Twice a year, your home turns into a fur factory. The couch, the car seats, your black pants — nothing is safe. And every pet owner eventually faces the same question: should I get a deshedding glove or a proper brush?
How Each Tool Works
Deshedding gloves are mitts covered in soft rubber nubs. You pet your dog or cat like normal, and loose fur sticks to the glove. Most pets tolerate them because it just feels like petting.
Slicker brushes have rows of fine, angled wire pins that reach through the topcoat into the loose undercoat. They pull out significantly more dead fur per stroke.
Effectiveness: How Much Fur Each Removes
In side-by-side tests on medium-shedding dogs, a slicker brush collects roughly 3–4x more loose undercoat per session than a deshedding glove. The glove mostly grabs surface-level loose hair. The brush digs into the dense undercoat where the real shedding problem lives.
Winner: Slicker brush, by a wide margin for heavy shedders.
Ease of Use and Cleanup
Gloves win on simplicity. Slip it on, pet your animal, peel the fur off. Brushes have one annoying step: cleaning the pins. This is exactly why self-cleaning slicker brushes exist: press a button, the pins retract, and the fur lifts off in one piece.
Winner: Glove for pure simplicity — unless you get a self-cleaning brush.
Pet Comfort
Most pets prefer the glove. It feels like petting. Brushes require technique: light pressure, brush in the direction of hair growth. Done right, most pets enjoy it.
Winner: Glove, especially for nervous pets.
Durability and Value
A glove costs $8–$15 and lasts 6–12 months. A quality slicker brush like the Skyrocs Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush ($16.99) lasts years.
Winner: Slicker brush on long-term value.
Which Should You Buy?
Get the glove if: short-haired cat or small dog with light shedding; nervous pet; want something kids can use.
Get the slicker brush if: medium-to-heavy shedder; shedding season; want most fur removed per minute; groom regularly.
How to Use a Slicker Brush Correctly
- Go with the grain. Always brush in the direction fur grows.
- Light pressure. Let the pins do the work.
- Work in sections. Lift topcoat, brush undercoat in short strokes.
- Clean as you go. With a one-click self-cleaning brush, press the button every few minutes.
The Bottom Line
For light maintenance, a glove is fine. But if shedding is actually a problem — a slicker brush removes dramatically more undercoat. And with self-cleaning design, the old complaint doesn’t apply.
FAQ
Can I use a slicker brush on a short-haired dog? Yes, with light pressure.
How often should I deshed? Shedding season: 2–3x/week. Rest of year: once a week.
Will deshedding hurt my pet’s coat? Not if done correctly. It removes only loose, dead undercoat.
Are deshedding gloves good for cats? For short-haired cats, yes. For long-haired with matting, a brush is more effective.