In partnership with Tangle Teezer. Editor’s Note: We only select and work with partners that meet our quality standards, so you can rest assured we only endorse products we believe in.
When it comes to detangling brushes, the market is pretty flooded with options. Given the fact that I have thick, medium length hair, I've tried out my fair share of detanglers with one central goal: brushing my hair without accidentally ripping out a thousand little strands. This should seem like a relatively easy feat, but as my collection of hair tools proves, not all hair brushes are created equal.
That's why I was immediately intrigued by Tangle Teezer's line of Ultimate Dentangler brushes. The haircare brand sells a variety of hairbrushes, scalp massagers, and detanglers for both pets and humans, aiming to help users get their healthiest hair yet. But as someone who has broken a hairbrush a time or two in their life (Mia Thermopolis style), I was curious to see if these detangling brushes really worked.
We like
- Can be used on wet or dry hair
- Different hairbrush options for different hair types and textures
- Effective at detangling
- Caused less breakage than other detanglers I've used before
We don't like
- Shouldn't be used with heat
- Gentler on my dry hair than my wet hair
A Versatile Hairbrush Meant to Prevent Breakage
Tangle Teezer has a few different models meant for a variety of hair types and textures. For thinner hair, they recommend The Fine & Fragile Ultimate Detangler, and The Ultimate Detangler Naturally Curly is designed for tight coils and curls. Straight, wavy, thick, and curly hair types are all pointed to the standard Ultimate Detangler, but the brand also carries other tools like a wide tooth comb, a smoothing brush, and a small scalp brush. Because I have thick, straight hair, I tested the Ultimate Detangler.
The Ultimate Detangler promises a few things: it can be used on wet or dry hair for an "effortlessly slips through your hair" feeling, resulting in less breakage and more smoothing and detangling. In a bleachless, dyeless, virgin hair life, I could see this brush making good on its promise, but I had immediate doubts that it would do all that on my hair, which was bleached and dyed in the last month. This means that a fresh wash usually dries my scalp and roots (where a lot of the bleach currently lives) and my length is pretty tangled. My hair isn't too long (it ends at my chest area right now), but it still requires a decent amount of detangling, especially when I get out of the shower.
I've used a few different detanglers in the past (including the Wet Brush Original Detangler) and found that they make a decent difference when compared to regular hair brushes. Regardless of my hair's state and color, I'm half Asian, which means my hair has always been pretty thick and knots easily — in the shower, overnight, when I'm styling it, you name it; there's usually some kind of tangle that I'm brushing out. All this is to say that while I had concerns, I was more than ready to see if the Tangle Teezer's Ultimate Detangler makes more of a difference in keeping my hair healthy.
The Ultimate Detangling Test
On Dry Hair
Like most people, my hair is messiest when I get out of bed in the morning, so that's when I first tried it out. As expected, the brush performed well when going through my dry hair, but I immediately noticed a big difference in its feel. It felt as though it was only brushing the surface of my hair as opposed to the entire section (upon further research, this is probably because of Tangle Teezer's two-tiered design: the longer teeth work to detangle while the shorter ones beneath it smooth). So while it physically felt like it wasn't making much of a difference, it was achieving its goal of detangling and smoothing my hair for the day. When I worked a bit slower than I typically do, I definitely felt the brush being quite gentle on my hair, which was great to feel and see.
On Wet Hair
Brushing my wet hair was a much bigger test for me. Even with a healthy shampoo and conditioning treatment, my hair is always a bit of a mess when I emerge from the shower. I don't use any heat on my hair and I only towel/air dry it, too, so I was curious to see if the Ultimate Detangler would change the game for me.
So, did it?
I found that this detangling brush was a little gentler on my scalp and hair. Lately, I've been brushing my wet hair in small sections to address the knots, and that's when I felt that it worked best. Within two to three brushes, my newly washed hair was pretty much good to go. Like with my dry hair, it still had that weird "is it even doing anything?" feeling, but it was still effective at getting the job done on the most damaged parts of my hair.
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So… Is It Mia Thermopolis-Approved?
All in all, I think this is a solid detangler that's definitely a step or two above other options you'd find at your local pharmacy. It's a bit gentler, and depending on your specific hair type and texture, could make a big difference in your day-to-day routine. People with curly or wavy hair may find that the dual teeth design works wonders for frizz and flyaways. While I can’t speak to that personally, in general, I would say that the brand exceeds most of its claims.
At $15.99, it is a tad bit pricier than other options on the market. I'm assuming this is because of its unique, patented design, and also the brand’s cachet. While I can’t make any promises in terms of how it will perform on your hair specifically, I can point to the brand’s hundreds of five star reviews and hundreds of thousands of loyal followers. And perhaps this new Zodiac Collection, too…
Want to try it for yourself? Start here.
