Drybar’s premium straightening brush nicely brings fast and effective straightening with best material quality that the brand is known for
4.7 out of 5
Model name/ number: 900-1595-4
RRP: $150.00
Temperature settings: 350 to 450°F
Auto shut-off: 60 mins
Weight: 9.6oz
Cord length: 9ft
Universal voltage: no
Warranty: 2 year
Added extras: ionizer for reduced frizz and added shine, digital display for easy use
Best for: all hair lengths, all hair types
Pros: precision with 10 heat levels, frizz-free results, sturdy and durable material, lightweight, a long cord
Cons: not dual voltage, pricey
How it stands out: it has the highest maximum heat setting among straightening brushes on the market, making it perfect for taming even the thickest hair types
Drybar hair tools have been a popular and trustworthy choice amongst home stylist for their performance and material quality for a long time and their straightening brush is no different. It’s definitely a close second on our list of best straightening brushes this season, if not the first. Its durable material and ergonomic design make it a highly desirable choice. Its ceramic with a nylon coating material creates shiny and smooth results.
It stands out with its performance by reaching the highest temperature on our list on the highest setting with 420°F. This makes it the best choice for thick and unruly hair. It’s also highly versatile with 10 different levels of heat. It’s not the biggest bargain in the market but it’s an investment worth considering. Below we share our experiences with “DRYBAR BRUSH CRUSH”.
Shape And Size
Paddle brushes are desirable for their large surface which makes them fast yet gentle. Drybar has a medium-sized paddle shape which makes it suitable for all hair types. The heater plate has a length of 4.3” and a width of 2.1”. These numbers are large enough to provide fast and efficient styling yet slim enough to be a compact option for frequent travelers.
It can also come close to the roots and smooth the shorter hairstyles, but if you have very short hair, there are much more efficient options in the market.
Tymo Ring Plus, for example, has a much slimmer (1.24” width and 3.83” length) paddle-shaped brush and has a great grip for even the shortest styles. Drybar’s paddle shape makes a gentle tool and it’s preferred for a natural look and volume, and if you prefer to create curls with your straightening brush, we recommend a round-shaped brush such as Chi Amplitude or Conair Instant Heat Hot Brush.
Bristles
Straightening Brushes usually have a complicated structure of bristles. They have both heated and non-heated (for detangling) ones that can be inside or outside of the heater plate. Drybar’s paddle brush has a relatively simpler structure than others on our list. It has detangler bristles only outside of the heater plate and only heated bristles are only placed inside.
The size of these bristles is relatively long for a better grip and styling (6/8” heated and 5/8” detangler) rather than detangling. When we look at all these qualities, we can say that DRYBAR is not for the ones who prioritize detangling.
There are superior tools on our list such as GHD Glide, which has a similar shaped brush but a much more complex structure of detangler bristles. The densely placed heater bristles though make Drybar a very effective styler.
Heat And Variable Settings
Drybar is a versatile tool with 10 different levels of heat. While the lower settings are very safe and gentle for the damaged and fragile strands, the highest setting is high enough to tame thick hair. Drybar promises a maximum temperature of 450°F, and like almost all straightening brushes in the market, it fails to go as high as that number and reaches only up to 420°F. But this temperature is the highest on our list and frankly, it’s more than enough for the natural smoothening that a straightening brush should offer. This quality makes this tool our top-listed straightening brush for thick hair.
It’s also important to note that it has a 60 minutes auto shut-off option which puts our minds at ease, especially on a busy day.
The maximum temperature of the handle is 92°F, also the highest number on our list, and in case of longer sessions or fragile hands, it’s worth using cautiously.
Performance And Durability
As we mentioned above, Drybar doesn’t disappoint in terms of material quality and durability. Their tools are long-lasting and they have a sturdy design that doesn’t break easily. With 58W, it has the highest wattage on our list, which also proves that Drybar is a tool with outstanding performance.
It comes as only 120V voltage, which makes it single voltage instead of dual. This means it may not be fit to use all over the world. This may be important to our readers who travel often and want to take their tools with them. If you’re looking for a tool with dual voltage, Babyliss paddle brush is another option with similar qualities.
The material of Drybar Brush Crush is ceramic with nylon coating and it comes with ionic technology. Both these suggest that it delivers frizz-free results and its densely placed heated bristles support this quality as well.
Ergonomics
At 9.6 oz on our scale, Drybar Brush Crush is a quite lightweight straightening brush. For comparison, this number is favorable to other similar models such as ghd Glide with 11.7 oz and Tymo Ring plush with 10.5 oz. You can find even lighter tools like Babyliss (8.1 oz) but they usually come with compromises in durability.
Drybar Brush Crush is an intelligently designed tool that is very comfortable to hold. It has a medium-sized handle with 3.5” diameter and would be ideal for all hands, even the smallest.
It comes with an 8.8ft (106″) swivel cord, which is a professional size and the longest available in the market.
Price and Guarantee
Drybar Brush Crush, like all other Drybars, is a luxury product that compromises in price. It’s not the most affordable tool in the market and with $111, it’s an investment that not all home stylists are willing to spare. But it pays off with its long-lasting material and quality blowout. If you don’t feel ready to spend this much on your tool, there are other options on our list that are more budget-friendly. Babyliss, for example, is an effective alternative that offers a smooth and frizz-free session for a better price ($69).
It comes with a 2-year guarantee which is the standard number among straightening brushes.
Competition
Drybar Brush Crush impressed us with its performance, material, and design, but there are others in the market that bring out great competition such as ghd Glide. ghd stands out with its great detangling ability and big paddle brush that delivers very fast results while Drybar is more versatile with different heat settings and gets to higher temperatures, providing frizz-free and smooth results. ghd is also more expensive than Drybar. The decision will be according to your priorities and needs but both tools are extraordinary and will satisfy your needs.
Another popular option is Babylisspro Thermal Paddle Brush. Like Drybar, it has a medium-sized paddle shape and it also brings outstandingly frizz-free results. Most importantly, it’s a much more affordable option than Drybar. It does compromise on the durability of the material, but for the ones looking for a budget-friendly straightening brush, it does the job just fine.
