The Best Dog Deshedding Tools & Brushes in 2024
You love your dog, but its hair on all your furniture and clothes? Not so much. Dog shedding can be managed, however, with regular care and the right tools for the job. One critical tool is a dog deshedder, a specialized comb that can help loosen and remove hair while encouraging healthy skin and a lustrous coat.
Choosing the right deshedding tool or brush will depend a lot on your dog’s particular coat. You can choose based on what your dog’s coat looks like and how often it sheds, but it can be hard to know where to start. Luckily, our list of top dog deshedding tools and brushes can help get you off to the right start. Plus, we’ve answered some questions you may have about what to look for.
The following tools are designed to maximize your grooming effort and protect your dog’s skin and coat from damage or injury. They’re durable and efficient, and none of them require any specialized grooming training. Let’s take a look!
Our Top List
Last update on 2024-09-16 at 09:55 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
1. FURminator Undercoat Tool
FURminator is a heavy-duty deshedding tool designed to get underneath your dog’s topcoat to remove loose hair from underneath. The tool uses a single row of metal teeth to gently brush up the undercoat and remove loose hair while preventing scratches on the surface of the skin.
The FURminator has an ergonomic handle and features a button to make cleaning the teeth of hair and debris a lot easier. It’s rust-resistant and gentle if you use the comb as directed. It’s a great comb, especially for pets that blow out their coats twice a year, but all pet coats can benefit.
The comb comes in five different sizes and two hair options – long and short. It’s a significant investment for a shedding tool, but completely worth it if your dog’s hair is driving you crazy.
Takeaways
- Efficient removal of loose undercoat
- Comes in several sizes for better handling
- Durable, ergonomic design
2. ChomChom Roller for Dog & Pet Hair
To help with hair removal once your dog has already shed its fur, the ChomChom is a highly efficient option. It features an easy-to-use roller that moves along your furniture, blankets, or clothing and catches stuck on hair quickly and efficiently.
It’s an eco-friendly alternative to those cheap tape rollers with disposable sheets. The roller uses a fabric material that helps capture and pull hair from furniture or clothing and deposit it into the storage receptacle. Once it’s full, empty it to continue using your roller.
It’s not going to pull any hair off of your dog, and it only comes in one size. However, it doesn’t require any batteries, and the handle is comfortable to use. It won’t put a lot of strain on your wrists to get the hair out – just a gentle back and forth motion.
Takeaways
- Reusable fur remover
- Gentle motion that’s easy on the wrists
- Convenient size
3. Hertzko Self Cleaning Slicker Brush
A slicker brush is an excellent option for dogs with long hair that tends to mat easily. Single rows of teeth get bogged down in beginning or existing mats, but a slicker brush helps detangle and preserve your dog’s coat with minimal irritation.
Fine wire bristles are bent and designed to get down through the coat without breaking or irritating skin. Once you’re finished, you can push a button to retract the bristles and quickly remove hair to clean the brush.
It includes a non-slip handle that feels nice in your hand and helps cut down on wrist strain. The brush only comes in one size, so it may not be as convenient depending on the size of your dog, but it’s a great, general-purpose slicker for handling your long-haired breed’s grooming needs.
Takeaways
- Helpful for detangling mats efficiently and safely
- Push-button cleaning for quick hair removal
- Ergonomic handle reduces wrist strain
4. DakPets Tool for Pet Hair
This unique deshedding tool uses a wavy pattern in the teeth to help trap loose hair and dirt from double coats while ensuring that skin is protected. It has a wide grip for control, and hair simply falls from the teeth to the ground – nothing to empty or clean.
The teeth themselves are designed to protect your dog and glide over fur without pulling. It’s comfortable to hold but may cause some pain for those of you with wrist trouble because of the type of grip required to use it.
The teeth can also help pull up hair on furniture and clothing (with gentle use), making it an excellent, versatile option for minimal households. It may not work as well as standard deshedders for dogs with long coats, but classic, short double coats should be fine.
Takeaways
- Affordable alternative to more expensive deshedding tools
- Rounded teeth for safety
- Ergonomic handle cuts down on wrist and hand strain
5. SleekEZ Original Deshedding Tool
This unique tool uses a wavy pattern in the teeth to help trap loose hair and dirt from double coats while ensuring that skin is protected. It has a wide grip for control, and hair simply falls from the teeth to the ground – nothing to empty or clean.
The teeth themselves are designed to protect your dog and glide over fur without pulling. It’s comfortable to hold but may cause some pain for those of you with wrist trouble because of the type of grip required to use it.
The teeth can also help pull up hair on furniture and clothing (with gentle use), making it an excellent, versatile option for minimal households. It may not work as well as standard deshedders for dogs with long coats, but classic, short double coats should be fine.
Takeaways
- Works as both a deshedder and a hair removal tool
- Teeth don’t trap hair, so there’s nothing to clean later
- Unique design brings up loose hair and debris
6. Brush to Reduce Shedding
Another simple grooming tool, this single row deshedder helps get down to the undercoat efficiently while ensuring you don’t accidentally irritate your pet’s skin. The curved teeth are comfortable for gentle use, and it can also help get rid of dust and debris.
The handle is ergonomic and easy on the wrist while a simple, push-button design effectively releases hair to clean the teeth. It’s available only in one size, so it may not be a convenient size for some larger breeds, but it comes with a lifetime satisfaction guarantee.
The tool is highly useful for basic deshedding and provides an affordable alternative to more expensive, single-row deshedders. Until you can upgrade to a professional product, this one is a convenient option.
Takeaways
- Affordable alternative to more expensive grooming tools
- Protective teeth to ensure less irritation
- Sturdy handle to cut down on wrist strain and improve grip
Verdict & Review
FURminator Deshedding Tool
Pros
- Efficient at removing loose undercoat
- Several sizes available
- Great handling
- Durable and ergonomic
Cons
- We haven't encountered any cons.
FURminator has a long history of excellent use and durability, so it has our pick. What really sets this tool apart is the flexibility to choose a size and length that matches your dog’s features, so you reduce irritation and make grooming happen more efficiently.
Tiny dogs with long coats won’t use the same size brush as large dogs with short coats, and everything in between will need a more customized solution for real results. FURminator allows you to choose your brush, so you always have the right tool at hand.
It’s a more significant investment than some of the tools on our list, but it’s well worth it if it’s in your budget. It’s more durable, more efficient, and offers better control than most other types of deshedders on this list.
Buying Guide
Finding the right tool depends on a few key features about your dog and its coat. Here’s what you should keep in mind!
Types of Brushes
Different deshedding brushes do different types of things:
- Blade on handle combs – classic deshedding tool that uses finely spaced teeth to bring up loose hair from the undercoat.
- Slicker brushes – widely spaced teeth in a typical brush formation help cut down on mats and get through long, silky hair.
- Wide-tooth combs – much like slicker brushes, these help cut down on mats and irritation for animals with dense, long coats.
- Rubber bristle brushes and combs – may not work well on longer coats, but helps remove loose hair and stimulate circulation.
- Bristle brushes – these aren’t the best for deshedding, but they do help finish off a coat to give it a sleek, shiny appearance.
There are also vacuum grooming attachments available if you’d like to use a non-manual tool.
Hair Type
The most significant factor in choosing the right tool or brush is your dog’s hair type.
Single Coat
Single Coats have a minimal undercoat and are more likely to get skin irritations and hotspots. You’ll need a more gentle brush to ensure that the coat is cleaned without injuring the skin. You’ll also need a soft hand while brushing.
Double Coat
Double coats have a layer of fur underneath the topcoat that acts as insulation. These dogs frequently shed, either year-round or all at once during certain times of the year. You’ll need a brush with long enough teeth to get to that double coat without overbrushing.
Short Hair
Short-haired dogs don’t need long bristles because these can cause severe irritation. It’s too easy to get excited and over brush, potentially injuring the surface of the skin and causing hot spots. The best brush or tool for short hair is a short, blade on handle comb or a rubber bristle brush for single coat short hair breeds.
Long Hair
Long-haired dogs often require wide tooth combs or longer blade on handle combs to get below the topcoat. Dogs with long coats benefit from both a deshedder and a bristle brush to finish the coat off. If your dog has a double coat and long fur, you’ll need a longer blade on handle brush to get to that loose undercoat.
Dog Size
If you’ve got a teacup chihuahua and a huge brush, you aren’t going to get much brushing done, are you? Choosing a brush that’s the right size helps you get to all the places on your dog’s body that need brushing without injury or unwieldy teeth.
Your brush should be large enough to go over areas efficiently while remaining a small enough size to get into places like the thighs and the groin area (gently). If you can find a brush that comes in a few different sizes, you’ll be able to handle your dog’s grooming needs a lot more efficiently and more comfortably.
Other Features
Some features may not be a necessity, but they can make your grooming a lot easier. Some brushes, for example, have a simple, push-button cleaning mechanism that ensures hair comes right out of the teeth when you’re ready to clean.
Other options include ergonomic handles that help cut down on wrist strain and discourage overbrushing. These are easy to grip and help you position correctly to ensure you don’t break the skin during brushing.
Finding the Right Deshedding Tool
Choosing a deshedding tool depends a lot on your dog’s coat, but once you’ve got the right one, it makes life easier. Keep your pet’s coat healthy and their skin safe while ensuring your house stays just a little cleaner with the tools on our list.
We are the Pet Dog Pals, a group of avid pet owners, bloggers, product testers, and writers for all your canine needs! We own a collective 16 dogs and 21 cats to help us test and review pet products. Our top lists and tips come from experience to help you be the best dog owner you can be!