The Best Thermal Brushes (and How They Work)

Sutra’s Infrared Thermal Styling Brush has a design similar to our top pick, the Wavytalk, but instead of having two buttons, there’s a single power button that you can hold down to turn on and off, or tap to toggle between the five heat settings. The button is easy to tap while you’re using it, but it won’t change the heat settings right away, so it’s not the worst thing if you find yourself accidentally pressing it. It reaches the highest heat level of the thermal brushes I’ve tested, making it a good choice for unruly hair that needs higher heat to corral it.

It does a good job smoothing my frizzy, curly hair after I air dry it, or reviving my DIY blowout the day after I use a blow-dry brush. I would prefer better controls, but it’s worked well for me for months. I have the 43-millimeter option (which is about 1.7 inches), which has been a nice oval size for a classic blowout look, but Sutra also has a smaller, rounded 32-mm brush ($110) if that’s more your style.