Choosing a beard brush may seem like an easy task, right?
You may be using your significant other's hair brush? One of our athletes, before joining Braw Beard, was even using his cat's brush!! I won't say who...
Yes, an ordinary plastic brush will do ok, but it won't perform as well as a boar bristle beard hair brush.
There are certain aspects you will want to consider;
1. The handle material.
2. The bristles.
3. Bristle stiffness.
4. The handle shape.
5. The size.
1. The Handle Material
Many brushes that can be bought off the shelf for much cheapness are exactly that, cheap. Made from plastic, from a mould that will probably have ragged edges that will catch your facial hair.
This will potentially damage your beard.
We prefer natural products, like wood. Bamboo being one of the favourites for a beard brush. Bamboo is our preferred material, it's smooth, natural, it has very unique patterns and absorbs a little amount of beard oil. This helps the beard brush glide through the beard and it takes on some of the scent from the oil, what's not to like?
2. The Bristles
There are natural and synthetic options available, much like the handle options. But, the bristles of choice on a beard brush are boar bristle. Again, we like to go with the natural option.
Boar bristles distribute beard oil/beard balm evenly and leave it feeling soft and fuller looking.
We chose to give our beard brush contoured bristles to match the shape of your face when brushing.
3. Bristle Stiffness
Believe it or not, there are different grades of stiffness for the bristles. There are variations from soft to firm. Braw Beard spent a lot time to get the right feel, if the beard brush was too soft, the bristles would just bend and flop over the hair making no impact whatsoever. If it was too firm, the beard brush could damage the hair when brushing, also the end of the bristles felt like needles when they reached the skin under the beard. Those could damage the follicles and tear out hair, which is the last thing you want. One thing to consider though, if you have a long beard, stiffer bristles, rather than soft, is the better option. We chose to go with a medium stiffness to cover all bases.
4. Handle Shape
Handle shape really is personal preference, there are many beard brush shapes available now. Some with no handle at all, similar to the type used to polish shoes. We chose to give ours a handle to offer control and ease of use.
5. Size
Does size matter? In this case, yes. You want to have a beard brush that is able to fit in your pocket. Especially living in Scotland, we are exposed to the elements and wind everyday. Carrying a boar bristle beard hair brush is just part of our routine now, going from the in-laws on the bike or walking to work, your beard will probably be a mess when you arrive. Luckily you have that pocket sized beard comb.