We Found the Best Hairbrushes for All Hair Types, Textures and Lengths (2024)

Everyone’s hair is different, but we found this pick from Tangle Teezer to be extremely versatile for any hair type. “It has many small bristles that do not tug or break my hair — the teeth are flexible and it’s perfect to use right after or in the shower,” said one reviewer. However, take note that there were some mixed reviews on how much hair was pulled out after brushing.

Tangle Teezer also makes a travel-friendly option without a handle, which makes it easy to throw in your bag.

Several of our Beauty Lab experts and editors own this brush and can’t stop raving about it. Beauty Assistant Catharine Malzahn shared, “I have long, thick, wavy hair and it detangles my strands easily and painlessly after I get out of the shower.” Contributing Beauty Editor Dori Price seconded Catharine’s review, saying she also loves it for her kids. Keep in mind that if you have thick curly hair, the bristles may be too flimsy for you.

Wet Brush also makes a mini version that our Assistant Editor Annie O’Sullivan describes as a “game changer” for easy travel when on the go!

The KurlsPlus Paddle Comb is specifically designed for those with natural coily hair. “Its design prevents damage and effortlessly detangles curls," reports one GH staffer. "It’s perfect for scrubbing my scalp while washing and cleans effortlessly."

RELATED: The Best Curl Creams

The price can be a bit daunting, but once you’ve used, you’ll understand. The ultimate luxury hair brush, not only does it gently detangle hair, but its genuine boar bristles are the best at working with your hair’s natural oils.

As you brush from root to tip, the oils are distributed and you’re left with shiny hair (not just greasy roots). “My hair is dyed and damaged from chlorine and heat from styling. It tends to break easily but since I started using this brush MUCH less of it has fallen out and broken,” said one Nordstrom reviewer.

Conair's variety of brushes receive high remarks from shoppers. One reviewer loves the round brush: “I’ve never had anything that styles my thick hair like this brush does.” Another reviewer shared that the “rectangular shape makes it easier to part your hair and be super exact. I’ve been using it for years and it’s extremely durable.”

If you are somewhere in between the round brush and regular brush, this brush is the best choice. The bristles are strong enough to get through thick hair without hurting your scalp and the handle is durable, so even the toughest tangles will come out.

Get a shiny, salon-caliber blow-out at home with this easy-to-hold Amika blow dryer brush. All of our testers agreed this brush was best for creating perfect style and volume on all hair types. Testers found this gives a pro-level blow dry while boosting hair’s fullness, all while having gentle heat. “I also liked that they used two types of bristles (short and long) as it grabbed the strands of hair and glided through,” one said.

RELATED: The Best Hair Dryer Brushes

The Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab tests the top-performing hair products and tools that make taming your hair less of a chore.

When the Beauty Lab tests hair brushes for our annual GH Beauty Awards, we try the products in our Lab and then send samples to our panel of consumer testers across the country. Our testers of all ages, with all hair types, textures and lengths use the brushes in their normal routine for a set amount of time, and follow up with honest feedback on what they like and what they don't like. After tallying up the results from consumer and Lab tests, we settle on the best of the best.

✔️ Size: Decide if you want more volume or more curl in your hair, and pick a brush size based on that. "When picking out a brush for your specific hair style, remember: The bigger the diameter of the brush, the more volume and less curl or movement in the hair," says Taylor. "The smaller the diameter of the brush, the less volume and more curl or movement."

✔️ Bristles: Boar bristles help make hair shiny and keep it healthy. Boar bristles create "a shine to your hair by closing the hair strand's cuticle, helping the hair reflect light," says Taylor, whereas nylon bristles are helpful for detangling thick and coarse hair. "Nylon bristles provide enough stiffness to brush through thick hair," adds Chiara Butler, Beauty, Health & Sustainability Lab Reviews Analyst.

✔️ Handle: Consider the ergonomics of the brush. You can choose a few different handle styles: Plastic, wooden or rubber. "For a smooth, perfect, gripped handle, I prefer the wooden handle out of the three," says Taylor, though a rubber handle also provides a solid grip and comfort while brushing, and plastic handles tend to be a more affordable choice.

✔️ Shape: For taking care of long or thick hair, "paddle brushes are great because they cover a wide surface area," says Butler. "They also tend to have a cushion under the bristles that flexes as you brush, providing more comfort on the head." Rectangular brushes are similar to paddle brushes and can achieve the same goals. Round brushes are the go-to for styling as they come in a variety of barrel sizes so you can create various looks.

✔️ Use/routine: If you're brushing wet hair, look for widely-spaced bristles or vented brushes. Your hair is in its most fragile state when it's wet, Butler notes, "so you don’t want the strands to snag on closely-spaced bristles." However, if you're using a brush on dry hair, you have your pick of many different brushes since the hair is no longer as fragile. When looking for a hairbrush to use with your hair dryer, round brushes are usually the best choice as they help create volume and bounce when you wrap your hair around them. "Also consider brushes with vented or ceramic-coated barrels, which are designed to distribute heat from the hair dryer and dry hair more quickly," says Butler.

✔️ Hair type: "I like boar bristle for fine hair because the soft, flexible bristles can brush fine hair well," says Butler. Meanwhile, paddle brushes are great for thick hair because the bristles are more stiff than boar bristle, she adds.

Beauty Assistant Catharine Malzahn works closely with the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab to help deliver fact-based, science-backed beauty coverage. Over the years, she has interviewed experts, written product reviews and tested hundreds of hair products, including professional hair treatments, tools, shampoos, conditioners, styling products and more.

For this article, she worked closely with Chiara Butler in the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab. Butler formerly worked as a formulation chemist at a haircare brand, where she learned about the structure and properties of hair.

This story was most recently updated by Alexandra Kahn, an editorial intern for Good Housekeeping Institute.