I tried the FOREO FLIP play hairbrush and was truly surprised by the difference it made to my hair

I have very curly hair, which means frizz and tangles are two things I have become very used to dealing with. After washing my hair at night, I always reach for products almost immediately after brushing it to try to keep the frizz under control, before doing the same again in the morning.

So when I tried the FOREO FLIP play advanced LED light hairbrush, I was particularly interested to see whether it could deliver on its promise of detangled, frizz-free hair and actually make a difference to my head and my beauty routine.

The brush combines flexible detangling bristles with red, green and blue LED light, while its anti-static design is intended to help reduce flyaways and frizz. It can also be used on wet or dry hair and is completely waterproof.

To properly test it, I decided not to put any anti-frizz product on my hair at all, either in the evening or the following morning. I honestly wasn't expecting much, so I was surprised when I went to bed with significantly less frizz than usual. But the real shock came the next morning when I woke up with hair that was still almost completely frizz-free.

That first use was enough to make me sit up and take notice. I've now been using it religiously for a few weeks and it has quickly become my new favourite beauty product. Here’s more about why I love it, and any limitations I have found after further use, so you can decide if it could be your hair hero too.

What I like about this FOREO hairbrush

The biggest positive is simple: it really works for my frizz.

I'm not saying the FOREO FLIP play has magically eliminated my frizz 100%, because it hasn't. But the difference has been remarkable, and it was a result I wasn't expecting.

Normally, I have to use hair products straight after brushing in the evening and then again when I wake up. Since using this brush, I've found that at most I only need a minimal amount of product before heading out for the day to help protect my hair from the elements.

That alone has made a huge difference to my routine. I'm spending less time trying to tame my hair and using considerably less product, which is also helping to offset the £49 price tag.

The other major improvement is how easily it detangles my curly hair. I previously used a standard detangler brush, but I could still struggle with knots, particularly when my hair needed a cut and was very thick or after I'd been outside in windy weather.

Eventually I'd get through them, but sometimes it hurt and I'd be left looking at what seemed like a worrying amount of hair caught in the brush.

The FOREO FLIP play is completely different. Its flexible TPEE bristles are designed to separate hair from root to tip without the pulling and tugging associated with stubborn knots. In my experience, it glides through my hair much more easily, gets through tangles with far less fuss and is noticeably less painful.

I'm also seeing much less hair left on the brush afterwards, which has been a huge relief. I used to worry when I saw how much hair had collected on my old brush, whereas I now feel much more comfortable brushing my hair regularly.

I also like the design. The outer frame flips forward to help make the brush more compact so it can be stored or carried around with ease. It's also waterproof and can be used on wet or dry hair.

Then there are the LED lights. You can switch between red, green and blue light by pressing the button, with FOREO positioning each colour for different hair and scalp concerns. Red is intended to support stronger strands, blue to help balance the scalp and green to support scalp and hair health.

What I don’t like about this FOREO hairbrush

The biggest downside is the £49 price tag.

That's significantly more than you would normally pay for an everyday hairbrush, so I can understand why some people might struggle to justify it. For me, though, the results have made it more than worthwhile. I'm already using much less anti-frizz product, so I can see the brush gradually paying for itself.

You also need to download the FOREO app when you first get the brush. This is where you can access the instructions for using it properly and adjust settings such as the LED auto-off time.

I can see this being a frustration if you're not particularly confident with apps or simply don't want another one taking up space on your phone. Once you've set everything up, you don't really need the app to use the brush and could delete it if you wanted to.

Personally, I've kept it because I find it useful for checking the battery level. That's handy because the last thing you want is to reach for your hairbrush when you're in a rush only to discover it needs charging.

Another potential downside is that this is yet another beauty gadget that needs charging. We are so used to picking up a hairbrush whenever we need one that having to remember to charge it can feel like an unnecessary chore.

I have found though that the battery life has been excellent. I only brush my hair once a day and have mid-length hair, with each brushing session taking around two to three minutes. I've found I only need to charge it roughly every two to three weeks, although this will obviously vary depending on your hair length, routine and how long you use it for.

My Verdict

The FOREO FLIP play has truly surprised me. Not many products get five star reviews, but for me this deserved one because there’s no real negatives, and any possible downsides are minor irritations at most. Plus the results were just so good.

I went into this review expecting an interesting high-tech hairbrush, but I wasn't expecting to see such a noticeable difference in my hair from the very first use. The reduction in frizz was the biggest shock, particularly because I deliberately didn't use any of my usual hair products to give it a proper test.

A month of gradual improvements would have been enough to impress me, but seeing significantly less frizz that first evening and waking up to almost frizz-free hair the following morning was something I didn't expect.

For my curly hair, the detangling has been just as valuable. The brush glides through knots more easily, causes far less discomfort and leaves noticeably less hair behind than my previous detangler.

The £49 price tag is undoubtedly the biggest hurdle. But considering I'm now using much less anti-frizz product, and the brush has become something I use every day, I think the results justify the investment.

It isn't a miracle cure for frizz and I wouldn't claim that it has completely transformed my hair overnight. But it has made a remarkable difference to both the way my hair looks and how easily I can manage it.

For anyone with curly, knot-prone or frizz-prone hair who has tried countless products and brushes without finding the right combination, I'd say the FOREO FLIP play is well worth considering. For me, it has gone from being an interesting beauty gadget to my new favourite hair product, and I genuinely don't want to go back to my old brush.

• Please note that delivery charges may apply.