Revlon hair dryer brush review: We test the viral one-step volumizer

I can't start this Revlon hair dryer brush review without mentioning the insane buzz around this product. It's earned a huge cult following online and has soared straight to the top of Amazon’s bestsellers beauty list. On TikTok, videos tagged #revlonhairdryerbrush have amassed more than 592 million views. 

The tool promises to act as the best hair dryer and styling brush in one, delivering a generous dose of volume, a smooth finish and a bouncy blow-dry look - minus the salon visit. Sound familiar? According to savvy shoppers, it's one of the best Dyson Airwrap dupes on the market. But here's the big question - does it compare to the luxe buy, which costs a cool $600? 

It’s clear from the before and after photos that this hair dryer brush does magical things to every hair type, from the most curly hairstyles to styling straight hair. I was curious to see how it fares for my poker-straight hair. I got my hands on the much-discussed device for the purpose Revlon hair dryer brush review. Here's how I got on. 

Revlon hair dryer brush review

Revlon One-Step Volumizer design

In terms of build, the Revlon One-Step Volumizer is a bit different from other hot brushes. You might be familiar with the rotating cylindrical brush head on the Babyliss Big Hair, which mimics the pull-and-wrap technique of a salon stylist. This version is a lot simpler and actually easier to use. 

The brush head is on the large side (it has a diameter of 7cm), which means you can work through your hair pretty quickly, especially useful if you have a long hairstyle or it's on the thick side. The head doesn’t move and is shaped somewhere between a paddle brush and a radial brush. The oval design means you achieve smoothness via the flat side, while the gently rounded edges offer that signature volume and flick you get from a traditional blowout. 

The bristles, which are made from a combination of nylon pins to detangle and tufted bristles that smooth, do a fantastic job of passing through the hair without turning it into a pile of knots. It also has a cool tip at the end which means you can use your opposite hand to gain maximum tension on the hair when making each pass. On a superficial level, it comes in teal, mint, or classic pink, which will bring a far more uplifting vibe to your hair dryer stand than your average black or grey dryer. 

How well does it perform?

That brings us to the most crucial part of our Revlon hair dryer brush review, what's it actually like to use? My first impressions were that this hair dryer is a bulky boy, and teamed with the fact I have little to no upper arm strength, I was concerned I might struggle to contort my arms to create lots of volume. 

Luckily, despite the weight of the styling tool, this hair dryer was easy to manage. I started by sectioning off my damp hair and added lashings of my best heat protection spray and got to work twisting my hair around the brush. Much to my surprise after just 12 minutes (yes, I timed it) I had managed to produce a respectable blowout, featuring silky smooth strands and the classic blow-dry flicks which you can only hope for from a salon visit. 

It was quick and easy to use and cut my normal drying and styling time by more than half. I always put off washing and styling my hair in the mornings because I would much rather get 45 more minutes of precious sleep, but this hair tool will mean that within 15 minutes my hair is dry and styled. While it might not be that quick for everyone (like I said, I have fine, straight hair), it will save most people from using numerous tools, and shave time from your morning routine. 

Does it come with any attachments?

The Revlon One-Step Volumizer doesn’t come with any fancy nozzles or diffusers. In fact, the only things in the box are the brush itself and an instruction booklet. This could be a letdown if you like your hairdryer to offer styling versatility through snazzy gadgetry, like the Dyson Airwrap Styler. 

On the plus side, with the Revlon hair dryer brush, you have everything you need to create a smooth blowout in the palm of your hand. The non-detachable brush head means there’s no big conundrum over which nozzle to use for a smooth finish, no time wasted swapping accessories over, and no panic because you’ve misplaced the volumizing attachment. 

How does it compare to the Dyson Airwrap?

Let's face it, all anyone wants to know nowadays is how any hair tool compares to the Dyson Airwrap. While this tool isn't on the surface very similar due to the lack of brush head attachments and fancy drying technology, I do believe it can produce similar results when using the straight, round volumizing and the smoothing brush heads of the Dyson. 

The lack of swish is something to consider if you're comparing both of these tools - the Revlon is louder, bulkier and gets hotter. It's also not as versatile. However, if all you want to do is replicate a straight salon blow dry, then both the Revlon and the Dyson with certain brush head attachments will create similar sleek results. 

The Revlon isn't going to produce any bouncy ringlets or smaller curls, but if you're looking for a smoothing effect minus the eye-watering price point, this is a great option. 

What’s not good about the Revlon Hair Dryer Brush?

The 1100-watt power packs a punch but with that comes a fair bit of noise, so if you’re used to the whisper of the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer, this could be jarring. It also blows out a lot of hot air, which when right next to your face can be quite uncomfortable, so I'd recommend using it before applying makeup. It’s also very warm when on the highest heat setting, so rosy-cheeked girls like me will emerge looking like you’ve just sat in a sauna for half an hour. 

The settings themselves are operated using a twisty ring around the base of the dryer, which means it cannot be done one-handed and is a little bit faffy as you have to turn the tool around to try and change the settings when using. Also, as previously mentioned, this tool is bulky and quite heavy when compared to other styling tools. But when you consider that it’s a hairdryer and styler in one, it’s completely understandable. I would imagine it would take up a lot of space and weight in a suitcase if traveling, so it's something to bare in mind. 

Revlon hair dryer brush review: w&h verdict

Having low-maintenance fine and straight hair, this hair tool would always produce decent results but even I was impressed by its powers. I also struggle to style my hair, tending to get overwhelmed by curling tongs and fancy stylers but this simple tool couldn’t have been easier to use and the results were incredibly easy to achieve. If I can produce salon-worthy hair, then literally anybody can.

I loved that it was a two-in-one dryer and styler, meaning you can save not only time but money when purchasing this $64.99/ £62.99 tool. It’s also completely idiot-proof - I haven’t heard of anyone not being able to master this or having anything negative to say about the results either. While it’s not going to give you glamorous curls only Chris Appleton can give Kim K, it will give you your best-looking hair and will offer similar slick results that the straight brush on the Dyson Air Wrap does, for about the 8th of the price. It's a brilliant alternative for the straight brush head attachment of the Dyson, but admittedly it's not as versatile (or glam-looking). 

For the price and guaranteed results, I can’t think of any reason not to rush out and purchase this hair styler. To mimic the thousands of reviews online that claim to be the best hair tool on the market, I can vouch for the transformative powers of this dryer and styler. If you’re after effortlessly styled salon-worthy tresses, then this absolute gem promises to have your back and I think it's most definitely one of the best hair dryer brushes around. It's absolutely worth the hype.