Review: BondiBoost Blowout Brush

In the months I've been testing blowout brushes, one model in particular has been on my must-try list after seeing it touted online over and over: the BondiBoost Blowout Brush. BondiBoost makes a few different hair tools, including an aloe-infused hair straightener and the viral Infrared Bounce Brush ($98) which is designed for dry hair (more on that below), but I was itching to get my hairs on BondiBoost's blow-out brush to see how it compared to the likes of Revlon, Drybar, and T3.

While the BondiBoost Blowout Brush has one of the lower price points, retailing for $70, it gave me shockingly similar results to the more expensive Drybar Double Shot ($155). The BondiBoost left my hair with a nice amount of volume at the roots, plus some smooth, slightly curled ends evocative of a professional blowout. It's been an impressive experience, especially for a brush that's still on the affordable end of the scale.

It felt too good to be true—and it was. While the BondiBoost Blowout Brush works well, the problem is that it might not always keep working. An alarming number of online reviewers on both Amazon and BondiBoost's own website have reported it breaking down after just a few months. BondiBoost's PR team didn't comment on why this could be happening, but confirmed they do have a 30-day warranty—much less than other competitors, and outside the window in which these complaints saw breakage.

It makes purchasing this brush a gamble, and raises the question: Would you rather risk needing to buy this brush multiple times, or invest in a more expensive brush from the beginning?

Power Check

Photograph: Nena Farrel

The BondiBoost Blowout Brush has a pretty standard set of features. It comes in both a 75-mm oval version ($70) and 51-mm round brush ($70). I tested the oval version, though the smaller version has a detachable head so that you can use the handle of the brush as a targeted blow dryer before styling your hair with the brush attachment, likely since the brush is so much smaller.

The BondiBoost Blowout Brush has a nice temperature range, going from 93 degrees Fahrenheit on the cool setting to 165 and 194 degrees for the two heat settings. These are significantly lower than some of the competition—the Revlon One-Step Plus (7/10, WIRED Recommends) goes up to 240 degrees, while the T3 AireBrush has a similar low-heat setting of 170 degrees but goes up to 213 degrees.

I have fine, wavy hair, so the lower heat appeals to me, since my hair doesn't require higher heat to tame it. My hair also skews frizzy on its own, so I tend to reach for the lower heats and air levels to try to keep that frizz tamed. Folks with coarse, thicker hair might prefer a brush with higher heat levels, like the T3 or Revlon.

Results vs. Investment

Photograph: Nena Farrel

I'll say it time and time again: I was really happy with my hair results with the BondiBoost Blowout Brush. It gave me a nice mix of volume throughout my hair without making my ends look unfinished, and it didn't get so hot that I had to worry about my hair feeling fried.

But the fact that so many users report that this brush breaks doesn't bode well. Amazon had 29 reviews with concerns about durability, while the BondiBoost website had at least a dozen reviews mentioning it breaking quickly. I saw one user comment that they bought two in a single year, which means it would've been more cost-efficient to invest in either the T3 Airebrush ($160) or the Drybar Double Shot ($155), both of which I can safely report still work after months of use. Perhaps my BondiBoost brush will last just as long, but the question now hangs in the balance, since most breakage reports were around the four- to six-month marks.

It's frustrating for me as a reviewer. This is a gadget I would've happily recommended over most others I've tried with its great price point and results, but the risk of it not lasting is one that would leave any shopper, including myself, unhappy with their purchase.

Infrared, Anybody?

Photograph: Nena Farrel

BondiBoost's other popular blowout tool, the Infrared Bounce Brush, doesn't have the same durability complaints against it—likely because it has a different heat source and design.

If you're debating which one to buy, it's important to understand that these two brushes have different use cases. The Bounce Brush is made for smoothing and styling dry hair, while the Blowout Brush is for styling damp hair while drying it at the same time. The Bounce Brush uses infrared heat instead of hot air, with the surface of the barrel heating up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. You can lower it down to 250 if that's too hot for your hair.

Photograph: Nena Farrel

Infrared heat helps lock in moisture, and I did find my blowout with the Bounce Brush left my hair really soft and shiny, borderline oily with how fine my hair is. It takes a little practice to get the hang of using it to make sure you add volume to the root, or otherwise it won't look different from just using a hair straightener. It did successfully smooth out my wavy hair once I got the hang of it, and it's a solid day-two hair tool if you want something to add volume. I don't think you'd need both of these tools, since a great blowout brush should give you a strong enough blowout to last through the next day, but it's a nice extra if you find your day-two hair needs a little love.

Does the infrared brush have the same problem as the blow-dry brush? I didn't see reviews about it breaking like I did the Blowout Brush. If you're going to buy either device, the Infrared Bounce Brush is less of a risk. So far, I'm a little over a month in with no problems, but the real test will come in a few more months to see if these devices last. If you're on a budget and want something great to try for the next three months, give these a whirl. The results really are fantastic while they last.