Curly-Haired Reviewers Say These Brushes "Glide" Through Hair "Like Butter"

Use these to painlessly detangle, style, define curls and minimize breakage.

Thick, naturally textured and tightly curled hair types are a beautiful thing, but anyone with such tresses will tell you that not just any hair care product will suffice — that includes a good brush.

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This indispensable tool should not only detangle, but adequately define, smooth and style locks without any tugging or excessive strand breakage. If you yourself have struggled to find your holy grail brush, or maybe you have a child who is tangle-prone, then you’ve come to the right place.

Folks with thick or curly hair, 2C and beyond, have chimed in to the review sections of Amazon to share the joy of finally finding their favorite brushes. And there are some pretty compelling claims. 

You can see just what these gorgeously maned people have to say down below as you shop specially designed wide-toothed combs, flexible wet brushes and classic stylers, which can all be conveniently accessed on this trusted retailer.

1. A flexible-teeth detangling brush

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Tangle Teaser, a hair brand with a few different brush styles that you may have seen all over TikTok, is the maker behind this detangling brush designed for all hair types. It features a paddle-style brush head with 325 uniquely flexible and varying sized bristles that claims to smooth and detangle even the most fragile of hair, either wet or dry. It comes in four sizes and tons of colors. Also, if you have 3C hair and above, there's a version just for thick hair with firmer bristles than the original. 

Promising Amazon review: "I have high density kinky curly hair. Compared to other brushes, this one glides through my hair with no pain and takes out the shed hair effortlessly." — danielle 

Get it from Amazon for $15.99.

2. An ergonomic and no-tug brush

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Ergonomically shaped so it's easy on wrists and hands, the Crave Naturals detangling brush claims to glide through knots and tangles without any painful yanking or pulling. This is because the bristles are uniquely cone-shaped and both flexible yet firm so they separate knots, rather than aimlessly tugging at them. Use this on both wet or dry hair. It comes in nine different colors and patterns. 

Promising Amazon review: "I only EVER leave reviews if the product is outstanding. This brush runs through my DRY 3C hair like it’s nothing! Barely takes any hair with it, and barely hurts! I used to dread brushing my hair when dry and would just wait til I washed my hair again to brush it, now I look forward to it. And it barely pulls out any hair! My old hair brush used to pull out damn near a handful every time I brushed my hair wet or dry! Please please please buy this . I’m not sure how this brush doesn’t have 5.0 ratings all around." — Candace Noel

Get it from Amazon for $11.99.

3. A two-way flexible brush

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Each row of this versatile brush moves and extends as it's brushed across hair to painlessly detangle even the tightest of coils. The brush can be used two ways: either vertically to release tangles and knots, then horizontally to smooth and define curls. Available in five colors, this brush can be used on wet or dry hair.

Promising Amazon review: "My son has 4c hair and sensory processing disorder.... a horrible combination lol. For years he has screamed and fought having his hair done, but also completely rejects short hair. Because it's such a fight, he usually looks like a train wreck. I just did his hair in the tub with plenty of cowash and this brush was amazing!! Start at the ends and use a short 'combing' action, then run it through the length of the hair. After the 2nd or 3rd pass, it went through like butter!!!! He said (not screamed) ouch twice, that's it!
Doing his hair used to take over an hour in the tub with him screaming and demanding breaks and me in pain because I have a bad back and neck. It was misery. I would sometimes step away for a minute to cry and pull myself together to go back to war. THIS ONLY TOOK 5 MINUTES!!! I'm ready to cry tears of joy, you have no idea what a blessing this brush is!" — penrodtlt

Get it from Amazon for $7.79.

4. A vented wet and dry brush

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You may have seen the viral Unbrush on TikTok recently, but if you haven't, know that this detangling brush is loved for its unique vented paddle that cuts down on styling time with a blow dryer. The flexible bristles also help to release tangles gently and you can get it in tons of different colors.  

Promising Amazon reviews:  "So, I had heard about the viral Unbrush for a while. It honestly seemed too good to be true. My daughter has 3C curly long hair that gets tangled easily and requires a detangling product to make brushing her hair a little easier, usually ends up taking a long time. I finally caved and decided I had to try this brush. I used it for the fist time today and not only did it do a great job detangling her hair, it hardly pulled out any of her hair! I'm shocked at how good the brush was, appears to cause less breakage and damage to her hair as well. If you had curly hair or a curly haired child, order this brush ASAP, you won't regret it!" — Fernie 

Get it from Amazon for $18.

5. An iconic old-school styling brush

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This classic vintage styling tool may have been used eras gone by to create those gorgeous Rita Hayworth-style coifs and iconic pin-curled tresses, but the Denman has remained popular even to this day. The brush face features seven rows of round-ended nylon pins that won't drag or catch hair and can be used wet or dry for detangling, blow-drying, styling, defining curls and smoothing the hair. It works for all hair types, especially naturally tight curls, is easy to clean, and has been a beloved item in my own vanity drawer for over a decade. 

Promising Amazon review: "I have thick curly hair that is always a tangled matted mess. I was doubtful this brush would go through my hair. I was pleasantly amazed this brush not only went through my hair, but on the first pass. I have never found a brush to do that. I was wondering what all the hype was about, but after using it for the first time, I now understand the hype, and it is well deserved. Well worth the price as well. I would say if you just want a regular hair brush, thin hair, straight hair, I am not sure if this hair brush would be needed or necessary. But if you have thick, curly or snarly hair it is definitely worth trying and spending the money. I also bought the detangler brush and that went through my hair, but it took a couple of passes but would highly recommend as well." — humming

Get it from Amazon for $18.75.

6. A curl-defining styling brush

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Made by Pattern, a Black hair care brand created by Tracee Ellis Ross, this shower and styling brush is designed for adding sleek definition and creating perfectly clumped curls that are never stringy, especially among tight-textured hair types 3A and above. It also comes in a travel size so you can have beautiful curls on the go.

Promising Amazon reviews: "The bristles are firm and hard which is excellent for any hair type, but especially curly thick hair, however it also makes it a bit difficult to clean. I have really thick curly hair so this brush is amazing for helping me define my curls and makes untangling easy. Great product." — Bernice Polanco 

Get it from Amazon for $17.

7. A wide-tooth comb designed for tight textures

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Also from Pattern comes this wide-toothed comb that's been specifically designed to section and detangle tight coils and curls while also being delicate on strands. And if you want to use it dry, this comb can help add volume when fluffing out hair. 

Promising Amazon reviews: "I have never, ever, ever, ever, ever had a comb that could actually comb through my natural hair without ripping it out, or without me having to first divide it into micro-sections. (I still suggest you moisturize and section your hair for best results, but you probably don’t have to EVERY time…) But seriously, this comb is worth the money. And I’m not even a compensated spokesperson. I just want y’all to know that even though this might look like other combs, this one truly delivers." — Gail Howard Finney

"I only found this product because I scrolled through every beauty product featured on Prime Day. My hair has grown so much longer with all of these protective styles, so it was time to upgrade from my Conair, wide tooth comb. This really fits the bill. I was in the market for a comb I could use on my 4c hair when dry and this glides through the strands so easily. Best comb ever. Thank you!!" — WANT ADS

Get it from Amazon for $15.

8. A boar bristle paddle brush

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Boar bristle brushes are great for redistributing oil from the scalp down the strands to add shine and softness back into hair. In addition to boar bristles, this paddle brush has nylon ball-tipped bristles to help penetrate and detangle thick hair.  

Promising Amazon review: "Are you a biracial sister? Do you have naturally curly/kinky hair? Well look no further, your search ends here. This combination style brush, makes it easy to brush through dry or wet hair. I started looking for a better brush because my old brush was just pulling my hair out in clumps and not actually combing anything. This brush cuts through the mess with minimal loss and pain. Purchase it now, you can thank me later." — Joy Joy

Get it from Amazon for $9.49.

9. The well-known Wet Brush

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You're most likely already familiar with the Wet Brush, a simple and affordable classic that's made with brand-specific flexible bristles to painlessly glide through hair, wet or dry. Grab the Wet Brush in 22 colors and prints. 

Promising Amazon reviews: "This works great. I have thick very curly kinky hair and it does right through it when wet." — Mouse

"I have very thick 4c kinky hair. I've been searching for a good brush forever and this does it all. It's now the only brush I use when detangling. The rest sit in a closet or have been given away. I bought two more for travel. I usually detangle with this and a spray bottle before washing my hair. Then I brush it again after before styling. This thing makes it a breeze. Wash day has been cut down to 2 hrs because of it." — Amazon customer

Get it from Amazon for $8.99.

10. A gentle detangling brush with flexible head

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Made from a renewable straw material, this brush features a ventilated and flexible brush head and bristles that moves through hair without tugging. This wet and dry brush is suitable for all hair types and even hair extensions. 

Promising Amazon reviews:  "Not sponsored: I’m in awe. I’ve been seeing people rave about the Unbrush on TikTok and was looking for a cheaper alternative. I’ve had unmanageable curly hair for all my life; LOT of hair and it’s finer than thread! So it gets tangled like no tomorrow. I haven’t been able to untangle the back of my head for MONTHS because it takes more than an hour in the shower WITH products just to get the top layer untangled. If you know the struggle, you know the tears, frustration, hair ripping, brush smacking, so on, lol. I tried the brush on dry, day-three-hair out of curiosity, and it went through beautifully! Now It’s not a miracle worker, I had to go through the worst sections multiple times. But it took maybe 10 minutes? I’ve never been able to comb through my hair dry! And there was no horrible ripping sound either!" — Egg

Get it from Amazon for $5.99.

11. A gentle detangling brush for kids

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Made just for kid's tender scalps, this detangling brush by Frida Baby has an integrated brush head with both flexible and stiff comb-like bristles. It also comes with a sliding cover and an ergonomic handle.

Promising Amazon reviews: "I've been struggling to find a brush that works for my curly haired four-year old girl with long hair. This brush gets out everyyyything with ease. No more crying! I'm so happy we found this! I might even buy a second one as a backup just in case they ever discontinue it haha." — Jessica

Get it from Amazon for $9.98.