Thermal Hairbrush Review

Hairbrushes. They just aren’t something I think about until I’m actually brushing my hair. Am I alone in this? I certainly do not rely on my brush to smooth all the frizz. That heavy duty lifting power belongs to the expensive creams, sprays, and the straightening iron. I don’t replace my hairbrush on a regular, or even yearly, basis (again, just me?). It’s a trusted beauty tool that should detangle my hair and pull it as taught as possible as I blow dry. Its durability is taken for granted until that inevitable day when it breaks! Or in my case, the brush flies off the literal handle and crashes into the bathroom mirror while I’m in the middle of blowdrying my super long, super thick, super curly hair. Suddenly, hairbrushes are all I can think about and an item I have to replace immediately. I cannot go without it. It’s like when your air conditioner goes out in the middle of summer and you live in Texas.

I went to Ulta that very afternoon, my partially dried hair now up in a bun, intent on replacing the paddle brush that had dutifully served me for five plus years with a similar style. Until that shopping trip, the only criteria I evaluated in a brush was size (the biggest paddle possible), bristles (strong enough to cut through the thickness and grab the hair but also not too sharp on the scalp), and handle comfort (not rubber because that snags the hair). Yet, even with my criteria, I had no idea I could be expecting so much more from my hair brush! Lots of the new products sport the same adjectives I look for in my heating tools — ceramic, ionic, thermal.

At first, I was dubious about these hair brushes. You’re telling me the addition of a thin aluminum plate will help smooth my coarse ends? I assumed it was a marketing gimmick since the hair brush industry cannot be that lucrative. How often do people actually replace their hairbrushes? None of my friends talk about the latest trends in brushing our hair. Not when crow’s feet and smile lines demand our attention. I’ve battled my frizzy ends for as long as I can remember so I’m easily swayed by a promise to turn them into strands of silk. Better yet, the twenty bucks for the brush was a much cheaper investment than some of the chemical processes I’ve tried and hated.

I chose the 1907 Hot Paddle Brush by Fromm.

Curiosity drove me to re- wash and dry my hair that night just to try out the brush. Omg, I love the results! My hair is straight but the poof is gone! My ends are smooth yet voluminous. Several minutes are shaved off my drying time. When you have a lot of hair that takes time to blow-dry, minutes saved is something to rejoice over.

I can vouch for the Fromm model I chose, but Ulta also carries Olivia Garden which got great reviews. Their paddle style comes in two different sizes, 2 ½ and 1 ¾.

For those who style with round brushes, you too can benefit from thermal brushes and get the volume and style you love. Olivia Garden carries a round style in seven (seven!) sizes:

I’ve never liked using a round brush because it’s hard to get my hair really smooth with a round style while blow drying. This is why people pay for blow outs! However, I’m tempted to give it another shot with the thermal (shh, don't tell my stylist).

I have touted thermal brushes to all my curly haired friends. I’m also gifting one to my mother and mother-in-law for the holidays. I love it that much!