Beauty Revlon One-Step Models Compared: Which Brush Fits Your Hair
Revlon sells several One-Step versions that look alike but differ in head size, settings and price. We compare the original, the improved-motor edition and the PLUS so you can see exactly what your money buys.
| Factor | REVLON One-Step Volumizer PLUS 2.0 | REVLON One-Step Volumizer, Improved Moto |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Travelers and root-volume lovers | Everyday blowouts on medium to long hair |
| Price Point | Check price | Check price |
| Top Strength | Detachable 2.4 inch head for travel | Improved motor lasts longer |
| Main Drawback | Heavier than a regular brush | Fixed head is bulkier to store |
| Standout Feature | Detachable oval brush head | 2.8 inch oval brush head |
| Second Highlight | Ceramic titanium tourmaline tech | Ionic technology |
| Third Highlight | Charcoal-infused nylon pins | 3 heat settings plus cool shot |
| Overall Winner | REVLON One-Step Volumizer PLUS 2.0 | REVLON One-Step Volumizer, Improved M... |
Our Verdict
The One-Step Volumizer PLUS wins for most shoppers. Its detachable head and extra heat setting add real flexibility for travel and styling. Budget buyers should grab the original, which still delivers the classic blowout for less money. The pink edition is the same tool in a fun color. Buy it only when it is the cheapest listing. Pick the PLUS for travel and root lift, the original for pure value.
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Not sold on either of these two? Here are more bestselling options worth considering.
Best for: Bargain hunters who love pink tools
REVLON One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer (Pink)
- One-step drying and volumizing
- ETL certified safety
- 120V USA outlet design
Pros
- Same performance in a fun color
- Often the cheapest color listing
- Nylon pin and tufted bristles detangle well
Cons
- Color stock and price swing often
- No detachable head
Original vs Improved Motor vs PLUS: The Real Differences
The three One-Step versions look alike but differ where it counts. The original is the classic: proven design, lowest price, standard motor, and the right pick for a few-times-a-week stylers. The improved-motor edition is visually identical but handles frequent heat cycles longer, making it the correction for buyers whose original died young from daily use. The PLUS adds the detachable head and an extra heat setting, which buys travel flexibility and finer heat gradation, not fundamentally different drying. The pink editions are cosmetic variants of the same hardware, so buy the color you like without worrying about performance differences.
The decision tree: style occasionally, buy the original or the pink edition at the best price. Style daily, buy the improved-motor edition for longevity. Travel often or want the heat-setting flexibility, buy the PLUS, since the detachable head packs smaller and the extra setting helps thick hair find its level. Do not buy the PLUS for power you will not use, its advantage is flexibility, not raw performance. All three share the same technique requirements below, so the version choice is about durability and features, never about learning a different method.
The 80% Rule, Settings, and Cold Shot on a Hot Air Brush
Heat and speed settings map to hair type across all three versions. Fine or damaged hair: low heat, smaller sections, more patience, because low heat needs the section small to stay effective. Medium hair: medium heat as the everyday default. Thick hair: high heat but only on towel-dried hair, since blasting dripping hair wastes time and bakes the cuticle. The 80% rule runs the sequence: rough-dry fast with no tension until hair is damp but not dripping, then slow tensioned styling passes root to tip, which is where smoothness and volume actually come from. Styling passes on soaking hair are the top beginner error on every version.
The cold shot exists on these tools as the cool setting, and its placement matters: hit it after each heated styling pass, a few seconds per section, to set the shape and seal the cuticle. Sections finished hot and left to air-cool fall flatter by midday than sections cold-set properly. Maintenance is identical across versions: clean the base filter every few weeks with a dry cloth, store with the cord loosely looped, and treat a burning smell as a stop-and-clean signal first, a replace signal if it persists. For buyers comparing beyond the Revlon family, our best hair dryers guide covers every category, and the best BaByliss hair dryers roundup shows the pro alternative.
Troubleshooting Common One-Step Problems
One-step problems have specific causes, and the fixes are mechanical, not product swaps. Tangling: the brush catches because sections are too large or hair is too wet, so reduce section size and rough-dry closer to 80% before the styling passes. Frizz after styling: the passes were too fast or the heat too low for the hair type, slow down and step up one heat level, then cold-set each section. Flat roots: the brush was pulled straight down instead of lifted, so direct the brush upward at the roots for the first pass to build volume. Ends flipping wrong: the final pass direction decides the flip, so roll under or outward deliberately on the last pass rather than pulling straight through.
Bumps and creases come from stopping mid-section: keep the brush moving continuously from root to tip, because pausing with heat on one spot dents the hair. If the tool pulls painfully, the section is too big or tangled, never force it, release, detangle, and take a smaller section. Static in dry weather responds to the cool setting finish and a tiny amount of smoothing product on the ends, not to more heat. Most "this tool does not work for my hair" complaints resolve into one of these technique fixes within a week of deliberate practice, which is why the version choice matters less than the method.