Dealing with pet hair is a sacrifice every pet owner gladly accepts, but boy is it a pain. Unless you’ve adopted a hairless cat or a dog breed that doesn’t shed, you’re likely cleaning pet hair off of just about everything. You vacuum up pet hair off the floor and furniture. You use lint rollers all over your clothes and a pet hair remover in the laundry. You’ve bought a slew of products that promise to make cleaning up pet hair easy, but what about attacking the problem at its source with the best dog brush or cat brush?
Regularly brushing your pet will remove excess hair before it ends up all over your home, and it will make your dog or cat a lot more comfortable, especially in warmer temperatures. As a cat mom, I recently decided to upgrade my pet brush to get my fur babies ready for the summer. Finding the best cat brush or best dog brush is easier said than done—I’ve gone through dozens in my lifetime with mixed results—which is why the Hertzko Self-Cleaning Pet Slicker Brush immediately stood out while I was scrolling through Amazon. This pet brush has a near-perfect rating based on over 86,000 reviews—and how can that many people be wrong?
What is the Hertzko Self-Cleaning Pet Slicker Brush?
The Hertzko Self-Cleaning Pet Slicker Brush removes loose fur from the coats of dogs and cats. It also helps remove the tangles and mats that can plague long-haired breeds. This pet brush features fine wire bristles that are slightly bent, which penetrate deep into your dog or cat’s coat without scratching their skin.
What makes this particular brush truly unique is its self-cleaning mechanism. It can be difficult to clean all the hair out of pet brushes, but this best cat brush (or dog brush) makes it easy with its retractable bristles. Simply press a button on its sturdy plastic handle and the bristles disappear into the brush head, leaving the pet hair behind to be easily tossed in the trash.
This innovative pet brush comes in large and small sizes, and works on coats of all lengths. So whether you’ve got a short-haired tabby cat or a long-haired Shih Tzu, this brush has your pet covered. And if your pet has sensitive skin, that’s no problem! Hertzko makes a special pet brush for sensitive skin that uses soft plastic bristles instead of firm wire ones.
Hertzko Pet Brush Features
This dog and cat brush has enough features to make it the best dog brush and best cat brush on Amazon, but is simple enough to not overcomplicate things. The self-cleaning mechanism is the star of the show, since it makes de-shedding the brush easier than de-shedding your pet, but it has other attributes that make it a must-buy. Here are all the features of this bestselling pet brush:
Self-Cleaning Mechanism
The pet brush bristles retract with the push of a button, allowing you to cleanly wipe accumulated hair away. For those who find pushing buttons difficult due to mobility issues, Hertzko also offers a pet hair brush with a sliding latch to retract the bristles.
Fine Bent Wire Bristles
The brush has fine bent wire bristles that penetrate deep into fur without scratching your pet’s skin. These bristles are gentle enough to use on sensitive skin, but for pets that don’t like the feel of metal bristles, Hertzko also makes a model that uses plastic bristles.
Ergonomic Handle
The comfortable grip reduces hand fatigue, which is extra important if you’re brushing an extra-large dog. It’s also slip-resistant, even when it’s wet, making it ideal to use during bath time.
Easy to Store
A hole at the end of the handle lets you keep it on a hook, so you can easily store it alongside your dog’s leashes, or hang it up wherever it’s handy.
How We Tested It
Allow me to introduce you to Rockford Olivier Belvedere Sprinkles Robicelli IV (Rocky for short), who in addition to being a very good boy, is also a very hairy cat. Whenever he gets a good brushing, I usually end up with enough hair to build a second cat. (And yet somehow he doesn’t get any smaller?) If there’s an animal that can push this pet brush to its limit, it’s him.
After letting Rocky thoroughly sniff and inspect the brush to ensure it was to his liking, I began lightly running the Hertzko pet brush down his back, just for him to get used to the sensation. He’s a cat that likes to be brushed, but has been finicky about other wire-bristled brushes that I’ve bought in the past. After thirty seconds or so, it was evident he was enjoying it, so I began brushing him as I normally do, running the bristles through his coat in single swoops from head to tail. He liked it so much, I ended up brushing him for a solid 10 minutes!
As to be expected of a long brushing with a surprisingly hairy cat, I needed to stop a few times to clean the hair out of the brush. Normally, this is an ordeal of pulling and tugging to get the bristles clean, which kicks hair and dander up into the air and into my allergy-besotted nostrils. But with the Hertzko brush, cleanup was as easy as advertised! I clicked the button, wiped the extra hair straight into the garbage and went back to brushing. I was happy there was no mess, and Rocky was happy for the minimal interruption during his epic back scratch.
I had less successful results with my other cat, Clifftofur, who has longer hair than Rocky yet somehow sheds half as much. Clifftofur found the bristles to be too scratchy for him, and would only let me brush him for a few seconds at a time. Eventually, I came up with a brushing method he approved of, which was to hold the brush in the air so he could rub against it exactly as he pleased. It was slightly less convenient for me (cats love making things inconvenient), but Clifftofur was much happier, and he lost a ton of extra hair that would otherwise have ended up on my couch, bed, clothes and every other conceivable place in my apartment.
Pros
- Retractable bristles make cleanup truly easy
- Removes hair from the outer coat and under coat (and wow, how much hair it removes!)
- Quick cleaning time means less time for your cat or dog to run away (pets can be terribly impatient!)
- Easy-to-hold handle eliminates hand fatigue
- Rocky confirmed it gives an A+ back scratch
Cons
- Wire bristles may be unpleasant for pets with sensitive skin
FAQ
What is the best brush for a dog that sheds?
The best dog brush for you will be determined by your dog, but if the Hertzko works as well on dogs as it did on my cats, it may very well take top prize. Check out these other essential tools for DIY dog grooming.
What is the best brush for a dog with very short hair?
The Hertzko brush for sensitive skin may be the best brush for a dog with very short hair. It works its way through thin coats without scratching against the skin underneath—a sensation some dogs may find unpleasant.
Is there a difference between a cat brush and a dog brush?
Some brushes, like the Hertzko, can be suitable for both cats and dogs. However, each type of pet has their own special grooming needs that may require different types of brushes. Cats have more delicate skin than many dogs do, with coats that are shorter and less dense. Many cat brushes are designed to have softer and gentler bristles than dog brushes, as well as being smaller to easily work around cats’ bodies.
Domesticated dogs come in a wider variety of breeds than domesticated cats, and as such have a wider range of coat types, from short, fine and smooth to long, thick and curly. There are dog brushes specifically designed for different coat types, as well as differently sized dogs. There are brushes designed specifically for removing mats and tangles, which happen more often with dogs than cats.
What is the difference between a pin brush and a slicker brush?
Slicker brushes have fine, bent wire bristles that are closely spaced together while pin brushes have straight bristles that are usually made of plastic or metal. The bristles of slicker brushes get deep into a pet’s coat to remove tangles and mats, making them a good choice for animals with medium to long hair and thick, dense coats. However, these brushes can cause discomfort or irritation if used incorrectly, so it’s important to start off gently when brushing your pet before applying any pressure.
Pin brushes, on the other hand, are best for removing loose hair, dirt and debris, and can smooth and detangle fur. However, these might not be as effective at removing hair from the undercoat, which can make pets uncomfortable in hot temperatures.
What Other Reviewers Had to Say
More than 62,500 people gave this pet brush five out of five stars (on Amazon alone!). Here’s what they had to say:
“I love how easy this is to use and discard hair!” says verified purchaser, Katie Casanova. “My teen daughter (who doesn’t like to help with anything) even loves to brush the animals with it because she gets a kick out of popping the button to remove the hair! The cats love it, too! They almost treat it like a massage! Highly recommend!”
Chewy customer, Jennifer, gives the Herzko Pet Brush five stars and writes, “I love this brush. So do my cats. It seems to do a great job of getting into the undercoat and helping get rid of excess fur. Plus, it makes cleanup so very easy. Best cat brush I have ever owned!”
“Love love love this brush,” writes five-star reviewer, Julia Day. “Got it to use on my English springer spaniel. She has short hair but sheds like no tomorrow. This brush is so neat with the feature to retract to throw the hair away. Simple to use as well.”
Product Comparison
While there’s no shortage of pet brushes on the market, none have the innovative push-button cleaning mechanism the Hertzko one has. If easy cleanup is your highest priority, this is model for you.
Final Verdict
My cats love the Hertzko pet brush, and so do I! It does a great job of cleaning up their coats, and they love the massage this best cat brush provides. A quick click of a button lets me clean this brush completely in seconds, letting my fur babies enjoy their grooming with minimal interruption. Though I’m not a dog owner, I cannot see this brush disappointing my canine friends, nor the people who love them.
Where to Buy the Hertzko Pet Brush
Ready to buy this game-changing pet grooming tool? You can find the Hertzko pet brush online through Amazon or Chewy for around $20 to $30, depending on size. Your cat and/or dog will thank you.
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