I have naturally thin hair that's prone to dryness, breakage, and split ends, so I'm always hyper-focused on hair health. I sleep on a silk pillowcase, I use hair masks religiously, and I'll go weeks without touching any heat tools (but when it's time to turn back to my flat iron, I always make sure I use heat protectant). I also use boar bristle brushes.
If you're asking yourself why that last part matters, I get it. How much of a difference can a hairbrush really make? Surprisingly, the answer is a big one. Take it from me. After switching out my traditional hairbrush for a boar bristle version, I've noticed a visible improvement in my hair—it seems stronger, smoother, and shinier. I'm not the only one who's noticed what a boar bristle brush can do. Hairstylists love them too!
Below, find the best boar bristle brushes to incorporate in your routine, plus everything stylists want you to know about the underrated staple.
The Best Boar Bristle Brushes, at a Glance
- Best Overall: DryBar Flat Mate Boar Bristle Brush
- Best for Curls: Bounce Curl Define Edgelift Brush
- Best Round Brush: Conair Styling Essentials Round Boar Brush
- Best for Thin Hair: DryBar Texas Tease Teasing Brush
- Best for Thick Hair: Pattern Double-Sided Bristle Brush
The Best Boar Bristle Brushes of 2025
1. Best Overall: DryBar Flat Mate Boar Bristle Brush
"I recommend ones with cork or wood handles," says celebrity hairstylist Bryce Scarlett. "I like the Flat Mate from DryBar." It's a boar-nylon blend with a wood handle that feels comfortable as you brush from root to tip.
Pros: Longer bristles are able to stimulate the scalp, wood handle prevents slipping
Cons: Label easily peels off with wear
Material: Boar and nylon bristles
Customer review: "I never knew how important a good hairbrush could be! This brush feels gentle going through my hair which is prone to breakage. It feels well made and seems well worth the price!"
2. Best Vegan Brush: Emi Jay Flat Brush in Pink Sugar
If you want to reap all of the smoothing, shine-inducing, and moisturizing benefits of a boar bristle brush, but you'd prefer to shop a vegan option, this one is for you. "Briogeo's Vegan Boar Bristle Brush is a more affordable synthetic option that still has those great smoothing and detangling benefits," says Jamila Powell, the founder of Naturally Drenched and owner of Maggie Rose Salon.
Pros: Features soft ballpoint tips to gently the massage the scalp, 100% vegan
Cons: Ballpoints can potentially irritate sensitive scalps
Material: Vegan fibers, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, rubber, and nylon
Customer review: "Love this brush! Definitely my go to now! Doesn't hurt my scalp like some other brushes. 100% would recommend."
3. Best for Curls: Bounce Curl Define Edgelift Brush
Assistant beauty editor Sabrina Talbert has been using the Bounce Curl Define Edgelift Brush for several months now and loves the results on her 3B/3C curly hair. "I can't lie, I was skeptical about this brush when I first tried it, but I totally understood why this brush went viral after putting it to the test," she says. The curved edges create thicker curl clusters that can be separated later for a fuller, defined look that lasts all day.
Pros: Provides definition and shine
Cons: Thicker curly hair may get more frizz from the bristle combination
Material: Vegan boar, plant-based PLA
Customer review: "This brish is amazing! An essential for curly hair. My brother actually put me on. We both have 3b/3c curly hair. With mine adding 3a to the mix. I am not a fan of curly hair brushes, as I find them not useful nor capable of leaving curls genuinely defined. But this brush, has transformed and defined my curls beautifully! "
4. Best Round Brush: Conair Styling Essentials Round Boar Brush
This recommendation also comes from Talbert, who uses this brush on a weekly basis. "The thick bristles as great for slicking back my thick, culrly hair," says Talbert. "It's also a go-to for my mom, who has thinner straight hair but loves it for blow drying as well." She notes that while the brush is on the bigger side, it still fits in medium-sized purses. She also calls out that unlike other brushes on this list, the handle has grips for easy use.
Pros: Cork handle prevents hands from slipping
Cons: Better for blowouts than everyday brushing
Material: 100% Natural boar bristles, wood
Customer review: "This boars hair used in this brush is firm and the handle is easy to grip. The price of this brush was fair and I expect it to last a long time."
5. Best for Travel: Urtheone Mini Boar Bristle Hairbrush
This mini boar bristle brush is the perfect size for stashing away in a carry-on. "As someone who is always on the go, having a travel-sized brush in my makeup bag or purse is a must—especially since it doesn't take much for my curls to frizz up," says Talbert. "If you need a sign to invest in one of these, this is it."
Pros: Portable, affordable, easy to hold, and great for travel
Cons: Not the best for super-dense strands, as it's quite small
Material: Boar bristles, wood
Customer review: "I love boar brushes since they smooth out my hair. I keep this tiny guy in my bag that I take to work since it’s nice and compact. Travels well. Good quality and works great."
6. Best for Thin Hair: DryBar Texas Tease Teasing Brush
Another option from DryBar, this teasing brush is made up of 50% boar bristles and 50% nylon bristles, and it imparts major volume. The tapered handle makes sectioning hair easy.
Pros: Great for precisely sectioning hair
Cons: Better suited for the hairline as opposed to your whole mane
Material: Boar and nylon bristles
Customer review: "I love this brush!!!!! It is amazing, does a fantastic job and I highly recommend it to other customers."
7. Best for Thick Hair: Pattern Double-Sided Bristle Brush
Of course iconic curl queen Tracee Ellis Ross created the most covetable boar bristle brush for textured strands. This dual-sided tool features nylon bristles for gathering and detangling lengths and boar bristles to slick back tighter styles. It's the ultimate two-in-one pick.
Pros: Innovative dual-sided design, great for slicked-back styles and detangling
Cons: Better suited for thicker hair
Material: Nylon bristles
Customer review: "I love this brush for slickbacks!!!!!! One side is perfect for combing and the other side is awesome for smoothing. I’ve had this brush for a year now and it’s still in perfect condition."
8. Best Splurge: Mason Pearson Popular Mixture Hair Brush
Let's kick off with the most recognizable boar bristle brush—the Mason Pearson. It's used by hairstylists, celebrities, and beauty experts the world over. "The Mason Pearson Popular Mixture Brush is possibly the most iconic boar bristle brush on the market and for good reason," says Powell. "It's definitely a luxury purchase, but it's worth the price." This is a brush that will last you a lifetime.
Pros: Stimulates the scalp and promotes shine
Cons: Expensive, but it lasts a long time
Material: Boar, plastic
Customer review: "I bought this brush based on the recommendation of my hairstylist. I have fine hair but lots of it and it’s so curly that it tangles easily after washing it and no amount of product will detangle it! This brush is gentle on your hair and gets the job done. I love how it feels and gets right to your scalp without damaging your hair."
What Is a Boar Bristle Brush?
"A boar bristle brush is a styling brush made from the hairs of boars," explains Scarlett. Hence its name! Some brushes feature 100% boar bristles (these are denser and typically used more for smoothing flyaways and slicked-back styles), while others use a mix of boar and nylon bristles for more detangling benefits.
"They are more gentle on the hair than other artificial bristles," adds Scarlett. That said, if using boar hair to smooth your own mane gives you pause—totally fair!—you can find vegan versions that use synthetic bristles.
Benefits of Boar Bristle Brushes
According to hair expert Lulu Pierre, founder of Boho Locs, boar bristle brushes are beneficial for multiple reasons. "Boar bristle brushes are great for smoothing and moisturizing hair. They actually lift away the dust and debris that your hair collects throughout the day while redistributing the scalp's healthy natural oils from root to tip. They also help prevent breakage during brushing because the bristles are so soft and gentle," she says.
The redistribution of oil is key (and the reason boar bristle brushes can actually improve the health of the hair). They take the natural oil that collects at the scalp and carry it down the lengths of the hair. This effectively moisturizes dry, breakage-prone ends.
They offer these benefits whether they're used alone or in conjunction with heat tools. Take it from celebrity hair expert Cory Aaron Scott, who says, "Boar brushes don't get too hot and burn your hair like metal brushes. You can get close to the root and get so much tension with boar bristles. They are great for setting the hair (using them as rollers), and they get hot and cool down quickly so you can get lots of volume and bounce to the hair."
What are the disadvantages of a boar bristle brush?
To be clear, "Any type of hair texture is good for boar bristle brushes," Scott says. "Fine hair is great when using a smaller, less-dense boar bristle brush. Coarse and curly hair is great when using a little bigger and denser boar bristle brush."
That said, those with curlier hair textures might not want to use it on their whole mane (unless you're opting for a slicked-back style). Anyone can use a boar-bristle brush to smooth down flyaways and create sleek buns, but when it comes to detangling, "it works best on straight to wavy hair to add smoothness and volume," says Scarlett.
How to Use a Boar Bristle Brush
Powell recommends using boar bristle brushes before showering or before bed. "You can use it whenever your hair needs a refresh as long as it is not wet. Using a boar bristle brush on damp or wet hair can cause damage to both your hair and the brush. Also, don't forget to brush in sections and take your brush all the way from root to tip so that the oil is distributed evenly!"
How We Chose
As with all of our buying guides atBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing , we compile our edits based on original testing and expert recommendations. To find the best boar bristle brushes for this roundup, we leaned heavily on expert insight and first-hand testing. We also considered several factors, including materials and customer reviews. We're aware of how important these factors are for a wide range of needs and preferences, so we made sure to list out all the helpful details.
Why TrustBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing
Since 2006,Best Knockoff Luxury Clothing has been a digital fashion, beauty, and lifestyle publication and community where people can discover Wholesale Replica Bag brands, trends, and must-have products to help define and evolve their personal style. Think ofBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing as your most trusted style and shopping resource.
This article was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
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