Our take on Hot Tools’ sturdy and powerful hot air brush “Black Gold”, that can tame the unruliest hair
Hot Tools Black Gold One-Step Blowout And Volumizer
Model Name/ Number: HT1096BG
Price: 46$
Heat Settings: Low: 172.8°F / High: 213.9°F
Best for: Thick Hair texture, medium to long hair length (Unless You Purchase The Attachments)
What We Like: Detachable Design, Lifetime Guarantee
What We Don’t Like: Gets Really Hot
Rating: 4.5/5.0
We all know that thick and unruly hair needs high temperatures to style and straighten. While high amounts of heat can be damaging, it can also be very beneficial for the ones that have trouble taming their strands. If you fit in this category, Hot Tools Black Gold is to your rescue.
This tool has the capacity to heat up to 214°F, providing a professional quality blowout. Even the low heat setting is 173°F, which is hotter than the maximum heat of most hot air brushes.
This tool is recommended for medium to long hair since its barrel is 2.8” (one of the largest on our list). Its oval shape is great for creating volume and ionic technology and charcoal bristles does an incredible job eliminating frizz.
Below we share our experiences with Hot Tools Black Gold One-Step. If you’re curious about the competition, check out the article about Best Hot Air Brushes.
Table of Contents
- Barrel Size And Shape
- Detachable Design
- Bristles
- Temperature
- Performance And Durability
- Ergonomics
- Price And Guarantee
- Other Models From Hot Tools
- Competition
Features
Barrel Size And Shape
Classified as a large-sized tool, Hot Tools Black Gold One-Step has a 2.8” barrel. This size is one of the largest on our list, and it makes “Black Gold” a perfect fit for medium to long hair. We all know that large barrels are able to cover more area at one go, which makes them faster and more efficient. But they’re not the most effective when it comes to short hair since they can’t come too close to the roots.
“Black Gold” also is oval shaped instead of round, which makes it perfect at boosting volume and creating beach waves, combined with its large size. But it’s not as good as round barrels at creating intricate curls.
Detachable Design
“Black Gold” is the new generation of its previous model, Hot Tools 24K One-Step, which didn’t come with a detachable design. This improvement is definitely worth mentioning since it makes a huge difference on the quality of your session. Not only it makes the tool much more compact and travel-friendly, but it also becomes much more versatile since it comes with different head options. These different heads include medium and small-sized barrels, which makes this tool suitable even for the shortest hair types.
Bristles
If you think that the bristles wouldn’t affect the quality of a blowout so much, you might want to think again. The longer and softer the bristles, the easier the detangling process will be. On the other hand, hard bristles are better at styling the strands than the soft ones. “Black Gold” has average-sized bristles; 0.66″ nylon and 0.38″ tufted. They’re also quite sturdy and hard. So, this tool is not the best at detangling (it’s not the worst either), but it has greater styling qualities.
Temperature
– Heat Settings
It’s important to pay attention to heat when it comes to hair tools. They have the power to damage your hair unless you make the wise choice suitable for your hair type. While high temperatures can be beneficial for thick and unruly hair, it can burn fine and fragile strands very quickly. “Black Gold” is our on our list as the best hot air brush for thick hair for good reason. This tool gets hot, up to 213.9°F on high setting. This number is the highest on our list and it’s not to take it lightly. It will cause damage to your strands if you have fine or fragile hair. It will work magic though, with thick and unruly hair, especially with afro hair styles. Like most hot air brush in the market, it comes with 3 settings including high, low, and cool. The cool shot option is worth checking out since it seals your styling session and makes it long-lasting. Even though it comes with a low heat option, the low setting, with 172.8°F, is higher than most tools on our list.
– Handle Temperature
Handle of “Black Gold” has an average maximum temperature of 86.7°F and 80.7°F in low setting. These numbers are comfortable to hold, even for longer periods of time.
– Cool Tip Temperature
The temperature of the cool tip, on the other hand, gets as hot as 117.5°F, which may get uncomfortable if you use it more than 30 minutes at a time.
Performance And Durability
Hot Tools is generally a reliable brand, known for its sturdy and long-lasting material, and “Black Gold” is no exception. They’re so confident about the durability of their tool that they actually offer a lifetime guarantee. While detachable hot air brushes usually compromise in the sturdiness department, “Black Gold” is strong enough to endure most conditions. It also has unique black gold material that can distribute heat evenly and avoid hot and cold spots, which helps avoid heat damage. Combined with activated charcoal barrel and ionic technology, it provides long-lasting and frizz-free results.
Ergonomics
– Weight:
We know that heavy hair tools can be frustrating if used everyday or long periods of time. Hot Tools Black Gold has an average weight of 15 oz, so you don’t need to worry about arm fatigue.
– Handle Size:
The diameter of the handle is 5”/ 7.5, one of the largest on our list, which might be a bit uncomfortable for very small hands.
– Length:
– Noise Level:
Hot air brushes are noisy tools and we know that for some home stylist it can be an issue, especially the ones with a sleeping family member in the next room. Hot Tools Black Gold is the loudest hot air brush on our list. With a dBA as high as 94.9, it may be too loud for sensitive ears.
– Cord:
It has a 9 ft (102″) cord which is one of the longest on our list. This can bring great comfort if you don’t have a plug right next to your mirror.
Price And Guarantee
With an average price of $46 ($24 extra if you purchase an extra head) Hot Tools Black Gold is an affordable tool. It’s a great value-for-money product with its durable material and quality blowout. On top of that it stands out with its lifetime limited guarantee. Most other hot air brushes come with maximum 5 years guarantee but Hot Tools Black Gold takes the game to next level with this offering.
Other Models From Hot Tools
“Hot Tools” hot air brushes have come a long way since they started producing the “One-Step” series. The Hot Tools Black Gold is a successful accomplishment that overshadows its previous versions, yet there’s one other version worth mentioning. Hot Tools 24K Gold is a very useful alternative that works with fine and fragile hair instead of thick hair. While their barrel size and shape are exactly the same and they both have the high-quality material that Hot Tools offers, their heat levels make these two versions very different from each other. “24K” offers a super gentle yet effective blowout that is safe for even the most fragile strands. “Black Gold”, on the other hand, has the opposite quality, taming even the unruliest hair with its high levels of heat.
You can find the details in our Hot Tools Black Gold vs 24K Gold One-Step Blowout & Volumizer Comparison
Competition
Conair The Knot Dr. Oval Dryer Brush is the biggest competitor of Hot Tools Black Gold. They both have similar prices and barrels, but Conair has the capacity to detangle hair more effectively, while “Black Gold” focuses more on bringing the best style. “Black Gold” gets much hotter (213.9 °F), making it better for thick hair, but Conair The Knot Dr. has a more reasonable heat level of 180.8 °F, which makes it more versatile for different hair types. They both come with different head attachments but Conair The Knot Dr. offers more options such as a paddle brush head and diffuser.
Revlon One-Step Original is another hot air brush with high levels of heat, 207.3 °F to be exact. They both have 2.8” barrels, but “Black Gold” has a detachable design and different attachment options including smaller-sized barrels. Revlon, on the other hand, is non-detachable. It’s a more affordable option though with only $34 and it’s worth considering if you’re on a budget.
