Is your poodle a curly-wurly or a show dog?
From the pristine bobble and pom-pom clips to the carefree curl effect, whatever your choice one thing’s for sure: You want their coat to stay in tip-top condition.
Using the correct tools when grooming makes all the difference, but what exactly is the best brush for Poodles?
Best Brushes For Poodles
With so many different types of brush on the market, no one would blame you for feeling confused.
You wouldn’t be the first person to stand mesmerized in front of a display in a pet store to either walk away with nothing or grab a brush at random because you can’t make your mind up.
But don’t worry because we’ve taken the headache out of sourcing the best brush for poodle fur by doing all the leg work for you with our recommendations.
But first, it helps to untangle a few myths about poodle fur because it makes a difference to your grooming.
For example, that great urban myth that poodles are a non-shedding breed.
You may or may not be surprised to learn this is poppycock.
Poodles shed just like any other dog, but the difference is the shed hair stays tangled in their coats.
Knowing that poodles retain their shed hair means choosing the right brush to shift that dead fur that chokes up the coat, which in turn removes a major cause of mats or tangles forming in your dog’s coat.
Oh, and that’s another thing to point out.
Actually poodle people in the know claim that poodles don’t have fur…but rather hair…so let’s look at best brushes for poodle hair!
And of course, the most obvious thing about a poodles coat is that it’s curly – gloriously curly – and it can grow long – very long.
This means you either have to work exceeding hard at grooming to stop your dog from becoming one big fuzzy matt or they take regular trips to the parlor for a clip and spruce up.
What’s your choice?
That said, even clipped poodles need good coat care, so let’s get a look at those brushes.
1. Hertzko
In our tour through the bewildering types of brush, we’ll start with the slicker.
Characteristics of this brush are the thousands of short fine wires protruding from a flat head.
Often the wires are slightly angled near the tip.
Whilst this looks more like an instrument of torture than a brush, but when used correctly they are very gentle and extremely effective.
The job of the slicker brush is two-fold: To remove shed fur from the coat and to break up tangles.
The key to using a slicker brush correctly is to not press hard (which would press the pins into the skin.)
Instead, use short teasing strokes, and you may find it helpful to part the hair and work in sections.
Now slicker brushes are as old as the hills so what can Hertzko bring to the party that a traditional slicker can’t?
Great question.
The reason this product is our best slicker brush for poodles is the awesome design and a new take on ease of cleaning.
One of the bugbears of slicker brushes is that the hair gets tangled in the pins.
Then the brush gets choked up and it takes ages to free the frizz.
Not so with the Hertzko.
All you do is twist a button that retracts the pins, meaning they no longer cling onto the hair.
Hey, presto you wipe a hand across the now-flat head and off comes the fur – job is done!
The great thing is this product keeps everyone happy: dogs sleep through their brushing in a state of deep relaxation, whilst pet parents wonder where this brush has been all their life.
Still not sure? Try it for yourself.
2. HelloUSA
Poodles come in all sizes, so starting with the big boys this HelloUSA product is the best brush for Standard poodles.
So exactly is a pin brush? Good question.
Superficially they look pretty similar to a slicker brush, but there are subtle differences.
They are made up of metal pins (hence the name) usually with a softly rounded tip so they don’t scratch, mounted in a rubber cushion on a flat head.
The idea is those metal pins gently separate those curls without pulling, which helps you keep that luxurious coat tangle-free.
The pin brush is arguably better suited to top knots and bouffant hair-dos as the pin separate more than a slicker brush and you can be more energetic with your brushing but without hurting the dog.
We particularly like this HelloUSA pin brush because it is made in such a way that that pins contour to the shape of the dog.
This means no more pins catching on a sticky out bit but rather ‘going with the flow’.
In practical terms this means pet parents find the brush is a breeze to use and magically works away at tangles to free them up.
Also, because the pins are longer than average, this brush is especially suited to standard poodles with longer fur.
This is the best brush for a poodle because of it’s a sturdy, well-made product that is designed to last and very definitely should be on your shopping list for a large poodle, whilst it will also be met with approval by a toy or miniature poodles.
3. Poodle Pet
Our next dog brush for poodles isn’t a brush at all but a comb…or rather two combs.
The Poodle Pet consists of two products designed to work on coarse hair and fine fur.
So why a comb?
A comb is a great way to sort out ‘bed hair’.
You know the sort, when you get out of bed in the morning with that “dragged through a hedge backward” look.
Trying to take a brush that can result in you smoothly over the top of tangles rather than rooting them out for attention.
Well, a pet poodle is no different.
It’s made from high-quality stainless steel, so they are durable and should last a lifetime of grooming.
The ends of the teeth are gently rounded; a small detail which means the comb won’t scratch your dog’s skin when used with care.
The first comb has teeth that are longer and spaced more widely.
Use this for that first pass through the fur in order to get a feel for where the tangles are.
Once you’ve got the hair in order, you can divide it into sections and working from root to tip, use the fine-toothed combed to bring order to those lovely locks.
Pet parents of poodles that like to roll in leaves or regularly get burrs trapped in the coat will love this set.
When you find a teasel, work away at it with the comb to free it off.
The combs are also excellent to use when clipping your poodle.
There are plenty of pet parents who swear by the Poodle Pet to get debris out of their dog’s coat and find these metal combs better suited to their needs than a brush.
4. PawsPamper
The rake brush by PawsPamper has 20 stainless steel blades, which are designed to detangle and thin the fluffiest of coats.
The trouble with a soft curly coat is that it forms mats in the undercoat which may not be obvious unless you go looking.
A groom through with this rake once a week should sort all those problems.
Although the idea of cutting blades sounds a scary one – it isn’t in practice.
The end of each blade is curved so the cutting part stays well away from any sensitive skin.
Indeed, far from being something the dog has to endure, most poodles love the attention, finding the experience similar in enjoyment to a massage.
This is simple to use, just brush in the direction of the fur and use short strokes.
We are impressed by how many of the pet parents who have used this rake, describe how surprised they are at how effectively it works.
For many, they’d struggled to find a brush or grooming tool that did the job adequately – but no longer.
If you need any further convincing, it’s fair to say this is a ‘No risks attached’ purchase, because PawsPamper offers a full money-back guarantee if you are not completely satisfied with your purchase.
5. LilPals
Our final selection is the best brush for poodle puppy dogs.
The LilPals double-sided dog comb is made of stainless steel and features closely spaced teeth to lift out fleas and burs.
The idea is that at the flick of your wrist you can swap the sides over and go from detangling to smoothing.
This inexpensive brush is the ideal way to introduce your poodle puppy to grooming.
Don’t forget that it’s important to introduce a brush and grooming tools at a tender age, so the pup grows up accepting that having his coat attended to is part of life.
Not to do so could end with an adult dog that resents being brushed – which is tantamount to disaster when your coat needs loving care to look its best.
A puppy brush is a good way to go about those introductions.
For a start, the value for money price point means that if a puppy has a good chew on it then it’s not the end of the world.
For another, the widely spaced metal pins mean it’s easy to comb through his fur without tugging making for a pleasant experience.
If you’re not sure how to get a puppy used to be brushed, the key is to make it fun.
Leave the brush with his toys for starters, and praise the pup when he interacts positively with it, such as sniffing at it or picking it up.
Then touch the brush to his coat and when he’s calm, tell him how super clever he is.
Repeat this on many occasions and once he doesn’t bat an eyelid start gently brushing.
Again, praise his co-operation and if necessary, distract him with a treat to keep him still.
Hey, presto your little furry angel grows up into an adult dog that looks forward to having his coat brushed.
So why is this LilPals comb our choice as the best brush for poodle coat when you have a youngster?
It’s because pups love the feel of the brush against their tender skin and because it has an ergonomic handle that is easy to hold.
On the minus side, this brush isn’t a de-shedding brush so won’t do much for a dog with a thick undercoat but for poodle puppies it’s perfection.
Bottom Line
So there we are the no-tangle way to work out which brush is best suited to your poodle.
By choosing the right tool for the job whether that’s the best brush for a toy poodle or the best brush for a miniature poodle, you can ensure that coat care time is fun rather than a frenzy.
Remember, grooming should be a pleasurable experience for both you and the dog.
It’s also a vital way of looking after the dog’s hair and skin, as brushing stimulates the blood supply to the skin and spreads those naturally occurring conditioning oils over the coat.
It’s a good idea to do a quick comb or brush through once a day.
This removes those burrs and leaves that have magically found their way into the coat and stops them from becoming a problem.
Take time to do a thorough groom at least once or twice a week, paying special attention to deshedding in order to keep the coat in tip-top condition.
Now you have the knowledge, there’s no excuse for not brushing up on your grooming!
The Review
5 Best Brushes for Poodles
Here are the ratings for the top 5 Poodle brushes.
Review Breakdown
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Hertzko
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HelloUSA
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Poodle Pet
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PawsPamper
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LilPals
5 Best Brushes for Poodles DEALS
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