With so many options on the market, how can we pick the best deshedding tool for dogs? It seems like every time you turn around there is another product hitting store shelves that promises to drastically reduce the amount of loose hair your dog sheds. I wanted to do a pet deshedding tool comparison between three of the most popular dog grooming tools available.
The three most popular pet shedding tools used in this comparison review are well-known to most pet parents.
FURminator is recognized for producing some of the world's best pet grooming tools, but they aren't the only option. Both DakPets (a direct competitor to FURminator) and Magic Pro made by HappyDogz are two other common deshedding tools for dogs. All three promise to reduce your dog's shedding by up to 90%.
These popular pet deshedding tools have their pros and cons, but at the end of the day, they are all very good shedding brushes for most hair types, depending on the needs of you and your dog (or cat).
One of these three shedding tools ranks as my favorite, and in this video above and the article below I'll give you a very in-depth explanation as to why I would pick one specific shedding brush over others. So let's get into it.
ROUND-UP: Top 10 Best Deshedding Tools for Dogs
FURminator vs. DakPets vs. Magic Pro Deshedding Tool Comparison
Similarities of these top 3 shedding brushes
As I explain in my video, all deshedding tools for dogs have some features in common. That's not to say that these features are standard on EVERY pet deshedding tool, so be sure to do your research before making a purchase. Let me start out by explaining to you the commonalities between these three grooming tools.
Safety guards are a MUST HAVE when thinking about purchasing this type of tool. The teeth on these tools could cut someone, so you want to make sure they are covered at all times when the brush isn't in use.
Likewise, you want to protect the shedding brush head as well. If you don't cover it, you may notice that it gets dull much faster than you anticipated. All three of these products that I chose for my deshedding tool comparison do come with safety guards.
Speaking of the shedding brush head itself, you want to make sure that the deshedding tool you select has a stainless steel head. This provides maximum durability and also ensures that the head won't begin to rust shortly after you purchase it. Plastic teeth just won't stand up to the job of deshedding dogs, and other metals don't offer the quality and durability you'll get from stainless steel.
You'll find a stainless steel brush head on all three of the products I chose for this deshedding tool comparison, which brings us to the third point that they have in common.
All of these shedding tools are easy to clean. With a bit of warm water and a mild detergent, you can wash these brushes after you use them. This is important, because the natural oils in your pet's coat will get on the brush, and you don't want them to cause any build up over time.
CHECK OUT MY VIDEO GUIDE: How To Stop Dogs From Shedding 101
Differences between the 3 shedding tools
The one obvious difference that you'll notice right away is the price of these deshedding tools. I will cover each one separately in greater detail, but I also recommend you watching my video above where I expand on every one of these points further.
The Furminator Dog Brush
The FURminator is certainly the best quality and the most popular buy among pet owners, but it's also the most expensive.
OUR FULL REVIEW: FURminator Tool Review
The company offers many different varieties and options of their branded pet shedding brushes, all for different coat types and dogs of different sizes. Depending on whether you select a tool for short hair or long hair, and the size of your dog, this deshedding brush will cost you anywhere from $30-$60 on Amazon.
The many options that you have to choose from with the FURminator dog brush are an asset and a drawback in my opinion.
If you are someone who tends to adopt the same breed over and over, this is a great option for you. The price may seem high now, but you'll be able to use this shedding brush for multiple generations of dogs. I believe it will pay for itself eventually.
However, if you're someone who doesn't stick with the same dog breed, or loves to rescue mixed breeds from animal shelters, the FURminator dog brush isn't going to be the best option for you.
Why? Because you'll need to make your purchase based on the size of the dog and the length of his coat. Therefore, you'll be limited in the pets you can use this deshedding tool with.
For example, I own the FURminator for short haired dog breeds of medium size. It works well for our boxer Chloe, but wouldn't work on any future dogs that I adopt that are small breeds, large breeds, or have long hair.
In my video, I show you the Furjector button. This is a standard feature on all FURminator deshedding tools. This button ejects a thin plastic strip that slides underneath the stainless steel teeth to push out all your pet's shed hair. You don't need to pull the hair out with your fingers, which is convenient. It's not a must have feature, but certainly makes things much easier.
The handle of the FURminator is also unique. It's ergonomically designed, making it very, very comfortable. This is a great asset if you have a dog that requires a lot of grooming. Our chocolate Labrador has a double coat, so I have to brush her for 45-60 minutes during heavy shedding seasons. Without an ergonomically designed handle, I would surely feel a lot of hand fatigue while deshedding my dog.
With all of these great features and high quality materials, the FURminator is most definitely an effective, one of the best deshedding tool for dogs (why else would I choose it for a deshedding tool comparison?) However, it's also much heavier than most similar products. This can be a drawback if you have a dog that requires a large amount of deshedding and grooming.
Before I get more into this, let's talk about the other two pet shedding tools first.
RELATED REVIEW: Andis Premium Pet Deshedding Tool
The Dakpets Dog Brush
The DakPets deshedding tool for dogs is much lighter, but it doesn't have an ergonomically designed handle. One thing that the DakPets tool has over the FURminator brush is its removable head. With the simple push of a button you can slide the head off for easy cleaning and safe storage.
At just $19 on Amazon, this deshedding tool is also much more affordable than the FURminator. In my opinion, DakPets brush is a one-size-fits-all type of dog deshedding tool.
What I mean by that is that it is designed to work on dogs and cats of all sizes with short or long hair. This is a great bonus if you have a multi-pet household like me, but it's also a drawback if your pooch needs a more customized product.
This also means that you'll have to make some compromises depending on the size of your dog and his coat type. We have a 6-month-old Beagle, who you can see in the photo above. This grooming tool works well on her coat, but it's a bit too wide. This makes it difficult to groom her entire body.
As I explain in my video, this shedding brush does work on our double coated Labrador, but it does not work as well as the other deshedding tool that we have which is made specifically for double coated breeds. If you have a dog with special grooming needs, like a double coat or wiry fur, it's best to purchase a deshedding tool that is specifically designed for dogs with that coat type.
RELATED REVIEW: GroomMe Dog DeShedding Tool From Pet Savvy
The Magic Pro Deshedding Tool for Dogs
The final product chosen for my deshedding tool comparison is the Magic Pro deshedding tool from HappyDogz. This dog brush is equipped with a comfortable handle and a rubber grip. As you'll see in my video, the grip has rubber grooves that contour to your hand. The large groove at the top works as a thumb rest.
It has a removable head, same as the DakPets tool has, and is another one-size-fits-most deshedding tool.
The Magic Pro Dog is made for small and medium breeds with short or long coats, but I found that it worked very well on our chocolate lab. You can pick this one up on Amazon for $25.
This is another lightweight grooming tool, which means you'll be much more comfortable using it for an extended period of time.
While it's more expensive than the DakPets tool, it's more affordable than the FURminator dog brush. Also, in my experience, Magic Pro worked better than the DakPets deshedding tool on all three of our dogs. I would recommend this brush to anyone looking for a universal deshedding tool to use on multiple dogs of different sizes and coat types.
In my video above, I go into more details about using the Magic Pro as well as the other two brushes, and I show you how exactly all of them work. I highly recommend you watching the video for a more in-depth explanation if you really want to make the right choice with your next pet grooming tool.
Now, onto my pick as the best deshedding tool for dogs out of all three options…
My Personal Favorite Universal Deshedding Tool for Dogs
So, I've tried all three dog shedding tools many times. I've also tried many different brands of shedding brushes before (and you can see those in my reviews). But when it comes to these three most popular tools, I found pros and cons to each one, and was able to pick one that's my favorite and that I would personally call the best deshedding tool for dogs of all sizes and coat types.
During this comparison, I was expecting FURminator to come out as the winner, but I was surprised.
I actually prefer the Magic Pro deshedding tool for dogs over the other two shedding brushes.
As much as there is around the FURminator, and with the lower cost of DakPets, it was not an easy pick, but the Magic Pro brush won me over. Let me explain this.
If I didn't have such an eclectic pack of pooches, I would probably have chosen the FURminator, but because it is so specifically designed, I didn't choose it as my top pick. As I have already mentioned, we do have a deshedding tool for our double coated lab, but this is a really great all around deshedding product to have on hand if you have a multi-dog household.
As you can see in my video and photos, this tool works well on all three of our lovely ladies. When I spend money on a dog product, I try to find something that is going to meet the needs of all of our pets. Pair that with the comfortable grip and lightweight of the Magic Pro, and it's no wonder that this product wins this deshedding tool comparison.
Now you picked your dog grooming brush but need advice on how to deshed dogs? Watch my step by step guide on how to stop dogs from shedding below:
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