7 Best Beard Brushes Compared & Reviewed in Detail

When you grow a beard, you feel like you conquered the world.

While this is true (you conquered the world of beards), your amazing mane won’t look amazing automatically if you don’t groom it properly.

Sure, some guys with neat facial hair make it look effortless to a point you think they have some rare gene that just makes their beard magnificent on the spot.

Flesh news: they don’t have anything you can’t get yourself.

No matter your style, the indispensable tool you need (and the key ingredient to a tamed, glorious beard) is the right beard brush.

Good news: there is a brush for every style and beard types.

In this definitive buyer’s guide, you’ll find the top beard brushes currently available that’ll help you groom and style your beard, as well as exfoliate the skin underneath in a matter of minutes.

Top 5 Beard Brushes (Summary)

These are unbiased opinions based on using products in our homes or barbershops. None of the reviews are sponsored or paid to be promoted. Beardoholic is reader-supported. We may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through links on our site. Thank you.

7 Best Beard Brush Reviewed

1. Beardoholic Beard Brush

Beardoholic Brush features bristles that are made of 100% boar hair – ensuring you will never want to use the cheap synthetic bristled brushes ever again.

This brush is designed to help the user maintain coarse facial hair by smoothly gliding through the beard and fending off ingrown hairs without resulting in any irritation.

The handle is made of bamboo, completing its lightweight build and stylish look.

By helping you distribute the oil evenly through the beard, this product provides gentle moisture, making your facial hair stronger and easier to style.

Even after the first use, you will notice fewer tangles, beardruff, debris and crumbs stuck in your beard. Finally, the brush is extremely gentle to your skin and will never cause you any irritation.

 

2. Grow a Beard Brush and Comb Set

Made to fit into the pockets Grow a Beard Brush allows you to groom your beard no matter where you are. It’s made from a long-lasting and durable bamboo, while the bristles are made of a boar.

This makes the brush work exceptionally well in removing dirt from your face skin and beard, while also helping you distribute beard oil evenly.

The product is also entirely eco-friendly and comes in an elegant package. Inside of the pack, there is a wooden beard comb, which makes this set a great present for a bearded man in your life.

This set will satisfy most of your beard grooming needs at a bargain deal price. Now, that’s a good balance between the quality and the price.

 

3. Kent

Instead of fitting in the palm of your hand, Kent Brush is designed similarly to a traditional hairbrush. The ergonomic wood handle helps ensure comfort and prevent problems like cramping.

There are two models, the BRD2 and the BRD5. The latter is wider and rounder, while the former is longer and thinner.

The bristles use a blend of horsehair and nylon. This makes it easy for them to comb through a tough beard without scratching your skin.

This brush also comes with storage options. It has both a gift box and a hand-stitched cotton bag with a unique design.

 

4. Peter’s Beard Brush

If you often struggle with beard dandruff or dead skin and oil buildups, Peter’s Brush is a product you should have a look at.

It’s rather small, but this is exactly what makes it portable and easy to carry around on your travels. Convenient storage and travel container are also included.

The brush is rather simple to use and clean. Because of the round shape, it provides a firm grip and feels amazing in hand.

Soft horse bristles make untangling and softening facial hair very easy, but if your beard is too coarse, this probably won’t work for you.

 

5. Tombstone Beard Brush

Tombstone Facial Hair Brush has a wooden handle that offers a comfortable grasp and the bristles are synthetically made instead of being natural boar hair.

They are made to exfoliate your skin and tame your beard, but you might find them too soft to you if your beard is thicker and coarser.

Although you would expect them to be harsh on the skin, that’s not the case and they are perfectly gentle, providing you with maximum comfort.

The handle also has an ergonomic shape and is pretty easy to control. There are also a wooden facial hair comb, unscented beard oil, beard balm and small scissors included in the set to cover almost all of your grooming needs.

 

Brushes that are also worth mentioning:

6. Plemo

Plemo Beard Brush is crafted with 100% boar hair. This makes it great for brushing out knots or working in balms and oils without irritating the skin on your face.

While the brush is best used with shorter facial hair, it isn’t a limiting choice either, so you can use it if you have a long beard too. It will easily brush out thick beards and coarse hair as well.

You can order the brush in either round or oval shape. It’s designed to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand while you use it.

When you’re done, you can simply put it in the storage case. With its compact and sleek design, it also serves as an attractive gift as well.

 

7. ZilberHaar Brush

With the regular use of ZilberHaar Brush, your facial hair will become softer, healthier and better looking, with less ingrown hairs and beard itch..

Besides softening your beard, it will also exfoliate and massage your skin, while helping you distribute your oil evenly throughout the facial hair.

Known for their numerous benefits, natural boar bristles on this brush will perfectly glide through your facial mane.

Although it works for all beards, if yours is a bit thicker, consider looking for some other option, just in case. The handle is made of pearwood and has a pretty good and better grip.

 

What Is Beard Brush Anyway

A beard brush refers to a men’s grooming tool used in keeping his facial hair clean and kept. It is designed in such a way that it can help keep your mustache and beard always looking neat and healthy. Aside from keeping your facial hair in check, regular brushing by using the beard brush can also help in keeping the skin beneath your beard and mustache healthy.

Benefits of Using Them

Before actually trying one out, you might find yourself asking: What are the benefits of using a beard brush? A brush is an essential part of your beard care routine, no matter the length of your beard.

If you are still wondering if investing in a beard brush is a good decision, then here are the benefits of using one. Learning about these benefits will surely encourage you to buy this brush and start using it on your beard regularly.

Helps Exfoliate the Skin

A good beard brush can help exfoliate your skin, specifically beneath your beard and mustache. Note that you also need to take care of the skin underneath all that facial hair because healthy skin will also equate to a healthy beard and mustache.

If the skin underneath is dry and flaky, then it will most likely ruin the look of the beard as well. Brushing will also help exfoliate the skin. It can remove the dead skin on top and make the facial hair a lot easier to tame and groom.

Stimulates the Production of Skin Oils

Skin oil, or sebum, is produced by the oil glands in the skin. In large quantities, skin oil will make your face look dirty and greasy, but in the right amounts, it can help make your beard look more moisturized and healthier.

The oil also works in making your beard or facial hair feel softer. Brushing your beard regularly will stimulate the natural release of sebum from the skin’s oil glands. It can also prevent excess oil from clogging the pores of the skin, thereby preventing acne.

Trains the Beard to Grow Properly

Facial hair is very notorious for being hard to control. It tends to grow all over the place. However, if you constantly brush your beard, it will force the hair to stay in the place you want it to. In time, your mustache and beard will grow in the way you prefer. It can also minimize the number of stray hairs to a manageable number.

How Does It Work

You use a beard brush to groom your beard and keep all the facial hair in check. If you use a conditioning beard oil, a beard brush will ensure that all of the hair strands are evenly coated with its nourishing and conditioning properties. This will always result in much better results compared to when you are just applying the oil and/or balm by hand.

A beard brush also helps keep the hairs in line, even without the use of a beard balm. In this regard, brushes are slightly better than combs as their bristles have more contact with the hairs, making them easier to style and stay in place.

Pros and Cons of Natural Hair vs Synthetic Beard Brush

Pros

• Makes your beard shinier. Natural hair beard brushes are known for making beards and mustaches look shinier. It is because the use of this brush helps in dispersing the natural skin oils. When you use natural hair brushes, like boar hair, your beard will look a lot healthier.
• Prevents breakage better. Natural hair bear brushes have much softer bristles compared to the synthetic brushes. However, they are still stiff enough to allow you to control the hairs of your beard better. Aside from that, they have enough given to let the hairs just go over the bristles without them breaking.
• They last much longer. Natural hair brushes are generally more expensive, not just because they are made of more premium materials, but also because more craftsmanship went into making them. Most of the time, natural hair brushes are hand-made by skilled artisans. No expense was spared in the making of these brushes, so you can be sure that they will last for years at the very least.

Cons

• They are more expensive. As mentioned earlier, natural hair brushes are generally more expensive than their synthetic counterparts. They are also usually handcrafted, adding more to the price. However, you can rest assured that you will be getting more than what you paid for if you decide to buy one.
• They are not that great for untangling hair strands. Because natural hair beard brushes are a lot softer compared to the synthetic bristle brushes, they are not as effective at untangling beard hairs. It will take more passes to get rid of tangles and knots in your beard, and most of the time, you will need to get in there using your fingers to get the job done.

Types of Beard Brush Bristles

Beard brush bristles come in different types. It is advisable to learn a thing or two about these types of bristles as this will give you an idea which one can benefit you the most.

Boar’s Hair

Boar’s hair can be considered as the most popular type of beard brush bristles. The popularity of these bristles can be attributed to the fact that they work much better than the other types in terms of stimulating beard growth and redistributing skin oils.

Boar hair has almost the same texture and softness as human hair. This is what allows the bristles to brush over the hair strands and the skin underneath without causing too much abrasion.

Horse hair

This type is much softer than boar’s hair, which makes them feel a whole lot better going through your beard. However, since it is softer, the bristles do tend to get knotted themselves.

If you have very sensitive skin that usually gets irritated when you use stiff brushes, then you should just switch on over to horsehair brushes because they are gentler and softer on your facial hair.

Synthetic Bristles

Although these types of brushes are not as prestigious as the previous two, they do have their own benefits. Synthetic bristles are usually made of nylon. This material works best if you have a thick and often tangled beard.

Synthetic beard brushes have stiff bristles that can power through the thick hair strands of your beard. It can forcefully untangle any knots, get rid of dead strands, and straighten out split ends.

How to Choose the Best One

Do you want to start shopping for the best beard brush? Then make it a point to do thorough research of all your choices. That way, you get the chance to pick one that truly does what it is intended to do. To help you, here are some important considerations and factors to keep in mind:

Boar Bristles

The bristles of a brush can be either synthetically made, made of natural boar hair, or made of natural horsehair.

For the best quality results, boar hair bristles are the recommended option as they are able to spread oil evenly across your beard, giving it a much softer texture.

On the flip side, synthetic bristles have the benefit of not doing any harm to animals, although they don’t tend to perform as well as animal hair brushes.

Handle

Most brush handles of facial hair brushes are made of bamboo, but it is not uncommon to see a brush with a plastic handle or a handle that is made out of some other type of wood.

The type of handle material you will choose depends on your personal preference. Wood handles tend to be more durable and aesthetically appealing, but plastic brushes are easier to clean.

Bristle Stiffness

The bristle stiffness of a brush depends on what the bristles are made of. However, there are pros and cons to both softer and stiffer bristles.

Softer bristles have less chance of irritating your skin, but stiffer bristles tend to be more effective in distributing oil throughout facial hair.

Bristle Cut

The shape of the brush will depend on the condition of your beard. If you have a bushy beard, the brush should also have thick and close-set bristles, and rectangular in shape if possible. Thinner and shorter beards are best groomed using a smaller, round brush that has shorter bristles.

Material

In terms of the material, you can choose between natural hair bristles, synthetic bristles, or a combination of both. Natural hair bristles, like boar and horsehair, are softer. This material does a better job of picking up excess skin oils and spreading them evenly throughout the beard.

On the other hand, synthetic bristles are stiffer. With this stiffness, it can tame knots and frizz much better. If you are unsure of what to get, start with the combination brush and figure out from there which type is the best. Personally, though, it is best to have one of each.

Bristle Length

The length that you should choose will mostly depend on how thick your beard is. If your beard is a bit short and the hairs stick close to the skin, get a brush with short bristles. It is also advisable to go for longer bristles if you have a long and scruffy beard. A longer one will ensure that the brush reaches the skin underneath your beard.

Price

When it comes to beard brushes, you have to remember that it is not necessary for you to buy the most expensive stuff. Remember that you get what you pay for, though, so if you can afford the top-tier brushes, then consider going for them.

However, if you have a tight budget, it is best to go shopping in the middle part of the price spectrum. You can usually find beard brushes that are reasonably priced but perform the exact same way as the expensive brushes do.

When shopping for beard brushes, it is also important to check online customer reviews. By reading reviews, it will be easier for you to find good brushes that will not break the bank.

How to Brush Your Beard

Ideally, you should brush your beard after you shampoo your beard. To guide you, here are some important steps to follow:

Step 1 – Apply beard oil or balm first

This step is important as the beard oil or beard balm can help make brushing your beard easier. Both products can also help ensure that the hair strands are more nourished and moisturized.

To apply the beard oil, put a couple of drops of oil on your palm. Rub your palms together to emulsify and spread it evenly. Apply the oil evenly using your hands.

Step 2 – Start brushing at the ends of the strands

This is especially important if you have a long and thick beard. Brushing the ends first will untangle and loosen up the ends. If your beard is very tangled and knotted, you can first use a beard comb to get rid of the more problematic tangles. It will also help loosen up the strands better, promoting ease in brushing them later.

Step 3 – Brush outward from the base of the strands to the ends

Do this after taking care of the end knots and tangles. This is the time when you will be brushing the hair in the direction that you want your beard to grow. Use the brush to tame any strands that stray from the direction of your beard. Make all strands look as uniform as possible.

Step 4 – Brush gently

Pay close attention to the amount of pressure that you are placing on your beard while you are brushing. Do not put on too much pressure as it might only cause you to put excessive stress on the strands, leading to their breakage. It might also irritate the skin underneath the beard.

However, remember that not applying enough pressure will mean that the bristles will not penetrate deep enough to untangle the strands. It also means that the bristles will not even reach the skin to help exfoliate it.

With that, determine the specific pressure that you have to apply. After that, use a brush to shape your beard into the desired style.

How to Clean Beard Brush

If you want to make the most out of your beard brush investment, then taking good care of it is a must. You can do so by cleaning it regularly. You can choose to do either basic or deep cleaning, depending on what you think the beard brush needs at a specific time.

Cleaning your brush can be messy, so try to use beard bib and trash it to a can.

If you want to make the most out of your beard brush investment, then taking good care of it is a must. You can do so by cleaning it regularly. You can choose to do either basic or deep cleaning, depending on what you think the beard brush needs at a specific time.

Basic Beard Cleaning (done at least once a week)

Step 1 – Grab beard brush and hair comb

Stand over a trash can so it will catch most of the debris that might fall off the brush.

Step 2 – Hold the brush with the bristles facing downward

Run the comb through the bristles. It will dislodge most of the dirt and debris that got caught in the bristles. It might also loosen up any hair that got tangled in the brush.

It might also loosen up some of the bristles, but don’t worry, not much will fall off to make a difference. If there are bristles that get pulled out, pick them out using your fingertips.

Deep Beard Cleaning (done at least once a month or as needed)

Step 1 – Run warm water over the bristles

Grab the brush by the handle and then let warm tap water run over the bristles. Try not to get the wooden handle too wet.

Step 2 – Use regular shampoo and toothbrush

Place a couple of drops of regular shampoo on the bristles and lather it up using an old, clean toothbrush. Do not brush the bristles too hard. It should be just enough to work up a respectable lather.

Step 3 – Rinse the bristles using warm water

Place the brush underneath the tap and continue brushing. Stop once the water runs clear and there is no more soap in the bristles.

Step 4 – Shake off as much of the water out of the brush as you can

Place the brush on a dry towel with the bristles facing down. Leave it there overnight, or until the bristles are completely dry.

Beard Brush vs Comb

There is a difference between the two, which is why it is helpful to utilize both in your beard care routine.

Overall, the biggest difference between the two is that facial hair brushes are used to train the hairs to grow in the desired direction, while beard combs are generally used for detangling and sculpting purposes.

Ideally, you should consider investing in both the beard brush and the beard comb if you are planning to grow facial hair. It is because the two perform a couple of vital functions. The beard comb is designed in a way that it can untangle the knots and take out any dead hair strands within the beard.

On the other hand, the beard brush is meant for use once you have used the comb on your beard. After combing your beard, you can follow it up with the brush, which performs the function of smoothing out the frizz. The beard brush will also further untangle the strands and make the beard all shiny and clean.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Brush your facial hair in the direction that you want it to grow. Even if the beard hair is still short, brushing it in your preferred direction will train it to grow where you want.
• Use beard oil or balm daily to keep your beard from drying up. It will not only make brushing your beard easier but will also keep your beard healthy.
• Clean your brush at least once a week. There are plenty of dead skin cells, dead hair, and other nasty stuff that can get caught between the bristles. Clean your brush to prevent them from going back into your beard.
• Do not brush your beard too roughly. Brushing it too roughly might only damage your strands.
• Do not start brushing from the base of the beard. Start from the ends, instead, so you can untangle the strands first.

FAQ

Why should I use a boar bristle brush on my beard?

A pure boar bristle beard brush is a much better choice on your beard because it has a similar texture as human hair. It allows it to work more naturally. Aside from that, it is great when it comes to picking up excess skin oil and spreading it throughout the beard.

Should I brush my beard up or down?

Either way is actually acceptable. You can brush your beard up if you want to give it a fuller look and promote ease when it comes to untangling it. After that, you can brush it downwards for styling.

Where can I buy a beard brush?

Ideally, you should buy your beard brushes from a store that specializes in men’s grooming products. However, you can also find a wide variety of them online, and most of them are priced competitively.

How often should I brush my beard?

It is highly recommended to brush your hair at least two times a day, preferably once in the morning after you shower and once more at night before you go to bed.

Will brushing my beard make it grow faster?

It depends on how your beard and the skin beneath it respond to the regular brushing. The good news, though, is that it might indeed stimulate growth. Note that regular brushing can exfoliate your skin.

It can stimulate blood flow in the area and ensure that natural oils will be properly distributed through your beard, giving it enough moisture. Such functions might stimulate the growth of your beard because you have an assurance that more nutrients reach your hair follicles.

Conclusion

If you want healthy and long beard, or make it look well-groomed, then you need to get yourself the best beard brush that you can find. With the help of this simple implement, you can go from having an unkempt and untidy beard to someone with a well-groomed beard, making you look like a dignified gentleman instantly.