3 Best Hot Brushes, Tested and Reviewed by Wired (2025)

Sutra’s infrared thermal styling brush has a design similar to our top pick WavyTalk, but without two buttons, you can press a single power button, you can hold a single power button that can be turned on and off, or click to switch between five heating settings. Using this button is easy to tap when used, but it doesn’t change the heat settings immediately, so if you find yourself accidentally pressing it isn’t the worst thing to do. It reaches the highest heat level of the heat brush I’ve tested, which is ideal for requiring higher heat to fill it with irregular hair.

It smoothed my curly, curly hair well after drying on my curly, curly hair or recovering from the DIY blowout the day after I used the blow dry brush. I prefer better controls, but it worked well for me for months. I have the 43mm option (about 1.7 inches), which is a nice oval size for the classic blowout look, but if your style is more varied, the Sutra also has a smaller round 32mm brush ($110).