As a beauty writer, I’ve tried a fair few hair tools in my time, so I was keen to see if the ghd Rise Hot Brush really lived up to all the hype
Back when my sister was training to be a hairdresser in the late noughties, there was no other hair tool worth having than a pair of ghd straighteners . Over the last 20 years, the hair industry has come a long way and continued to innovate with tools like the Dyson Airwrap , or Revlon’s Air Straight – but the ‘good hair day’ brand remains to be one of the most popular for their styling devices, with their Rise Hot Brush currently being the talk of TikTok.
Every other scroll I’d seen women creating the most incredible, voluminous hair dos at home with this somewhat unassuming tool. But would it all be smoke and mirrors? Too often I’ve been burned by a ‘viral’ product not living up to expectations. But let me tell you – the ghd Rise Hot Brush is different.
Earlier this year, I vowed that 2025 would be the year I finally work out how to give myself a salon-worthy bouncy blow-out. I’ve tried countless hair tools in my time as a beauty writer, from straighteners to air stylers and curlers, but there was nothing in my arsenal of electronics quite like this ghd gadget.
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Ghd has a reputation for sleek, minimalistic tools, and the Rise brush lives up to that, with a ready-built tool with no interchangeable ends, no settings that need to be navigated – you can literally turn it on and get going.
The tool boasts a 32mm barrel which is said to be the perfect size to create fullness and body through your tresses from root to tip. Other air stylers I’ve used with round brush attachments tend to have much more girth, which makes it tricky to get to the roots, but the ghd Rise makes light work of that.
The device takes a mere 25 seconds to heat up, so it’s perfect for if you want to quickly smooth down your front pieces before dashing out of the house. And speaking of rushing, if you happen to forget to switch it off, it’s got a safety feature that will automatically turn off if not used for 30 minutes.
I initially wanted to try out the Rise in a bid to achieve a curly look. I’d seen a number of influencers demonstrate how they used their tool, so I watched a couple of clips and gave it a go, angling the brush down before wrapping small sections of my hair around the barrel just once, then twisting until the hair made its way off the barrel and onto the tool’s handle, where it would cool down. It was definitely a little bit of a challenge, but it’s a knack where practice makes perfect and the more you use the tool, the easier it becomes.
The brush boasts a cool tip, so I never burn my fingers like I do with a traditional curling wand, with the 5m nylon bristles allowing for a snag-free experience, so long as my hair had been brushed prior to styling.
As well as using the Rise to curl my hair, I realised that it can also be used to straighten my locks. Paired with the 185°C temperature, the bristles on the brush create enough tension to smooth my hair straight, getting rid of any bobble marks or kinks, while giving my front pieces some shape, too. As a result, I’ve found myself leaving these out on my dressing table, ditching my straighteners, curlers and Airwrap for this singular device which seems to do it all.
The other thing I love is that it’s completely silent, unlike the Dyson Airwrap. This means I can use it when my partner is still in bed without waking him, and it’s far less annoying for me, too.
But if I had to pick any fault with the device, it’s that it doesn’t come with a storage case like my Dyson products, which would help protect it from damage and make it easy to travel with. I also would have liked a variable temperature setting, so that I could adjust the settings to my preference, however, many hair styling brands consider 185°C to be the ideal temperature for achieving good results with minimal damage to most hair types.
The tool has proven so popular, that it’s currently out of stock on the ghd website, but it is still available on Amazon for £179 , where it’s earned a number of five star reviews, with one commenting: “Takes 10 minutes to have a great ‘blowout’ look.”
Another added: “I think this is the best product from GHD. Unlike the straighteners and curling tong I don’t feel the heat is so intense as you use it like a brush. I only wrap the ends and hold in place for a few seconds. It isn’t as drying or damaging to my hair. Really think it’s brilliant for my shoulder length curly hair.”
Meanwhile, a third penned: “It is excellent to just straighten as the brush has tension and it irons out my kinky roots totally. You can do soft curls, flicks, best of all though you can have great volume and bounce.”
Not everyone has got along with it quite as well as I have, though, with a three star review stating: “The brush feels like quality but it did not suit my hair which is short and fine. Gave it volume at first but flattened soon after.”
But for me, I’ve found it a really quick and easy way to get some body and movement into my hair, especially seeing as I lack the skills to do so with a round brush and hair dryer. However, some people may prefer a wider barrel, or something that will dry and style at the same time.
In other hair tool deals, LookFantastic is currently offering the BaByliss Straight and Curl Hair Straightener on sale for £62.50, down from £125. The 2-in-1 hair straightener can be used to create sleek styles or easy waves and curls.
Boots is selling the Remington Shine Therapy Hair Straightener at a discounted price of £36.99 (RRP £79). The coated plates are infused with Moroccan Argan Oil and Vitamin E to provide shine while also conditioning and moisturising the hair.