What Does A Beard Brush Do? Is A Beard Comb Better?

Do you need a beard brush and what does a beard brush do exactly?

And what’s the difference between a beard brush and a beard comb? Which one do I need?

If you grow a goatee and trim it regularly like I do, you won’t require a brush or comb. I trim it every 2 weeks or so with clippers and keep it short which is how I tend to like it. Even if I let it grow out for a few weeks or more, it’s not long enough that I need a brush or comb.

However, if you are going for the full beard look and plan to have it long, here’s how to choose between a beard brush or beard comb and why you might want to have one of each. Even if you have a beard of 1/2 inch in length, a beard brush and comb set can offer you benefits.

Beard Brush and Beard Comb Benefits

Grooming. Keeps your beard groomed and tangle free. Keeps it clean and removes debris.
Distributes natural oils. It will distribute your face oils throughout the beard evenly to keep it protected. It also prevents problem areas on your beard from having too much or too little oil.

Distributes beard oil. If you use a beard oil product, a beard brush or beard comb will help to properly distribute it on your beard.
Covers up problem areas. A beard brush or comb will help cover up thin areas and spreads your beard to make it look fuller and shinier.
Face massage. A beard brush will help to gently massage your face. When you stop shaving, you also stop exfoliating your skin which a razor does by removing dead skin cells. A beard brush can help to stimulate blood flow on your face.

Softens your beard. Brushing your beard in conjunction with a beard oil along with your natural face oils will over time help to soften beard hairs.
Other issues. Helps you deal with various beard issues such as dry skin (by distributing oils as mentioned above) and training your hair to grow in a certain way.

Beard Brush versus Beard Comb

Use a beard brush during the first 3-5 months or when you’re first growing your beard out. A beard comb can be used after that time to style and groom your beard once it has reached its desired length. Some men incorporate both a beard brush and beard comb in their daily routine, too.

On the left side above, you see a Manabri boar hair beard brush with wooden handle. It’s a good quality product and is generally used to brush your beard once it has grown to a minimum length. You probably won’t much use for a beard brush for the first week or so as you’re growing a beard. But once it hits a certain length, a beard brush like this one helps to keep your beard groomed. Plus a brush – just like a hair brush – helps to keep your hair from tangling while also helping to keep it clean from debris.

On the right hand side, you’ll see a relatively cheap plastic beard comb. Once your beard has hit a certain length, a comb serves the same purpose as a hair comb you’d use on your head. One benefit that a small comb like this has over a wooden handle beard brush is the portability. The comb is obviously easier to carry with you in a pocket.

Most beard owners who put time and effort into their beard will own a good quality beard brush and possibly a good quality beard comb, too.

Beard Brush Components

Handle

The better quality beard brushes tend to be made with a wooden handle. You can also find brushes with plastic handles.

Bristles

Boars hair: A boars hair brush tends to be the most popular material used in high quality brushes such as the Manabri brush shown above. Boar hair beard brushes have the ability to retain natural oils which are distributed on your beard as you brush it. Boar hair tends to be better for men with longer beards as the hair is bristlier and stiffer than horse hair which we’ll discuss next.

Horse hair: Horse hair brushes aren’t as plentiful but still exist after largely disappearing early in the 20th century. Hair hair is less rigid than boar hair which is why it’s not as popular with beard owners and aficionados. For men with shorter beards, a horse hair beard brush may suffice however.

Wood: A good quality brush with wooden bristles won’t produce static unlike cheaper brushes made from other materials like plastic. Wood bristle brushes also do a good job of distributing oils throughout your beard.

Synthetic material: Most beard experts won’t bother with a synthetic bristle product and will stick with either the boars hair or horse hair options listed above.

In each case, you will also find various qualities of products ie. good quality wooden bristle brushes from high quality wood and lower quality wooden bristle brushes with multiple pieces of wood mosaic used together.

Beard Comb Components

Wood: As above with beard brushes, wooden bristle beard combs tend to be of higher quality than plastic ones. And they are also anti-static.

Metal: Metal beard combs might last the longest given their metal design. They aren’t anti-static and tend not to be the best for your beard hair so it’s difficult to suggest a metal beard comb over a wood comb.

Plastic: Similar to the plastic beard comb shown above. It’s the cheapest option and might not be the best for you if you want something higher quality that doesn’t have the feel of being mass-produced. It is an option if budget is your number one concern.

How to Brush and Comb Your Beard

Beard brush and beard comb manufacturers often suggest the daily regimen they recommend when using their products. In that regard, pay attention to that.

In general terms, a beard only needs to be brushed or combed once or twice per day and only with a handful of strokes total.

You simply lightly run the brush or comb down slowly through your beard and ensure that all hairs get covered and none are missed.

If you over brush your beard you will eventually damage the beard hairs and cause split ends.

Conclusion

A beard brush is good when your beard is growing for the first several months. A beard comb is good after that once the desired length has been reached. Some men continue to use both.
Beard brushes tend to come with a wooden or plastic handle and have bristles made of boars hair, horse hair, wood, or synthetic materials.
Beard combs are typically made of wood, metal or plastic. Wood combs are anti-static and tend to be higher quality whereas metal combs may last the longest. The plastic combs tend to be the cheapest and lowest quality.

Don’t over brush your beard as it can lead to hair damage.
If you’re looking for some research and thoughts on growing a beard, click here.

Do you use a beard brush and/or comb? Let us know in the comments below!