Electric hair brushes: Affordable alternatives to Dyson?

Ever since Dyson introduced its hair-straightening wonder, companies worldwide have been seeking to create competitive products. Cheaper, yet effective, alternatives are in high demand. We tried out the new styling brushes from Babyliss and Sacara.

Since Dyson's hair straightener, a pricey affair, hit the market, companies producing hair products have been on the lookout for a parallel device that accomplishes the same, but at a competitive price. Simply put, cheaper. We checked out two such brushes, one costing a few hundred shekels and the other even cheaper - less than NIS 200. We approached this without much expectation, as Dyson enthusiasts, accustomed to the effortless swap of our attachments without needing to do anything - it seemed beneath us to actually have to operate the device beyond its passive holding.

And you know what? It's not the same thing, but it's not claiming to be - both brushes meet only some of our hair needs - not all. It's the same with people, really.

Babyliss - NIS 349 

So, the pricier brush is actually a hair dryer that emits hot air, through a rotating styling brush, in place of a regular nozzle. BABYLISS PARIS. The brush rotates in both directions, has a cool air button for setting, and two heat settings, the first relevant only if you have hair at the length of a bob cat, smooth and thin.

After setting the desired heat, you start working with the rotating brush while it blows, allowing for quick drying while styling, similar to using a dryer and a round brush. It's easier to control the action when you have a free hand (rather than a dryer in one hand and a brush in the other). Drying and styling are easy and comfortable, and the brush is ceramic-coated, doing a great job with round drying and creating wavy hair, but expectations need to be adjusted - if your hair is too tangled, long, or prone to knots - the whole drying while styling thing is irrelevant to you, because to style shiny wavy hair, you'll need to straighten it first. The device isn't meant to deal with tangled and long hair, and it performs best on smooth and knot-free hair.

Brush size: 40 mm. Available at electronics stores, the Brimag website, and the Babyliss website.

Sacara Brush - NIS 149

Sacara also released an electric brush for drying and styling hair, with 3 drying intensities, a 360-degree swivel cord, anti-static bristles, and a ceramic coating that helps reduce static hair volume, giving the hair a soft, pleasant, and shiny touch, releasing knots, and the action is performed easily and quickly. The dryer creates volume while protecting the hair with even heat distribution. It is recommended for use on damp or dry hair.

The device is powerful and fast, and if the idea is to dry smoothly, it takes a very short time, as the combination of a brush with a dryer does the job. It saves time and reduces the hassle of a dryer plus hand to brush. The device is easy to use and convenient for travel. Straightening is very easy, and if these are the expectations from the brush, it is preferred, because of its low price. If you desire waves or slightly more sophisticated styling, it's better to invest a bit more and buy the device with the rotating brush. Available at SACARA chain stores nationwide and online.