Best Brush for Curly Hair Dogs: Slickers, Kits and Rakes

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Details

By Ken

The best brush for curly hair dogs is usually a slicker-style brush with fine pins that reach into the coat, because curls hold loose hair close to the skin and turn into mats that a flat bristle brush cannot open. The question is which tool to buy for a poodle, a doodle or another curly coat. This guide covers the tool types, the curly-coat claims in twelve listings from our local research file, six picks with their limits, and a routine that the pages support. Three of the twelve listings name curly coats directly. The others are vacuum kits or brushes for other coat types, and the sections below say which is which.

Quick answer

• For a doodle or poodle coat with dense curls, start with the POODLIE slicker brush. Its bullets name curly, long, thick and fine coats.
• For a slicker, a comb and a bath brush in one set, the JENFOSLAN four-piece kit names curly-coated doodle breeds in its title.
• For a puppy or small dog with a soft curl, the Lyaiwever mushroom-head brush names Shih Tzus, Yorkies and Maltipoos.
• For mats and undercoat on a larger dog, the Maxpower Planet rake has a 9-tooth dematting side, but read its blade warning before you buy.

Why curls need a different brush

Curls work a bit like tiny hooks. Loose hair in a curl does not drop away the way it does from a short, straight coat, so it stays put and tangles with the hair beside it. A slicker brush is built for that job. The American Kennel Club describes the tool this way: “Slicker brushes consist of brush heads covered with short, tightly-packed wire pins angled to go through the coat and avoid the skin.” The same AKC page names the coats the tool suits: “Use them on medium-coated, long-coated, wire-coated, and curly-coated dogs to remove mats (and prevent mats from forming) by removing loose hair.”

The angle of the pins is the detail to look for. Pins that go into the coat lift loose hair out of the layer where mats form, and the tips stay away from the skin. That is the design claim, and a listing either states it or does not. Several of the listings in our file describe their pins as rounded or fine, which fits the job. Only the JENFOSLAN listing gives a pin length, at 1 inch. The pressure you apply matters as much as the pins. AKC advises: “Maintain a light touch when using slicker brushes, as pressing down hard could cause your dog discomfort.”

Curly coats also have places where mats start that are easy to miss in a quick pass. AKC’s grooming guide says that “Mats commonly develop behind the ears and under the legs.” The feet need a separate look. The same guide says that “Hair growing between the toes can mat easily and may need a careful trim from a professional.” A brush does not fix that hair, so the feet are a check and a trim question, not a brushing job.

How often to brush a curly coat

The AKC grooming guide gives a general rule: “Most dogs only need a few brushing sessions a week, though long-coated breeds often do best with daily brushing.” A curly coat that is kept long is in the long-coat group, so the daily schedule is the one that applies. A curly coat kept clipped short is a different case, and the pages we opened do not give a brushing schedule for clipped coats, so this guide does not give one.

Time is the practical question. As our planning estimate, 10 minutes a day for 7 days is 70 minutes a week, while three sessions of 10 minutes come to 30 minutes. Those numbers are an example for comparing two schedules, not a figure from a listing or a source. Your own session length will depend on coat density and how much tangling you find each time.

How to choose a brush for a curly coat

Five details decide whether a listing suits a curly coat. Check them in this order.

• Pin type and fit. A slicker head with short, fine pins is the right type for curls. The POODLIE listing says its “Fine wire pins reach the undercoat to remove loose hair before it sheds while gently smoothing tangles and mats.” That is the claim to match against the coat you are brushing.
• Pin length. For a rake, AKC is direct: “However, you must choose the correct pin length for your dog’s coat length.” A slicker’s pins are short by design, so the length question is mostly about whether the pins can reach the layer under a thick curl. When a listing gives no length, you cannot check that match from the listing, and this guide marks it that way in the table below.
• Count or tooth detail. A few listings give a count that helps you compare. The JENFOSLAN listing says it has “500+ rounded 1-inch pins.” The Maxpower Planet rake lists a 9-tooth dematting side and a 17-tooth deshedding side. The KUEIOX kit names six pieces but no pin count.
• A comb for the tangles. AKC says that “Wide-toothed combs can also help remove mats and tangles.” A slicker is for loose hair, and a comb is for the tangle that the slicker cannot open. Kits that include a comb cover both steps in one set.
• Self-cleaning. AKC describes slicker brushes with a self-cleaning function, meaning the pins retract when you press a button so you can clear the hair. That saves time on a dense curl, because hair caught between the pins is the usual reason a slicker stops working well.

If you are choosing between two brush brands for a general coat rather than a curly one, our Dexas and PrimeCat brush comparison is a separate page. For a second brush-brand view, see our LetsFeed and Dexas brush comparison. For the curl-specific picks, use the cards below.

What the twelve listings say

The table lists the twelve items from our local research file. It shows which listings name a curly coat, which give a pin or tooth detail, and which we used as a pick. Titles, bullets and specifications are the only source for each row. Nothing in the table comes from a test, and the table does not rank the items.

Listing	Curly coat named	Pin or tooth detail stated	Status
POODLIE slicker brush	Yes: curly, long, thick and fine coats	Fine wire pins; no length given	Pick
JENFOSLAN four-piece kit	Yes: curly-coated doodle breeds in title	500+ rounded 1-inch pins	Pick
KUEIOX six-piece kit	Yes: thick, thin, straight, curly, long or short hair	Six pieces named in part; no pin count	Pick
Lyaiwever mushroom-head brush	No: Shih Tzus, Yorkies, Maltipoos named	Not stated	Pick
Maxpower Planet rake	No: dogs and cats	9-tooth dematting side, 17-tooth deshedding side	Pick
Swihauk self-cleaning slicker	No: long and short haired pets	Plastic round-head bristles; no length given	Pick
oneisall grooming vacuum kit	No	Not applicable	Not used
FIXR grooming vacuum kit	No	Not applicable	Not used
Kavano grooming vacuum kit	No	Not stated for the brush	Not used
MASTER QUEEN five-piece kit	No coat named	17 stainless steel blades on the rake	Not used
DEEUCHIS massage brush	No: small dogs, cats and rabbits	Not stated	Not used
KEEPLKVOC nine-piece kit	No: rabbits, guinea pigs, kittens and puppies	Not stated	Not used

Three of the twelve listings, or 25 percent, name a curly coat. That is a count from the listing fields, and it is the reason the picks lean on the bullets rather than on a general claim about slickers.

A routine for a curly coat

This routine uses only steps that the AKC pages support. Do it in this order, because the brush works best after the tangles are gone.

1. Check the spots first: behind the ears, under the legs and the hair between the toes. The first two are in the AKC grooming guide. The toes call for a trim question, not a brush.
2. Work any tangle open with a steel comb or a mat-splitting tool before the brush touches it. AKC’s shedding guide says to “Remove tangles with a steel comb or a mat-splitting tool before brushing further.”
3. Brush with light pressure in several directions until less loose hair comes out. AKC’s shedding guide describes slicker brushes as good for “removing dead hair from dense coats” and recommends brushing “in multiple directions.”
4. Use a rake or deshedding tool only when the coat has a true undercoat, and only with the pin length that matches the coat. AKC says undercoat rakes can be used “on double-coated breeds of all fur lengths.”
5. Finish with a comb pass. A comb finds the tangle the brush slid past, and a missed tangle is easier to fix now than after the coat dries and tightens.
6. Stop if your dog pulls away, shows pain, or the skin looks irritated. Ask a professional groomer to look at a mat that will not come out, and ask your vet about any skin problem. This guide does not give medical advice.

Mistakes that cost curls

The first mistake is pressing hard to get through a curl. AKC’s warning about discomfort is the reason to keep the touch light, even when the brush feels slow. The second is brushing across a mat instead of splitting it. Brushing across a mat often skims its surface and pulls on the coat around it. The third is buying a rake with pins too short for the coat, which AKC treats as a requirement, not a preference.

The fourth mistake is treating a vacuum kit as a brush. Three of the twelve listings are grooming vacuums, and their bullets describe suction, noise and dust boxes. Its listing describes suction, noise and dust boxes, not a way to work through a curl, so it should not replace a slicker and comb. The fifth mistake is skipping the feet. Hair between the toes can mat, and a brush run over the top of the paw will not show the mat.

How we chose

We started from the twelve items in our local research file for this keyword, dated 2026-10-20. The file holds titles, bullets and specifications only. It does not hold purchase data, and none is used here. We set three rules. First, the main product had to be a brush, comb or rake, not a vacuum system. Second, the brush had to match the job a curl needs: loose hair, tangles or mats. Three picks name curly or doodle coats outright. Three name other coats or dog sizes, and they are included for their tool type, with the cons saying so. Third, the listing had to give a pin, tooth or piece detail that a reader can check. Six items met the rules as picks. The order of the cards is not a ranking.

Listings without a card. Three grooming vacuum kits (oneisall, FIXR and Kavano) were not used because their main feature is suction, not a brush. The MASTER QUEEN five-piece kit was not used because its listing names no coat type and only a rake detail. The DEEUCHIS massage brush was not used because it names small dogs, cats and rabbits, not curly coats. The KEEPLKVOC nine-piece kit was not used because it is a small animal kit aimed at rabbits, guinea pigs, kittens and puppies, and its listing does not name curly coats.

What we could not verify

The pages we opened describe what slicker brushes and rakes are for. They do not rate any product, and they do not say whether a given brush will keep a specific curly coat free of mats. The points below are not in the listings or the pages, so treat them as open.

• The pin length of the POODLIE, Swihauk, Lyaiwever and KUEIOX brushes. Their listings do not state it in millimeters or inches.
• Whether any brush prevents mats. The AKC pages describe the job of each tool; they do not promise an outcome.
• The KUEIOX kit. Its listing names some of its six pieces and not the rest, so the full set cannot be checked from the listing.
• The dog size the Maxpower Planet rake is meant for. Its listing does not state it in full, so its fit for a curly coat cannot be confirmed.
• The fit of the Lyaiwever and DEEUCHIS brushes for a curly coat beyond the names in their listings.
• The blade warning on the Maxpower Planet rake. The listing says the blades can injure a pet if used inappropriately, and the detail of that warning is not given.
• Whether the vacuum kits work on curls, since they were not treated as brushes in this guide.

FAQ

Is a slicker brush the right tool for a curly coat?

Usually, yes, for the loose hair and light tangles a curl collects. AKC describes slicker brushes for curly-coated dogs, and the pins are angled to reach into the coat. A slicker alone does not open a tight mat, so pair it with a steel comb or a mat-splitting tool for knots. Check the listing for pin detail first, because a slicker with long, soft bristles does a different job from one with short wire pins.

Can I use a rake on a curly coat?

Only if the coat has a true undercoat, because AKC describes undercoat rakes for double-coated breeds. A curly coat without a dense undercoat may not need a rake at all. If you do use one, choose the pin length that matches the coat, which AKC says you must do. Use light pressure, and stop if the dog shows discomfort.

How often should I brush a curly-coated dog?

AKC says most dogs need only a few brushing sessions a week, and long-coated breeds often do best with daily brushing. A curly coat kept long is in the daily group. Time the sessions for a few days before you decide, because the amount of tangling depends on coat density, activity and whether the coat is kept long or clipped.

What should I do if I find a mat?

Stop brushing across it. AKC says to remove tangles with a steel comb or a mat-splitting tool before brushing further. Work at the edge of the mat, and go slowly. If the mat is tight against the skin, or the dog pulls away or seems hurt, ask a professional groomer to help, and ask your vet about any skin problem. This guide does not offer a home method for removing a mat close to the skin.

Does a self-cleaning brush replace a comb?

No. AKC describes self-cleaning slicker brushes as having pins that retract when you press a button, which helps you clear hair from the head. It does not replace the comb for tangles. A comb with wide teeth is the tool AKC names for mats and tangles, so keep one in the kit even when the slicker is self-cleaning.

Bottom line

Choose a slicker with fine pins and a stated detail if your dog has curls that collect loose hair, add a steel comb for the knots, and check the feet and behind the ears each time. Skip a vacuum kit as a replacement for the brush. If the curl is kept long, plan light daily brushing; if the coat is shorter and the dog has little tangling, a few sessions a week may be enough.

Sources

• AKC, Types of Dog Brushes: slicker pin design; curly-coated dogs; light touch; undercoat rake pin length; wide-toothed combs; self-cleaning slicker brushes
• AKC, How to Groom a Dog: mats behind the ears and under the legs; hair between the toes; brushing frequency for long-coated breeds
• AKC, Managing Dog Shedding: tangles removed with a steel comb or mat-splitting tool first; slicker brushes for dense coats; brushing in several directions