The 9 Best Detangling Brushes Can Take on Even the Biggest Knots, Tested by Editors

Wash day doesn't need to turn into a wrestling match.

girl using a detangling brush to remove knots
(Image credit: Launchmetrics)

One thing about me: my hair is going to be knotty. Blame it on the ocean water in the summer and my scarf placement in the winter (I love an Olsen tuck), but my hair has a habit of turning into a tangled mess both in and out of the shower. The best detanglers are a crucial part of having smooth, knot-free hair—but they're nothing without the assistance of the best detangling brushes.

“A great detangling brush has soft, flexible bristles—ideally a mix of long and short—and is spaced out to glide through the hair with minimal breakage,” explains hairstylist and founder of The Second Floor Salon Rogerio Cavalcante. There are detangling brushes designed to be used on wet hair (hi, Wet Brush!) and options, like Crown Affair’s The Detangling Brush, that are best suited for day two tangles. When used properly (more on the below!), these brushes are able to glide through bumps without causing breakage or split ends.

I personally keep a little brush collection of various shapes and sizes (and I’m sharing my go-to's below), but I’m not the only one. The rest of the Marie Claire team quickly offered their favorite detangling brushes that deliver smooth, shiny, and, most importantly, knot-free hair. Read our honest reviews of the nine best options on the market, below.

Best Detangling Brushes and Combs

marie claire editor testing detangling brushes

Samantha Holender tests the Crown Affair The Detangling Brush No. 002.

(Image credit: Marie Claire)

marie claire editor testing detangling brushes

Siena Gagliano test the La Bonne Brosse brush.

(Image credit: Marie Claire)

marie claire editor testing detangling brushes

Jamie Wilson tests the Tangle Teezer Detangling Brush.

(Image credit: Marie Claire)

Other Detangling Brushes I Love

How Do I Use a Detangling Brush?

Using a brush seems self-explanatory, but there’s actually a pretty hard-and-fast technique if you want to minimize breakage. If you’re detangling wet hair, Cavalcante says you’ll want to use a leave-in conditioner to provide shine and frizz control. “Wet hair is at its most fragile state and prone to breakage, so you need something to soften the brush’s pull,” he explains.

If you’re using a detangling brush on dry hair, using a little bit of hair oil can make the process much more seamless. “In extreme cases—like when hair gets tangled at the neck from wearing jackets in winter—using a detangling spray can be helpful.”

How Do I Detangle Thin Hair?

Thin hair girls (hi! yes! me!) tend to tangle easily due to the hair’s fineness. While brushing from base to roots—little by little—is the best detangling technique, Cavalcante also recommends doing regular trims to prevent knots since “fresh ends are more resistant.”

How Do I Detangle Coily Hair?

“Coily hair may not necessarily tangle more, but because it has more volume and density, it’s best to detangle in sections using the same bottom-to-top approach for a smoother process,” says Cavalcante. Try working through one-inch sections at a time.

Why Trust Marie Claire

Samantha Holender is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, specializing in trend reports, features, shopping guides, and industry launches. She’s constantly testing the latest and greatest innovations in the hair space and styles her own hair every day. She also spoke with a professional hairstylist to compile this list of the best detangling brushes.

Marie Claire is an expert in haircare, reporting on hair growth treatments, shampoos and conditioners, the best boar bristles brushes, and so much more.

How We Tested

Marie Claire Senior Beauty Editor Samantha Holender has used dozens of detangling brushes during her time as a beauty editor. She sourced her all time favorites—and tapped the magazine’s network of beauty experts—to assemble this well-curated list of the nine brushes. Each was tested on a variety of hair types or recommended by a professional hairstylist.

Meet the Expert

rogerio
Rogerio Cavalcante

ABOUT

The Second Floor Salon was founded by Rogerio Cavalcante, an experienced hairstylist who moved to the U.S from Brazil 15 years ago and has built a clientele in NYC through his top quality service and customer service. The culture of beauty and innovation has been deep-rooted in Rogerio’s life for as long as he can remember. Since his childhood, Rogerio was surrounded by hairstylist influences in his family, with over nineteen family members working in the hair industry. Rogerio collaborated and learned alongside leaders of educational institutions including Toni & Guy, Vidal Sassoon, and L’Oréal Paris. Today he spends time traveling between New York, London, Paris, and Miami, attending to his global clientele, exchanging innovative techniques with other experts and continually pushing his style to incorporate the latest worldwide trends while perfecting his own unique skills in the Dry Cutting method. His sought-after expertise has led to contributions in trend-setting publications such as VogueCosmopolitan,  ELLE Magazine, and other online outlets.

Samantha Holender
Senior Beauty Editor

Samantha Holender is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.