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The UNbrush has been all over my For You page. So, I finally decided to try it.
by Liz RichardsonBuzzFeed Staff
Internet friends, I caved. After months and months of watching videos online, I was influenced and decided to buy it — the TikTok-famous UNbrush.
Liz Richardson / BuzzFeed
With over 23,000 tagged videos about the brush, chances are, you've seen AT LEAST one person using it to detangle their hair on your For You page. Detangling can be the most tedious part of wash day as you work through tangles and knots while trying to prevent breakage, so it caught my attention when I saw overwhelmingly positive reviews — especially for curly hair.
FHI Heat / Via instagram.com
On TikTok, I've seen everything from parents sharing about how they cangently detangletheir children's hairwithout tearsand other people raving about how itthoroughly works hair strands and prevents tangles.
I've particularly appreciated seeing videos of the brush used on all hair types, from straight to coily. Several Black creators in the natural hair community have been loving UNbrush, and I'm always looking for new tools that work well with Type 4 curls and coils.
Now, I'm no stranger to testing detangling brushes. Months ago, I tried and ranked eight viral brushes and found some new favorites. But if the UNbrush makes the detangling process even easier, as the TikTok girlies have been saying, I knew I wanted to try it out.
My first impressions: The UNbrush has a surprisingly simple, "backless" design. It has flexible, long and short bristles, and the back has vented holes. It's lightweight, which made me wonder how durable it is.
Liz Richardson / BuzzFeed
For the test, I'll be comparing how well the UNbrush works against my current favorite detangling comb that I use nearly every wash day: the KAZMALEJE KurlsPlus Paddle Hair Comb (the winner of my detangling brushes review). Their designs are strikingly different, with the UNbrush's flexible bristles vs. the paddle hair comb's hard, plastic teeth.
Liz Richardson / BuzzFeed
Let's get to work! During wash days, I usually detangle my hair with my deep conditioner. So, after shampooing, I sectioned my hair in two (one half for the UNbrush and the other for the KAZMALEJE comb).
First, I started on the UNbrush section: I applied my deep conditioner and began detangling from ends to roots. And I'll be honest with you: I was surprised.
Liz Richardson / BuzzFeed
My curls weren't detangled at all beforehand, yet the UNbrush went through the section without any snags; it just glided through. My hair didn't feel like it was getting ripped out, and I could work on larger sections of hair without a problem. Ultimately, I had thoroughly detangled hair that I could run my fingers through.
Liz Richardson / BuzzFeed
Now, onto the KAZMALEJE section: I used the same deep conditioner and started from ends to roots. What I usually love about the paddle comb is how effortless it makes detangling, but compared to the UNbrush, I noticed that I had to be much slower and more careful to prevent hair pulling.
Liz Richardson / BuzzFeed
Here was the interesting part: I ran into a big knot right here that the comb couldn't get through. Typically, I would stop, finger-detangle the area, and then continue using the comb.
Liz Richardson / BuzzFeed
But out of curiosity, I wanted to see if the UNbrush could get through that knot instead without finger-detangling. And to my surprise, it went right through the section. There was no hesitation.
Liz Richardson / BuzzFeed
The rest of the detangling went smoothly with the paddle comb — here are my results! The section was completely tangle-free.
Liz Richardson / BuzzFeed
At this point, I knew which detangler I liked the most. 👀
But first: Here's what my detangled hair looked like with the UNbrush vs. the KAZMALEJE paddle comb. I was happy with each result — both were thoroughly detangled!
Liz Richardson / BuzzFeed
And here's how much shed hair I had with each brush after detangling. It was a pretty similar amount, and neither one caused excessive breakage.
Liz Richardson / BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed / Getty Images
I was happy with how both brushes performed, but one outshined the other...and yes, it was the UNbrush. Here's what I liked: The flexible bristles made detangling my hair MUCH faster, and I had no snags. I've never had such an easy time detangling my hair on wash day. It's a lightweight brush but very sturdy.
Liz Richardson / BuzzFeed
After washing my hair, I even used the UNbrush while styling my curls. I loved how easy it was to work with heavier creams and gels. Plus, the vented holes were easy to clean. I was shocked that it made my entire routine so effortless, but it's a brush that could easily replace all the others in my collection.
And funny story: I wasn't sure if it would be durable, but after wash day, I accidentally dropped the UNbrush in the washer with some towels, and it survived a wash cycle??? Like, it looks exactly the same.
Liz Richardson / BuzzFeed
So, there we have it. To me, the hype is real. Initially, I was skeptical, but I'm pretty impressed with the UNbrush; I can see it working on various hair types, and so far, I haven't run into anything I don't like. I'd 100% recommend it!
Liz Richardson / BuzzFeed
