Which Hot Brush is Best | Hot Tools One Step vs Revlon One Step

I have a soft spot for anything that saves me time getting ready, which is why the Revlon One Step Volumizer has been a must-have tool for me in the last few years.

Mom life means I don’t get the time to really style my hair or spend more than a whopping 12 minutes putting on my face. So I’m pretty strategic about how I get things done!

I’ve written about the Revlon One-Step Volumizer, here, and relied on it heavily in that first year postpartum. When I saw that Hot Tools launched their version, the One Step Blowout* that has activated charcoal bristles, I was intrigued.

 

Revlon One Step Volumizer vs Hot Tools One Step Blowout

Revlon One Step Volumizer vs Hot Tools One Step Blowout

Marketed as being the answer to refreshing and restyling, I wondered how the Hot Tools would hold up to a full wet to dry and styled routine.

The longer bristles are infused with activated charcoal, which Hot Tools claims is the solution to refreshing next day hair. The shorter boar bristles smooth and grip the hair while the ceramic-coated base evenly distributes the heat. You’ve probably heard the term ‘negative ions’ mentioned in hot tools before, namely blow dryers, and that aims to cut frizz. 

 

Like the Revlon, the Hot Tools has 3 settings (Cool, Low and High), the same oval brush shape and hourglass-like handle. They weigh the same, feel the same in the hand, and the heat settings perform the same.

 

Over my time testing out both hot brushes, I have the same cons for each:

• The cool setting is a full blast airflow, as is the hot setting. Often a cool shot setting is used to set a style, and having the max airflow can really disrupt that.
• Cleaning these types of hot tools is a pain in the butt. If you use for a wet to dry style as I do, inevitably the boar bristles accumulate product buildup, and it’s damn near impossible to clean them. Going without some leave-in and volumizing product for me is non-negotiable. Since they’re both recommended for dry, next day styling as well (when often dry shampoo comes into the mix) it’s kind of hard to avoid the build-up, one way or another. I clean the brush of hair after each use and have a soft toothbrush I used between the rows of bristles, but it’s a faff.

 

Besides my personal cons, I love both the Revlon One Step and the Hot Tools One Step.

Personally, I didn’t see how one could be better than the other, but the Hot Tools actually grips my fine, silky straight hair significantly better, and allows me to really wind it around the brush if I want to, to taper the ends. 

 

 

Some other major pros:

• The oval brush shape is ideal for long hair; It really lifts and boosts volume from the root. 
• The rows of bristles are spaced out that I can actually wind my hair up and around this multiple times without fearing it getting stuck.
• The boar bristles smooth the hair and cut back on frizz significantly.
• The cool touch tip gives extra control when you need to use both hands.
• The convenience of being able to dry and style your hair in one handy unit as opposed to holding a dryer in one hand and round brush in the other is infinitely easier for me. 

 

 

Both are amazing brushes, but the Hot Tools wins out for me by a hair (ha, get it?) thanks to its ability to grip and hold my fine hair better. You can find it locally at London Drugs. and on Amazon.