Hairbrushes are an essential grooming tool designed to help keep your mane glossy and knot-free. You can also use hairbrushes to aid in styling, or in combination with styling tools like straighteners or hairdryers.
If you’re looking for a new brush to make your hair look and feel great, we’ve checked out the most popular products available to help you do just that. Read on and find the perfect hairbrush for your needs.
1. Drybar Detangling Hair Brush (Top Pick)
There is nothing worse than painful, knotted tresses. If it is very long, or prone to getting knotty, then the Drybar detangling hairbrush could be perfect for you. The flexible bristles are designed to help you detangle knotted dry or wet hair easily, with additional grip comfort using the soft-touch handle.
A key benefit of the Drybar is that it works everything from frizzy curls to fine flyaways and even extensions, providing the same effective and low-pull knot removal each and every use.
Customers with children will love how the design eases the brushing process, helping you brush hair without the usual tears associated with working out tangles.
What We Like:
- Great for detangling
- Helps you brush hari wer or dry
- Eases detangling pain
- Suitable for most hair types
What We Don’t Like:
- Colour is specific and may not be to your taste
2. Wet Brush Original Detangling Hair Brush (Best Value)
The Wet Brush detangling brush is an affordable grooming tool suitable for all hair types, including wigs and extensions. You can also use it on wet or dry hair to effectively remove the knots. It uses special bristles which are flexible and have soft tips, to gently tease strands apart without the usual pain and pulling.
Customers will love that these hairbrushes have a wide bristle base which is large and able to detangle a lot at the same time, making the brushing process quick and easy. This is particularly useful when you’re brushing your child’s hair and need to detangle it quickly.
What We Like:
- Affordable
- Large bristle base
- Flexible and soft ended bristle
- Suitable for any hair type, wet or dry
What We Don’t Like:
- May not remove very large knots
- Durability may mean you need to replace regularly
3. Mason Pearson Handy Bristle and Nylon Hair Brush
The Mason Pearson is a great all-round product if you are looking for a comfortable paddle brush with a mix of nylon and boar bristles. It has several design features that will make your brushing process better.
The bristle and nylon tufts are arranged in a way to effectively remove tangles and knots. During use, you can also enjoy the ergonomic handle design which can make a huge difference if it takes you a while to brush. Your scalp also benefits with a rubber-cushion pad and gentle bristle ends, massaging and removing dead skin and stimulating blood flow. This massaging process also stimulates the oils in your scalp and then naturally distributes them throughout the shaft, for a healthier, shinier hairstyle.
What We Like:
- Durable and long-lasting
- Works on the scalp
- Reaches entire strand root to tip
- Comfortable to use
What We Don’t Like:
- Not suitable if you’re wanting to avoid animal products
- Not suitable if you have any sore skin around the hair base
4. Glammar Rapunzel Hair Brush
The Glammar Rapunzel brush is a streamline brush that offers an alternative design to the traditional paddle brushes. It showcases four rows of bristles along a thin, long base. They are very flexible and work to gently untangle long hair, curly hair, wet hair and even wigs and extensions.
The product is best for customers looking for a more portable detangle brush. It is particularly well-suited to those with long hairstyles, or those who have children with long hair who require help brushing after swimming and bathing.
What We Like:
- Soft, flexible bristles
- Effective at detangling
- Suitable for all hair types
- Portable
What We Don’t Like:
- Streamline design may mean the product is not ideal for those with wrist issues
- Handle is not soft grip
5. Moroccanoil Ceramic Barrel Brush
The attractive Morocconoil brush for straightening hair is a ceramic barrel brush that can be used alone, but the design is specifically made to help you dry hair in combination with a dryer. It uses the best ionic technology to help condition the entire shaft and to enhance natural shine.
Customers who like to style and dry quickly will love that the brush effectively reduces drying time all whilst distributing natural oils from the hairs shaft.
What We Like:
- Reduces drying time
- Ionic technology
- Distributes natural hair oils
- Can be used to style in combination with a dryer
What We Don’t Like:
- May require coordination for styling on both sides of the head
- Not ideal for brushing children’s hair
Hair Brush Buyer’s Guide
Buying a brush is an important purchase. They may not cost the earth, but they can make a huge difference to your daily grooming regime. They also have the ability to make brushing your child’s hair a much nicer and easier experience for them if they are prone to tangles.
To help you skip the duds and get the right product in your shopping basket, here are our top tips for buying the best hair brush:
Why A Detangle Brush And Not Just A Paddle Brush?
They may seem like the same product, but a detangling brush usually has more flexible bristles designed to gently tease tangles apart. Paddle hair brushes are great all rounders, but for very knotty hairstyles, or a child’s hair, a special brush made for detangling is a good idea.
Watch-Out For Bristle Materials
If you are veggie or vegan you may wish to avoid products using boar bristle. However, if you are eco-conscious, boar bristle could be considered a good choice as they are a bi-product of the meat industry and are being made use of in this way.
Brushes otherwise tend to use nylon which is generally soft and gentle on the hair and scalp.
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Handle-Comfort
The comfort of a handle on a brush is a feature that often gets overlooked. It isn’t something to think about if you don’t really notice the handle. However, if you have very long hair, your style is prone to knots or you have wrist issues, you will notice the handle. A very thin product design can cause a wrist ache during heavy use. Similarly, a very hard handle can be painful if you’re brushing for a long time. Generally, thick, soft-touch handles make the brushing process much easier.
Massaging Is Great For Head Health
The best hair brushes also massage and reach the head are great because they brush away dead cells, stimulate blood flow and distribute the natural oils throughout the entire hair shaft. This feature isn’t great if you have any head soreness, but otherwise it is fantastic for overall hair condition and health.
A Gentle Brush
Do you hate the pain of knot removal when you brush? You’re not alone. Detangling can also be particularly painful for children who aren’t yet brushing on their own. Soft and flexible brushes help the process of brushing by gentle pulling the strands apart without pulling at the root. This may mean that the brush works around the biggest knots but you can then tackle those separately without repeatedly ripping at the root as you try and brush the surrounding hairs.
Look for signs in the reviews that the product is as gentle as it is described, and success customers have had using it in their own hair or on their children’s hair.
What Type Of Hair Do You Have?
Some products are suitable for use on all kinds of hair, whereas some may not be suitable for specific types like curly hair, extensions or wigs. It is important to check whether the product is suitable for your hair type before purchasing the brush. If this is not listed in the product description, check the reviews for customers with your hair type and check the kind of success they have had.
The best brushes for hair are the type that works for your needs. Do read the description to see which products are designed to be right for your hair, then check the reviews for an even more specific insight. Soon enough you’ll be able to have gorgeous, glossy, knot-free hair everyday.
Hair Brush FAQs
Boar bristles are thought to be great for the hair because the bristles don’t don’t damage the hair shaft and the bristles massage the head. However, the soft and flexible nylon bristles found on good-quality hairbrushes can mimic these benefits effectively.
