Shedding is a perfectly normal event for most dogs. The natural process of shedding allows old and dead fur to be replaced by fresh, new hair. Some breeds, including Siberian huskies, German shepherds, and all types of collies have what’s termed a double coat. Double-coated dogs have a thick layer of fluffy fur underneath a top coat of smooth “guard hairs.”
In the spring and fall, the undercoat is “blown” to make way for a new one, upholstering your home in dog hair in the process! If you have a double-coated dog, you’ll be all too familiar with using a vacuum cleaner, especially when your beloved canine companion is “blowing” his coat! Also, many breeds shed year-round, so your home is always filled with tumbleweeds of floating fluff!
But there is a solution to the hairy horror! Using a deshedding tool to groom your dog can help to dramatically reduce the amount of hair that finds its way onto your carpets, clothes, and upholstery. Below you’ll see our favorite tools “at a glance” before jumping into a more detailed overview and buyer’s guide.
At a Glance: Our Favorite Deshedding Tools
Best Overall
Furminator Deshedder
Popular Pick
DakPets Furblaster
Budget Pick
Oster Shedmonster
Hair Brushes vs. Deshedding Tools
Comparing grooming tools is always fun, especially for the DIY groomer. Some people fall on both sides of the fence when you have similar products that are engineered toward the same task. You can see what we mean here when we compare the top nail grinders to nail clippers.
The array of grooming tools that are displayed in your local pet supplies store can be confusing to many dog owners. For example, what’s the difference between a regular dog hairbrush and a deshedding brush or tool?
Dog Hair Brushes
A regular dog hairbrush is designed to be used as a finishing tool. After you’ve finished grooming your pet with a deshedding brush, you may find that there are still a few loose hairs remaining on the top of the dog’s coat.
That’s when you need to use a dog hairbrush. To complete the grooming process, pass the dog hairbrush across the dog’s body, where it will pick up those pesky loose hairs, leaving your pet’s coat smooth and glossy.
Also, dog hair brushes can help to keep your pet’s coat and skin in good condition. The hairbrush spreads natural oils through the dog’s coat, helping to keep the hair healthy and shiny.
Bristle Brushes
Bristle brushes are a staple must-have of any owner’s dog grooming kit. You can use a bristle dog hair brush on any type of coat, and they’re perfect for removing loose hairs from the coat surface after you’ve groomed your dog with a tool.
Pin Brushes
Pin brushes have fine, rubber ended pins instead of bristles. These brushes are ideal for removing tangles from medium to long-haired coats. Pin brushes are often double-sided with a bristle brush, making this a multi-purpose grooming tool.
Rubber Brushes
Rubber brushes are best-suited to short-haired dogs. There are also rubber mitts which are designed to fit onto your hand. You rub the brush across the dog’s skin to remove loose hair and dirt, while also giving your dog a stimulating massage and improving his circulation.
Slicker Brushes
A slicker brush has a layer of fine metal bristles with slightly hooked ends. That kind of brush works best on dogs with long, dense coats. The bristles penetrate the coat, pulling out loose and dead hairs. Slicker brushes come in different sizes. Many professional groomers use a small slicker brush for the feet, legs, tail, and face of the dog and a bigger brush for the coat of the body. Slicker brushes work particularly well to remove tangles from long hair.
Deshedding Tools
Most deshedding brushes and blades do the same thing: they all remove loose and dead fur from your dog’s coat before it drops out onto your carpets and furniture. A deshedding brush or blade penetrates deep into the dog’s coat, pulling out any loose hair before it has a chance to drop out onto your carpets and furniture.
A deshedding tool is essentially a clipping blade or metal rake set on a handle. They are perfect for grooming dogs with medium or plush coats. This grooming tool is an absolute must if you have a double-coated dog that sheds heavily.
The deshedding blade’s teeth are extremely narrow, teasing out the fine, fluffy undercoat and leaving the guard hairs untouched. Note that if your dog has a very long top coat, this type of brush would not be the best choice, as the blade can damage the hairs.
Buyer’s Guide
When choosing a deshedding brush, there are a number of important features that you’ll need to look out for. It’s not always as simple as driving to the pet store and finding a nice-looking brush. You want to make sure you are looking at several factors that will make life easier for you, especially if you have a very furry friend!
Let’s look at some of the primary traits you should be considered before jumping in and spending your hard-earned cash on something that’s going to keep your house and dog a little clean.
Quality
All the deshedding brushes and tools that we’ve featured in our guide are of very good quality. Although you can find cheaper alternatives, these are invariably poorly made and don’t stand the test of time. If you have a heavy shedder in your household, you want a tool that will stand up to intense use. So, don’t try to save a few dollars by buying a cheap deshedding brush. The old maxim, “Buy cheap, buy twice,” is certainly true when it comes to deshedding tools.
Auto Clean Function
Some bladed deshedding tools have an auto-clean function. That’s usually a button situated on the top of the tool. You simply depress the button, and the tool automatically cleans the blade of clogged fur. Although not essential to the tool’s performance, an auto-clean function can save you the hassle, time, and mess of manually cleaning the deshedding tool.
Ergonomic Handles
A dog that sheds heavily demands a lot of grooming time. Look for a deshedding tool that has an ergonomically designed handle. That can save you a lot of wrist and forearm discomfort when you spend hours grooming your dog.
Tool Size
When looking at different brands and styles of deshedding brushes, be sure to pick a tool that’s the right size for your dog. Popular brands tend to have several different-sized brushes to choose from, so you should be able to find the exact right size deshedding tool for your requirements.
How Deshedding Brushes Help
Although no deshedding brush can remove 100% of your dog’s coat, many deshedding tools can get rid of up to 95% of the loose and dead hair. That can make a massive difference to the cleanliness of your home, especially during peak shedding periods! There are other reasons why using a deshedding brush is so beneficial for your pet.
- Removing dead hair can help to keep your dog cooler during the summer.
- That’s extremely important for breeds with thick, heavy coats.
- This can easily cause overheating when the ambient temperature is high.
- Heatstroke is a potentially fatal condition for your pet.
- Keeping his coat thinned out during the summertime is highly beneficial.
- Regular grooming with a deshedding tool prevents your dog’s coat from matting.
- This will also help prevent painful skin problems.
- They save time and only need it completed a couple of times a week.
- Nothing looks worse than a dog that’s covered with tufts of dead, loose undercoat.
- Regular grooming with a deshedding brush keeps your pet looking well-groomed.
- Combine your routine with a good anti-shed shampoo for the best results.
Double Coated Dogs
Never clip a double-coated dog! Although it might appear easier to simply clip off all that fluffy undercoat to prevent shedding, especially during shedding seasons, trimming your dog with dog hair clippers can put your pet at risk.
The double coat is there to protect your dog from the elements. In summer, the underfur allows cooling air to circulate across the dog’s skin, helping to keep the animal cool and blocking out the sun’s dangerous UV rays. Clipping your dog in the winter leaves him susceptible to cold.
Also, a double coat may never grow back properly, ruining your pet’s looks and potentially causing problems with temperature maintenance. Here’s a list of double-coated pups. While the list below has many double-coated pups, it’s not all-inclusive. In fact, there are many mixed-breed pups like the Aussie Doodle Mix or the Golden Chow Retriever.
Double Coated Breeds | ||
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Top Deshedding Tools
In this section of our guide, we’re going to take a closer look at five of the best deshedding tools that are on the market today. Pretty much all of these options have been battle-tested, even by some of the furriest of friends.
It’s hard to go wrong with any of the picks below, but you should always do your research, especially if you’ve made it this far. When you’ve chosen the best deshedding tool for your dog below, just click the handy link, place your order, and kiss goodbye to mountains of shed dog hair in your home!
FURminator
- Designed for long-haired dogs.
- Stainless steel deshedding edge.
- Reduces hair by up to 90%.
- Patented product design.
- Removes hard to reach undercoat hair.
- Ergonomic handle design.
- Promotes coat health.
The FURminator is the original, and some will say best a deshedding tool. The hype says that the Furminator can remove up to 95% of loose dog fur from your pup and that it can even reduce shedding. The FURminator can dramatically reduce coat shedding in most dogs. You should notice a reduction in shedding after only one or two uses of the tool.
The quantity of hair that the FURminator removes is outstanding, far outstripping many other similar deshedding tools. From your first use of this deshedding tool, you’ll notice a real difference in the amount of hair that accumulates on your floors, furniture, clothes, and on your dog’s bedding.
The FURminator has an ergonomically designed handle that’s easy to grip and won’t make your hand or arm sore, even after a mammoth grooming session. The tool is available in a range of sizes to suit any breed and size of pup. The auto-cleaning function works via a simple button click, emptying the FURminator quickly, efficiently, and without fuss.
The manufacturer recommends that you use the FURminator regularly. During the highest shedding periods, use the tool every couple of days to prevent a build-up of dead hair. At other times, use the FURminator two to four times per month.
Why we love it: The FURminator is a high-quality, well-made grooming tool that will last for many years. It removes loose hair and undercoat from most dog breeds and does not damage the guard coat. It’s proven to reduce shedding in most dogs, and it’s very simple to use. It’s also available in most sizes. The Stainless steel teeth and rake design make for superior durability and effectiveness.
DakPets FURblaster
- Budget-friendly tool.
- Reduces shedding by 90%.
- Gentle on your dog’s skin.
- Lightweight ergonomic handle.
- Quick-release button.
- Great for long and short-haired breeds.
- Perfect for single and double-coated dogs.
Like the FURminator, the DakPets FURblaster deshedding tool promises to reduce shedding by up to 95%. In fact, you could be forgiven for thinking that the DakPets product is a copy of the original FURminator. According to the manufacturer, their FURblaster will reduce shedding by up to 95% in just one 15-minute grooming session.
Also, DakPets claim that their deshedding tool can also be used as a stand-alone pet grooming tool. The FURblaster also removes tangles, mats, and knots from your dog’s coat, while the FURminator can’t do that. Unfortunately, the FURblaster doesn’t have the auto-clean function that the FURminator does, so you’ll have to remove shed fur from the blade by hand.
Unfortunately, the DakPets FURblaster only comes in one size that has a four-inch blade. That’s going to be too small for your needs if you have a large dog.
DakPets offers a 100% Unbreakable Guarantee. This assures purchasers that they will refund a full refund if the deshedding brush breaks at any time after purchase. The high-quality stainless steel blade has a protective cover that you should fit when the tool is not in use so that the blade doesn’t get damaged.
Oster ShedMonster
- Budget-friendly deshedder.
- Comfort grip handle.
- Great for dogs of all coat types.
- Prevents matting.
- Reducing shedding.
- Promotes coat health.
- Can reduce dog odor.
Oster’s ShedMonster deshedding tool is a slightly different design to the FURminator and the FURblaster in that it has a blade with rounded edges, making this the perfect choice for dogs that have sensitive skin.
There are three versions of the ShedMonster for dogs with short, medium, and long coats. There’s also a ShedMonster tool that’s specially designed for cats. The ShedMonster claims to reduce shedding by up to 90%, slightly less than the FURminator and the FURblaster.
The ShedMonster deshedding rake has rounded edges to ensure that the rake glides through the coat smoothly without snagging or causing irritation to the dog’s skin. The deshedding tool is suitable for use on both short and long coats, gently unsnagging knots and tangles.
Also, the design of the rake means that your dog will receive a circulation-boosting massage as you groom him. The rounded edges of the rake make it easy to smoothly penetrate deep into your dog’s coat without snagging. The tool has an ergonomic, non-slip handle, enabling you to undertake long grooming sessions without suffering from sore wrists and forearms.
The ShedMonster comes in three different versions for short, medium, and long coats. However, the width of the tool makes it a little small for use on very large dogs. The stainless steel rake is made from top-quality materials that won’t warp, corrode, or lose performance over time.
Magic Pro
- Comes in two different sizes.
- Reduces shedding by up to 95%.
- Recommended by vets and groomers.
- Makes grooming fun for you and your dog.
- Ergonomic handle design.
- Great for single and double-coated dogs.
- Detachable shedding blades.
The Magic Pro deshedding tool can reduce shedding by up to 95%. The blade is cleverly designed to be gentle on your pet’s skin while smoothly getting rid of loose and dead hair.
Although this isn’t the cheapest FURminator alternative out there, it does a good job for a reasonable price. The Magic Pro deshedding tool reduces shedding by up to 95% in a matter of minutes.
The design of the blade ensures that there is no painful scratching or pulling of the dog’s skin as you groom him, making this tool perfect for dogs with skin sensitivity. The Magic Pro is designed to glide through the thickest undercoat without snagging.
The ergonomically designed handle provides the user with a comfortable grooming experience, no matter how many hours it takes to brush your shedding pooch. The Magic Pro doesn’t have an auto-clean feature. However, the shedding blades are detachable to make clean-up a breeze.
The tool comes in two sizes, medium and large. The medium size may be too big and difficult to handle when grooming smaller breeds. The Magic Pro is made from durable, tough materials and is built to last you through a dog’s lifetime of grooming.
Chirpy Pets
- Removes up to 90% of dog hair.
- Made with 4 inches of stainless steel.
- Great for single and double-coated dogs.
- Easy-grip handle.
- Budget-friendly deshedding tool.
- Great for de-shedding hard to reach places.
- Keeps dog hair away from your furniture and clothes.
The Chirpy Pets deshedding tool is a useful piece of grooming equipment for owners who have small dogs. The tool only comes in one size, which could be too small for use on very large dogs.
The Chirpy Pet deshedding brush removes around 90% of loose fur in just five minutes of brushing. Reviewers on Amazon have backed up the manufacturer’s claims that it takes just five minutes of brushing to remove 90% of loose and dead hair from your dog’s coat.
The Chirpy Pet deshedding brush is suitable for use on short and long-haired dogs. Unfortunately, the Chirpy Pet deshedding brush only comes in one size that’s really only suitable for small dogs and cats.
The deshedding tool’s handle is ergonomically designed for comfortable and easy use. That’s a big bonus if you have multiple dogs to brush. Although the tool does not have an auto-clean feature, it is fitted with a quick-release button that allows for quick removal of the blade for convenient storage and easy cleaning. The high-quality stainless steel that’s used is guaranteed to last you for years.
Shed Defender® Original
- The multi-purpose vet keeps dander off furniture.
- Zipper that runs underneath from the chest to the tail for potty breaks.
- Machine washable and can be tumble dried on low.
- Made from an eco-friendly, lightweight, and breathable polyester and spandex blend.
- Free exchanges and returns.
- Money-back guarantee.
The Shed Defender Original Dog Onesie is the perfect companion to your shedding regimen. Put on your pup in the house, car or anywhere else you don’t want dog hair, dirt, or dander to shed. It comes in nine sizes so you can find the perfect snug fit for your pet. And a variety of colors and patterns so your dog will look stylish while keeping shedding at bay.
In addition to helping reduce shedding the compression of the jacket helps reduce anxiety and can be used in place of a medical cone to prevent licking wounds on surgical sites or in hotspots. It can also be worn outside to protect your pup’s fur from stickers, burs, ticks, and other elements like snow and dirt.
We love that it offers full-body coverage for shedding and has a zipper so your dog can use the restroom without having to take it off. And it’s made from a lightweight, breathable material using Shed-Tex eco-friendly recycled fabric to keep your canine cool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a list of commonly asked questions about grooming tools. Many of them are breed-specific, but they are still questions worth answering if you haven’t settled on a brush and aren’t sure which direction to go. Let’s dive in and look at some of the most common queries we get here at our site.
What’s the best tool for heavy shedders?
While any of our top 5 are great picks, the FURminator is one of our top choices for just about any dog. It combines effectiveness with a budget-friendly price point.
What’s the best tool for Golden Retrievers?
Any of the above, but the Shed Monster is great for dogs with longer coats. Goldens have longer coats, and shed more, so the Shed Monster is really quite good for any dog that has longer fur.
What’s the best tool for Chihuahuas?
For shorter coats and smaller dogs like the chihuahua or any chihuahua cross-breeds, take a look at the DakPets deshedder. The brush caters to shorter coats.
What’s the best choice for short-haired dogs?
See the answer above. For short-haired pups, we prefer the DakPets deshedder. The DakPets deshedder works great for just about any pup with shorter hair but can also work well for dogs with medium-length coats as well.
What’s the best deshedding tool for a Labrador?
Labradors are medium-length coats but do shed relatively often. The FURminator is a great pick for Labradors or other dogs in the same size/fur category.
Final Thoughts
If you own a long-haired dog or one with a double coat, you’ll be accustomed to vacuuming your home daily to try to keep it fur-free. You can save yourself a lot of hard work by investing in one of the deshedding tools that we’ve reviewed in this guide. A high-quality deshedding tool can remove as much as 95% of your dog’s loose fur, making this an invaluable grooming accessory during heavy shedding sessions.
We particularly recommend the FURminator deshedding tool. The FURminator comes in five sizes to accommodate dogs of all breeds. There’s also a handy self-cleaning feature so that you don’t have the hassle of having to manually remove the fur from the tool every time you use it.
Although the FURminator isn’t the cheapest deshedding blade on the market, its high-quality construction, durability, and ease of use make it the most popular product in its category, which is why it’s our top choice. Why not order your deshedding brush now? And kiss goodbye to daily vacuuming for good!