If you’re serious about hair styling, it’s safe to say that you likely have an entire arsenal of products in your bathroom cabinets.
From oils, serums, mousses, and more, there are so many different formulas to keep your hair looking in tip-top shape. But have you ever thought of the other area of haircare that’s equally expensive? Yup, we’re talking tools.
Specifically, hairbrushes! There are standard detanglers, wet brushes, cushion brushes, thermal brushes, and, of course, the staple round brush.
The round brush is a staple for styling. It’s unmatched in versatility, seamlessly creating blowouts, loose waves, and volumized looks with ease. The smaller the brush, the more concise the finish.
So, what are the best and smallest round brushes?
When searching for small round hair brushes, there are several qualities to consider that can make your styling experience even easier. Look for proper ventilation, the right bristle material (such as boar bristle or metal), and the correct circumference.
It’s a bit of a complex approach, we know, but it’s definitely necessary to ensure that you get the highest quality of work out of your product. Here, we’ll dive into our top picks for small round hairbrushes and why they make the cut!
Qualities Of the Smallest Round Hair Brushes
Ventilation
The round brush isn’t typically used on its own, unless it’s being used to add finishing touches to a blowout or other slightly waved style. It’s most commonly paired with a blow-dryer, specifically one with a nozzle attachment.
If you know you’re going to be using your round hairbrush in conjunction with a blow dryer, it’s pertinent that you find a brush with ventilation.
A ventilated brush features holes or slits in its core, allowing for open-air flow throughout the entire tool. When you use the brush with a blow dryer, it allows all of your hair to dry evenly.
It also keeps the brush handle (if it isn’t thermally protected) from getting too hot and potentially causing harm to your hands.
Texture Of Bristles
Depending on your hairstyle and hair texture, you’ll want to choose a specific type of bristle over the others. When it comes to hairbrushes, there are 3 different types of bristles you have to choose from: boar, metal (or nylon), and hybrid.
Boar bristle brushes are a fantastic choice for those whose locks need a little extra care. They may seem coarse, but there are different types to choose from (extra-soft to extra-firm) depending on the sensitivity of your hair and scalp.
They stimulate the follicles and improve circulation, making them great for finer or damaged hair.
Nylon brushes typically have longer, more flexible bristles, making them a prime choice for individuals who frequently experience tangles or have textured hair.
These hairbrush styles glide through the hair with ease, whereas boar bristles may cause some tangles. Nylon brushes also prevent frizziness.
Hybrid brushes are the perfect choice for those who want the best of both worlds! We especially love them for medium to thick hair types.
The boar bristles help distribute the oils in your hair and stimulate circulation, while the nylon bristles smooth away any flyaways and work through tangles. Talk about harmony!
Circumference
If you have short locks and plan to use your round brush as the standard brush in your routine, you can get away with using a slightly larger circumference to effectively reach all of your hair.
Nothing as big as the classic round brush, but something too small may make hair styling a bit lengthier.
However, if you’re using your round brush for precise styling on face-framing pieces, super short or cropped hair, or even for styling your bangs, a small brush is the way to go!
Look for something tiny with boar bristles to get the ultimate shine. We also recommend smaller brushes for men’s cuts.
Smallest Round Hair Brushes
| Rank | Product | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Osensia Round Brush for Blow Drying | Use with hair dryer, good for oily hair, ionic infused bristles |
| 2. | Conair Metal Round Brush | Metal barrel, salon results, good for volume |
| 3. | GranNaturals Boar Bristle Brush | Boar bristles, 1.75 inch diameter, ergonomic |
| 4. | Spornette Mini Round Brush | .5 inch diameter, all-natural boar bristle, ventilated design |
| 5. | Olivia Garden NanoThermic Round Brush | Great for curly hair, ion-charged bristles, retractable sectioning pick |
| 6. | Cricket Static Free Round Brush | Eliminates fly aways, removes static, nylon bristles |
| 7. | F3 Magic Curling Round Brush | Ceramic coated barrel, self-standing, even heat distribution |
1. Osensia Round Brush for Blow Drying
When Osensia made this round brush, they had one goal in mind: for you to have the capabilities of a personal stylist right in the comfort of your own home!
This mini round brush measures only an inch in diameter, which we believe makes it one of the most versatile tools in your brush collection.
You can use it to give your roots some more lift, give your strands a loose curl, and even give your bangs some extra volume!
The secret lies in the ion-infused bristles, which provide your hair with a sleek finish with every use.
2. Conair Metal Round Brush
If you’re a beginner in the world of round brushes, and you need a reliable brand that isn’t going to break the bank, then look no further than Conair!
Their mini round brush is the ideal tool to get you accustomed to the feel of the tool before you take the plunge and buy something a little higher-end.
Conair targets this brush for individuals with short styles and those with layered hair.
It works best with a blow dryer and features numerous ventilation holes to ensure even drying throughout your hair.
3. GranNaturals Boar Bristle Brush
Now, if you’re looking for a hybrid brush, there’s no need to look any further! We love this round brush from GranNaturals for those who want their hair to have some serious shine.
There’s a healthy amount of bristles (half of them being nylon, the other half being 100% natural boar bristles) that help distribute oils throughout the hair and stimulate healthy blood flow to the follicles while doing a rockstar job at detangling.
If you have a lot of hair, you’ll be a big fan of the ergonomic design that makes it easy to hold onto the brush for long periods of time (because we know that hand cramps can be the literal worst!).
4. Spornette Mini Round Brush
Sometimes, you need something itty-bitty—that’s where this mini round brush comes in handy! It’s only 0.5 inches in diameter and has a total of 75 bristles.
Because of that, we think this would be ideal for those looking for a tool for bang styling or styling the frontmost layers.
Each of the bristles is carefully crafted from 100% boar bristles and coated with ion-infused technology to prevent frizz that typically accompanies boar bristles.
The core is made of metal to thoroughly heat the hair and act like a curling iron when paired with a blow dryer, and is ventilated to ensure thorough drying!
5. Olivia Garden NanoThermic Round Brush
This brush by Olivia Garden is one of the closest things we have to a transformer on this list.
What truly sets it apart from other round brushes, including those on this list, is the retractable sectioning pick located at the bottom of the brush handle.
You can use it to make even sections in your hair, and then slide it back into place once you don’t need it anymore—that way, you don’t need a fine-toothed comb to make clean lines!
The ceramic turbo barrel and ion-infused bristles not only hydrate the cuticle for added shine but also reduce drying time and extend the life of the final product.
6. Cricket Static Free Round Brush
If you deal with static on a regular basis, you may not be interested in purchasing a boar bristle brush, which is why we love options like this static-free brush from Cricket!
The nylon bristles seamlessly remove static from hair, and the curated ball tips keep it from snagging onto delicate hair (no matter if it’s wet or dry).
The ergonomic, non-slip design also allows the brush to sit comfortably in your hand for long periods of styling, truly making your final look one of salon quality!
7. F3 Magic Curling Round Brush
You know, if there’s anything we appreciate just as much as professional quality products, it’s something that’s aesthetically pleasing too!
We love the pretty pink color of this brush, and we especially appreciate how it stands on its own, allowing you to leave it on top of your counter without taking up too much space.
The barrel is made of ceramic and features a heat-conducting plate coating. That combination not only reduces drying time but also delivers heat evenly throughout your strands from your blow dryer.
The ionic bristles seal the cuticle, lock in shine, and also prevent flyaways and frizziness, making it just as functional as it is cute!
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