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A barrel that holds the dryer's heat

Olivia Garden Mega Ceramic + Ion 65

A round brush with a heat-retaining ceramic body, vents through the barrel to let dryer air reach the hair, antistatic ionized nylon bristles, and a sectioning point built into the handle end.

Olivia Garden Mega Ceramic Ion 65 round hair brush with vented ceramic barrel

Olivia Garden Mega Ceramic + Ion 65

A round brush with a heat-retaining ceramic body, vents through the barrel to let dryer air reach the hair, antistatic ionized nylon bristles, and a sectioning point built into the handle end.

Barrel
65 mm (2.56 in) ceramic body, 85 mm (3.35 in) with bristles
Vents
Holes through the barrel, to let dryer air through to the hair
Bristles
Antistatic ionized nylon
Handle
Ergonomic, with a sectioning point at the end
Construction
Seamless join from handle to barrel
Amazon reference
B001EHGEQW (identical on 6 markets)
EAN
0773490255167
  • A ceramic barrel stores the dryer's heat, which is the difference between a brush that shapes and one that only combs
  • The vents let air through rather than blocking it against the barrel
  • No live offer on amazon.com at the time of writing

Best for: Blow-drying long hair for volume, with a dryer rather than a hot air brush.

Check price on Amazon

Specifications

Barrel
65 mm (2.56 in) ceramic body, 85 mm (3.35 in) with bristles
Vents
Holes through the barrel, to let dryer air through to the hair
Bristles
Antistatic ionized nylon
Handle
Ergonomic, with a sectioning point at the end
Construction
Seamless join from handle to barrel
Amazon reference
B001EHGEQW (identical on 6 markets)
EAN
0773490255167

A round brush built around a ceramic barrel, which is the point: ceramic stores the heat coming off the dryer and works it into the section, where a plastic barrel just holds the hair in place.

Olivia Garden vents the barrel so that dryer air passes through to the hair rather than piling up against it, and uses antistatic ionized nylon bristles. The handle ends in a sectioning point — the part that saves reaching for a comb between sections — and the join from handle to barrel is seamless, which is where hair catches on cheaper brushes.

Sixty-five millimeters is a large barrel, 85 mm (3.35 in) across the bristles. That is a long-hair tool; short hair needs a diameter it can wrap around.

What people ask about this

Ceramic or wooden barrel?

Ceramic stores the heat from the dryer and shapes faster; wood does not, and is gentler on the ends. That is the whole difference, it is stated in the material line of any listing worth reading, and it costs nothing to get right.

Why does barrel diameter matter?

Because a barrel that cannot complete a turn in your hair cannot shape it. At 65 mm (2.56 in) this is a large brush for long hair; the same maker and others offer smaller diameters for shorter hair, and the figure is in millimeters on the listing.

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    Job on this shelf
    The only one of the three made for facial hair
    Bristle
    100% boar — keratin, the same protein as hair
    Handle
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    Stated purpose
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    Drying
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    Finish
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    Price
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    Bristle stiffness
    Described as high-grade and firm, with no grade
    Dimensions
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    Weight
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    Bristle length or density
    Not published
    Comb detail
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    Cleaning
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    Warranty
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    Amazon reference
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    EAN
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    • Boar bristle is the right material for distributing oil through a beard
    • Walnut with a finished edge, which is what stops splinters in a wet hand
    • The comb in the product name is never described

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  • Hercules Sagemann 7643M clipper comb with handle and centimeter scale

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    Length
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    Teeth
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    Handle
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    Scale
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    Material
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    Manufacture
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    Amazon reference
    B003URLZPO (identical on 6 markets)
    EAN
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    Best for: Clipper-over-comb work, and blending the lengths a guard cannot.

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Elsewhere in the bathroom cabinet

  • Philips SH71/50 replacement shaver heads in stainless steel, set of three

    Philips SH71/50

    Three stainless steel replacement heads carrying 45 SteelPrecision blades, for Philips Series 7000 and square Series 5000 shavers — with a reminder icon on the machine and a reset that needs a seven-second press.

    Contents
    Three replacement heads
    Blades
    45 SteelPrecision blades, stated to cut more hair per stroke
    Material
    Stainless steel
    Compatible with
    All Series 7000 and square Series 5000 shavers (S77XX and S55XX)
    Reminder
    Built-in icon lights when the heads need changing
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    Hold the power button for more than 7 seconds
    Amazon reference
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    EAN
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    • The reset procedure is published — seven seconds on the power button — which is the step people miss and then assume the new heads are faulty
    • Forty-five blades, the same count as the Series 7000 shaver they go on
    • At $34 on amazon.com, on a range whose shavers publish no price there at all

    Best for: A Philips Series 7000 whose reminder icon has come on.

    ≈ $34
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    A shock-resistant, water-repellent EVA hard case with movable dividers and built-in mesh pockets, intended to hold clippers, scissors, combs and charging cables together.

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    Movable dividers and built-in mesh pockets
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    Carabiner clip and hand strap
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    Amazon reference
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    EAN
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    Dimensions
    20 × 12.5 × 5.5 cm (7.9 × 4.9 × 2.2 in)
    Shell
    Hard EVA, stated to protect against spills, scratches, impact and dust
    Interior
    Removable foam insert plus a mesh pocket for blades, chargers and cables
    Fits
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    Closure
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    EAN
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    • The dimensions are published, which is the specification a case is actually bought on
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    Search Amazon for this model

All combs & brushes

Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.