This Blow-Dry Brush Made My Hair Routine So Much Faster

In an effort to find time-saving products that simplify my morning routine, I test-drove several blow-dry brushes. The concept behind this hair tool is simple: as you brush your hair, hot air blasts through the brush’s core, letting you heat-style your strands with one tool rather than two.

Naturally, some blow-dry brushes worked better than others, but many of them functioned much the same. However, midway through my manic week of at-home blowouts, I finally discovered my new favorite: the T3 Airebrush. Beyond its relatively new hair-care category, the Airebrush is one of the best beauty tools I’ve tried—period. It deserves all the accolades, which is why I’ve been telling all my friends about it. (Is there a beauty award for “Most Popular Product in the Group Chat”?)

T3

$159

T3 Airebrush

One of the best styling brushes money can buy. The T3 Airebrush leaves hair feeling smooth, silky, and soft to the touch.

See At T3

The tool is priced at $160—a decent investment, no doubt, but when you parse out the cost-per-use and factor in the price of using lower-quality tools on your hair, it feels very reasonable. It comes in white, black, or pink. I have the pink one.

I really can’t pinpoint what it is about the Airebrush that makes it far and away the best blow-dry brush I’ve ever used, but it is. It looks just like all the competitors on the market. The bristles don’t seem that different on visual inspection, but they feel different during use and leave your hair feeling different afterward. It gives me salon-level results but in half the time.

The results are truly shocking. My hair feels so much silkier when using it than with other blow-dry brushes or even air-drying. I can’t stop twirling my hair as I browse the phalanx of Zara tabs around my Gmail window. On my nightly phone calls with friends, I catch myself running my hands through it, feeling how cool and silky it is as it falls between my fingers. Career bonus: I feel less hesitant speaking up in meetings because half the people in the room have already complimented my hair that day.

Benefits of the T3 Airebrush

Because I’ve tried so many of the blow-dry brushes on the market, I can attest that this one punches above its weight. It’s much faster than competitors in drying my hair, and it leaves my strands just as silky—perhaps even more so—than the expensive ones I’ve tested. The Airebrush bristles move through my hair, tug-free, and I never feel like the heat is singeing the follicles. Thanks to its CeraGloss ceramic technology, my outcome is smooth and super shiny.

As mentioned, I’m no stranger to blow-dry brushes. I’ve tried the Dyson Airwrap, which I love, but find too expensive for me to really feel comfortable recommending it to loved ones or traveling with it in my carry-on. I’ve also tried Revlon’s viral blow-dry brush, but found it to be too rough on my hair and too difficult to use without making my arms tired.

How to Use the T3 Airebrush

Because I’m at a very night-showering-time of my life right now, I usually wash my hair before bed and then blow it out and sleep. I like to use the Airebrush on the second heat setting (there are three settings, depending on if you have fine, medium, or coarse hair) and on the first of two speed settings—to minimize damage.

I’ll section my hair into three parts. The bottom layers, the middle layer, and then my bangs, and I work my way from bottom to top, doing my bangs last. It takes me about 15-20 minutes to dry my whole head—much faster than with other blow-dry brushes I’ve tested.

I have to be honest with you all about something. The instructions for all these brushes recommend starting with slightly or moderately damp hair, but I have a confession: I pretty much always blast my hair while it’s still soaking wet. Despite my lack of proper instruction-following, the T3 Airebrush nevertheless delivers truly fool-proof, beautifully styled hair.

Caveat: I’m sure if you follow instructions to the letter, your results will be even better than mine. Still, I’m not complaining.

The Cons

My newfound love for the Airebrush has just two downsides. Both are relatively minor, but transparency is an essential component of any review.

First, I wish the settings were accessible to change while the tool is in use. The current design means I have to set it down or use two hands to adjust the dial at the very base of the brush, near the cord. (Some similar tools feature buttons near the top of the handle where your hand naturally sits, which I find can make it easier to switch to the cool setting one-handed.)

The second wish: The Airebrush is not dual-voltage, meaning I will have to forego it for my upcoming international trip. That said, I ordered a dual-voltage blow-dry brush from another brand to use while I’m overseas, but after just a day of test-driving it, I can already tell it underperforms compared to my newly beloved T3. It simply doesn’t deliver the same smoothness and silkiness; running my hands through my hair isn’t as fun anymore. I dread to think how this’ll reflect in photos—hey, who doesn’t want great-looking hair in their vacation slideshow?—but it’ll make me appreciate my T3 even more upon returning to the U.S.

The Verdict

All in all, this is one of the better tools I’ve ever tried, and I’m thrilled with all the compliments I’ve gotten from friends. Even people at work are commenting on it a lot, which means my natural hair is either really unkempt most days (let’s hope not) or the T3 is actually making a real difference.

Here’s a quick anecdote that shows just how fantastic an addition the Airebrush has been to my life: One night, I managed to T3’d just half my hair before bed. Naturally, I forgot to finish the following morning, yet I still received two compliments at work the following day about how great it looked.