A quality beard brush is absolutely vital if you want to grow a healthy beard. Not only does it promote healthy growth and untangle knots but it helps your skin by distributing the healthy oils into your facial hair. In this guide, you will discover the top 10 best beard brush brands to buy online:
- Kent Gentleman’s Model No. MG3
- ZilberHaar Pure Boar & Pearwood Brush
- Jack Dean Military Brush
- Smooth Viking Beard Brush
- Diane Two-Sided Boar Brush
- Zeus Pocket Beard Brush
- Can You Handlebar Beard Brush
- Cremo Beard Brush
- Maison Lambert Beard Brush
- Viking Revolution Beard Brush Set
Simply use the links above to jump ahead or scroll down to see them all.
- Bristles: White Boar Bristle
- Handle: Wood
- Shape: Oval
- Size: 5″ x 2.8″
- Country Of Origin: UK
- Price: $58
Made by celebrated UK-based comb manufacturer, the Kent Gentleman’s No. MG3 is one of the best brushes available on the market. The back is made from hand-finished beechwood but unlike other brushes, it’s made with white boar hair. The Model No. MG3 isn’t specifically designed for beards. However, its structure and bristles are ideal for a man’s face.
The bristles are of supreme quality, which is why they have a Royal Warrant. Although it has soft bristles, which are ideal for younger beards and sensitive skin, it penetrates beard growth enough to get to deeper layers. Nevertheless, beards that are over 6 months old may find that it lacks the resistance necessary for grooming.
Finally, they’re significantly more expensive than other brushes and sit around $60 on Amazon.com. That said, the quality of Kent brushes has resonated through generations and if well-maintained, one can last several itself. Indeed, we’d go as far as to say that Kent makes the best beard brush.
"Is such a lavish and luxury beard brush necessary? Perhaps not. However, you'll never want to own another beard brush ever again."
- Bristles: Boar Bristle
- Handle: Pearwood
- Shape: Handled
- Size: 6.1″ x 0.75″
- Country Of Origin: Germany
- Price: $18
For men that prefer a handled brush, they need look no further than ZilberHaar’s pure boar brush. Meaning “Silver Hair” in German, it’s made with pure boar bristles and pearwood from Germany’s Black Forest.
Its performance matches luxury brushes and evenly distributes oils in your beard and skin. Furthermore, the ZilberHaar has long bristles, which reach even the deepest layers of your beard.
ZilberHaar’s handle is a nice change from the usual military-style and offers precision along with ease of use. Similarly, you can choose between either soft or hard bristles when you make your purchase.
It may be somewhat less portable than other options, but it does give one of the best brushing experiences on the market. Finally, they usually retail at around $30. However, you can find a ZilberHaar on Amazon.com for as little as $18. Overall, it offers excellent quality for a very reasonable price.
- Bristles: White Boar Bristle
- Handle: Wood
- Shape: Rectangular
- Size: 4.8″ x 2.2″
- Country Of Origin: UK
- Price: $58
After a couple of week’s growth, you’ll likely start to feel your beard beginning to itch. This is around the time that it’s best to start thinking about investing in a beard brush. However, given that it’s only around a month since you’ve last shaved, you may be reluctant to make the commitment to buy an expensive brush.
Therefore, Jack Dean’s military-style brush is an ideal option for beard beginners who just want something as a stepping stone. However, note that in order to keep costs down, the brush is made with a blend of synthetic and natural hair bristles.
Therefore, you won’t get the same quality and softness as you would from high-end options. Nevertheless, at just over $15 on Amazon.com, it offers excellent value for a first beard brush.
- Bristles: Boar Bristle
- Handle: Wood
- Shape: Oval
- Size: 4.5″ x 2.2″
- Country Of Origin: USA
- Price: $10.50
Although Leven Rose’s concoction may not feature any essentials oils, it’s one of the purest beard oils available. It features only two ingredients, which are both organic. These are two carrier oils: argan oil sourced from Arizona and jojoba oil imported from Morocco.
They work together to provide full nourishment to your beard without using any supplements. Leven Rose is free of any parabens, fillers, chemicals or GMOs. In this light, the two active carrier oils will perfectly emulate the effects of sebum without any additives.
If you’re looking for a fragrance-free and organic beard oil that soothes the skin and softens your beard, look no further than Leven Rose. Finally, it’s also very reasonably priced at only $13 on Amazon.com.
- Bristles: White Boar Bristle
- Handle: Wood
- Shape: Handled
- Size: 7″ x 2.1″
- Country Of Origin: China
- Price: $5
For the price, the Diane double-sided boar brush is simply unbeatable. Indeed, it’s worryingly cheap at only $5! Nevertheless, we can’t turn our noses up at the value that it provides.
The Diane brush is by far the largest brush in this guide and is great for long, thick beards. One on side, you have firm boar bristles, which help you detangle knots. Meanwhile, the softer brushes on the reverse help keep the hair in place and reduce frizz.
We’d suggest the Diane as an additional brush to use with very long beards. However, you may need all those bristles for shorter ones.
- Bristles: Boar Bristle
- Handle: Pearwood
- Shape: Oval
- Size: 3.25″ x 1.125″
- Country Of Origin: Germany
- Price: $58
While we wouldn’t want to rely on this Zeus brush alone, it’s a fantastic travelling companion. At just over an inch in length, it can be conveniently carried when on the go.
Like the ZilberHaar, this brush is made from pearwood, which feels great in the hand. Furthermore, it’s a great material for absorbing scents. What we like to do is occasionally leave our brush with some pipe tobacco and it just smells fantastic a few days later!
If you travel regularly or like to give your beard a good groom during the day, Zeus’ beard brush is an essential complement to your arsenal.
- Bristles: Cruelty-Free Horse Hair
- Handle: Wood
- Shape: Round
- Size: 2.8″ Diameter
- Country Of Origin: USA
- Price: $25
We’re huge fans of Can You Handlebar’s circular beard brush. Delivered in a convenient tin, it’s the perfect tool for applying your beard balm without getting your hands dirty. Just dip it into your beard balm tin, twist, and apply!
Furthermore, it’s made from cruelty-free horse hair. While boar bristles are more popular, this is usually because they’re somewhat cheaper to source. Horse hair, especially when cruelty-free, is an expensive material.
Nevertheless, it has plenty of natural benefits. Firstly, it’s not as coarse, which means that this brush is great for massaging the balm into your skin and beard. Secondly, it offers a superior membrane for absorbing the oils and evenly distributing them.
- Bristles: Boar Bristle
- Handle: Wood
- Shape: Rectangle
- Size: 4.5″ x 2″
- Country Of Origin: USA
- Price: $10
Cremo offers an excellent little brush at a fantastic price. If you’re just looking for a classic brush that offers excellent value for money, you can’t go wrong with this one.
Overall, it’s not too dissimilar to the Smooth Viking brush above. The only noticeable difference is that the wood has a matte finish, which may be more convenient if you want to place the brush in some pipe tobacco so it imparts a rich smell.
- Bristles: Boar Bristle
- Handle: Wood
- Shape: Oval
- Size: 4.5″ x 4.2″
- Country Of Origin: France
- Price: $15
Another excellent brush for thick and long beards, this French offering from Maison Lambert features extra firm boar bristles. Consequently, it can really get in and brush thick hairs as well as untangle knots.
Another benefit is the curved design. At first, we weren’t particularly convinced and it looked a little awkward. However, we were soon proven wrong!
Thanks to the curved shape, it’s very ergonomic for thick beards and it gives you a wider reach across your facial hair.
- Bristles: Boar Bristle
- Handle: Wood
- Shape: Rectangular
- Size: 6″ x 2.5″
- Country Of Origin: USA
- Price: $10
Admittedly, we’re not typically fans of buying sets and we rarely recommend them. Although you’re given the impression of a bargain, you usually end up with perhaps one decent item and two or three mediocre ones that you’ll end up replacing anyway. Indeed, the convenience tends to outweigh the quality.
That being said, we’re quite happy with Viking Revolution’s little starter set. You get a solid brush with natural boar bristles and they throw in a pearwood comb, which is just what you’ll need too.
Meanwhile, the scissors are okay. While they’re quite sharp, they’re a little short and only any good for touching up. If you want to see the best scissors for beards, check out our dedicated guide.
Why Do You Need A Beard Brush?
Firstly, a beard brush isn’t merely an accessory but a vital tool for keeping your beard healthy and attractive. Although we wouldn’t recommend it, you could dispense with everything bar a quality beard brush. Brushing your beard is fundamental to a lush and well-kempt mane.
Unlike beard combs, it’s important to own a brush early on in growing your beard. This will ensure that the foundations of your beard is kept soft and full of life for later growth. Furthermore, they soothe the onset of beard irritation and keep the follicles nourished.
A beard’s texture will improve through frequent brushing and become soft rather than rough. Furthermore, brushing helps create a natural shine by distributing natural oils called sebum through your beard.
Beard follicles are denser than head hair. Likewise, beard brushes feature denser bristles than hair brushes. However, they aren’t as stiff and work with the hair rather than against it. Furthermore, the bristles are at different lengths. This ensures that every level is properly brushed and nourished with oils even on long beards.
Brushes also keep the beard clean by removing daily dirt and grime. As you may know, you shouldn’t wash hair too regularly or it may dry out. So brushing keeps it clean between washes. On a related note, brush once a day for shorter beards and twice for longer ones.
What Are Boar Hair Brushes?
You may have heard about boar brushes or even horse hair. These are brushes that feature natural bristles made from animal hair. However, they’re often much more expensive than synthetic bristles. Nevertheless, they’re worth the investment!
For instance, boar brushes are quite popular and for good reason. Natural hair fibres contain sebum like your hair and beard. These natural oils keep hair healthy and create a natural shine. Natural brushes are much more efficient than synthetic ones for evenly distributing these important oils in your beard.
This is because as boar hair is natural, it works much like a membrane. If it comes into contact with oily areas, it absorbs moisture. Conversely, it lets out oils in dry areas. For this reason, it’s best to use a brush when the beard is naturally dry.
Similarly, oily beards become healthy with boar hair brushes as the bristles absorb the sebum. Likewise, dry beards will benefit from how it will redistribute sebum to areas it needs most.
Interestingly, shaving brushes are made from the same natural fibres. However, they’re considerably softer when you compare the two. Nevertheless, you still benefit from their natural properties in a very similar way.
Will Brushing My Beard Make It Grow Faster?
The short answer is no, brushing will not make your beard hair grow faster. However, it does stimulate the follicles and make it grow more healthily.
Furthermore, brushing will tame your beard into a particular direction. Men with curly or frizzy beards will see the results far more than naturally straight ones. Your beard will become straight through regular brushing and appear much longer and thicker.
For example, one of the most common complaints of early beard growth is the way the hairs curl into the mouth. Brushing the moustache hairs to the side regularly will encourage them to grow outwards.
How To Use A Beard Brush
A beard brush is easy to use and you simply need to follow these steps to properly brush your beard:
- Massage a few drops of beard oil or balm evenly over your beard.
- Brush along the beard’s hair growth with short strokes.
- Start from the bottom and work your way to the cheeks and sideburns.
- As your brush higher, increase the length of your strokes.
- Use the brush to guide your beard growth into the style you want.
- Stop when satisfied and the oil has been evenly distributed into your beard.
Unlike beard combs, brushes are best used on naturally dry hair at normal room temperature. Furthermore, avoid using it on a beard during or after blow-drying. This may damage the bristles and cause your beard to frizz. However, if you need a tool for blow-drying your beard, consider a beard comb instead.
At the very least, you must brush your beard once a day. Although brushes are more effective with oils, it’s not obligatory every time. Fuller beards are best brushed twice a day. In this case, consider using oil only in the morning to avoid an unnecessary build-up of grease.
How To Clean A Beard Brush
Remember that a good craftsman keeps his tools maintained. The same logic applies to your beard accessories. Cleaning a beard brush is simple and you simply need to follow these steps:
- Add a dollop of shampoo to a bowl of warm water.
- Swirl the brush in the bowl for a few minutes.
- Gently massage the solution into the bristles with your fingers.
- Use a comb to pull out tangled hair and scrape away greasy residue.
- Rinse the brush thoroughly.
- Repeat using conditioner instead of shampoo.
- Leave to dry naturally.
Although you can do this just with shampoo, a second pass with conditioner is worth the extra hassle. Shampoo takes the oils out of the natural fibres but some conditioner will soften the brushes and prevent them from becoming brittle.
While cleaning a beard brush may sound weird, it’s absolutely necessary if you want to extend its lifespan. A quality brush will last only a few years if neglected. Over time, its bristles will be become hard and sometimes fall out. However, a weekly clean can make it last for generations. Imagine passing your cherished beard brush down to your son if he starts growing one?
Always keep your beard brush in a dry place to avoid the wood taking in moisture. If your brush comes with a protective case, it’s worth keeping it in there to prevent it being crushed in a drawer. Indeed, the bristles are fragile and can become bent or fall out when pressed too hard.
Finally, if the brush features an untreated wooden handle, don’t let it get too wet if it’s clean. However, if it’s greasy, give it a clean with the shampoo solution and let it dry. Finally, rub it down with some linseed, walnut or tung oil to keep the wood healthy. Remember only to use natural oils for this as even if the wood won’t touch your skin, it’s a hygiene product after all.
What Next?
Now that you’ve learned about beard brushes and perhaps found the best beard brush for you, consider complementing this knowledge with our beard comb guide. Alternatively, check out some of our related guides below:
Personal Grooming Contents
Hi, Your article is great but I’m not positive which one to choose. I like the first one. I have hair about 2 inches past my shoulders, medium thickness, curly/frizzy, and tangles really easily. I want smooth, straight, shiny hair but still some body / fullness in it. My hair when it’s curly has a lot of volume. Thanks!
Hi Drawyne,
Given that your beard is quite long, I think that the best choice would be the either the Jack Dean or the Kent. The Kent has tougher and better quality bristles, which may be more effective in getting rid of any tangles.
All the best,
CP
Wow, this is worth to read. Thank you for sharing this article. It is very informative, great work.
Thanks!