A famous curly hair brush began as a rubber-cushioned brush, and the brand says the maker's sister with unruly hair was the inspiration. Here are eleven brushes and one comb for detangling and defining waves, curls and coils.
Curly Hair Brush: The Sister Story and Eleven Brushes to Try
Every curly person I know has a story about a Denman, and it is still the curly hair brush that every newer one gets compared to. The D3 was the work of John Denman Dean, a young entrepreneur from Northern Ireland who was introduced to nylon on a trip to New York in 1938 and saw it as bristle material for his patented rubber-cushioned brush. The story I like best, told by the brand's marketing head, is that he built it with his sister's unruly hair in mind. The war delayed everything, the business was established in 1946, and by the 1960s Vidal Sassoon was using the D3 to cut and style the angular bob he made for Mary Quant. Curl people later found that the same pins, raked through wet, product-laden sections, clump a curl into a spiral. That kind of accidental second life is what this edit is about, and every tool below is some kind of descendant. Some of these tools are old, some went viral, and one is a comb. The four at the top start with Bounce Curl, whose founder Merian Odesho spent nearly four years designing her brush, then add Mane's Ready or Knot paddle, which has metal bristles, and Crown Affair's comb.
The classics and the stylist's brush
The second group is where I would send anyone asking for a brush for curly hair that has a real story behind it. Denman is back with the D3 Original Styler. Felicia Leatherwood, the stylist known as the Hair Whisperer, who has worked with clients like Issa Rae and Ava DuVernay, built her Detangler Brush after seeing how many tools tugged at textured hair; hers is bonded on three sides instead of four, so the flexible bristles move with the hair. Shaun Pulfrey, a salon colorist, had his lightbulb moment for Tangle Teezer in 2003, was turned down on Dragons' Den in 2007, and then watched his website flood with orders once the episode aired. The Wet Brush Curl Shaper rounds out the group with flexible bristles made to glide through wet curls. My tip is to brush wet with conditioner or leave-in in the hair, work from the ends up, and keep sections small.
Knots, paddles and the skip list
These last four are the ones I grab when the knots are real. The Wet Brush Go Green has finger-like prongs that bend to a curl pattern, and the plastic in its body is 56 percent plant-based. FHI Heat's UNbrush is light, with a ridged handle, made to separate and define waves, curls and coils. Bounce Curl's Detangle Define is a detangling brush with a flexible vented pad and two-tiered bristles for thick hair, and the Denman Power Paddle is the roomier shape for long lengths. What I would skip is tearing through dry, tangled curls first thing in the morning. Dry brushing breaks the curl pattern apart and invites frizz, and a few spritzes of water and leave-in will do more than any amount of force. I would also skip the same brush for every step. Detangle in the shower, define afterward with a separate pass.
What I do on wash day
On wash day I detangle in the shower with conditioner in, rinse, then apply my styler and rake through each section once, tucking the brush under at the ends before I scrunch. Crown Affair's founder Dianna Cohen launched her line in January 2020, and I like a comb that is nice enough to keep within reach on wash day. Pick the tool that fits your texture. Use it gently. Then let the curls dry without touching them. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Greasy Hair by Noon and Hair Removal Cream, Shaving and the Ingrown Hair Fixes That Help Both. Once the tools are sorted, the next thing I would look at is conditioner for curly hair, from rinse outs to co washes.
