Best hairbrush: Our pick of the best hairbrushes for thick, fine and curly hair
Image credit: While many of us will brush our hair almost out of habit each morning and night, did you know that the type of brush you use can play a major role in the health of your hair? This is why it’s so important to find the best hairbrush for your hair type.
What’s more, regularly brushing your hair can help distribute natural oils.
This prevents your hair looking greasy – meaning you could get an extra day out of it before it needs washing again – and it’s part of the reason why brushed hair looks so much smoother and shinier than unkept locks.
Choosing a hairbrush based upon how thick, or how curly your hair is also the best way to protect your hair from unnecessary damage during brushing. So we’ve handpicked our favourites!
FURTHER READING: How to clean a hairbrush – and why it could actually improve your hair in the process
Best hairbrushes
Usually our Best Buys lists the best products in order but for this guide, we’ve split it into hair type to make it easier to jump straight to what you need.
Best hairbrushes for thick hair
Folks with thick hair will know the feeling of waking up in the morning to a tangled mess, regardless of which luxurious leave-in conditioner you used the night before. Your priorities are detangling with as little pain and breakage as possible.
Hair brushes with widely-spaced synthetic bristles are ideal for this; effortlessly loosening knots without placing pressure on the hair.
The Tangle Teezer Thick and Curly Detangling Hair Brush (Lookfantastic, £12) is a classic option with the added bonus if fitting into even the smallest handbag.
This brush utilises Firmflex Technology to glide through thick hair – wet or dry – detangling knots without pulling on the hair.
A combination of nylon and boar bristles also has the power of detangling and oil distribution, nourishing the entire hair.
Hershesons’ Mixed Oval Cushion Brush (Hershesons, £24) works to gently tackle knots and add texture to flat hair. The mix of porcupine boar and nylon bristles reduce static for effortless styling.
For fine hair
It is important for those of us with fine hair not to cause damage whilst brushing, and to boost our hair’s volume.
Proper brushing can also be an excellent way to stimulate hair growth, massaging the scalp to stimulate blood circulation and releasing natural oils, encouraging healthier looking hair. You can read more about this in our guide to how to grow your hair faster.
Boar bristle brushes are ideal for fine hair types, working to delicately comb hair without causing breakage.
The Denman D82M The Finisher (Denman, £19) is the ideal option, smoothing and adding gloss to dull or frizzy hair. It’s gentle on the hair, so is perfect for daily use.
We also love the Moroccanoil Boar Bristle Classic Brush (Lookfantastic, £39.85) which also boasts high-quality boar bristles which are gentle on the scalp and distribute your hair’s natural oils, keeping your hair soft and manageable no matter what its density.
Best hairbrushes for curly hair
Wavy and curly hair requires tough detangling that won’t cause breakage or ruin the natural pattern of your curls.
Thick and wide-spaced bristles on brushes and combs are ideal for this hair type; reducing tangles without making the hair look flat. You can read more in our must-have products for curly hair types to fight the frizz and tame their tousles.
For a brush that will enrich your curls as well as tame them, the Cricket Ultra Hair Conditioning Rake Comb (Amazon, £12.66) is infused with Argan Oil, Olive Oil and Keratin to nourish the hair.
Its wide-spaced teeth will detangle any knots without pulling on the hair or causing frizz.
For tighter curls and afro styles, we recommend brushes with wider teeth that won’t break your curl pattern or tug on the scalp.
The Charlotte Mensah Paddle Brush (Cult Beauty, £22) has a cushioned head to protect your scalp from pulling, and its wide bristles prevent split ends by effortlessly detangling knots.
For natural and afro hair
While many products that suit curly hair are suitable for natural, textured and afro hair, the hair types are different and have somewhat different needs and requirements.
From masks that add hydration to curl-defining creams, and – most importantly – detangling brushes that work on more complex knots than those experienced by curly hair, natural hair benefits from bespoke treatment.
Larger, paddle brushes and hairbrushes with wide-spaced teeth are both easy to use and effective at clearing the tangles. Two favourites include the Kent Maxi-Phat Detangling Hair Brush (Amazon, £9.25) and the Detangling brush from Wet Brush (Amazon, £11.24).
The Kent Brush is an oversized paddle brush, best suited for shoulder length and long hair. It also has an air cushioned head to protect your scalp from damage.
The Wet Brush is the closest we’ve come to getting the kind of detangling of the Tangle Teezer but in a brush with a handle – we’ve been known to accidentally launch the Tangle Teezer across the room when we haven’t got the grip quite right.
This is thanks to what the company puts down to the brush’s thin and flexible Intelliflex bristles. This is coupled with the bristles’ SofTips that massage the scalp to stimulate circulation at the follicle. It’s particularly good on wet or dry hair, and on extensions and wigs.
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