Golden retrievers are known as much for their affectionate, boundless enthusiasm as for their thick, cuddly manes. While you may love petting your golden’s soft fur, you also may know how difficult it is to keep it looking lustrous and smooth. You can’t pick up just any brush and expect it to get through your golden retriever’s dense coat. You need a brush designed specifically for tough tangles and to prevent matting.
There’s a variety of brushes on the market today that claim to be able to handle your dog’s challenging fur. Some products are up to the task, while others will waste your time and money.
We’ve narrowed the choices down to the 10 best golden retriever brushes. Our list includes helpful reviews and quick-reference pros and cons lists.
Hopefully, we can help you find the right brush for your golden retriever.
The Winners of 2022 Compared:
| Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall
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Hertzko Slicker Brush |
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Best Value
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FURminator Slicker Brush |
|
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Premium Choice
 |
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HappyDogz Deshedding Tool |
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|
Glendan Dog Brush |
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Conair Pet-It for Dog Brush |
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The 10 Best Dog Brushes for Golden Retrievers Reviewed:
1. Hertzko Slicker Brush — Best Overall
For its effectiveness and easy-to-clean mechanism, we placed the Hertzko slicker brush first on our list as the best overall brush for your golden retriever. This slicker brush has fine wire bristles that can groom your golden’s undercoat to gently remove mats and loose hair.
When your brush is full, you can operate the retractable feature with the click of a button and slide off the excess hair with one swipe. We found that this mechanism makes using this brush helpful and convenient. Keep in mind that wear and tear on this moving part can cause breakage.
This brush has an ergonomic handle with a comfortable, non-slip grip, which decreases hand and wrist fatigue and strain as you work through knots. Your dog will also enjoy this brush’s massaging quality. However, in order to prevent scratching your dog with the stiff bristles, be sure to apply light pressure.
- Effectively removes mats, tangles, and excess hair
- Easy-to-clean retractable feature
- Ergonomic handle with non-slip grip
- Offer massaging sensation (when used properly)
- Retracting mechanism may break over time
- Bristles may be too harsh depending on grooming practices
2. FURminator Slicker Brush — Best Value
If you’re looking for the best brush for golden retrievers for the money, then you may want to consider the FURminator slicker brush. At a great price, you’ll get a brush that works well and is comfortable to use.
The FURminator offers you two different styles of bristles — straight or bent — on either side of the brush. Its dual head is designed to bend, which places the bristles into the most effective positions as you work around your dog’s body. This brush collects plenty of loose hair and can work through a golden retriever’s dense fur. Unfortunately, it may be difficult to clean it when it gets full.
Both the handle and the dual head are made of anti-microbial plastic, which reduces the spread of germs and bacteria. This slicker brush is well-constructed, with an ergonomic handle and a comfortable grip. However, we learned of durability issues with the handle after multiple uses.
- Best value
- Two styles of bristles
- Bending feature on dual head
- Ergonomic handle with comfort grip
- Anti-microbial plastic
- Difficult to clean
- Handle may break after multiple uses
3. HappyDogz Deshedding Tool — Premium Choice
Our premium choice due to its solid construction goes to HappyDogz Magic Pro de-shedding tool. Resembling a hand rake, this brush features a 4-inch-wide stainless-steel comb. The sturdy plastic handle is bent to place the comb at the perfect angle as you remove large quantities of excess hair from your golden retriever.
This grooming tool offers convenient features from start to finish. The ergonomic handle includes a non-slip grip for comfort, and when it’s time for cleaning, the blade releases with the press of a button. Storage is made easy with a handy eyelet in the handle for hanging up the brush.
We placed HappyDogz in our third spot because you’ll pay more for this high-quality product, though it’s worth it, as we found that this brush works quite well on golden retrievers.
- 4-inch-wide stainless-steel comb
- Sturdy handle with bent design
- Ergonomic, non-slip grip
- Blade releases for easy cleaning
- Eyelet for storing hanging up
- More expensive than similar products
4. Glendan Dog Brush
The handle on the Glendan dog brush rotates 360 degrees to help you achieve the best angle as you brush out your golden retriever. It also has a comfortable grip and an eyelet for easy storage.
The bristles on this slicker brush come with massage particles to protect your golden’s skin, to increase blood circulation, and to make grooming a more comfortable experience. While we learned that the bristles work well on golden retriever coats, be aware that cleaning all the collected hair can be a time-consuming task.
This brush is more compact than other models on our list at 6 inches total in length. If you have larger hands, you may not find this brush comfortable to use.
- Handle rotates 360 degrees
- Comfort grip
- Eyelet for easy storage
- Massage particles on bristle tips
- Difficult to clean
- Smaller size handle
Check out our reviews for the most useful:
5. Conair Pet-It for Dog Brush
The Conair Pet-It for Dog fits in the palm of your hand, which allows you to mimic petting your golden retriever as you brush out loose hair, tangles, and debris. Simply slip the plastic grip through your fingers to put the brush in place. The small shape helps with dogs who may experience anxiety with a larger brush.
Conair offers six different brushes in this unique style: a curry comb, a shampooing massage brush, metal pin brush, boar bristle brush, a soft slicker brush, and a slicker brush. As it’s at an inexpensive price point, you may want to invest in more than one type.
The boar bristle brush is built with 50% natural boar and 50% synthetic bristles that move smoothly through your golden retriever’s coat. This particular type of boar bristle brush is not intended for removing excess hair or working through matted fur. Instead, it works well to distribute oils in your dog’s fur for a smooth and shiny coat. We learned that you can also use it while shampooing your golden to get into their undercoat.
- Unique palm-shaped design
- Ideal for dogs with anxiety of large brushes
- Six brush styles
- Affordable price
- Boar bristle brush for smooth, shiny coat
- Works well for extra cleaning during shampooing
- Not for removing excess fur or matting
6. Oster Combo Brush
The two-sided dog brush on the Oster Combo brush features round-tip pins on one side and bristles on the other. The pins work effectively to break up tangles and penetrate your golden retriever’s thick undercoat. The bristle side removes matted fur and distributes oils to help your dog’s coat look its best.
This brush comes with an ergonomic handle that has a grooved grip for improved comfort and better command of the brush. This product is larger than similar models on this list at 9 inches in length, making it better suited for larger breeds.
We found this brush works rather well on golden retriever coats. However, you may experience pins falling out after tugging through your dog’s dense fur. We also discovered that the shape of pin brush is not convex, making it less effective.
- Two-sided brush
- Ergonomic handle with grooved grip
- Larger size brush
- Pins tend to fall out
- Lacking convex shape on pin brush
7. Safari W418 Self-Cleaning Slicker
If you’re looking for easy cleanup, the Safari Self-Cleaning slicker brush retracts with the push of a button, allowing you to easily remove all the excess hair you’ve collected. Also, the pins on the Safari are made with durable stainless steel.
The curved head on this brush allows you to use a natural motion as you groom your golden retriever. The comfortable handle has a solid grip and a full-size length to fit well in your hand.
While not as effective at removing matts and tangles as higher ranked brushes on our list, the Safari is still a solid choice for using on your golden retriever. However, keep in mind that you may run into problems using the retractable feature. If one or more of the bristles becomes bent, the mechanism jams.
- Retractable for easier cleaning
- Stainless-steel pins
- Curved head for more natural motion
- Comfortable handle
- Not as effective as similar products
- Retractable mechanism may jam
8. Groomist DISCO205 Dog Brushes
A combination slicker brush and bristle brush, the Groomist Porcupine dog brush works well on golden retriever’s coats to get through tangles, as well as to restore shine. The Groomist dog brush features pins with ball tips that can penetrate your golden’s undercoat while protecting their skin. At the same time, the bristles bring back your golden retriever’s smooth, lustrous coat.
The ergonomic soft handle makes this brush easy to manipulate. At 10 inches in length, this brush is well-equipped for larger breeds such as golden retrievers.
We placed this brush lower on the list because it’s not as effective at removing large amounts of excess hair. It also isn’t strong enough to remove matting.
- Combination slicker brush and bristle brush
- Pins with ball tips for your dog’s comfort
- Removes tangles and restores shine
- Ergonomic handle
- Large size brush
- Less effective with excess hair removal
- Lacking strength to remove matting
9. AtEase Accents Double Sided Dog Brush
Constructed out of all-natural two-toned bamboo, the ATEase double-sided dog brush is a grooming product made with sustainable materials, allowing you to feel good about your buying choices. It also has an attractive appearance.
The wooden handle is designed to fit well in the hand, although it doesn’t provide a non-slip grip, and the size may be small if you have larger hands. A small hole at the top of the handle can be used to store this brush when not in use.
This double-sided brush features, on one side, a bristle brush for reducing shedding and stimulating your dog’s skin for a healthier coat. On the opposite side, soft pins with comfort tips help remove mats. We found that this brush works rather well on golden retrievers, though perhaps not as effective as products higher on our list.
- Made with environmentally sustainable bamboo
- Attractive appearance
- Double-sided with bristles and pins
- Lacking a non-slip grip
- Smaller size handle
- Not as effective as similar products
10. Wahl Large Slicker Brush
The 4.5-inch-wide head on the Wahl large slicker brush is built to cover large sections of your golden retriever. This brush features stainless-steel pins with the intention of providing better strength and longer durability.
The specially designed pins have slightly curved tips to help detangle hair and reduce shedding. The ergonomic handle comes with a soft grip for a better hold as you groom your dog.
We placed the Wahl last on our list due to several issues with the pins. They may be sharp, leading to possible damage to your dog’s skin. They may also fall out into your dog’s fur, causing a choking hazard and leaving the brush less effective. Finally, the pins may bend, which further reduces how well the brush performs.
- Large head
- Stainless-steel pins with curved tips
- Ergonomic handle with soft grip
- Sharp pins
- Choking hazard due to pins falling out in fur
- Pins tend to bend easily
- Pin issues reduce brush’s effectiveness
Summary of the Best Brushes for Golden Retrievers
The Hertzko FBA_881314705702 Self Cleaning Slicker Brush earns its top spot on our list as the best overall dog brush for golden retrievers. This slicker brush effectively removes matts, tangles, and excess hair, as well as offering your dog a massaging sensation when used properly. When the brush is full, a retractable feature makes for easy cleanup.
For the best value, we recommend the FURminator 104009 Firm Grooming Slicker Brush. The lower price doesn’t limit this brush’s features. It comes with two styles of bristles, a bending feature on the dual head for improved performance, and an ergonomic handle with a comfort grip. It’s also made with anti-microbial plastic.
Finally, we selected the HappyDogz Magic Pro Deshedding Tool as our premium choice for its solid design. This brush employs a 4-inch-wide stainless-steel comb, a sturdy handle with a bent design, and an ergonomic, non-slip grip. The blade releases for easy cleaning and comes with an eyelet for storing.
We hope that after reading through our detailed reviews and pros and cons lists, you’ve discovered the best golden retriever brush that will feel good in your hand and that your dog will enjoy. The right brush can help you restore and maintain your golden retriever’s beautiful coat.
Featured image credit: Kaz, Golden Retriever, Pixabay
Contents
- The Winners of 2022 Compared:
- The 10 Best Dog Brushes for Golden Retrievers Reviewed:
- 1. Hertzko Slicker Brush — Best Overall
- 2. FURminator Slicker Brush — Best Value
- 3. HappyDogz Deshedding Tool — Premium Choice
- 4. Glendan Dog Brush
- 5. Conair Pet-It for Dog Brush
- 6. Oster Combo Brush
- 7. Safari W418 Self-Cleaning Slicker
- 8. Groomist DISCO205 Dog Brushes
- 9. AtEase Accents Double Sided Dog Brush
- 10. Wahl Large Slicker Brush
- Summary of the Best Brushes for Golden Retrievers
