The 5 Best Dog Grooming Brushes UK – Slicker & More

The right brush keeps a coat healthy, cuts shedding around the house and turns grooming into a bonding session rather than a battle — but the wrong one just slides over the surface and misses the loose hair underneath. The best dog grooming brush for most UK dogs is the Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush — over 87,000 reviews, and its fine bent pins reach deep without scratching the skin.

Below are five brushes that between them cover every coat and every job: a do-it-all slicker, a deep de-shedding tool for double coats, a dematting comb for tangles, a gentle glove for short-haired and nervous dogs, and a great-value everyday slicker. There’s also a short guide to matching a brush to your dog’s coat, and the one mistake that turns brushing into something your dog dreads.

Key Takeaways

• Best overall: the Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush — 4.3 stars from 87,000+ reviews, with a retractable head that clears the collected hair at the push of a button.
• Best for heavy shedders and double coats: the FURminator Undercoat deShedding Tool — reaches deep into the undercoat to pull dead hair before it ends up on the sofa.
• Best for tangles and mats: the Candure Dematting Comb — curved stainless blades that slice through knots without dragging.
• Best for short-haired and nervous dogs: the BYETOO Grooming Glove — feels like a fuss, not a groom, so anxious dogs stay relaxed.
• Best value: the pecute Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush — rounded pin tips and a one-press cleaning button at a bargain price.
• Match the brush to the coat: the PDSA and Blue Cross both point out that a slicker suits medium and long or double coats, while short-coated dogs do best with a bristle brush or glove.
• Never dig a slicker into the skin — the fine pins can cause “brush burn”. Use a light hand, and let a groomer cut out any mat that sits tight against the skin.

The 5 Best Dog Grooming Brushes UK

1. Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush

With more than 87,000 reviews at 4.3 stars, the Hertzko is one of the best-selling dog brushes anywhere — and for the majority of coats it’s all the brush you’ll ever need. The fine, slightly bent wire pins slip through the topcoat and gently tease out the loose, dead hair and small tangles trapped underneath, which is exactly the layer an ordinary brush glides straight over.

Its party trick is the self-cleaning head. After a few strokes the pins fill with fur; press the button on the back and the bristles retract into the housing, so the collected hair lifts off in one clump for the bin. No more picking matted fluff out of the brush with your fingers, which is the small annoyance that makes people give up on brushing altogether.

It suits Cockapoos, Spaniels, Retrievers, Collies and most medium-to-long and double coats. The one rule is a light touch — the pins are effective because they’re fine, so you let the brush do the work rather than pressing it into the skin. For short, smooth coats a glove is kinder, but for everything else this is the safest money in home grooming.

2. FURminator Undercoat deShedding Tool

If your dog is a double-coated breed that blows its coat twice a year — Labradors, German Shepherds, Huskies, Golden Retrievers — a slicker alone can’t keep up. The FURminator is the answer: a fine stainless-steel edge that reaches through the topcoat and rakes out the dead undercoat before it drifts onto your carpets, clothes and everything else. It’s the highest-rated tool in this guide at 4.6 stars from over 35,000 reviews.

The results are genuinely dramatic — a single session during a heavy shed produces an almost comical pile of fluff, and owners report a real drop in the hair around the house afterwards. The stainless edge is designed to loosen and lift the undercoat without cutting the healthy topcoat that sits above it, and an ejector button clears the collected hair between strokes.

Two sensible cautions. First, this is a de-shedding tool, not an everyday brush — used too hard or too often it can thin the coat, so a gentle pass every week or two during shedding season is plenty. Second, the Kennel Club and Dogs Trust both advise never shaving a double-coated dog: the coat insulates against heat as well as cold, so de-shed it, don’t remove it. Check the size guide, as FURminator sizes its tools by dog weight and coat length.

3. Candure Dematting Comb

When a coat has already knotted, a slicker just tugs at the tangle and hurts. A dematting comb is the specialist tool for the job, and the Candure — 4.5 stars from over 17,000 reviews — is the pick that gets it done kindly. Its rows of curved stainless-steel blades slide into a mat and slice it apart from the inside, so you tease the knot open rather than dragging it out by the roots.

It’s double-sided: the denser row of blades takes on stubborn mats, while the wider-spaced side thins and finishes fine tangles and everyday knots. That makes it a natural partner to a slicker — brush day to day, and reach for the Candure the moment you feel a knot forming behind the ears, under the legs or around the collar, where mats love to start.

A word of caution the Blue Cross echoes: a mat that has formed tight against the skin should not be cut or forced out at home. The skin underneath is often sore or broken, and it’s easy to nick it. Work loose tangles gently, hold the base of the fur so you’re not pulling the skin, and if a mat is solid and close to the body, leave it to a professional groomer.

4. BYETOO Pet Grooming Glove

Some dogs simply won’t tolerate a brush — and short-coated breeds don’t really need one. A grooming glove is the gentle answer to both. You slip it on and stroke your dog exactly as you would to fuss them; the soft silicone tips on the palm collect loose hair as you go. For a nervous or fidgety dog, that’s the whole point: it feels like affection, not a procedure, so they stay calm. This BYETOO pair is the category best-seller, with over 10,000 reviews.

It works brilliantly on short and smooth coats — Staffies, Labradors, Beagles, Boxers — lifting the loose hair that a bristle brush skims over, and doubling as a massage that most dogs lean into. It’s just as handy for wiping shed hair off the sofa or the car seats afterwards, and the whole thing rinses clean under the tap.

Being honest about the rating: at 4.1 stars it sits a touch below the others here, which is typical of grooming gloves as a category — they’re a light finishing tool, not a deep de-shedder, and a few buyers expect more grip than any glove delivers. Judged for what it is — a gentle, low-stress groom for short coats and anxious dogs — it’s excellent, and it’s the cheapest way into home grooming in this guide.

5. pecute Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush

If you want a capable slicker without spending much, the pecute is the value champion — 4.4 stars from more than 23,000 reviews, at a price that makes it an easy first brush. Like the Hertzko it has a retractable, self-cleaning head, so a press of the button ejects the collected fur and you’re not fishing hair out of the bristles by hand.

The detail owners appreciate most is the rounded tips on the pins. They’re designed to reach the loose undercoat and lift out dead hair while staying comfortable against the skin, which makes this a reassuring choice for anyone new to slickers or brushing a dog that’s a little sensitive about being groomed. It handles medium and longer coats and light tangles with ease.

It’s not quite as substantial as the Hertzko, and very dense or heavily matted coats will still want the FURminator or the Candure alongside it. But for everyday brushing on the majority of dogs, it does the same core job for less — and being cheap enough to keep one upstairs and one by the back door is no bad thing.

How to Choose a Dog Grooming Brush

Match the brush to the coat

Coat type decides everything. The PDSA and Blue Cross give a simple rule of thumb: a slicker brush suits medium and long coats and double coats, a de-shedding tool or undercoat rake is for heavy shedders that blow their coat, a bristle brush or grooming glove is right for short, smooth coats, a pin brush suits long silky coats, and a dematting comb is your knot-buster. Most owners end up with two: an everyday slicker or glove, plus a de-shedder or dematting comb for the seasonal jobs. Buy for the coat your dog actually has, not the tool that’s cheapest.

Brush little and often

A few minutes several times a week beats a long, tug-heavy session once a fortnight. Regular brushing stops tangles becoming mats in the first place, and the Kennel Club notes that it also spreads the natural oils along the coat, which is what keeps it glossy and weatherproof. Short, frequent sessions are far easier on a nervous dog, too — and it’s the surest way to catch fleas, lumps or sore spots early.

Use a light hand — mind brush burn

The commonest home-grooming mistake is pressing a slicker hard into the skin. The fine pins are meant to glide through the coat, and bearing down on them can scratch and inflame the skin — “brush burn”. Let the brush’s weight do the work, keep strokes in the direction of hair growth, and hold the base of long fur when you hit a tangle so you’re pulling the knot, not the skin. If your dog flinches, ease off.

Know when it’s a groomer’s job

Mats that have formed tight against the skin should not be cut or hacked out at home — the skin beneath is often sore, and it’s easy to injure your dog. Book a professional groomer for solid matting. And never shave a double-coated breed to “keep it cool”: the coat regulates temperature both ways, and shaving can damage how it grows back. A bath and thorough dry before a big groom helps too — clean, dry fur brushes out far more easily, and our guides to the best dog shampoos and dog hair dryers cover that half of the routine.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I brush my dog?

It depends on the coat, but little and often is the golden rule. Long and double coats benefit from a quick brush most days to keep tangles at bay; short coats need only a weekly going-over. During spring and autumn moults, double-coated breeds need more frequent de-shedding. Aim for short, positive sessions rather than occasional marathons.

What’s the best brush for a dog that hates being groomed?

Start with a grooming glove. Because it feels like being stroked rather than brushed, most anxious dogs accept it happily, and it lets them build a positive association with grooming. Keep sessions short, pair them with treats and praise, and only move to a slicker once your dog is relaxed. If a dog stays panicked despite a slow introduction, ask a groomer for help rather than forcing it.

Do short-haired dogs need brushing?

Yes — just less, and with the right tool. Short-coated breeds still shed, and a weekly going-over with a bristle brush or grooming glove removes the loose hair before it lands on your furniture, spreads the coat’s natural oils and gives you a chance to check the skin. A harsh slicker is usually more than a smooth coat needs.

What’s the difference between a slicker brush and a de-shedding tool?

A slicker has fine wire pins that work through the whole coat for everyday brushing and light tangles. A de-shedding tool like the FURminator has a fine edge built specifically to pull dead undercoat out of heavy shedders. A slicker is your daily brush; a de-shedder is a specialist you reach for during moulting season, and used sparingly.

Can I use a dog brush to remove mats?

Only loose ones. A slicker or comb will ease out small, soft tangles if you catch them early. Once a mat is tight and dense, you need a dematting comb, worked gently, and any mat pressed hard against the skin should be left to a groomer. Prevention is far kinder than cure — regular brushing stops most mats forming at all.

Our Verdict

For most UK dogs the Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker is the best dog grooming brush you can buy — 87,000 reviews, a genuinely useful self-cleaning head, and the versatility to handle the majority of coats. Heavy shedders and double coats should add the FURminator, tangle-prone coats want the Candure dematting comb, and short-haired or nervous dogs are happiest with the BYETOO glove. On a budget, the pecute slicker covers the everyday job for less.

Brushing is one part of a full grooming routine. Pair it with a set of the best dog clippers for trims, tidy the feet with a pair of dog nail clippers, and save your back with one of the best dog grooming tables. Regular grooming isn’t just about looks, either — it’s one of the simplest ways to keep your dog healthy, catching skin problems, lumps and parasites long before they become serious.