I Tried the Original Tangle Teezer and My Hair Has Never Been Smoother

We called in Tangle Teezer's Original Detangling Hairbrush so our writer could put it to the test. Keep reading for our full product review.

I’d like to believe that I have a larger attention span than a goldfish, but the truth is I sometimes toss beauty products aside as soon as I see something shiny and new come along. It’s an occupational hazard I’ll blame for my hasty judgment of the Tangle Teezer Original Detangling Hairbrush. I tried it years ago when the hype was first building up, inevitably got distracted by something else, and promptly forgot all about it. My lasting impression of the famous brush was lukewarm at best, but fate demanded that I spend more quality time with it this year. Please note that I am owning up to my mistakes here—because I was wrong, mistaken, betrayed by my own fickle Moon in Gemini nature. After paying close attention to the Tangle Teezer’s miraculous powers on both damp and dry hair, I now concede that it lives up to the countless awards and five-star reviews. Below, my honest (and less distracted) review of the simple tool that makes my hair look like it’s the star of a shampoo commercial.

About My Hair: Thick with waves

As I’ve mentioned before on Byrdie, I rarely remember to brush my hair. I appreciate the shine-imparting effects, but I’m usually too lazy to be bothered to do anything more than a quick finger-comb. My hair type makes it easy for me to leave it alone; it’s thick and voluminous with a natural wave, allowing me to just roll out of bed and go. I’ve put it through a fair amount of bleaching over the last five years (varying shades of burgundy and fire-engine red highlights before settling on low-maintenance warm brunette), but it’s remained smooth and healthy-looking.

I almost never touch heat tools or styling tools in general, so my hair usually air-dries a bit on the frizzy side. Since it’s been a solid year since I’ve gone in for a trim, my split ends have started piling up and I’ve noticed that my hair tangles more easily than usual. This worked out great for the purposes of my review.

The Design: Patented two-tier bristles

 Unlike most hairbrushes, the Tangle Teezer lacks a handle. Instead, the back is contoured in such a way that it fits nicely in the palm of your hand. This also helps get more leverage on the brush as you work it through the hair. The bristles are spaced further apart than in my other brushes and feature two alternating heights. The brand calls this their patented “two-tiered regular-flex technology.” The longer bristles are meant to remove tangles while protecting against breakage, while the short bristles are there to smooth and reduce frizz. Both are grippy enough to pull through tangles, with a degree of flexibility to prevent the brush from damaging or tugging on the hair.

I like that the bristles are staggered in height and spaced further apart, which allows for easier cleaning. Between uses, I tug on a couple strands of hair, which quickly frees everything trapped between the teeth. For a deeper clean, I occasionally run it under warm water and work a squeeze of shampoo over the surface and base. If necessary, you can use an old toothbrush to further work away any debris. Then, I just shake off the excess water and leave it to dry with the teeth facing down.

Usage: Damp vs. dry

Any type of friction can cause major damage to the hair when it’s wet and the cuticle is open, which is why I would normally never advise brushing after you shower. But the Tangle Teezer is specifically designed to be used on either damp or dry hair, and the brand confirms that their design can flex through the hair without stretching or damaging it. I still don’t use this on sopping wet hair, but after towel-drying, I’ve tried working it through, and the design glides easily with minimal resistance. For best results, I start detangling at the ends of my hair and work my way up gradually. To finish, I brush with long, downward strokes over the entire hair shaft. One thing to note is that you shouldn’t use this brush with heat tools, as it can cause the teeth to melt. If you want to do a blowout, try their specially designed Blow-Drying range instead.

Before + After

The Results: Shiny, tangle-free hair

The before and after results from this brush were so dramatic, I thought I was hallucinating when I first saw the photos. But after examining my hair under multiple sources of light, I had to conclude that the Tangle Teezer really delivered. Please note that I put zero additional product in my hair when taking these pictures. The gloss from my previous Color Wow Dream Coat treatment had since worn off, yet it looked like I was ready to report to the set of a shampoo commercial. My product-free hair still looked good the next morning and only a little mussed from sleeping, so I brushed it again to quickly smooth out the flyaways. Shine city in 10 seconds flat.

The Value: A steal

Compared to classic boar bristle brushes, the $12 Tangle Teezer is a complete steal. Don’t get me wrong; I appreciate the finish that only a boar brush can impart and have seen many stylists work magic with them. But as someone that just wants to detangle her hair as quickly as possible in the morning (and possibly while running out the door), this fits the bill perfectly.