✨ Quick Take: Is It Worth It?
The Drybar Baby Brush Crush is a mini ceramic paddle straightening brush built for bangs, flyaways, and travel touch-ups. At just 5.5 oz and 8″ long, it’s lightweight and dual-voltage, making it a true carry-on companion. Its fixed 400°F heat smooths fine-to-medium strands quickly but offers no adjustment, which can be too hot for fragile hair and not powerful enough for thick textures.
✅ Best for: Travelers, shorter styles, or quick smoothing on fine-to-medium hair
❌ Skip if: You need adjustable heat, full-length styling power, or a tool for coarse/coily textures
👉 Want more options? See our Best Hair Straightening Brush reviews.
At BeautiLAB, we buy and test every product independently — no sponsors, no freebies. See our full testing process.
| Preview | Product | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Drybar The Baby Brush Crush Mini Heated Straightening Brush, Corded Electric, Yellow | 779 Reviews | Check Price |
👍 What We Like
- Incredibly lightweight (5.5 oz) and compact (8″)
- Smooths bangs, flyaways, and short layers quickly
- Ionic ceramic surface adds shine and cuts frizz
- Cool-touch bristles feel safer near the scalp
- Dual voltage + 60-min auto shut-off for travel
👎 What We Don’t Like
- Fixed 400°F may be too hot for fine/damaged hair
- Lacks tension and surface area for thick/coarse hair
- No display or temperature control
- Best for quick styling/refreshes—not full, dense heads
🔑 What Sets It Apart
- Mini 8″ body & 5.5 oz weight — among the smallest travel brushes
- Fixed 400°F temperature — consistent and hot (IR ~385°F after 15 min)
- 3.0″ × 1.0″ heated surface — compact but fast for touch-ups
- Cool-touch bristles + auto shut-off = safer for travel
- Dual voltage for international use
🔍 Key Specs: Drybar The Baby Brush Crush at a Glance
| Feature | Spec |
|---|---|
| Heat / Settings | Fixed ~400°F |
| Head / Plate | Mini paddle, 3.0″ × 1.0″ |
| Heated / Detangler Bristles | 1.8″ / 1.6″ |
| Weight | 5.5 oz |
| Cord Length | 6 ft |
| Ionic | Yes (no separate ion generator) |
| Voltage | Dual |
| Model | 900-2160-4 |
| Warranty | 2 years |
🧪 Lab Notes
Tested max ~385°F (IR, 15 min); handle ~90°F; coverage 1.00″ × 3.00″; low tension; Mini + Dual travel profile.
🎯 Who Should Buy the Baby Brush Crush
✅ Short to medium hair needing quick daily touch-ups
✅ Fringe/flyaway control and second-day smoothing
✅ Frequent travelers who want a truly compact tool
✅ Users who prefer simple, one-temp operation
🚫 Skip It If You Have:
❌ Thick, coarse, or coily textures needing strong bristle tension
❌ Full-head smoothing on long or dense hair
❌ Users wanting multiple heat settings
❌ Anyone needing a digital display or advanced features
✨ Design & Build
The Baby Brush Crush is Drybar’s travel-sized ceramic paddle-shaped straightening brush, designed for touch-ups, bangs, bobs, and flyaways. At 8″ long, it’s noticeably more compact than a standard straightening brush, giving better control on short hair and making it easy to pack for travel.
Its 3″ × 1″ heated surface is intentionally small, offering precision on short sections but not the speed needed for full-head straightening. The 1.8 cm heated teeth pair with 1.6 cm detanglers to create light–medium tension, suited for fine and medium textures. Cool-touch outer bristles serve as the anti-scald shield, helping you work close to the roots safely. The plastic bristle structure spreads hair evenly across the ceramic surface, improving consistency despite the miniature footprint.
The build is minimalistic: no ribbed housing, no soft-touch coating, no LED display, and no digital controls, matching its role as a simple, grab-and-go device.
Build Verdict: Compact, safe, and ideal for quick smoothing; too small for efficient full-head straightening or coarse textures.
👉 If you’d rather have a larger paddle for long hair with wider coverage, see the L’ange Mane Pass review.
💡 Performance & Technology
The brush heats to a preset 400°F, which we measured at 385°F during testing. With no adjustable temperature and preset increments, it simplifies operation but limits suitability for fragile, color-treated, or very fine hair that benefits from lower heat.
The ceramic heating system distributes heat evenly, while ionic technology (without a separate ion generator) helps reduce static and smooth the cuticle. This aligns with Dyson Hair Science principles showing how uniform heat and ion action reduce raised cuticles and frizz.
Because the heat is fixed at the upper end of the safe styling spectrum, short, fast passes work best — consistent with NCBI findings that prolonged exposure above 390–400°F increases cuticle stress. On straight, wavy, and medium-density hair, it creates a polished finish quickly; on coarse or tightly textured hair, the small plate and modest tension limit deep smoothing power.
We recorded a 90°F handle temperature, keeping it comfortable to grip. There’s no auto-temperature lock, but that’s irrelevant for a single-temp tool. A 60-minute auto-off provides safety for travel. It also has no smart heat memory, which again does not affect performance due to its preset heat.
Performance Verdict: Excellent for travel, touch-ups, and smoothing finer hair; not ideal for textured or coarse hair needing adjustable heat or higher tension.
👉 If you want a cordless brush with USB-C charging for on-the-go touch-ups, check the TYMO PortaPro review.
🔌 Ergonomics & Convenience
At 5.5 oz, it’s significantly lighter than a standard straightening brush, reducing fatigue during fringe work and making the 1.1″ handle width comfortable even without soft-touch grip. The 8″ tool length improves precision on short hair and tight areas like bangs and face-framing pieces.
The 6 ft cord is shorter than the typical 7–8 ft range but works well for travel and small spaces. There’s no Velcro strap, though the shorter cord naturally packs compactly. The brush is dual-voltage, making it more versatile for international use. Controls are minimal — non-digital, no LED — which keeps operation simple. A 2-year warranty provides solid long-term reassurance for a compact device.
Usability Verdict: Ultra-light, maneuverable, and ideal for travel or fast fixes. Its fixed temperature, smaller surface, and modest tension limit performance on coarse textures or full-head straightening.
👉 If you’re looking for a rectangular paddle with full-length coverage and digital control, the Revlon One-Step Straight & Shine review is worth a look.
🔍 Performance Breakdown
| Category | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Power & Stability | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5) | Tested at 385 °F — lower than full-size models but delivers steady, even ceramic heat for small sections and touch-ups. |
| Ease of Use & Ergonomics | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) | Feather-light 5.5 oz build and compact 8″ body make it extremely easy to maneuver, especially around bangs and short layers. |
| Styling Speed | ⭐⭐⭐☆ (3/5) | 3″ × 1″ heated surface covers limited hair per pass — ideal for quick refreshes, not full-length straightening. |
| Frizz & Finish Quality | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5) | Ceramic ionic tech tames flyaways effectively, leaving smooth results without static; lacks dedicated ion generator. |
| Versatility | ⭐⭐⭐☆ (3/5) | Fixed 400 °F suits most medium-density hair; limited adjustability reduces range for fine or coarse textures. |
| Comfort & Safety | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) | Handle remains around 90 °F; cool-touch bristles and anti-scald shield ensure safe, precise styling near roots. |
| Travel-Friendliness | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) | Dual voltage, 6-ft cord, and ultra-lightweight design make it BeautiLAB’s best travel-sized straightening brush. |
📣 User Experiences
Positive:
“My favorite for quick fringe fixes. It lives in my purse.”
“Love it for post-gym touch-ups.”
Negative:
“Not strong enough for thick hair.”
“Wish it had adjustable temperature.”
💬 FAQ
Q: Is this good for long hair?
A: Not ideal — the surface area is small and it lacks grip.
Q: Can it straighten curly hair?
A: It softens waves and frizz but doesn’t fully straighten curls or coils.
Q: Is it TSA/travel-friendly?
A: Yes — it’s dual voltage, compact, and shuts off automatically.
🔄 How It Compares
| Spec | Drybar Baby Brush Crush | L’ange Mane Pass | TYMO PortaPro | Revlon One-Step Straight & Shine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Temp Tested | ~385°F (rated 400°F) | 410°F | 370°F | 410°F |
| Heat Settings | Fixed (400°F) | 3 presets (300 / 350 / 410°F) | 3 presets (320 / 360 / 395°F) | 10 settings (250–430°F) |
| Handle Temp | ~90°F | 100°F | 125°F | 95°F |
| Weight | 5.5 oz | 12.5 oz | 9.4 oz | 11.6 oz |
| Cord Length | 6 ft | 8.2 ft | 5 ft (corded mode) | 6 ft |
| Shape | Paddle | Paddle | Paddle | Rectangular |
🏁 Final Verdict
The Drybar Baby Brush Crush combines salon-grade ceramic performance with portable convenience.
Its low weight and compact paddle excel at smoothing bangs, flyaways, and short layers, delivering polished results in seconds.
Though not built for full head styling, it’s a must-have travel companion or secondary tool for maintaining smoothness on the go — the best travel-sized straightening brush BeautiLAB tested in 2025.
