Best Shaving Brushes
Many men just use their hands to spread shaving cream and aid them in their shaving experience.

However, they are missing out on a whole world of better shaving that could be achieved by just utilizing a shaving brush!

Shaving with sensitive skin can be challenging, but using a combination of shaving brushes and shaving razors for sensitive skin can create the perfect, non-irritating experience.

Shaving brushes come in a variety of styles, shapes, and sizes.

Top 5 Shaving 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.

Image Product Details  
sample-table__image Softest HairsMiusco
  • Creates rich and warm lather
  • Exfoliates your skin
  • Reduces irritation
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sample-table__image Most ComfortableEdwin Jagger
  • Smooth
  • Lifts hairs
  • Rarely loses any bristle
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sample-table__image Great for Sensitive SkinParker Safety
  • Makes a thick, foamy lather
  • High bristle density
  • Comes with a stand for drying and storing the brush
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sample-table__image Omega Professional
  • Perfect stiffness
  • Develops a dense, creamy foam
  • Minimal bristle loss
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sample-table__image Frank Shaving
  • Suitable for vegans because it’s not made from animal hairs
  • Long-lasting
  • Simple to clean
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For more detailed and complete product reviews on benefits and features, keep reading.

This can make it challenging to know which are the best and which are the best for you.

This comprehensive guide will give you a great introduction into the incredible world of shaving with a brush.

Learn why they are one of the most important components of beard grooming kits.

7 Best Shaving Brushes Reviewed

1. Miusco Brush and Shaving Stand Set

With bristles built entirely from pure badger hair, Miusco Shaving Brush forms a generous amount of lather in addition to feeling soft and gentle to your skin.

When using it for the first time, it’s possible to experience some hairs falling out of it, but this shall pass after a few uses.

Although the product is sanitized, being made of badger’s hair means that in the beginning, it’ll have a strong and maybe even obnoxious smell.

After you use it for a couple of times, this smell will dissipate completely. By lifting your facial hairs during the process of shaving, the brush opens up your pores and exfoliates your skin.

This way, it significantly reduces the chances for razor burns, irritation and infection. Along with the brush, you also get a shaving stand where you can hang it and let it dry properly.

Miusco Brush and Shaving Stand Set

 

Pros

  • Creates rich and warm lather to make shaving extra comfortables
  • Exfoliates your skin and opens up your pores
  • Reduces irritation, razor burns and infections
  • Made of 100% badger hairs that are soft and gentle to the skin
Cons

  • Bristles fall out in the beginning
  • Strong, unpleasant smell that dissipates after a few uses

2. Edwin Jagger

In combination with hot water and some high-end soap or shaving cream, Edwin Jagger develops a rich, creamy lather allowing the razor to glide smoothly for maximum comfort.

Note that the product has quite soft bristles, so if you prefer the one that feels a bit stiffer, opt for a brush with boar hairs.

From time to time, you might notice one or two bristles falling out, but never multiple of them, which clearly distinguishes this product from similar ones.

During the shaving, the brush will lift your beard hairs providing you with a closer shave, while at the same time stimulating and exfoliating the skin underneath.

After every use, rinse it with warm water and hang it on the matching drip stand. Proper drying will double or even triple the lifetime of your product.

Edwin Jagger

 

Pros

  • Produces a rich lather for comfortable shaving experience
  • Softens and lifts hairs for a closer and long lasting shave
  • Exfoliates the skin on your face
  • Rarely loses any bristle
Cons

  • The handle and the stand are made of plastic
  • Pretty expensive

3. Escali

Sturdy construction with a real wood handle and genuine badger hair of Escali Shaving Brush are designed to give you a comfortable and smooth shave every morning.

Soft bristles create a thick, creamy lather in just a few seconds allowing you to remove all the hairs with only one pass of the razor.

Besides that, the bristles act as an exfoliator for your skin, providing you with a closer shave and leaving a refreshing feeling afterward.

Although the product tends to lose the hairs fairly quickly, you can still prolong its life by ensuring that you clean, rinse and store it properly.

Good news is that the product itself helps you with this as its bristles absorb and retain water, giving you a real wet shave and making the rinsing process much easier.

Escali

 

Pros

  • Generates a thick, foamy lather
  • Gently exfoliates your skin for a closer shave
  • Great, low price
  • Pure badger hair for a soft and luxurious shave
Cons

  • Loses a lot of bristles
  • Overwhelming, unpleasant smell for the first few uses

4. Parker Safety Silvertip Badger

Knowing that silvertip badger hairs are the softest of them all, people from Parker Safety made the bristles of their Silvertip Badger Shaving Brush precisely from this type of hairs.

They are so popular in the first place because of their high density, smoothness and ability to retain a huge amount of water for making an amazing, thick lather.

Extra soft bristles that are very gentle to the skin are the ideal choice for men with sensitive skin, who often struggle with finding suitable shaving products for themselves.

To make sure that your brush has a long lifetime, you’ve got to take good care of it. Acrylic drip stand this product comes with is an excellent solution for this purpose.

When you finish with shaving, just rinse your brush, hang it on this stand and leave it to dry.

Parker Safety Silvertip Badger

 

Pros

  • Makes a thick, foamy lather for a more comfortable shave
  • Great for men with sensitive skin
  • High bristle density for better water retention
  • Comes with a stand for drying and storing the brush
Cons

  • Bristles tend to fall off often
  • Very expensive

5. Omega Professional

Unlike a lot of other similar products with badger hairs, Omega Professional Shaving Brush has boar bristles that are a little stiffer, but that’s precisely what allows them to massage your face.

To put it differently, the hairs are soft enough to spread the lather evenly without causing you irritation, but also slightly stiff to lift the hairs off your skin and give you a close shave.

As the lather is the most important thing, it’s worthwhile mentioning that this product creates a very dense, rich one that helps you shave all the hairs in just one pass.

Furthermore, it even leaves enough lather for the second, thinner coat. Being a little firmer, this product also works great in exfoliating your skin.

Although it’s pretty bigger than most brushes, it feels lightweight and its bristles don’t fall that often. On a side note, they could be a little shorter, but the good news is there is no bad smell at all like with badger hairs.

Omega Professional

 

Pros

  • Develops a dense, creamy foam
  • Perfect stiffness to lift the hairs and provide a close shave
  • Exfoliates the skin gently
  • Minimal bristle loss
Cons

  • Bristles are too long
  • Not for left handed people

6. Semoque 620

If the purposes of shaving brushes are to exfoliate the skin on your face and make a generous lather to give you a comfortable shave then Semoque 620 ticks both the boxes.

It has boar bristles, which are a bit firmer than badger hairs, but they’re not scratchy or uncomfortable to the skin.

In the beginning, it is possible that it loses a few hairs, but this will stop after two to three weeks. One of the abilities of this product is to create a thick lather very quickly.

One thing that might bother you is the length of the hairs that can’t stand on a drip stand without touching its bottom.

The handle looks high-end, but some customers had problems with the knot that disintegrated from the handle after some time.

Semoque 620

 

Pros

  • Quickly generates a creamy, thick lather
  • Soft with just the right amount of firmness
  • Exfoliates the skin gently and better than badger hairs
  • Low and affordable priceg
Cons

  • The finger holes may be small for some
  • Not for left handed people

7. Frank Shaving

Made from pur-tech bristles, Frank Shaving Brush is something vegans will greatly appreciate because it doesn’t involve animal hairs at all.

Nevertheless, this doesn’t prevent it from being very soft and tender to your skin. Surprisingly sturdy, this brush will get you a very thick, foamy lather.

It works better with shaving soaps because they normally need more water to create a creamy lather.

To prolong its life, make sure to hang it upside down on the stand that you get along with it and leave it there.

It might take some time to dry, so make sure to give it plenty of time to do so. The drip stand itself isn’t that special, but it gets the job done.

Frank Shaving

 

Pros

  • Produces a nice, thick lather
  • Very soft bristles that are gentle to the skin
  • Suitable for vegans because it’s not made from animal hairs
  • Simple to clean and long-lasting
Cons

  • The finger holes may be small for some
  • Not for left handed people

What Features Should the Best Shaving Brush for Men Have

Shaving brushes consist of two major parts: the handle and the bristles. The bristle portion is described as “the loft.

When it comes to the handle, it can be made from a variety of materials including plastic, ivory, metal, and wood. Generally, shavers should avoid using wooden handles because they tend not to last as long.

The bristles tend to be arranged in one of two ways: a fan shape or a bulb shape. Both have many shavers who swear by them. As such, there generally is not much of a difference between the two in terms of performance.

The biggest things that you need to think about when picking a brush is that it is made from good materials, and it is the right shape and size.

Types of Brushes Hair

Types of Brushes Hair

There are four main types of hair that are utilized in the loft of shaving brushes. Each type has its own positives and negatives.

Badger Hair

These brushes are generally known as the best of the best because they retain the most heat and water, and they are the most flexible. There are several different grades of badger hair brushes that you can choose from.

Pure Badger

This grade is the cheapest because the hair comes from the body of the badger. It is also the coarsest of the types of badger brushes you can buy.

It is a great option for beginners or anyone who does not want to spend hundreds on a shaving brush.

Best Badger

These brushes are softer than pure badger brushes. They serve as a great compromise between coarseness and price. They also retain more water and heat than pure badger brushes.

Super Badger

These brushes are even softer than the ones mentioned above. These brushes do not need to be trimmed because they are already tapered nicely from their natural shape. They eliminate practically any scratchy feeling on your face.

Silver Tip

This is the ultimate shaving brush, but it is also by far the most expensive because of its rarity. Silver tip brushes utilize hair taken from the neck of the badger. These brushes provide the most luxurious shave, but they also are the most susceptible to sustaining damage if not properly taken care of.

Boar Hair

These brushes tend to be the most inexpensive and the easiest to find. However, these brushes tend not to last as long and exhibit poor heat and water retention.

One good factor aside from the low price is that the coarse texture of these brushes is perfect for lathering shaving soap.

Horse Hair

This style is stiffer than badger but softer than boar. The hair for these brushes is generally derived from the mane or tail of a horse, causing the animal virtually no pain or discomfort.

Many say horse hair feels softer on the face than badger hair. Unfortunately, these brushes tend to come with a noticeably foul odor.

This can be remedied with pet shampoo. It is possible to acquire horse hair brushes that are purely made from the mane, tail or a combination of horse and badger hair.

Synthetic Hair

These brushes tend to be made from nylon, which is much more uniform than any animal hair. These brushes can also more easily withstand higher temperatures than the other varieties.

Synthetic brushes last longer and dry faster, which are some great advantages. However, they do have poor heat retention, less bristle flex, and a stiff feel.

How to Choose the Best One

How to Choose the Best One

There are many different facets to shaving brushes that can seem overwhelming when all considered simultaneously.

However, here are a few key areas to focus on when choosing a brush that will ensure that you end up with the one that is perfect for you.

Price

Obviously, the price is something that should always be considered regardless of what type of product you are purchasing. Something to keep in mind with shaving brushes is that a higher price does not always mean a better quality.

You should not base your decision solely off the price, but it should be something that you consider.

Consumer Reviews

With the help of the internet, the thoughts and opinions of other users can be easily accessed. This information can be extremely helpful in making an educated decision when it comes to shaving brushes.

Looking at shaving blogs and forums also provides beneficial information.

Availability and Length of Time on the Market

It is important to note if a brush seems to be a fad or if it has been produced by a respectable, long-lasting company in the industry.

This does not mean that emerging companies should be ignored. However, as a general note, the longer a company has been in business, the more satisfaction they have supplied to their customers.

Brush Type

You will need to carefully evaluate which type of hair you would like to have in your shaving brush. If you are vegan or have other qualms about using animal products, then synthetic may be the way to go.

Otherwise, consult the above descriptions of each type to aid in your decision-making process.

Shedding

Nearly all brushes will shed at least a little bit, especially when you first get them, but few will continue to shed well into their life-spans.

A brush that sheds excessively will become ineffective quickly, and it is essentially a waste of money.

Handle

The handle type is extremely important because it will indicate the brush’s overall quality as well as its longevity. It is a general rule of thumb that wooden handles should be avoided because they degrade easily in moist environments such as bathrooms.

Size

You will want to make sure that your brush is the right length for your hand. Also, you will also want to ensure that the knot is of sufficient size to hold enough bristles to get the job done.

How to Use a Shaving Brush

How to Use a Shaving Brush

If you are new to the process of shaving with a shaving brush, there are a few steps you can take to ensure you give yourself the best shave of your life.

This should be regardless of what type of razor you use from safety to cartridge to shavette.

Step 1 – Soak in Water

To begin the shaving process, fill a bowl with warm water. Ideally, you want a bowl specifically made for shaving.

The water should not be boiling, but it still should be sufficiently warm. Make sure every bristle is covered by the water and soak for several minutes.

Step 2 – Drain the Brush

After soaking the brush in water, you will want to remove the excess water, so you can begin shaving.

There is no need to wring it out aggressively. Just make sure that the brush is no longer dripping water before proceeding to the next step.

Step 3 – Build Your Lather

When using shaving cream, you will want to put some in your shaving bowl after you have dried it out. Then add drops of water until you reach your desired texture and thickness.

After that, you will need to swish the mixture around in your bowl with the brush until it is well-mixed. The sweet spot is when the mixture is rich and creamy but has yet to become excessively foamy.

Another way to use shaving cream with your brush is to create a small opening in the bristles of the brush and insert the shaving cream. When using this method, you still may want to consider mixing the shaving cream first.

If you want an even more luxurious experience, consider utilizing a shaving cream warmer!

If you have chosen to utilize shaving soap, then you will have to use a slightly different process. You will still want to put the soap in the shaving bowl after drying it.

Then add a bit of water to soften the soap, much like you would when using a bar of soap in the shower.

Once the soap has been moistened, swirl your brush around on top of it so that you get a decent amount on your brush.

Step 4 – Lather Your Face

Now we have come to the best part: applying the cream or soap to your face using the brush. However, first, you will want to ensure that your face is sufficiently wet.

It is advisable to shave after taking a shower because your skin will be moist and ready to go.

When you lather, utilize a circular motion that evenly spreads the cream while exfoliating your skin. After that, go back over your face using an up-and-down motion that will help to create a smooth surface to begin shaving.

Step 5 – Repeat as Needed

After making one pass of your face with the razor, it is advisable to re-lather your face for each subsequent pass.

If you want to create a uniquely clean shape, then try a barber shaping tool. Read up on beard shaping tips from your local barber and hair care experts. The right resources can teach how to grow your beard fast.

When it comes to styling your beard, you may want to consider using wooden beard combs. This will help you grow a thicker and fuller beard.

One thing to keep in mind is that you should not allow your shaving cream/soap mixture to become to dry.

As such, you will need to add additional drops of water as necessary. After you are done shaving, use barber beard scissors for those final touch-ups!

To keep the mess to a minimum, you can use a beard bib or apron. This process will make you feel like you are sitting in the best barber chair in the shop!

How to Clean and Maintain Your Shaving Brush

There are several substances you can use to clean your shaving brush including pet shampoo, laundry detergent, and distilled white vinegar.

The brushes really only need to be deep cleaned with one of these methods every few months, but they should definitely be cleaned in this manner before their first use.

How to Clean and Maintain Your Shaving Brush

In addition to cleaning, keeping the brush as dry as possible when it is not in use will help it to last much longer.

Is Your Hand Better Than the Brush?

All this information really comes down to the same basic question: Is getting a shaving brush worth it? Many who have never tried a shaving brush will think that their hand works just fine.

However, once they try a shaving brush, they will never want to give themselves a lackluster shave without one ever again.

Here are a few reasons why using your hand will never compare to using a shaving brush:

A Brush Will Get You a Closer Shave

Using a shaving brush lifts your facial hair so that the razor can cut the hair closer to the base. This gives you a much closer shave than is possible when you just use your hands.

A Brush Is Less Likely to Irritate Your Skin

With your facial hair being lifted further, you won’t irritate your skin as much or cause ingrown hairs. If you are concerned about cutting yourself while shaving, then utilizing the top safety razors in addition to shaving brushes will nearly eradicate this risk.

Consider researching cartridge razor vs safety for the most up-to-date information on this subject. If you want to try to shave your head, then the best way to reduce irritation is to use a shaving brush with one of the best razors for shaving your head.

A Brush Will Exfoliate Your Skin

The bristles of shaving brushes do an incredible job exfoliating your skin. This process removes dead skin cells and makes your skin much healthier. Natural beard oils can also aid in this process!

A Brush Will Create a More Effective Lather

It is impossible to create the same lather with your hand as with a shaving brush. Brushes will always be superior in this category.

Hopefully, your eyes have been opened to the wonderful world of shaving with a shaving brush by reading this!

Don’t delay in creating the best shaving experience possible for yourself!