Not all hair brushes are created equal. Which means finding the best hairbrush for your hair concern requires more than just choosing the prettiest colour of Tangle Teezer. Moreover, different hair types *do* require different brushes in order to work their magic and prevent unnecessary breakage and split ends.
Think of your hairbrush as a core member of your haircare routine, beyond just a detangling brush. Like a specially formulated conditioner or your weekly bond builder treatment, your routine is already built around your hair’s needs, no? Like your go-to products, there’s specially-made options for hair brushes too: like blow drying brushes, straightening brushes, even those just for your hair extensions!
The Highlights
The best detangling brush is one with plastic, flexible bristles with beaded ends.
The best brush for blowouts is one with dense bristles and a vented round shape.
The best brush for curly hair is one with flexible, narrowed bristles.
The best brush for thin hair is one made with real, soft boar bristles.
The best hair extensions brush is a gentle flexible bristle brush or a loop brush.
The best brush for blow drying is one with a vented or open back design.
The best straightening brush is a heated styling brush.
Best Brush for Detangling Hair
Wet Brush EPIC Professional Deluxe DetanglerThe best detangling brush is one that uses plastic, flexible bristles with beaded ends like this one by Wet Brush. Because tangles have unexpected patterns (and difficulty levels), you’ll want something with flexible bristles to gently work through the knots.
You see, the key to detangling is slowly convincing the knots to come loose, not pushing through with rigid bristles. This is especially true when detangling wet hair: post-wash, hair is even more delicate and elastic so it can snag much easier if you don’t have a proper detangling brush.
Read Next: How to Clean Your Hair Brushes Because Yes, They’re Harming Your Hair
Best Brush for Blowouts
T3 Volume Round BrushThis one’s no secret: the best blowout brush is a densely bristled, vented, round brush that’s got a good grip like the ones used in blowout bars. The smaller the brush, the tighter the wave so if you have short hair, opt for a narrow round brush to get a wave going. For medium to long lengths, something larger like a 3’’ will give you a bigger, bouncy curl.
When using these types of blowout brushes, we suggest alternating the way you roll your hair around the round brush (under or over) to add more dimension to your blowout.
Read Next: Hair Hack: How To Create Heatless Curls
Best Brush for Curly Hair
Tangle Teezer The Large Ultimate Detangler
For years, Tangle Teezer has been beloved as the best brush for curly hair. Their bristles are designed to be the most flexible around and the narrowed ends help prevent any frizzing or breakage for curly girls.
Densely bristled hair brushes and those with stiff metal or plastic bristles are much too rough for curly hair. They can cause serious snagging and frizzing which is the last thing a curl needs. You can also use a wide-tooth comb for detangling curly hair too btw!
The hardest part is choosing which colour to get, but if we can make anything easier, may we suggest getting one with a handle—you’ll get a much better grip on the brush and it won’t go flying.
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Best Brush for Thin Hair
evo Conrad Boar Bristle Paddle BrushNothing magically grows your hair, but what you can get is increased blood circulation that stimulates new growth and encourages a healthy scalp. That’s what a boar bristle brush does.
What makes these the best brushes for hair growth is that the soft, natural bristles gently massage the scalp and carry your natural oils throughout the strand. Scalp sebum is great for hair growth if you didn’t know! These bristles also work to cleanse the hair follicles, leaving hair softer and shinier.
Read Next: The Super Guide to Castor Oil and Jamaican Black Castor Oil
Best Brush for Hair Extensions
Loop Brush on AmazonWhen choosing a hair brush for extensions, you want the most delicate, gentle brush so it doesn’t pull any hair from the weft. Many people use Tangle Teezers for this because their bristles are so soft and flexible, but the best brush for extensions is even gentler: a loop brush!
The fine loops help smooth out bumps and gently combs through hair without pulling or loosening precious strands (ahem, these ones don’t grow back). If you’re using another type of brush on your Sitting Pretty halo, you may think there isn’t much hair fall when brushing, but the issue is more so the loosening of the hair in the weft which could come out later. And you none the wiser!
Another important tip to consider when brushing hair extensions: detangle the ends of the extensions first and work your way up.
Here’s how to brush out your hair extensions when applying them:
Read Next: 8 Smart Reasons To Invest in Halo Hair Extensions
Best Brush for Blow Drying
Fromm The Intuition Flexer Vent BrushLike a good summer dress, the best brush for blow drying is open-backed to let the heat out. Heat protectant still needs to be used here btw, but a good well-vented brush will definitely ensure you don’t trap too much heat in your hair during the drying process. Extra points for flexible bristles here too for better detangling.
When using these brushes for blow drying, you should always position the blow dryer downwards so it’s blowing air in the natural direction of your strands. That way the air is going with the hair follicle and not against it. That’ll get you less damage and more smoothness.
Read Next: How to Make Thin Hair Look Thick
Best Straightening Brush
ghd Glide Professional Hot BrushThe best brush for straightening is less of a hair brush, more of an amazing styling tool. Straightening brushes like ghd’s Glide Hot Brush heat up with ceramic plates and straighten as you brush through hair.
They’re perfect for curly hair, coily hair, and even hair that’s already quite straight because one pass through hair with this heated wand evenly distributes heat between strands. You’ll still need a heat protectant when using a straightening brush, but they’re gentler and more multi-purpose when it comes to straightening hair than a flat iron.
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