Whatever stage you’re in during your natural hair journey, staple items are needed to positively impact your hair’s strength and growth. A great deep conditioner and leave-in conditioner are just as vital to your strands as the tools and instruments used to style and manipulate your hair. The right comb and brush can stop breakage, alleviate split ends, and control frizz. Different combs and brushes do different things – you may use one brush to detangle conditioner-soaked hair in the shower and a different one to give volume to your roots when dry.
Here’s a rundown of the 10 best combs and brushes you need for your natural hair and how to use them.
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1. Denman Brush
Need to detangle those curls? The Denman Brush is the fairy godmother of detangling. It is known to get down to the nitty-gritty of eliminating knots and cutting the detangle session in half. Most effective on 3c and type 4 hair, it enhances your curl pattern with each stroke of the brush.
The collection of brushes comes in different shapes and sizes, all geared towards protecting your hair. The classic style brush features wide rows of effective bristles that separate and define wet curls while detangling it. This brush can be used on wet or dry hair, but I feel you’ll get the best usage on wet hair. The collection includes brushes for curling hair while blow drying and smaller brushes for children.
2. Felicia Leatherwood Detangler Brush
This is a crowd-fave among stylists for its ability to detangle and help provide definition, especially for high-density naturals. It also won the Best of the Best award for Best Tools for Type 4 coils in 2020. Coilies love the flexible rows of bristles, creating a wide tooth comb effect and minimizing the amount of shed hair. You can use it to gently detangle knots and use it in the styling process to evenly distribute products and create definition.
There are several brushes on the market that curlies love that also follow this flexible row design, like the Rizos Curls Pink Detangling Flexi Brush and the EZ Detangler Brush. LaToya Ebony compared the Felicia Leatherwood and EZ Detangler brushes side by side and found them to be comparable, but the designs may have different results depending on whether you hold them vertically or horizontally when detangling (a matter of personal preference).
3. Wet Brush
The Wet Brush is a magical tool that can dance through the curliest of manes. This brush is offered in various shapes and sizes and minimizes tangles, frizzing, and breakage. There are many ways to utilize this brush. Perhaps the most effective is while deep-conditioning your hair. It can also be used post-wash and while blow-drying.
4. Ouidad Double Row Detangler
Some people go through their natural hair journey without a comb. I couldn’t imagine doing this! A comb like Ouidad’s Double Detangler is perfect for maneuvering through thicker hair. Created with double rows of comb teeth, it can handle your strands without being rough or heavy-handed. This is a must-have for curly girls in the 3a-4 hair types.
5. Crave Naturals Flex DMC Detangling Brush
The Crave Naturals Flex DMC Detangling Brush is ideal for exfoliating, cleaning, and addressing your scalp. The open-cushion structure makes it easy to eliminate bacteria and build-up while using. This brush is especially good for detangling and removing fairy knots. Brush your hair from root to tip with a conditioner of your choice. Spend additional time on the roots to exfoliate the scalp and stimulate blood circulation.
6. Tangle Teezer
The Tangle Teezer is known to detangle your hair, assist while blow drying, and help you achieve your desired hairstyle. This multi-purpose brush comes in a variety of shapes and sizes that will address your hair’s individual need. I like these brushes because they cater to dry-styling. When you’re trying to achieve that Cardi B pearl updo that she wore to the Grammys, the Tangle Teezer is a tool that can help you execute it. These brushes start at just $12. You can’t go wrong with that!
7. Hercules Sagemann Magic Star Hair Comb
Combs with wider spaces between the teeth make for a stress-free detangling session. Hercules’ Sagemann Magic Star Hair Comb is heaven-sent for women with really thick hair. It has been designed so that the teeth won’t harm or damage your hair. Not only does this contribute to the overall health of your hair, it allows you to style your hair without the pain of detangling. More on the costly side, the Magic Star comb retails at $25.
8. Cricket Ultra Smooth Coconut Pick Comb
I bet no one thought they’d need a hair pick after the 80s. The truth is, this classic hair tool is a staple to natural hair. The Cricket Ultra Smooth Coconut Pick Comb will lift your twist out or afro and add an appealing volume to your style. It is best to use this pick in the styling phase of your hair routine.
9. Scrunchitcurls Scrunch It Brush
Unlike many of the brushes on this list, the Scrunch It Brush is not a detangler – it is a styling brush. The unique design of this brush makes it an excellent tool for helping curls to form. The rows of bristles help create tension to create smooth, tight ringlets. Curlies use it by holding the brush upside down, twisting their curl around the barrel and handle, then sliding the brush away from the scalp. You can watch how it’s done here. It can be used when styling on wash day or to refresh and touch up curls.
10. Conair Hi-Style Rubber Cushion Brush
While most of the brushes mentioned above can be used on wet or dry hair, know that the Conair Hi-Style Rubber Cushion Brush will cause more harm than good on dry hair. It will be your best friend if you use it while shampooing and deep conditioning. If you use it on dry hair, it’ll be your worst enemy. Now that we got that out of the way, this brush is a favorite to curly girls with type 4 hair. It seems to penetrate each tangle, and fairy knot in a way that makes detangling less of a choir and more of a simple task.
Have you tried any of these brushes? Please share your experiences with us below!
