ReFa makes sixteen hair pieces. Here is how to pick the right one for your hair type and routine.
If you have been researching ReFa brushes, you have probably noticed the range is, let us say, extensive. Heart Brush, Heart Brush Ray, Heart Brush mini, Heart Brush for Scalp, Heart Comb Aira, Aile Brush, Aile Brush Ray, Ion Care Brush, Ion Care Brush Premium, AURA, and that is before you reach the Marquise combs.
It is a lot, and these are not throwaway objects, so you want the right one first time. We have tested them all. Here is the breakdown.
The quick answer
Everyday detangling and shine: HEART BRUSH or HEART COMB Aira.
Thick, long or hard-to-reach hair: AILE BRUSH, or the AILE BRUSH RAY for a rougher texture.
Scalp health and a deeper wash: ION CARE BRUSH PREMIUM.
A dry scalp ritual before bed: AURA, the newest piece in the range.
Travel and touch-ups: HEART BRUSH mini.
Stock arrives in limited runs from each Tokyo trip, so if your pick shows as sold out, message our Personal Shoppers on Live Chat and we will reserve one from the next shipment.
Now the why.
ReFa HEART BRUSH: the one that started it all
The HEART BRUSH is ReFa's signature and the one that went viral. The heart shape is not decoration. The curved bristle arrangement lets the brush detangle from several angles at once, so it works through a knot instead of dragging it.
The real mechanism is the carbon layer coating on the bristles. It reduces static, which lets the cuticle lie flat as you brush, and a flat cuticle reflects light in one direction rather than scattering it. That is the glass-hair shine people talk about. It is visible from the first use.
There is a newer version as well. The HEART BRUSH RAY runs three-stage pins, carries more anti-static agent than the original by ReFa's own comparison, and sets a glass mirror into the cover. We take the mechanism apart in The ReFa Heart Brush Ray, Explained.
Our standalone verdict on the original is in ReFa Heart Brush Review: What It Does That the Ray Doesn't.
Best for: fine to medium hair, daily brushing, anyone who wants a smoother finish without reaching for heat.
Limitations: if your hair is very thick or very long, the compact head means more passes. That is exactly the problem the Aile Brush was built to solve. It is also a dry-hair brush: ReFa states it is not waterproof, so keep it out of the bathroom.
Shop the edit: Browse ReFa, sourced directly in Tokyo →
ReFa HEART COMB Aira: the refined option
The HEART COMB Aira takes the same thinking and puts it in a comb. Each tooth is shaped to curve towards the centre, which spreads the load and takes stress off the hair as it passes through. A chrome coating handles the static and cuts friction.
The Chrome version adds a stainless steel tail, which matters if you part and section your own hair.
Best for: comb people, styling and parting, and anyone who finds bristles too aggressive for their texture.
Limitations: a comb does not massage the scalp the way a brush head does, and like the Heart Brush it is not waterproof. If scalp work is what you are after, keep reading.
Our standalone verdict on it is in ReFa Heart Comb Aira Review: Is It Worth It?
ReFa AILE BRUSH: the deep-reach one
The AILE BRUSH exists to solve one problem: the hair at the back and the interior of your head that a flat brush skims straight over. Its round-fit shape hugs the curvature of your skull, so it actually catches that hair rather than riding across the top of it.
The longer bristles cover more area per stroke, which means fewer passes and less mechanical stress on the hair. Like the Heart Brush, the bristles carry an anti-static agent, though ReFa is honest that humidity affects how much you notice it.
Best for: thick, long or layered hair. Anyone who wears ponytails and updos. If the Heart Brush felt small for your volume, this is the answer.
On water, ReFa words it carefully and so will we: the Aile Brush is fine if it gets wet, but it is designed for detangling and polishing dry hair, and ReFa points you at the ION CARE BRUSH for use during shampooing.
It is also the ReFa brush that leaves our Tokyo shipments fastest, by a clear margin. We give it a section of its own, including who should take the Heart Brush instead, in ReFa Aile Brush Review: Who It's Actually For.
ReFa AILE BRUSH RAY: the same reach, a softer finish
The AILE BRUSH RAY keeps the round-fit shape and changes what the bristles are made of. Flexible nylon pins ease the knots apart first, then natural bristles follow behind and polish the surface. Two jobs, one stroke, and a noticeably softer finish than the standard Aile.
It ships with its own stand rather than a protective cover, which tells you where ReFa expects it to live: out on the dressing table, not in a drawer.
Best for: thick or long hair that also tangles easily, or ends that feel rough rather than simply knotted.
Limitations: dry hair only, and the natural bristles want a gentler clean than the nylon ones. If your routine starts in the shower, this is not the brush for it.
ReFa ION CARE BRUSH PREMIUM: the scalp one
This is the one most people have never heard of, and it is the most ordered ReFa piece at SoJan. The ION CARE BRUSH PREMIUM is made to be used in the shower, while you shampoo.
The idea is simple and the execution is not. Densely packed flexible bristles, in two hardness levels, push between individual strands and lift them at the root, which lets the bristle tips actually reach the scalp surface. Your fingers cannot do that through a full head of wet hair. What comes off is sebum, product residue and dead skin sitting around the follicle.
The Premium version carries roughly twice the bristle density of the standard ION CARE BRUSH, with a curved arrangement and no bristles in the centre, so it contours to the scalp instead of flattening against it.
Best for: oily roots, product buildup, a flaky scalp, or thinning. Also worth it if you lean on dry shampoo and want a proper reset on wash day.
Note: the Ion Care brushes are for wet use during shampooing only. For dry brushing and styling, stay with the Heart Brush or Aile Brush.
ReFa AURA: the newest one, and the only scalp-first brush
The AURA is the most recent addition to the range and the one that does not overlap with anything above it. Where the Ion Care brushes work the scalp under running water, our shoppers use the AURA on dry or towel-dried hair, at night. ReFa publishes no water guidance for this model either way, so we treat it as a dry tool rather than assume.
Each pin is coated in 24-karat gold over brass, chosen for glide and conductivity, and the whole pin bed sits on a flexible cushion that gives with the pressure of each stroke rather than driving a single point into the scalp. Two to three minutes, hairline to nape, is what our shoppers run before bed.
Best for: anyone who wants scalp care as its own ritual rather than something folded into wash day.
Limitations: it does not detangle or finish the lengths, so it sits alongside a brush rather than replacing one. Full write-up in ReFa AURA Review: Japan's Newest Gold-Coated Scalp Brush.
The rest of the range, briefly
Five more pieces sit outside the main comparison, each built for a narrower job. All sixteen ReFa pieces we stock, including the oils and finishing tools, are sorted by job in Every ReFa Hair Tool, Ranked.
- HEART BRUSH mini. The full Heart Brush mechanism at 65g, for a handbag, gym kit or carry-on. Dry hair.
- HEART BRUSH for SCALP. Twenty-two elastomer pins built to flex like a fingertip and spring back, for pressure at the crown and neck. The one genuinely waterproof brush in the range, with draining holes and a stand.
- ION CARE BRUSH. The original ion-plate design, and the entry point into scalp cleansing during shampooing.
- HEART Aira WITH. The Aira's curved teeth and chrome coating under 100mm, for a coat pocket. Covered in ReFa Heart Mirror, Aira WITH and the New M Collection Colours.
- MARQUISE Hair Comb. Four builds: WITH is compact with a cover, ARRANGE has fine teeth and a sectioning tail, DEEP runs wide-spaced teeth for volume and curl, TWIN carries two tooth densities in one comb.
So, which one should you actually buy?
First ReFa, average hair thickness: start with the HEART BRUSH in Rose Gold or the HEART COMB Aira in Rose Gold. They give the most immediately visible result, and they cover the thing you do every single morning.
Already own a Heart Brush and want the next step: add the ION CARE BRUSH PREMIUM. Scalp cleansing in the shower plus a finishing brush when dry is the ReFa routine that compounds.
Thick, long or unruly hair and only buying one: AILE BRUSH. It reaches volume the Heart Brush cannot, and you keep the shine mechanism. If the ends feel rough as well as tangled, take the AILE BRUSH RAY instead.
Scalp care is the actual reason you are here: the AURA if you want it as a nightly ritual, the ION CARE BRUSH PREMIUM if you would rather it happened in the shower, or the HEART BRUSH for SCALP if you want pressure relief and do not mind it getting wet.
The pairing our customers keep choosing. The most common ReFa order at SoJan is not one brush. It is the AILE BRUSH for dry styling plus the ION CARE BRUSH PREMIUM for wash days, which covers the full routine: scalp cleansing in the shower, finishing shine when dry. Most people add ReFa Lock Oil to seal the result, and the trio gets you the free shipping threshold with room to spare.
SoJan tip: the second item in a ReFa basket is almost never another brush. It is a fragrance, usually SHIRO FREESIA MIST or TAMBURINS Chamo. Same restraint, different part of the morning. Browse SHIRO and TAMBURINS if that is the direction you are heading.
Are they actually worth it?
We wrote a whole piece on that question, Are ReFa Hair Brushes Worth It?, and the short answer is yes, with a caveat.
They are not magic. They will not repair heat-damaged hair or mend split ends. What they will do is make the hair you already have look smoother, shinier and more finished, and the Ion Care range genuinely improves scalp condition with consistent use.
The engineering is real: the bristle composition, the static reduction, the shaping. It is not a marketing story bolted onto an ordinary brush. If you use a hairbrush every day, and you do, owning one that was actually designed on purpose makes a difference you can see.
If you would rather read the version with the Tokyo streets in it, that is I Spent a Week in Tokyo and Finally Worked Out Why Everyone's Hair Looks Like That.
Where to buy authentic ReFa in Australia
Every ReFa piece at SoJan is bought in person from authorised retailers in Tokyo and arrives factory-sealed. Stock lands in limited runs and the popular colourways close first. Free delivery is available on qualifying Australian and New Zealand orders, with no customs fees on arrival, and we ship worldwide.
Shop the full ReFa collection ✨
Frequently asked questions
Which ReFa brush should I buy first?
The HEART BRUSH for average hair, the AILE BRUSH if your hair is thick or long, the HEART COMB Aira if bristles feel too harsh on your texture.
What is the newest ReFa brush?
The AURA, a scalp brush with 24-karat gold-coated pins on a flexible cushion. The HEART BRUSH RAY is the newest of the dry-hair brushes.
Which ReFa brush is best for the scalp?
The AURA for a dry nightly ritual, the ION CARE BRUSH PREMIUM during shampooing, and the HEART BRUSH for SCALP for pressure relief at the crown.
Which ReFa brushes can go in the shower?
The HEART BRUSH for SCALP is waterproof with draining holes, and ReFa recommends the ION CARE brushes for use while shampooing. The HEART BRUSH, HEART BRUSH RAY and HEART COMB Aira are not waterproof and should stay out of the bathroom.
What is the difference between the Aile Brush and the Aile Brush Ray?
Same round-fit shape and deep reach. The Ray pairs flexible nylon pins with natural bristles for a softer, more polished finish, and ships with a stand instead of a cover.
What is the difference between the Heart Brush and the Heart Brush Ray?
The Ray is the newer generation: three-stage pins, more anti-static agent, and a glass mirror set into the cover. The original runs in more colourways.
Can I use the Ion Care Brush on dry hair?
No. It is built for wet use during shampooing. Use the Heart Brush or Aile Brush when dry.
Do ReFa brushes work on curly hair?
Yes, but section first. You will get a better result and far less breakage.
Where can I buy ReFa in Australia?
Through SoJan. We buy in person in Tokyo from authorised retailers, and stock ships from Australia.
Not sure which ReFa suits your hair? Message our Personal Shoppers on Live Chat with your hair type and routine, and we will point you at the right one rather than the dearest one.
SoJan Team
