🦴 Updated on July 8th, 2023
If we can borrow a relevant quote from Forrest Gump, Goldendoodles are kind of like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get. Each is unique, right down to its coat style. So it can sometimes be difficult and overwhelming to select the best grooming tools that will hold up over time, be ergonomic to use, and do their job well.
That’s why we decided it was high time to round up all the best in the business and narrow it down to the top contenders for the best dog brush for Goldendoodle.
Spoiler alert, the best Goldendoodle brush we used is Chris Christensen Big G. This brush is perfect for Goldendoodles and other high-maintenance breeds, as it saves time and energy during pet grooming. The Chris Christensen Brush is also made with top-quality materials, so you can be sure it will last for years.
Keep reading to find out how it stacks up against the competition.
The Best Goldendoodle Brushes Reviewed
Whether your furry friend has a coat that’s flat, straight, wavy, or curly, all Goldendoodles need regular coat maintenance to look and feel their best. That means sprucing up regularly between groomings at home.
Here are the best products for helping to tackle and tame that unpredictable yet beautiful signature Goldendoodle coat.
Chris Christensen Big G Dog Slicker Brush
If there’s any brush you need to help keep a Goldendoodle’s coat neat and clean, it’s a good slicker brush. These brushes feature thin, short, wire teeth positioned tightly together across the flat surface of the brush.
This configuration is popular and useful for breeds with long-haired or curly coats that can be prone to tangling or matting. However, while tangling and matting look bad, they can also be medically dangerous for your dog, potentially leading to skin issues and infections.
While this brush is one of the more expensive designs on the market, it’s made to stand up to continual use and does its job well, so it’s likely the last brush you’ll have to buy.
And this Chris Christensen slicker brush is the top of the line for fluffy friends like Goldendoodles. What makes this brush so unique? Its tell-tale slicker brush teeth are longer than you’ll see on other brushes, so this tool can easily rake through and detangle thick coats.
Of course, with wire teeth, a common concern is scratching and pulling. The Big G brush is scratch-free guaranteed, ensuring that your dog won’t dread being brushed.
The ergonomic handle means that you won’t dread brushing your furry friend, either. Combined with the special shape and length of the teeth, the handle is designed to alleviate pressure on your wrist so that you can brush for longer.
Because Goldendoodles can come in a variety of sizes, so does this brush! You can choose between baby-, medium-, and large-sized brushes. The baby-sized option is a sure contender for the best brush for Goldendoodle puppy coats.
Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush
Although a good slicker brush is a must for any collection of Goldendoodle grooming tools, one common issue with this style of brush is that it can get full of fur and fast! As it detangles and removes shed hair, the fur can accumulate and wrap around the teeth of the brush, leaving a mess for you to clean after the fact.
However, the Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush makes that problem a thing of the past. After brushing your Goldendoodle, simply press the button on the handle to retract the teeth into the brush head, leaving the fur for you to easily grab and throw away, no worrying about detangling it from the brush.
When it comes to comfort, the self-cleaning brush has a sturdy, textured silicone grip to help you use the brush to its full potential without experiencing brushing fatigue. For when things get messy, it’s also anti-slip to prevent accidents.
Like the Big G brush, this one features slightly curved teeth with rounded pin tops that help to prevent scratching or snagging. Again, Goldendoodles with shorter coats will likely benefit most from this brush, as it’s a smaller brush with shorter bristles.
This brush is mainly made of plastic, with stainless steel teeth. It’s a super affordable option that may not last years and years to come but makes a great, quick solution for travel or in a time crunch.
Paw Brothers Slicker Brush
This slicker brush option from Paw Brothers takes the individual nature of Goldendoodle coats into mind with this product. When selecting a slicker brush for Goldendoodles, finding one that breaks the mold and offers more than its competitors can be challenging.
While many slicker brushes offer the same brush size and tooth design, this one is an excellent option for pet parents who need something a little less standard and a little more customized.
The standard base brush construction keeps ergonomics in mind with a textured, nubbed grip both along both sides of the length of the handle and at its base to support your thumb.
Need extra long and hard bristles? Looking for softer bristles but on an extra-large-sized brush? Paw Brothers have you covered.
The brush’s head is flat, metal, and no-nonsense, with rounded corners to prevent catching and pulling fur. Especially for dogs with double coats, this feature helps to make the option with extra hard bristles super effective.
Offered at a very reasonable price, this brush is sturdy, and the pins are practically unbendable, so you’ll get a great bang for your buck with this long-lasting and high-quality slicker brush.
Chris Christensen Oval Pin Brush
While every pet parent needs a slicker brush for Goldendoodles, it’s a good idea to supplement with other brushes that can perform more grooming functions. This oval pin brush from Chris Christensen is the perfect one to add to your collection for smoothing and shining a detangled coat.
The price reflects the quality standards of the design and the durable construction that will make this brush a long-lasting part of your grooming routine. Invest in this brush after you’ve found your perfect-fit slicker brush.
From this top brand comes a sturdy little brush with high-quality stainless steel pins with rounded tips. The cushion in the brush head helps ensure flexibility and softness while brushing, and a ventilation hole helps increase airflow for better movement while using.
The brush is constructed from light-weight Beechwood, which helps keep brushing easy and quick, preventing wrist pain or fatigue. Although the brush comes in only one size, 8 inches, it’s the perfect size for most Goldendoodles to help finish off a brushing session.
While this brush won’t stand up to heavy detangling and de-matting, it’s a great brush to add to your collection to help put the finishing touches on your dog’s freshly brushed coat. Especially for Goldendoodles with drop coats, this brush will increase shine and help minimize shedding.
Pet Pull Grooming Kit
For those who have a hard time choosing, this kit includes it all. There’s a self-cleaning slicker brush, a de-shedding grooming tool, and grooming gloves to help you pay thorough attention to even hard-to-brush areas, like your pet’s face.
If you’re new to the world of at-home pet grooming or if you have several Goldendoodles with slightly different coat styles, this kit helps you cover all your bases.
The slicker brush is self-cleaning with the press of a button, and the curved teeth help smooth every offending tangle. This brush lasts for long periods with no complications with an ergonomic and slip-free handle, including a thumb rest.
The combing blade on the de-shedding tool is also detachable for a similar, easy-to-clean product. Arguably in the running for the best comb for Goldendoodles, the high-quality blade is rust-resistant and makes a huge difference in debulking shed hair from your Goldendoodle’scoat.
The grooming gloves are a great bonus that can help solve dog owners’ often-overlooked grooming problems. For example, harder brushes with stainless steel pins and inflexible comb heads can be challenging to maneuver around your Goldendoodle’s more sensitive areas.
With the gloves, grooming your dog’s head, face, and under its belly is as easy and gratifying as a good petting session. The silicone tips latch onto hair and hold it fast, while the breathable fabric and adjustable wrist strap help ensure that you stay comfortable and fur-free while grooming.
For the price, this three-piece set is a great value that has a lifetime guarantee for quality use that both you and your Goldendoodle will appreciate for years to come.
Buying Guide
As we all know, not all grooming tools are created equally, and not every quality tool will be a good fit for your Goldendoodle’s unique coat. One thing we can all agree on, though, is that Goldendoodle coats definitely require some extra love and attention.
So here’s what to consider before you make your choice deciding which is the best brush for Goldendoodles.
What Kind of Coats Do Goldendoodles Have?
Your choice of brush for grooming your Goldendoodle will largely come down to what kind of coat your dog has. Goldendoodles are unique because, as a designer breed, their coat styles can vary widely even within the same litter.
The styles can be broken down into flat, straight, curly, or wavy, with lots of room for variety within the types. As a mix between a golden retriever and a poodle, individual Goldendoodles can take after one parent or the other or end up as a balanced mix of both.
However, Goldendoodle owners should be prepared to handle shedding regardless of the coat style. The type of Goldendoodle least likely to shed is the F1B or a dog that is 75% poodle and 25% golden retriever. These dogs are second-generation crossbreeds and are more likely to have thick and wavy or curly coats.
It’s important to know what type of Goldendoodle your dog is to understand the details of their grooming needs better. Still, regardless of type, Goldendoodles have thicker coats with a texture that should be detangled and de-matted regularly.
What Type of Brush Does a Goldendoodle Need?
Since detangling and de-shedding are some of the main concerns when grooming Goldendoodles, the best brushes for Goldendoodles will address these two areas.
Like we’ve mentioned, slicker brushes are the cream of the crop when it comes to detangling and de-shedding. The long, firm pins help remove loose hairs from deeper coat layers while also taking care of mattes and tangles at the source.
Whether you choose a long-pin slicker brush or one with softer or firmer teeth will depend on the coat style of your Goldendoodle. Those with thicker, curlier coats will need firmer, longer pins, while Goldendoodles with straighter coats could do better with a slicker brush with softer, shorter bristles.
Other Essential Grooming Tools for Goldendoodles
Once you have a good slicker brush chosen, it’s time to branch out and select other grooming tools to round out your collection to help keep your Goldendoodle’s coat as healthy and clean as possible.
Invest in a good metal comb that is the right size to brush thoroughly through all the layers of your dog’s coat. These grooming tools are essential because they help to remove both hair and dirt in between bathing, and combs can help eliminate tangles before they get too serious if used regularly.
Even if you intend to take your Goldendoodle for regular professional grooming (which we recommend—more on this below!), it’s a good idea to have a reliable set of clippers on hand. You never know when you’ll need to remove hair for a medical reason or because you’re not able to get to a groomer’s.
Thick dog coats like Goldendoodles need clippers with a high SPM, or strokes per minute, in the neighborhood of 3400 to 4400. This helps ensure that the hair is cut cleanly without snagging or pulling, even if your dog’s coat is thick.
Likewise, it’s a good idea to invest in a few interchangeable clipper blades and guards, which will impact how short a cut you’ll end up with.
Round out your grooming kit with a sturdy pair of nail clippers or a nail grinder. Although your Goldendoodle will likely have its nails trimmed at the groomers, again, it’s smart to keep your own on standby just in case.
Clippers come in many sizes, so be sure to choose one that’s both large enough for your Goldendoodle and comfortable for you to use.
Tips for Grooming a Goldendoodle Effectively
Grooming your Goldendoodle at home and making sure they are groomed regularly by a professional go hand in hand for making sure your dog’s coat stays healthy and attractive.
A good, professional groomer will be able to cut your Goldendoodle’s coat in various styles depending on its coat type. The style you choose will impact the amount of home grooming you’ll need to do for upkeep.
Generally, Goldendoodles with shorter coats should be brushed out at home around once every two weeks. Short, dense coats that favor the poodle genes need less intervention for shedding and tangles but should still not be neglected.
For longer, less dense coats, daily brushing is the best way to keep your Goldendoodle Comfortable, clean, and tangle-free. Brushing regularly at home will keep your grooming routine short. The longer you go between brushing, the more intense your next at-home grooming session will be.
There are many methods for how to brush Goldendoodle coats most effectively, but the best is the line brush method. This way, you brush out one straight line of fur at a time, taking your time and making sure that you can see down to your dog’s skin as you go.
Brushing regularly is also the best way to keep your Goldendoodle’s skin healthy in between baths. As with many dog breeds, Goldendoodles should only be bathed when necessary, so removing dirt and debris by brushing helps their skin retain natural oils that help with hydration.
Your Goldendoodle likely will only need a bath every four to six weeks, on schedule with their monthly trips to a professional groomer.
Final Thoughts
You know your dog better than anyone: the unique quirks, adorable personality, and all their preferences. However, when it comes to grooming, every dog needs the same standard of care, with adaptations based on the individual needs of each one.
Most dog owners will find that the Big G slicker brush by Chris Christensen is the overall best brush for Goldendoodle coats of all styles. Compared to the competition, it’s more durable, more versatile, and more comfortable for both you and your dog.
If you want to purchase one grooming brush that will see you through a lifetime of consistent brushing, then the Big G slicker brush is the way to go. With this brush as the foundation of your regular at-home grooming kit, your Goldendoodle’s coat will stay healthy, clean, and attractive for years and years to come.
While this brush is one of the more expensive designs on the market, it’s made to stand up to continual use and does its job well, so it’s likely the last brush you’ll have to buy.
