The Best Brushes for Curly Hair Gave Us Frizz-Free, Bouncy Locks — and Prices Start at $10

Our best overall pick is like the Ferrari of hair brushes: It has a smooth, hand-carved grip that’s lightweight and flexible, easy-to-clean wooden pins (others on our list have nylon or boar bristles) that felt “so nice” on our scalp and painlessly detangled unruly knots. While we did notice less shedding, it’s hard to say exactly how well it maintained our curls since we used a diffuser after wet brushing, which may have led to pattern changes and some flattening as it dried. 

Ironically, the price is enough to make you scratch your head, though it reflects its natural materials and craftsmanship. That said, it’s a luxe investment for those with thick or tangled hair willing to pay extra for durability, but we have plenty of cost-effective brushes that work similarly.

Bristle Material: Beechwood | Curl Type: Wavy, curly, very curly, coily

As one of our top hair products of 2024, this brush blew us away with how quickly and easily it detangled our hair in just one pass — a rare feat that saved time and minimized frizz. Its firm yet flexible bristles maintained and enhanced our curls with noticeable bounce and definition. We also loved its 18 customizable bristle rows, so you can rearrange them to suit your texture and hair type. 

The hefty handle and wider body surprisingly lend an easy grip without feeling heavy, but if you’re looking for a more narrow option, there are plenty on this list. 

Bristle Material: Nylon | Curl Type: Wavy, curly, very curly, coily

This flexible detangling brush has a comfortable ergonomic handle and eight rows of separated bristles that evenly distribute strands, helping to preserve our curl pattern. The bristles also easily contoured to our hair, ensuring very little resistance and pulling. 

Whenever we did end up with a bit of shedding (as anyone with curly hair knows, it’s inevitable), we loved how straightforward it was to remove our hair from the brush. While it’s designed for various curl styles, we found it best suited to detangling fine hair with minimal effort. Those with thicker and tighter curls should look elsewhere on this list. 

Bristle Material: Nylon | Curl Type: Wavy, curly, coily, kinky

If you frequently blow dry your hair, you know how important it is to have a lightweight brush that softly detangles, enhances curls, and minimizes frizz. This brush does it all while efficiently smoothing everything from fine to thick hair and adding volume and shine. 

Although it’s more expensive, we appreciate its powerful dual-bristle combo, which gently untangles strands and stimulates the scalp as you brush. The round shape makes it slightly more challenging to clean than a paddle brush, but we still found it fairly easy to remove stray hairs around the bristles. 

Bristle Material: Nylon, boar | Curl Type: Wavy, curly, very curly, coily

This Drybar detangling brush is perfect for achieving relaxed, luscious curls. It includes a staggering number of bristles tipped with small plastic balls that gently stimulate hair follicles, which is also relaxing. We also love its no-slip, powdered matte handle, which is comfortable to hold and makes it easy to gently brush wet or dry hair without snagging tangles.

Our only complaint is that the bristle tips can fall off over time, revealing sharper, less comfortable bristles below. This makes it a less durable and sustainable choice than the other options we’ve included here.  

Bristle Material: Nylon | Curl Type: Wavy, curly, coily, very coily

Verb’s Detangling Brush works through even the toughest wet-hair snarls in just one to two passes, thanks to its flexible, ball-tipped bristles that leave minimal breakage. However, it tugs a bit more on dry hair, so we prefer to use this brush in the shower. 

We appreciate how simple it is to clean with our fingers without combing it to remove smaller strands. The tipped bristles were also a treat, creating a soothing scalp massage sensation, but we worry they’d fall off over time (similar to the Drybar brush). Overall, this is a gorgeous and affordable option that will last you a few seasons. 

Bristle Material: Nylon | Curl Type: Wavy, curly, very curly, coily

This flexible yet durable brush from natural hair expert Felicia Leatherwood is a favorite for its travel-friendly size and wide-spaced, easy-to-clean bristles. Designed for textured hair, it’s a top-notch detangler for all hair types and works great for brushing out braids. It even has a small hole in the handle to hang. Our only gripe is the narrow handle without padding, which is difficult to grip when wet or for those with small hands.

Bristle Material: Nylon | Curl Type: Curly, textured, natural 

We found Trace Ellis Ross’ Pattern Beauty brush one of the best options we tested for thick or natural hair since it’s sturdy enough to get a firm grip yet flexible to bend toward hair without tugging. 

It’s also ideal for those who prefer to wash and brush their hair in the shower: It glided through our wet tresses and evenly distributed our hair products, leaving us with smooth, silky curls with minimal breakage or frizz. Just note not to pull too hard on the brush, as it can break if used with too much force. 

Bristle Material: Nylon | Curl Type: Wavy, curly, coily

If you suffer from a sensitive scalp or want to minimize your hair routine, try this Briogeo brush. Its soft boar and durable nylon bristles gently raked through our hair and any tangles within minutes without scalp irritation. 

We noticed significantly less shedding than usual and loved how it helped maintain our curl pattern. It’s slightly heavier than others but easy enough to grasp the matte silicone handle, which provides a non-slip surface even when wet. 

Bristle Material: Boar, nylon | Curl Type: All hair types

When it comes to detangling, this best-selling Tangle Teezer is hard to beat. In just one swipe, it effortlessly unknots hair with its unique two-tiered bristle system, which is flexible enough to move through tresses with minimal breakage or shedding. It’s also shower-friendly and evenly distributes shampoo and conditioner for clean, frizz-free locks. 

During testing, we found that the paddle’s generous width was perfect for those with thicker tresses and very curly hair; for anyone with fine hair, the brand also makes the same brush but a size smaller. It’s suggested to keep the brush away from heat, so this isn’t a good option if you’re looking for a blow-dry brush.

Bristle Material: Nylon | Curl Type: Wavy, curly, very curly

Brushing a child’s hair (without a battle) can be a feat, and it can be even more difficult if you’re dealing with tangled, tight curls on a tender head. This hair brush from Crave Naturals takes away the tears and makes detangling a breeze for everyone involved. The firm yet flexible cone-shaped bristles glide through even the toughest tangles without digging into the scalp or yanking hair.

We used this on a four-year-old with type 3B/3C hair after a thorough shampoo and conditioning treatment. The brush effortlessly pulled apart the ringlets, removed the tangles, and then snapped the curls back into place. The curls appeared bouncy and amplified and dried frizz-free.

One piece of advice: Brush softly. While massaging to the scalp, the tough bristles can uncomfortably scrape the top of the ears and back of the neck. While the oblong shape of the brush is unique, it can feel unnatural to hold at first. It’s more comfortable if you hold the larger side in the palm of your hand while brushing.

Bristle Material: Plastic | Curl Type: All hair types