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From thick to thin, curly to straight, here are the best hair brushes to tame your tresses.

Tangles in your tresses are never fun. But finding the right brush can be the key to a seamless hair taming process.

A bad hair day can put a real damper on your mood and your self-esteem. But with so many hair brushes on the market, it can be a challenge to decide which ones are best for you and which you can trust to help, and not hurt, your most coveted asset. So, what kind of hair brush should you look for?

According to L’Oréal Paris Celebrity Hair Colorist Jonathan Colombini, “density and texture make all decisions when trying to find the right brush.” For denser, thicker hair, Colombini suggests looking for bristles that are further apart and for finer textures, look for bristles that are closer together.

Word of warning: Avoid metal or ceramic brushes. Colombini says that metal or ceramic will collect heat from a hair dryer and create hotter than needed temperatures that can create thermal damage.

We consulted with experts, like L’Oréal Paris Celebrity Hair Colorist Jonathan Colombini, reviewed research from the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab’s top picks, and combed through hundreds of online reviews.

This crowd favorite has over 47,000 5-star reviews on Amazon and is a personal favorite of Prevention’s Assistant Editor, Madeleine Haase. “This has been my go-to brush whether my hair is wet or not. I’ve had brushes break because of unfriendly knots in my hair, but this brush is great at detangling and usually pain-free.”

This product, although one of the cheapest on the market, is still a good option. One pleased customer wrote, “I have pretty average hair and this brush works very well for me. Would recommend, would buy again. And at the price(!) you could have one in the car, at home, at work, and wherever else you brush your hair.”

This brush by The Hair Edit is designed specifically to be used on dry hair. Featuring real boar bristles and ball-tipped nylon pins, this brush helps distribute your hair's natural oils, tames flyaways, and enhances shine, while giving you a nice scalp massage. One satisfied reviewer wrote, “I needed something to distribute my oil before bed. This brush has helped extend the life of my hair between washes. It really grabs the hairs from the root.”

This brush, featuring nine rows of extra-long pins, is a match made in heaven for long, thick hair. The unique pin pattern provides extra grip and tension while also shaping hair and defining curls when hair is wet. One convinced customer says, “I have thick curly hair, and I feel like it’s able to reach & detangle everything. I also really love that this brush can be taken apart and cleaned because my brushes fill with hair really fast.”

If your tresses err on the thinner side, you’ll likely want a brush that will add some of that va-va-volume! It’s also a great choice if you want a brush that will tame the static in your hair when styling. One happy reviewer wrote, “this is my favorite brush, has been for over 20 years. Best part is that it's actually static free. It's vented so it's great to use for either air or blow drying.”

This brush was specifically made with our curly haired friends in mind. It’s unique flexible design is perfect for a no pull and no pain experience. One satisfied customer wrote, “I have extremely thick, tight curly hair. It gets knots that I’ve broken hair trying to get them untangled. This brush makes it so easy. No pulling, it just glides through my hair.”

A Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab favorite, this detangling brush has both nylon and boar bristles. Executive Director, Beauty, Health & Sustainability Birnur Aral notes, "I like the soft and sturdy handle, the flexible brush head that moves and separates as needed when detangling." One Amazon reviewer, a stylist for 30 years, says "my clients love it because it detangles their hair so quickly without any pulling or breaking of the hair."

A paddle brush can be great to use, especially if you have longer hair. This option also features a bamboo handle and bristles that help massage the scalp and encourage blood flow. One satisfied customer wrote, “this brush untangles my hair without making me want to cry and leaves it with less frizz and more shine. It also feels like a little scalp massage!”

“For any kind of blow-drying work, I recommend my absolute fav boar bristle round brush from Ibiza Hair,” says Colombini. He adds that these brushes “have these cork handles that make styling a breeze.” This brush is also specially designed for coarse hair, and the bristles are swirled to add density for root lift.

A good wet brush or detangling brush is so important. Colombini says that “hair is its most vulnerable to breakage when wet so my forever go to for the past 10 years has been Sheila Stotts - the removal brush. It’s also great for extensions.”

Drybar makes the best brush for extensions. This option is designed with flexible bristles to work through tangles without pulling or tugging. One happy reviewer says, “I have very long, thick wavy hair and I usually have a hard time getting a brush through my hair without pulling and tugging. [This brush] goes through my hair smoothly, no tugging/pulling and I can brush it with ease. Worth the price and no need for detangler spray!”

This brush by Tracee Ellis Ross is designed to be your best friend while detangling in the shower. This option creates definition while also gently detangling curls, coils, and other tight textures. One five-star reviewer says this is “the best and only wet brush that can detangle my hair. This is also great for evenly distributing products. My hair needed this in order to prevent further damage to my hair, other brushes would break my ends. 10/10 recommend.”

This 3-in-1 tool has a bristle head to tame short, baby hairs and smooth hair line, a comb head to create intricate hairline detail, and a tight comb to section hair for detailing perfect for bangs, hairlines, and finishing updos. This option is a great multifunctional tool that lets you add extra details and finishing touches.

Size matters. Decide if you want more volume or more curl in your hair, and pick a brush size based on that. The bigger the diameter of the brush, the more volume and less curl or movement in the hair. The smaller the diameter of the brush, the less volume and more curl or movement.

Think thickness. If your tresses tend to be on the thicker side, you may want to look into a paddle brush, seeing as the bristles are more stiff. Likewise, if your hair is thinner than most, you should consider a boar bristle because the soft, flexible bristles can brush fine hair well.

Think about your daily routine. If you like to be able to brush your hair right out of the shower, a brush with wide-spread bristles is your best friend. If you use a blow dryer every morning, round brushes are best, as they help create volume and bounce when you wrap your hair around them. You may also want to consider brushes with vented barrels, which are designed to distribute heat from the hair dryer and dry hair more quickly if you’re in a rush.