It’s the new hot tool from my favorite blowout salon. How does the Drybar Double Shot blow dryer brush perform on long, thick hair?

I know I say it all the time on this blog, but I love Drybar. I became a Barfly member basically the instant Drybar opened in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, and since then I’ve rarely washed my own hair.

Read More: I Tried Every Style In The Drybar Lookbook

In a perfect world, I’d let my favorite Drybar stylists do all my shampooing and blowouts, but I also have two kids and a business to run and even the occasional vacation to take, so from time to time it happens that I’m forced to wash and style my own hair.

Over time, I’ve gradually been replacing my old hot tools with Drybar versions, mostly using my accumulated Ultamate Rewards points. (Read this post to get my tips for maximizing your Ulta points.) That’s how I got my Buttercup blow dryer and 3-Day Bender curling iron basically for free.

And when my sister-in-law gave me a generous Ulta gift card for my birthday, I knew exactly what I wanted: The Drybar Double Shot.

One-Step Blow Dry Brush

The Double Shot is Drybar’s version of the crazy popular Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer. Basically, it’s a blow dryer built into a round brush — two tools in one.

I have friends who absolutely swear by the Revlon hot air brush, but I’d held off on buying it for a few reasons. First, I have super thick hair and I was dubious about whether it would work for me. Second, I’ve owned a few Revlon appliances in the past and I never really loved any of them. And third, I used to have an older version of the hot air brush concept (about 15 years ago), and it was not a particularly effective tool. It might have worked well for someone with fine hair, but for me it basically only worked as a finishing tool to bevel my ends.

I’m pretty confident in Drybar tools at this point, though, so I went all in on the Double Shot.

Drybar Double Shot vs. Revlon One-Step

Full disclosure: I have not used the Revlon One-Step hot air brush, so what I have to say here is based entirely on reading and research. That said… these products appear to be pretty similar. Both the Double Shot and the One-Step have three settings (high, low and cool). They both boast ionic technology for sealing the cuticle and leaving the hair shiny. They both claim ergonomic designs and faster drying time. They both have two-year warranties. And they both have 4+ star reviews on Ulta.com (the Revlon one has been around a lot longer, so it has a ton more reviews, plus tens of thousands more on Amazon, although the Amazon review system is famously flawed; I strongly recommend this very interesting read about it).

I read a few reviews written by customers who had used both and who found the Drybar version to be better made, quieter, easier to use, and gentler on the hair/scalp. On the other hand, there is a massive price difference. The Revlon One-Step runs between $35 and $60, while the Double Shot comes in at a whopping $150. Of the half-dozen reviews I read from people who’d used both, four thought the Double Shot was worth the higher price tag, one was ambivalent, and one said go for the Revlon.

My guess? These products are pretty similar, and you could probably buy the Revlon version and be perfectly happy. But based on my own experience, which is that Revlon hot tools tend to burn out after a while and I like my Drybar tools much more than any Revlon ones I’ve ever owned (andplusalso: gift card!), I opted for the Drybar version.

How Does The Double Shot Work On Thick Hair?

My schedule has been tight since December, so I’ve had to wash my hair at home a few times, and I’ve used the Double Shot after each shampoo. Because my hair is so thick, I’ve either let it air dry for a bit or done a rough dry with my regular blow dryer (the Drybar Buttercup). I come in with the Double Shot when my hair is about half dry. I think it would be a heavy lift to ask of any blow dryer brush to take my hair from towel dry to finished style, not to mention pretty time-consuming. They simply don’t have as much power as a regular blow dryer.

I like to dry the ends first since they dry out most quickly, followed by the roots for volume, then mid-shaft, and finish with the ends again. The Double Shot does a good job of drying and smoothing my hair with a little volume at the roots and a little bevel on the end — basically what I’d get if I ordered the Straight Up at Drybar.

It might be slightly quieter than a full-size blow dryer, but it’s still pretty loud (mine seems to have a little bit of a whistle), so don’t expect a quiet styling experience — this isn’t a curling iron.

It’s also not as versatile a tool as a curling iron or flat iron, but this really isn’t a tool of versatility, is it? It’s about efficiency. And holding just one Double Shot is one thousand percent easier than dealing with a round brush in one hand and a blow dryer in the other.

Overall, I’m pretty pleased with the Double Shot. Honestly, I wish it had come out before I bought my Buttercup. I probably would have skipped the regular blow dryer and gone straight for the hot air brush. It will probably be the only hot tool I pack when we go to Hawaii this year.

And while I can’t vouch for it personally, if the Drybar blow dryer brush isn’t in your budget, it seems like the Revlon brush is a safe bet, too.

Have you used the Drybar Double Shot or the Revlon One-Step? Which do you recommend?