HuffPost and its publishing partners may earn a commission for purchases made through links on this page. Each item is independently curated by the HuffPost shopping team. Prices and availability are subject to change.
I love my curls, but man, they’re a lot of work. Never mind that they seem to have a life force of their own, coming into shape effortlessly one day and being unruly the next. My biggest complaint is the amount of time they require.
If it were up to me, I’d run a brush through my hair and call it a day. I enjoy a lengthy skincare and makeup routine, but styling my hair feels like a chore. But this ultra-low-effort approach doesn’t always pay off when it comes to curls, which are notoriously tricky.
Moreover, curls mean much more than just a hair type: they are a personal and political issue, especially for black people whose hair has long been subject to discriminatory laws and controls.
Curls also have their own language: to make it easier to care for curls, several categories have been developed to help chart the course. A handy guideline is a numerical range from 1a to 4c, with straight hair at one end and tightly wound curls at the other indicating the curl type.
What I mean by this is that the care and styling of curls can vary greatly from person to person, even extremely differently, depending on the respective curl profile and much more.
I personally have dry, frizzy curls in the 2b to 3b range, consisting of corkscrew curls, loose curls and occasional waves.
TikTok, Reddit, and the rest of the internet tell me to dedicate adequate time to styling my curls and incorporate multiple steps to encourage shape and definition. These methods pay off for many followers, but I lack the will to do it.
Hence my interest in curling brushes. I was looking for a tool that would do the work for me and take the steps out of my hands so I could get results in less time and with less energy.
During my research, two brushes kept catching my eye. One was the famous Denman brush, a classic that has been around for decades, combining its carefully arranged rows of bristles with the tension of brushing to define curls while detangling wet hair.
The other was Bounce Curl’s Define EdgeLift brush, which went viral almost immediately after its release for its ability to define and add volume to curls with a single tool. Designed as a no-heat curling tool, it’s something of an all-in-one device: The side edges separate curls, the front adds definition without breaking them, and the top edge tucks short hair and bangs into place.
I tested both hair brushes for months. Both did their job, but with different results: the Denman brush gave my curls smoother, sleeker curls, while the Bounce Curl increased the volume of my curls and lifted my hair at the root, creating full, fluffy curls.
Its three integrated functions added volume, defined curls and shaped short strands of hair. Anyone looking to improve their hair care routine will have a lot of fun with this brush and achieve impressive results. I also feel that it detangles my hair more gently than the Denman due to its flexible bristles.
It’s a tough nut to crack, and it’s so innovative that it’s revolutionizing the industry. That’s typical of the brand, which uses ingredients that are, frankly, underrated by its competitors, like its turmeric cleansing mask and creams rich in rose oil and black seed oil.
Beginners may find the Denman brush easier to use.
The Bounce Curl version required a bigger learning curve on my part, and the Denman version was more straightforward: just run the thing through your hair under tension and, hey presto, the curls.
Users of both brushes are happy to speak highly of them and even compare the two.
“This is the absolute best,” wrote one Bounce curl brush loyalist who got the brush from the brand’s website. “The Denman brush made my hair stringy.”
“This brush turned a tedious task into one that only takes minutes,” wrote another Bounce Curl reviewer, and others said the brush “breathed life back into my curls,” was “worth every penny,” and “worth the hype.”
Denman users are equally passionate, calling the brush a “secret weapon” and a “magic wand” and asking the (seemingly rhetorical) question: “Can a hairbrush change your life?”
See for yourself: you can’t go wrong.
