6 Best Shaving Brushes That Will Up Your Shave Quality

Wet shaving can get you the smoothest, closest shave of your life – but you need a shaving brush to really make it work.

It’s an old-school approach that connects you with your ancestors and makes you feel

But the right shaving brush isn’t always easy to find, so we’ve put together this list of the 6 best shaving brushes on the market.

Shaving brushes are a great way to enhance your shave quality. They help to spread the shaving cream evenly, which means a more even shave, as well as a cleaner shave with less irritation. In short: you’re going to love your new shaving brush.

In a hurry? Here are our top picks:

And we haven’t stopped there:

We’ve also put together a simple guide to using a shaving brush, as well as a detailed discussion about why shaving brushes work so well.

First, let’s look at the 5 essential factors you need to consider when purchasing your shaving brush.

Quick summary

Before you buy: 5 Things to consider when purchasing a shave brush

OK, let’s cut to the chase: With hands, who needs a shave brush? Yes, we get it, you can always build a lather and apply it to your face with your hands, but is it as good as what you’d get by using a shave brush?

No.

Purchasing a quality brush not only shows that you take wet shaving seriously, but also that you truly desire the kind of lather (and other attributes) that make for a close shave. There are many advantages to using a shave brush:

• It whips air into shaving cream or soap to generate a rich lather.
• A shaving brush softens and lifts the hair off the face, making it easier to shave.
• It adds heat to the skin during your shave which helps lubricate the skin while also opening skin pores.
• The brush’s bristles gently exfoliate the skin to rid of dead cells.

Yes, a shave brush is old school, but some things in life will always hold their value.

Now that you’re ready to buy a shave brush – whether it’s your first or one of many – here are some things to keep in mind before making your purchase.

1. Type

One of the most important criterion when choosing a shave brush is the type of hair in the brush. And most types of shaving brushes come in one of four types of bristles: badger hair, boar hair, horse hair, or synthetic.

We’ll get into the pros and cons of each type of hair later in this post.

As a general rule, however, boar hair is the type of brush you’ll find in many supermarkets and drug stores, while horse hair comes from the horse’s tail or mane and is making a comeback of sorts when it comes to shaving brushes.

Just a note: Harvesting badger and boar hair mean killing the animal. If that’s a personal concern, then you’re better off choosing a synthetic or horse hair brush.

2. Price

The nice part about shave brushes is that you can find one to fit any budget. A top-notch Silvertip badger hair brush may cost as much as $150, while you can pick up a good boar brush for as little as $10. Quality synthetic versions can range in price for $30 to $150.

You’ll probably want to choose a relatively inexpensive brush if you’re new to wet shaving, since you may not be sure whether you’re going to like it or not.

The cheapest option is a synthetic bristle, which will also dry faster than natural bristles and doesn’t require special care. A mid-range option is badger hair, which comes from a variety of sources: pure (most expensive); best; super; and fine (least expensive). Boar hair is the least expensive option, but it takes longer to get used to and loses its shape quickly.

3. Size

Brush size and shape is another important factor when buying a shaving brush. Most brush dimensions are expressed in millimeters and often divided into three sections: loft, knot, and overall height.

The loft is the length of the hair from the top of the handle to the tip of the hair, while the knot refers to the amount of hair that’s packed into the handle. The length of the handle is included when determining the overall height of the brush.

The length of the handle is included when determining the overall height of the brush.

Generally speaking, larger brushes are superior for quickly lathering a large area of your face while smaller brushes have more control.

4. Handle

Brush handles are usually offered in different sizes and weights depending on the manufacturer. The size of your hand should be a key determining factor in choosing the right handle for you.

The most common materials used for brush handles are metal, wood, horn, and synthetic.

Metal handles are often made of brass – and plated with chrome or nickel to increase their durability – while wooden handles come from a variety of wood types, such as pine, sycamore, and ash.

As far as horn handles, the best and most common option is buffalo horn – which has excellent durability among its many attributes.

5. Shedding

Don’t be alarmed if your brush sheds some bristles for the first week or so after purchasing it. The shedding ends sooner than later, but you can expedite the process by washing your brush with shampoo or combing it.

When you’re shopping for a shaving brush, one of the most important things to consider is how much it sheds. A good shaving brush should hold its bristles.

Besides shedding, another great quality in a brush is softness. Softness is probably the most difficult feature to find in a shaving brush—it’s pretty rare that a shaving brush will be both soft and non-shedding (let alone an affordable price). But if you happen to find one, it’s definitely worth buying!

We’ll dig deeper into the types of shave brush bristles later on, but now it’s time to get into our shaving brush reviews.

The 6 best shaving brushes

1. Edwin Jagger Best Badger Shaving Brush With Drip Stand

Sheffield, England-based Edwin Jagger exists exclusively to meet the needs to wet shavers worldwide. Founded in 1988, it designs and manufactures a wide variety of high-quality wet shaving accessories, including their incomparable badger hair shaving brush.

And their Best Badger Shaving Brush (with drip stand) is the best badger shaving brush on the market – the name doesn’t lie. Then again, what else should one expect from a company that stakes its reputation on quality?

Edwin Jagger makes all of its shaving brushes from the hair of the Meles Meles badger – which is a “sustainable” source (and also known as the European Badger).

As mentioned, badger hair is a common source of shaving brush bristles – and has been for a couple of hundred of years – and absorbs water better than other bristle types.

Combining a top-quality badger hair brush with a superior shave cream or soap all but guarantees a lather that’s second-to-none.

Combining a top-quality badger hair brush with a superior shave cream or soap all but guarantees a lather that’s second-to-none.

But there’s more to like about Edwin Jagger’s Best Badger Shaving Brush with Drip Stand. Let’s break it down a bit:

• Badger hair absorbs hot water during the shave which, in turn, helps you to produce a rich, creamy later. A badger hair brush is also great when used with a hard shaving soap, especially for men who prefer a firmer feel during the lathering process, or who have coarse facial hair.
• Edwin Jagger makes its shaving brushes by hand and uses the latest technology combined with traditional craftsman skills.
• While the brush is shorter than some others, it fits comfortably in your hand and provides good control during the mixing and lathering processes. Its size also makes it an excellent travel shaving brush.
• Your Edwin Jagger Best Badger Shaving Brush comes with a drip stand that allows you to store your brush and hang it to dry. It’s important to rinse your brush with warm water after every use and hang it to dry.

All in all, it makes for an excellent shaving brush kit.

Bristle Type

• Badger hair

Bottom Line

Edwin Jagger has established itself as one of the key players in the wet shaving game and only enhances its strong reputation with products like the Edwin Jagger Best Badger Shaving Brush.

A bonus is that it comes with a shaving brush stand, as well. We think this is the best shaving brush available.

2. VIKINGS BLADE ‘White Knight’ Luxury Shaving Brush

Synthetic brushes can get a bad rap from shaving brush purists, but there’s really no denying quality when you see it, and Vikings Blade’s ‘White Knight’ brush is a perfect example.

The hair itself is made of top quality fibres that look and feel like silvertip – it makes for a wonderfully soft, luxurious brushing experience. Plus the brushes are designed for optimal water retention, making it extremely comfortable to apply.

The heavy stainless steel base – made of Premium Swedish Alloy – gives you solid control and makes using the brush feel extremely masculine. Plus the handle – made of Ivory Tusk Acrylic – has surprisingly good grip, on top of being dense and durable.

Because the fibres are synthetic, it doesn’t shed nearly as much as many ‘natural’ brushes, and the aesthetic is fantastic – it comes in a beautiful Swedish case, making for an absolute all round manly experience.

When you first use it, you should expect a mild badger smell – but nothing more than the standard shaving brush. And because of its durability, this is ideal for men who need to do a wet shave every single day.

Bristle Type

• Top-end synthetic fibres

Bottom Line

A synthetic brush that can compete with the best – beautifully weighty, durable, and luxuriously soft.

3. Omega Professional Boar Bristle Shaving Brush

Founded in 1931, Italy’s Omega is one of the most popular shaving brush manufacturers worldwide. Their brushes are not only high quality but also reasonably priced (and worth every penny at any price).

Made of natural boar hair, the Professional Boar Bristle Shaving Brush comes with a black resin handle that’s almost as tall as the loft, making it one of the bigger handles out there. While it may not be as premium as a wooden handle, it has a quality feel to it.

It also provides superior grip, unlike other models that feel too rough or too slick.

But more about the bristles.

As with many other boar brushes, the Omega Professional takes a bit of time to break in. But, also like most boar brushes, the more you use the bristles, the better they become.

And the Omega Professional’s bristles are softer out of the box than most other boar brushes.

If you’re looking for a brush that will give you a rich lather that covers your entire shaving area, then the Omega Professional is right up your alley.

The bristles are great for exfoliating – eliminating dead skin cells – the skin during your shave, and your face will feel smooth and refreshed when you’ve finished.

Again, the Omega Professional Boar Bristle Shaving Brush is very affordable. There are plenty of more expensive brushes available that aren’t of similar quality as the Omega.

We’d be shirking our duties if we didn’t touch on the Omega Professional Brush’s smell. The fact is, the brush has a strong odor when you first open up the package and during the break-in period.

Not to worry, however, because the odor goes away the more you use the brush. Furthermore, it’s made more bearable at the start because of the thick lather the bristles provide right from the get-go.

Bristle Type

• Boar hair

Bottom Line

The Omega Professional shaving brush is the best boar shaving brush available. You’ll like the lather and the way it makes your skin feel after your shave. Even better, it’s available at a price that won’t bust your budget.

4. Parker Safety Razor 100% Silvertip Badger Bristle Shaving Brush

The folks at Parker have made it their business to make only the best products for wet shavers everywhere, and their Silvertip Bristle Shaving Brush is as good as it gets.

Made from pure Silvertip badger hair – arguably the best material for bristles on the planet – this brush is extremely soft and better than a lot of brushes that carry a heavier price tag (although it’s not cheap, by any means).

Its bristles can hold large amounts of water, which makes it easier to work up a beautiful lather.

The bristles are lighter in color at the top and feature a distinct black band, and they need little break-in time compared to any other kind of bristles. They’re soft but extremely tough and you can expect years of service with this brush before it’s time to buy a new one.

Like most of the top shaving brushes on the market, the Parker Silvertip has excellent exfoliating qualities. It’s also a great option if you have sensitive skin because of its soft bristles.

The brush also has a low shed rate and you’ll experience minimal bristle loss after your first few uses.

The Parker Silvertip Badger Bristle Brush is a testament to craftsmanship as it’s handmade and you can feel the quality when you hold it in your palm. The handle is a comfortable length that’s neither too long or too short.

Another reason to like this brush is that it comes with a chrome shaving brush stand that ensures proper drying and storage.

Some reviewers suggest that the Parker Silvertip’s knot is a bit “looser,” i.e., higher up the handle, than other shaving brushes, which makes it less suitable for aerosol creams.

Why? Because a portion of the aerosol cream remains stuck in the bristles and never reach your face.

Then again, if you’re using a shaving brush, there’s no sense in using a cheap aerosol cream instead of making your cream from scratch, or using shave soap.

If you’re going to go “old school” and use a shave brush, why not be just as traditional with your cream or soap?

Bristle Type

• Badger hair

Bottom Line

The Silvertip Bristle Shaving Brush is a product that’s very representative of the type of wet shaving items that Parker produces on a regular basis. You’ll love the softness of the bristles, just as you’ll love the brush’s durability.

5. Semogue 620 Superior Boar Bristle Shaving Brush

You may not have heard of Semogue, but the Portugal-based company is a longtime leader in the brush industry.

With over 60 years of experience, it’s no surprise that its Semogue 620 Superior Boar Bristle Shaving Brush is a prized possession in many men’s grooming kits.

If you’re part of the trend of men who prefer the wet shaving experience, then the Semogue 620 will help you make the most of it. It’s a handcrafted brush that looks great and delivers superior performance with each shave.

We like it for a lot of reasons, including that it builds a sizable lather without the irritation of lesser-quality shaving brushes.

Its boar’s hair bristles are more numerous than on many brushes, and you’ll get the kind of lather you desire whether you’re using shaving cream or soap.

Like other boar bristle brushes, there’s some break-in time with the Semogue 620, but not all that long.

Once it’s fully broken in, you simply need to soften it for 10 to 15 minutes in warm water before shaving. The tips of the brush become very soft and retain water, unlike few other brushes.

The Semogue 620 also has a sturdy construction with a strong backbone. The handle, made from acrylic, has good balance and fits easily into your hand.

Meanwhile, the full-bodied boar bristle knot is held in place by a sterling ring – which contributes to the brush’s overall attractiveness.

Bristle Type

• Boar Hair

Bottom Line

The Semogue company and its master craftsmen consistently create brushes of a higher quality and its 620 shaving brush is no exception. It helps create a full, rich lather, the bristles don’t irritate the skin, while it has an attractive design.

6. Proraso Professional Shaving Brush

Proraso is a legendary Italian shaving company, and their shaving brush is exactly as great as you’d expect from such a brand.

Made from high-quality boar bristles whose length and stiffness have been carefully calibrated to create a beautifully soapy lather, this is a shaving brush for anybody who wants to know what real quality feels like.

It is exceptionally tough and durable, with most reviewers reporting an almost complete absence of shedding – a real problem with many less well-made brushes.

Yet the bristles are gentle enough to allow for you to massage the beard without any itching or scratching at all.

And it can load up a huge amount of soap and has a very large coverage area, making it easy to use on even the biggest of beards.

The handle is exceptionally chunky, which will divide men: some will love the weight, while others will find it less comfortable than other brushes on this list.

While it does take a few goes to break in, the Proraso shaving brush gets going quicker than most and, as we’ve already said, is immensely durable.

Some note a slightly unpleasant odour on the brush when it first arrives – though not all. However, everyone agrees that the smell disappears fairly quickly.

Bristle Type

• Boar

Bottom Line

Proraso delivers another great shaving product: great quality boar bristles with a nice handle design and super durability, all for a total reasonable price.

How we chose our best shaving brushes

There is a variety of factors we considered when choosing our best shaving brushes.

Perhaps the most important is the type of bristle – there’s no better way to evaluate a shave brush. Badger hair brushes remain the best of the bunch, but we also wanted to include at least one brush each of the other types of bristles.

The quality of the lather is another key criteria when selecting the best brushes; after all it’s all about providing the best foundation for your shave.

Price is, of course, another factor, but like with all of our reviews, we want to include products in a good range of price options.

The quality of construction is another thing to consider when evaluating shaving brushes, and that includes the handle. If the brush isn’t comfortable in your hand, then chances are you’re not going to get a comfortable shave.

Finally, we spend a lot of time doing research, including perusing the reviews of others.

While we can’t try every shave brush available, we do turn over every stone when it comes to digging through all of the literature available on shaving brushes (and men’s grooming products, in general).

5 Steps to a luxurious Shave: How to use a shaving brush

Using a shaving brush isn’t rocket science. Then again, we’re not building rockets, and there is some technique involved if you want to get the most out of your shave brush (and create the kind of lather you and your face will love).

Here’s how:

1. Prepare your bowl and brush

Get a mug or bowl – the best are those designed specifically for wet shaving – and fill it with hot water. Not boiling water, mind you, but still nice and warm.

Place your brush in the water and make sure to cover all of the bristles with water. Let the brush soak for a few minutes, or even while you’re showering. Soaking it will soften the bristles and make lathering a whole lot easier.

2. Bring some water out

After the brush has soaked for a bit, take it out and squeeze its bristles until the excess water goes away. You only need to apply enough pressure to ensure that the brush isn’t dripping water but is still moist.

3. Building your lather

Now it’s time to build your lather and the process depends on whether you’re using shaving cream or shaving soap.

• With shave cream

There are a couple of ways to build your lather using a shave cream:

Place some cream in your shave bowl (after you’ve emptied it of water). Add drops of water to the cream to get your preferred thickness and texture as you swish the mixture around in the bowl with your brush.

The key thing to remember is that you want to create a lather that has the right mix of air and water. You’ll know you’re there when the lather is rich and creamy and not foamy.

Building a good lather usually takes about a minute, maybe more, maybe less, depending on technique, products, brush, etc.

Or, create a small amount of shave cream in a small cavity of your hair brush. You can create the cavity by pushing down on the top of the shaving brush. Note: it’s still a good idea to mix your cream in the bowl before applying it to your brush.

• With shave soap

Place a small portion of shave soap in your bowl and add a few drops of water to moisten it. Swirl your brush on the top of it for several seconds (it doesn’t take long) until you have a good amount of soap on your brush.

4. Lathering your face with a shave brush

Now we’re on to the fun part – applying that luxurious lather to your face while using a shave brush.

• Make sure that your face is thoroughly wet before applying your lather. We’ve mentioned it in another post, and it’s worth repeating – a great time to shave is after you’ve showered because the warm shower water will soften your facial hairs and make them more pliable for your razor.
• Your first step in lathering your face is to apply it with swirling motions. You don’t need to apply a whole lot of pressure but just enough to thoroughly lather your face while exfoliating your skin.
• After you’ve covered your face with lather, use an up-and-down painting motion that will smooth out the cream on your face to provide a nice, slick shaving surface.

5. Re-apply lather

After you’ve completed one pass with your razor over your face and neck, it’s often wise to apply more lather to your face while using the same motions you used in step 4.

Doing so ensures the closest shave possible. Just make sure that your lather doesn’t get dry while you’re shaving, so apply a few drops of water to keep it moist.

So, what’s better, a shaving brush or my hand?

If you’re one of those men who wonders why you can’t just skip all of the steps above and work up a lather in your hand instead, you’re not alone.

And let’s face it, men have created a lather in their hands – and applied their mix to their face by using their fingertips – for, well, a long, long time. That’s not going to change, either.

Indeed, using the palm of your hand is a simpler process than building a lather with a shave brush. You don’t have to deal with a bowl, wait for your brush to soak, etc.

Palm lathering is a nice option when using heavy creams because you won’t worry about more cream ending up around the perimeter of your bowl than on your brush.

But while the simple things in life are often more rewarding than those that are more complicated, that’s not the case when it comes to building a luxurious lather for your wet shave.

The fact is, a shaving brush has many more advantages than using your hand:

• A shaving brush is good for your skin. While you’re applying the lather to your face you’re also removing dry skin cells and exfoliating your skin.
• A shaving brush raises your facial hair and makes it softer. In turn, you’ll get a closer shave. You’re also less likely to irritate your skin during the shaving process.
• You’ll build a better lather with a shaving brush and bowl. End of story.

Here’s the difference: A closer look at the types of shaving brushes

We’re fortunate to live in an era where there are more options for shaving brushes than ever before. Synthetic materials are a big reason why, but animal hair brushes are as prevalent as ever (and the choice of many, many wet shavers).

Let’s delve into the different types of material used to create a shaving brush’s bristles:

1. Boar Hair Brushes

Boar hair brushes are the least expensive and most prevalent type of shaving brush available today.

Also known as “Pure Bristle” or “Natural Bristle,” boar hair brushes are comparable in price to synthetic brushes (and, in most cases, cost less) and provide a lather that you probably won’t get with a non-animal hair brush.

There are a couple of drawbacks with boar hair brushes, 1) the bristles are harder and more prone to breaking than badger or horse hair brushes, and 2) they don’t retain water as well as other brushes.

It’s worth noting, however, that the bristles of a boar hair brush do become softer with use.

2. Badger Hair Brushes

Badger hair brushes are not only the oldest type of shaving brush – you’ll have plenty of options if you’re looking for an antique shaving brush that you’d like to restore – but also considered the best option for wet shaving.

They’re excellent for sensitive skin, they produce a superb lather, and you have four types of badger hair brushes from which to choose:

• Pure Badger Hair

A pure badger hair brush is the lowest quality and least expensive brush of its kind. The bristles have a dark brown color and come from the belly of the badger.

Cheaper doesn’t mean lesser, however, as many wet shavers prefer this type of bristle over any other. The bristles are soft, but not too soft.

• Best Badger Hair

The next step up grade-wise is the best badger hair brush. The brush is a bit larger and the bristles a lighter color (than pure badger hair), while the softness is excellent.

• Super Badger Hair

The bristles are even softer on a super badger hair brush than the previous two types and the quality is almost as good as it gets.

• Silvertip Badger Hair

Silvertip bristles are as good as it gets when it comes to badger hair. It comes from the neck of the badger, where the hair is extremely soft and is harder to find because it’s acquired during the winter only when the hair is a silver hue.

Most Silvertip shaving brushes are handmade and can cost $100 – and more.

3. Horse Hair Brushes

Horse hair brushes are harder to find than other types but are the preference of many wet shavers in Spain – which produces the best brushes of this type. Horse hair is softer than boar hair but not as soft as badger hair.

While the larger portion of horse hair brush bristles is stiffer than other types, the tips are pleasingly soft.

Horse hair is stiff and coarse, which makes it ideal for creating a dense lather. It’s extremely durable, so it’s one of the most popular options for shaving brushes.

4. Synthetic brushes

Synthetic shaving brushes have come a long way, baby. Made of synthetic materials (think nylon) they’re considered a good option for folks who want a shaving brush that’s not as expensive and not made from the hair of animals.

While many of the kinks associated with synthetic brushes have been worked out over the years, users still complain that they don’t hold water as well as brushes made of animal hair.

Synthetic bristles also tend to be stiffer than other types and may pick and poke your skin.

Conclusion

We hope you found this “best-of” review helpful and that it positively influences your buying decisions. After all, an informed shopper is the best shopper.

And, as always, we welcome your comments, suggestions, and overall feedback.

Have you used any of the brushes listed in this review? Do you use a brush that you think should be on the list? We’d love to hear from you.