BaByliss Keratin Shine Volume
BaByliss
Volume Without the Faff: What This Styler Actually Delivers
Towel-dry, brush, done — that's the promise behind every hot air styler, and it's a promise that's easy to make and hard to keep. Too little heat and you're standing in the bathroom for twenty minutes willing your hair to dry. Too much brush and heat control and you're fighting a tool that flattens fine hair or frizzes it up before you've even finished the front section.
The BaByliss Keratin Shine Volume Hot Air Styler sits in the affordable end of this category, and the real question isn't whether it dries hair — every hot air styler does that — it's whether the combination of barrels, heat control, and conditioning technology on offer here actually produces a smoother, fuller finish than a normal dryer and brush, and who that finish will suit.
Design and Everyday Handling
Pick this styler up and the first thing you notice is how little it weighs in the hand. The main body, cord included, comes in at well under 400 grams, and even with the heaviest brush head attached the whole tool sits close to half a kilo. That matters more than it sounds like it should. A hot air styler isn't something you hold for a few seconds like a straightener on a single section — you're often working through your whole head, arm raised, for several minutes at a time. A heavy barrel dragging on your wrist is the difference between a styling routine you'll actually stick to and one you abandon after a week.
The body is finished in glossy black, and the housing itself is fairly compact, without the bulky control unit some rival stylers build into the handle. Two heat and two speed settings are adjusted from simple switches on the handle rather than a separate base unit, which keeps the whole thing lighter and easier to manoeuvre one-handed while your other hand sections your hair. The cord runs 2 metres and swivels at the point where it meets the body, so it doesn't twist itself into knots as you rotate the brush around your head — a small detail, but one that genuinely reduces the tangled-cord frustration cheaper stylers are prone to.
Underneath the styling technology, the body also has a removable rear filter that pulls open for cleaning. Hair and fluff collect here over time, same as any hot air appliance, and being able to open it up and brush it out helps keep the airflow — and therefore the drying performance — consistent over the years rather than tailing off as the vents clog.
One practical limitation worth flagging early: this isn't a dual-voltage device. It's built for UK and EU sockets only, so it's not a tool to pack for travel outside those regions without a voltage converter, unlike some higher-end travel-friendly stylers.
How the Keratin-Ceramic and Ionic Technology Actually Works
The barrels themselves aren't just heated metal — they're built with a ceramic coating infused with keratin, the same protein your hair is largely made of. In practice, ceramic coatings heat more evenly across the barrel surface than bare metal, which means fewer hot spots that can singe or over-dry a section of hair while the rest stays damp. The keratin infusion is a coating treatment on the barrel itself, not something that gets deposited into your hair, but the smoother surface it creates helps the barrel glide through hair with less catching and pulling, particularly on the mid-lengths and ends where damage shows up first.
Layered on top of that is ionic conditioning technology. Hair that's damp and full of static tends to fly away and separate into frizzy strands as it dries; ionic technology works by releasing negative ions that neutralise that static charge and help break water molecules down into a fine mist the hair absorbs more evenly. The practical result, when it works as intended, is hair that dries with the cuticle lying flatter — which is what actually produces smoothness and light reflection, rather than the frizz-prone, static-charged finish you get from a plain dryer nozzle.
It's worth being realistic about what this technology can and can't do. It's a genuine aid to smoothness and shine, and independent hands-on testing bears that out, but it isn't a substitute for the right products. Fine or fly-away hair in particular tends to need a lightweight smoothing serum or heat protectant used alongside the styler, not instead of it, to fully tame frizz at the roots and crown.
Drying Power and Real-World Styling Performance
At 1000 watts, the motor sits at a mid-range output for this category — enough to noticeably speed up drying time on towel-dried hair, but not in the same power bracket as premium professional dryers that push considerably higher wattage. What that means day to day is that this styler is genuinely a two-in-one dry-and-style tool for hair that's already had excess water squeezed or towel-dried out, rather than a replacement for drying soaking-wet hair from scratch. Used correctly, on damp rather than dripping hair, testers have found it dries surprisingly quickly — quickly enough, in fact, that the more practical challenge becomes working fast enough through each section before it's already dry, rather than waiting around for heat to do its job.
Heat and airflow are controlled independently, with three temperature settings and two speed settings giving you six practical combinations:
| Setting Combination | Best suited for |
|---|---|
| Low heat + low speed | Fine, fragile, colour-treated, or heat-sensitive hair |
| Low heat + high speed | Fine hair when you want a bit more drying speed without extra heat |
| Medium heat + low speed | Controlled shaping and smoothing on normal hair |
| Medium heat + high speed | Everyday drying and styling for most hair types |
| High heat + low speed | Thick or coarse hair that needs sustained heat to dry through |
| High heat + high speed | Fastest overall drying for thick, high-volume hair |
That range gives genuine flexibility across hair types, which matters because the single biggest complaint in user feedback around stylers like this one is heat that's too aggressive for fine or damaged hair. Having a true low-heat option — rather than "low" still being uncomfortably hot — is what separates a styler that's usable on delicate hair from one that isn't, and the lowest setting here is gentle enough for fine hair when used with a bit of care.
The Three Attachments Explained: Which One to Use When
The styler ships with three interchangeable heads, and understanding when to reach for each one is really the key to getting good results from it.
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The nozzle attachment — a traditional concentrator nozzle, not a brush. Use this first, on wet or heavily towel-dried hair, to rough-dry and remove the bulk of the moisture before you start shaping. Trying to style straight from soaking-wet hair with either brush head will slow you down and stress the motor unnecessarily; a quick rough-dry with the nozzle first sets you up for a faster, smoother finish afterward.
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The 50mm brush barrel — the larger of the two round brushes, designed to lift hair at the roots and create noticeable body and movement through mid-length to longer hair. This is the volume attachment; wrap sections around it and hold for a few seconds to build lift.
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The 38mm brush barrel — a smaller-diameter brush aimed at shorter hair lengths and tighter curls or waves, where a bigger barrel would be too unwieldy to control close to the scalp or around a shorter fringe.
The suggested workflow — nozzle to rough-dry, then switch to a brush to shape — mirrors how a salon blow-dry is actually done, and it's the approach that gets the best results here rather than trying to do everything with one attachment from start to finish.
One honest caveat, echoed in customer feedback: for genuinely short hairstyles, even the smaller 38mm brush can feel large. If your hair is cropped close, this is worth bearing in mind, since the barrel needs a certain amount of length to wrap around before it can create meaningful shape.
Neither brush head rotates automatically, and there's no auto-release button to unwrap tangled hair — you style and remove the barrel by hand, the same way you would with a standard round brush. That keeps the mechanism simple and lightweight, but it does mean a small amount of manual technique, familiar to anyone who's blow-dried with a brush before.
Cleaning and Long-Term Care
The brush heads aren't designed to be submerged in water — instead, they're cleaned by wiping with a small amount of shampoo on a damp cloth, then left to dry fully before their next use. Combined with the removable rear filter for clearing out trapped hair and dust, maintenance is straightforward, but it's not entirely fit-and-forget: leaving the filter clogged over time will gradually reduce airflow and drying performance, so it's worth building a quick clean into your routine every few weeks with regular use.
Who This Styler Is Built For — and Who Should Look Elsewhere
This is best suited to:
- Anyone with medium to long hair looking to add volume and smooth away frizz in a single step, cutting out a separate straightening or curling stage after drying
- People who want a lightweight, easy-to-handle tool for everyday use rather than occasional special-occasion styling
- Buyers on a budget who want a genuine two-in-one dry-and-style result without paying premium multi-styler prices
- Those with fine to normal hair who can use the lower heat settings to protect against heat damage while still getting a polished finish
It's less well suited to:
- People with very short hairstyles, where even the smaller barrel can feel oversized for close, precise styling
- Anyone wanting to fully dry soaking-wet hair quickly — the motor performs best as a finishing tool on already towel-dried hair, not as a primary high-power dryer
- Buyers who travel internationally outside the UK and EU and need a dual-voltage tool
- Anyone hoping to straighten hair with it — this creates volume, movement, and smoothness, but it is not a straightening tool and won't flatten out curl pattern the way flat irons or dedicated straightening brushes do
How It Stacks Up Against Other Hot Air Stylers
Hot air stylers broadly split into three tiers: budget single-barrel brushes, mid-range multi-attachment sets like this one, and premium multi-styling systems with significantly higher price tags and often higher wattage motors, multiple barrel sizes, and additional styling heads for curls or diffusing.
Positioned against typical budget single-barrel stylers, this BaByliss model has a clear edge: three attachments instead of one means it adapts to more hair lengths and pre-drying needs, and the keratin-ceramic coating plus ionic technology is a genuine step up from the bare-metal barrels common at the very bottom of the market.
Against premium multi-styling systems, the comparison is more about trade-offs than a straightforward upgrade. Premium tools typically bring higher-wattage motors for faster drying from fully wet hair, a wider range of barrel sizes for more precise curl or wave shaping, and sometimes auto-wrap or auto-rotating technology that removes some of the manual technique required here. What you're paying the premium for is speed, precision, and convenience features — not necessarily a fundamentally different result for everyday volumising and smoothing, which this styler already delivers competently at a fraction of the cost.
Where this model earns its keep is as the sensible middle ground: enough attachment variety and heat control to handle most hair types and lengths well, at a price point that doesn't demand you're certain you'll love the hot-air-styling routine before you commit to it.
Strengths and Weaknesses in the Real World
The strongest case for this styler is how much it gets right for the price. It's genuinely light to hold through a full styling session, the swivel cord and generous 2-metre length make it easy to move around a bathroom without constantly repositioning, and the three-attachment system with a proper nozzle for rough-drying covers the full styling workflow rather than forcing you to compromise. Feedback from people who've used it consistently points to real gains in shine and smoothness compared with an ordinary dryer and separate brush, and the low-heat setting is gentle enough to build confidence with on fine or colour-treated hair rather than a token gesture at "low."
The honest weaknesses are worth stating plainly too. The volume gains it produces are noticeably dependent on hair type — those with finer or thinner hair report more modest lift than the marketing language around "big volume" might suggest, and getting a really full result on fine hair may still require styling products alongside the tool rather than relying on the brush alone. The barrel sizes, while versatile across medium-to-long hair, are on the large side for short styles, and some users have found the motor generates more audible noise than they expected in a bathroom setting. It also runs warm enough during extended use that hair which is naturally prone to frizz may need extra product to stay smooth by the end of a session, particularly since the fast drying time means less margin for error if you're working through thick sections.
None of these are dealbreakers so much as reasons to set expectations correctly before you buy: this is a genuinely capable, well-priced two-in-one dryer and styler, not a miracle volumising tool that will transform limp, fine hair into thick salon-blowout volume on its own.
Final Verdict
For anyone with medium to long hair who wants to cut a separate drying-then-styling routine down to one step, the BaByliss Keratin Shine Volume Hot Air Styler is a genuinely sound purchase. The combination of a proper nozzle for rough-drying, two brush sizes for different lengths, real low-heat protection for delicate hair, and a keratin-ceramic and ionic system that visibly improves smoothness and shine adds up to more capability than its price bracket typically offers.
It won't rival a premium multi-styling system for raw drying power or barrel variety, and those with very fine hair chasing dramatic volume, or very short hairstyles, will find its limits fairly quickly. But as an accessible, lightweight, everyday styling tool that backs up its claims with technology that actually does something rather than marketing language alone, it earns a confident recommendation — buy it if your hair falls in the medium-to-long range and you want smoother, shinier results without a steep learning curve or a steep price tag.
What People Say
179 commentsSuits my short to medium length hair.
Was looking for a hot brush that suited short to medium length hair and having difficulty finding one without an oversized barrel. This one fits the bill. It also has a lower heat setting which it recommends for fine/ flyaway/frizzy hair, perfect for me. The brush is also quite light weight so good for travelling. I find it easy to use and seems to be suiting my hair. On opening, some of the loop type bristles seemed to be bent but these have straightened with use. Wasn't sure how effective the loop style bristles would be at catching and holding hair while styling but they work fine and I feel are kinder to my hair. Like the fact it comes with a travel pouch too for storage. Would recommend as has worked fine for me over last 3 weeks since purchase.
Easy to use
Bought this as my hair was looking flat and wispy drying with my hairdryer. Read the reviews on different makes and models and decided this covered my needs as it had 2 interchangeable heads Found it on the Argos site at the cheapest price by over £5. Ordered and paid on line and picked up the following day. Not disappointed this really is a game changer. It’s easy to use on damp hair. I’ve tried both brush heads but realised the smaller head is better for my chin length bob. My hair looks fuller and takes less time to style. I have also used it in between washes by just damping down with a styling spray and the results are as good as if you’ve just washed. Highly recommend.
Great features
Pleased with my purchase. Easy to use. Two brush heads. My hair is shoulder length and I use the smaller one, which is quite big in circumference. It gives plenty of volume. It doesn't burn my scalp. The handle is comfortable and to switch on and off you just slide the switch sideways. I have arthritic fingers but find it easy.
I'm not sure that it would be good for short hair as both brushes are quite big. I pin my top hair up and do the underneath sections first the work up. It's easy to use, nothing complicated, using just one switch. It keeps your hair smooth without any kinks. Ok to use between shampooing when you wake with 'bed hair'
Does the job
I wanted something to take the place of a separate hairdryer and hot curlers to do my hair with. This soes the job perfectly for me. The larger brush is too large for my purposes, not having long hair. But I use the smaller two items. I wish Babyliss did this with just the smaller brush for shorter hair (perhaps they do and I missed it). it is a bit wide to hold in one hand (wider than a normal hairdryer) - not easy if you have smaller hands. However, I am pleased that I bought it because it does make a difference to how my hair looks - makes my thin hair look fuller and more styled, and it keeps its style until the next wash.
Surprisingly good results
Purchased recently, I got used to using this quite quickly. I have jaw length grey hair in a layered bob style. Compared to a hairdryer and seperate brush, I am able to get a fuller, bouncier style with this hot air styler. I mainly use the larger of the two round brush attachments on the lowest heat setting. The air flow is not as powerful as my hairdryer but it doesn’t need to be, perhaps it’s because the air is coming from underneath/inside the curl and not from outside/on top. Much better than tongs, curling wand or hot brush I have tried recently.
Highly recommended
I am delighted with this product. My old Hot Air Styler broke down and I needed a replacement. Over a two-month period I returned two hot air stylers which were unsuitable in use, i.e., one had the controls in the base and was heavy; the barrel/brush in the other was too big. This is ideal. There is a drying attachment, a brush to add volume, and a smaller brush for my fringe. It is lightweight in use, and is a compact, shiny black. All for a good price, cheaper than the two I returned. I recommend it.
Much easier than a hairdryer
Had this a few months. Bought as I find the hairdryer hard work to lift while styling. This brush does both at once just like brushing your hair.
Instructions suggest hair being 80% dry before using so I simply leave mine to dry naturally then finish off with brush . If you need to wash and dry immediately you may have to start off with hairdryer.
I have shoulder length hair and mainly use the smaller brush. Hair doesn’t tangle but I do think it snaps a few strands and causes a little static.
Easy to use
I bought this hair styler never having used an airbrush before. It is easy to use and adds lovely volume to my thinning hair. The choice of two brush sizes is helpful and I use both of them as they are easy to swop between. I don’t really use straighteners anymore as this brush dries and smooths at the same time. Only criticism is I find that where my hair is thinner it slips through the brush and needs to be held by hand.
Great buy
Just what I needed. My hair is short and I was looking for something to style it with without it costing mega bucks. This fitted the bill. I am pleased with this and find it easy to use having never used a styler before. As I mentioned my hair is short and the smallest brush could do with being a bit thinner to cope with shorter layers but overall I am pleased with this and would recommend it for the price.
FABULOUS ITEM.
CAN'T RATE THIS PRODUCT HIGHLY ENOUGH. HAVE SHORTISH LAYERED HAIR AND IT DRIES IT BEAUTIFULLY. I THOUGHT MY OLD HOT AIR STYLER (different brand) WAS GREAT BUT AFTER IT BROKE AND I BOUGHT THIS ONE I AM SO PLEASED WITH THE RESULTS. IT'S THAT GOOD AT GIVING A NON FRIZZ/SMOOTH FINISH THAT I CAN EVEN GET AWAY WITHOUT USING STRAIGHTENERS ALL THE TIME - WHICH HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.
Great volume and shine
I’ve been using this brush for about a month now. I still need to work out my technique for the ends but using this has given my hair so much more volume and shine. It looks really sleek after I’ve used it. You need to make sure your hair is almost dry for it to work. My hair feels and looks so much better after using this compared to just blow drying it. I’d really recommend this
Disappointing!
I have been looking for an affordable styler to streamline my morning hair routine, and this looked like it would fit the bill, but it doesn't really work at all. May have been faulty but It wasn't hot enough nor had any power in the blow drying function. I have fine shortish hair and it did nothing.. so it was returned with a faulty query on it buit it might just not work well.
Easy to use
I have purchased three of this Babyliss hairdryer over a few years.
One for me two for family. It is lightweight, easy to handle, and I can easily style my hair with it one handedly. The cord is a suitable length. I would be without mine.
The switches are easy to use, the temperature can be a little hotter than I like on high, however I find the medium heat works well for me
Great
Thus is my first hot brush, I got it for my fringe and I love it. It works really quickly and styles it perfectly in under a minute. I don't use it on the rest of my hair as it's curly and I keep it that way, but I'm happy with the results to my fringe. It's a good price and not very heavy which is ideal as I have weakness issues. I would recommended this.
Thanks again Mr Berry
Yes we bought this product and we are so happy with it I cannot fault it , also the service I received from your staff at Woodchurch Road prenton Wirral well I have to say that if all your staff are of the same standard as the young chap that helped me , he was amazing he had a lovely manner about himself and nothing was any bother to him , thank you
Babyliss Hot Air Brush
This is the first Hot Air Brush that I have ever bought. It has a choice of heat settings, and two different size barrels. I was wary of ordering it because I am not the world's best at using hair appliances incase I burnt my head. I have given it 5 stars, if I can use it at aged 75 you won't have any problems.
t hair brush that I have ever
An all round win.
I have recently bought this dryer because, as an older person, I was having difficulty drying my hair with two hands. This makes drying and shaping my hair so much easier and quicker, even on the low setting. I'm very pleased with it, don't get in a tangle with the wire and don't ache so much. It makes a nice smooth finish. An all-around win.
Not good for fine hair
I wish I had not bought this hot air styler. It doesn’t have a curl release button and so tangled my hair a lot. Also it is fussy to use in that your hair must be 80% dry and carefully sectioned. It was ineffective in adding any waves to my hair. I only used it once, but having used it, I can’t take it back and I can’t find anyone who wants it.
Perfect in every way
Bought just before Xmas online.. exactly what I needed after trying out a few of the new shape oval all in one dryer/ stylers.
It's perfectly sized to hold and have choice of two roller brushes and drying attachment.
I absolutely love it..I can hold it perfectly..dries quickly and attachment removes easily for styling.
Highly recommended.
Excellent volume & style every time
I have been purchasing this styler for many years for myself, friends and family and recommend to anyone who wants to have a barrel curl and flick style hair. Easy to use with one hand and hot enough to avoid frizzy hair. I always without failure get a compliment when I style my hair with this BaByliss Keratin Shine Volume Hot Air Styler.