How to compare pet brushes by shape and cleanup
Check how you hold a brush, where you’ll store it and how you’ll get the loose fur out afterward.
Look at the whole brush
Start with a brush labeled for your cat or dog and their coat type. Then compare the parts you’ll handle: the grip, the head and whatever moves when you clean it. A wide head and a long handle take up different space from a brush you hold in your palm.
KONG lists the Cat ZoomGroom at 2.75 by 1.25 by 4.5 inches. The maker lists the material as thermoplastic elastomer, a flexible material, and its photo shows a cat-shaped body without a long handle. Coastal Pet’s Safari Dog Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush has a handle and a rectangular head with metal pins. Coastal lists its small version at 7.5 inches long and 3.625 inches wide. These are examples of two shapes, each labeled for a different animal.
Find out what the cleanup button does
A slicker brush has a pad filled with fine pins. On the Safari model, Coastal says a button retracts the pins so you can remove the collected fur. Look for a photo or diagram of the back if you want to see where the button sits.
Check the care directions separately. A button that retracts the pins tells you how to get the fur out. The instructions for the exact brush tell you whether you can rinse it, wipe it or take any parts off. If the listing skips those details, keep them on your list of questions.
Check the fit in your drawer
Measure the space where you keep grooming supplies. If your drawer has an 8-inch compartment, a brush listed at 7.5 inches long leaves half an inch along that side. You still need to check its width and height, and leave enough room to pick it up.
Before buying, save the model and size, the overall measurements and the maker’s cleanup directions. If you’re comparing two brushes, keep each model’s details together so you can tell which features come with the size you plan to buy.