are great options. Aluminum heats up with the dryer's hot air, which allows strands to dry faster, while ceramic releases negative ions to add shine and make hair soft, says Paz.

Best Overall: GHD Size 3 Ceramic Vented Radial Brush

ghd black round brush — Courtesy of Saks Fifth Avenue

This brush has a non-slip handle to make styling easier, and its ceramic vented barrel makes for a perfect at-home blowout. "This round brush heats up fast while still being ventilated," says Courtney. "The ventilated barrel allows air to flow through for even heat, while the semi-stiff bristles give you a super smooth and frizz-free finish."

$37 at Saks Fifth Avenue

Best for Bangs: Moroccanoil Ceramic Brush 25mm

For those who have bangs, you'll want to shop this ceramic option. The small round brush is perfect for styling short strands, thanks to its ionic and ceramic properties that create small waves and add body to shorter hair. It also features a concealed sectioning tip on the handle to make it easier than ever to part your hair.

$30 at Sephora

Best for Volume and Shine: Oribe Medium Round Brush

By using this round brush, those with straight, wavy, curly, and coily hair types can reduce frizz and boost shine and volume. The boar bristles and soft nylon pins help distribute natural scalp oils while also detangling hair and keeping static to a minimum.

$125 at Sephora

Best Budget: Conair Quick Blow Dry Round Brush

For a brush that won't break the bank, Courtney recommends this one. "[It's] a classic round brush that not only helps hair dry faster but also helps distribute the scalp's own natural oils for silky, frizz-free hair," she says. "A combination of boar and nylon bristles gives you professional quality results at a fraction of the cost."

$15 at Shop-links.co

Best For Detangling: Harry Josh Pro Tools Magnesium Thermal Brush

This brush is great for detangling because of its loose bristles, which gently and easily comb through knotted hair. It is also lightweight, which makes it easier to maneuver through tangles, says Courtney.

$50 at Dermstore

Best with Boar Bristles: Fixbody Boar Bristles Round Brush

Boar bristle brushes are known for their shine-enhancing and smoothing properties. If you're looking to get those benefits from your round brush, this is a great option. "[This] is a great boar bristle hairbrush because of its ceramic-coated barrel that has a high heat resistance. It eliminates frizz almost instantly," says Courtney. "The boar bristles help to spread sebum (natural oil produced by our scalp) that eliminates frizz and static."

$14 at Amazon

Best with Hot Air: T3 Airebrush Duo Blow Dry Brush

When it comes to hot air round brushes, it's hard to beat this option. "[It] is the best hot air round brush on the market," says Paz. It has 15 heat and speed combinations and two brush attachments to style your hair in so many different ways, making it the ultimate styling brush.

$190 at Amazon

Best for Long Hair: Olivia Garden NanoTheramic + Ion Round Thermal Brush

This brush is great for long hair because it has a large barrel. It helps easily dry and straighten large sections of hair, which makes styling and blow-drying more efficient and seamless—something that can be tricky when you have long strands, says Courtney. It's also made with a ceramic barrel that heats up quickly and has large vents to maximize airflow.

$24 at Oliviagarden.com

Best for Short Hair: Creative Pro Hair Tools Eco-Friendly Mixed Bristle Round Hair Brush

Short hair needs a round brush with a smaller diameter to achieve volume and curls, says Paz. This brush has a thinner barrel that makes managing short hair easier. The boar bristles gently massage your scalp and carry your natural oils down the hair shaft as you brush your hair.

$29 at Creativeprohairtools.com

Best for Naturally Curly Hair: Wet Brush Volume & Body Round Brush

With its gentle bristles that are thin and super flexible, this brush makes detangling curly hair easy. "These bristles make the tugging, tearing, and pulling normally associated with brushing curly hair, along with using a round brush, nonexistent," says Courtney.

$13 at Amazon

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