Beard Brush vs Beard Comb: Which Should You Get?

The key to having a sharp, fly, and sexy beard is knowing when to go with a beard brush vs a beard comb. Beard brushes and beard combs are essentials every guy should have in your toolkit if you want to have the beast beard on the block. 

And there’s an added bonus: the ladies love sliding their digits to a guy with a sexy beard. 

So, let’s get to it.

What Is a Beard Brush?

To keep your beard in top shape, having a beard brush in your arsenal is vital. Beard brushes are made with bristles (can be synthetic or natural animal hair) specifically designed to train your beard and keep it neat and healthy.

They’re one of the most important grooming tools you can use, both when you’re just growing your beard out and in the beginning stages, or when you’re just maintaining, too.

Beard brushes come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and bristle firmness, too, so it’s important to know which type works best for your facial hair. Knowing the difference and what each type does makes it a lot easier when deciding between a beard brush vs a beard comb.

Who Should Use a Beard Brush?

Beard brushes are the best grooming tool when you have unruly, untrained facial hair that you’re trying to whip into shape.

Think of stray hair flying everywhere and being hard to control. 

They’re also great for when you’re just starting to grow your beard out. And for those of us who have beards that grow in different directions or patterns, a beard brush is the perfect tool for you.

They’re also great for guys who use beard balms and oils.

After applying a beard balm or beard oil, brushing helps to massage the product into your facial hair and the skin underneath so that it’s easier to absorb the vitamins and ingredients you find in a lot of the healthy beard balms and oils.

And for the guys with a longer beard (usually ½ inch or more), using a beard brush vs a beard comb is more beneficial. A beard brush will do a much better job at getting your beard to lay flat and continue growing in the right direction.

When Should You Use a Beard Brush?

Beard breakage is a thing. It’s caused by split ends, tangled, and snarled beard hair. But you can prevent all of that from happening. And the key is to start using a beard brush early.

I recommend you use a beard brush for the first three months of growing your beard out.

You’ll be training your beard to grow in a certain direction, keeping it neat and untangled, and preventing split ends and beard breakage.

What To Look for In a Beard Brush?

You should always look for high-quality bristles in your beard brush. Bristles are super important because they are the tool that does all the detangling and conditioning your beard needs.

Using a beard brush with high-quality bristles prevents breakage.

I personally like to go with Boar bristles because they’re top quality and they are great for stroking your beard evenly to reach every level.

And that’s important to prevent kinks and tangling.

How To Use a Beard Brush?

Using a beard brush is super easy. Before I get started brushing my beard, I like to use a beard balm or beard oil first to coat my beard.

Step 1. Apply Beard Balm/Beard Oil

When you apply a good, high-quality beard balm or beard oil before brushing your beard, it allows the moisture, hydration, and vitamins in the beard balm to absorb easily into your hair follicles and skin as you brush.

Step 2. Brush From the Roots

Once you’ve applied your favorite beard balm/oil, you’re ready to start brushing. Grab your beard brush and start brushing in downward strokes.

But be sure you’re brushing from your beard’s roots. This will help the beard balm/oil seep into your hair’s follicles and feed them the vitamins and nutrients.

When you brush from the root it straightens out any kinks in your facial hair and prevents tangling.

Step 3. Massage The Skin

As you’re brushing your beard, be sure you feel the bristles massaging the skin underneath your beard. This helps to loosen any extra dirt, oil, or debris that may be clogging your pores.

It also feels really good.

Pro Tip: It’s best to brush your beard at least twice a day to keep it detangled and to train it to grow properly.

What Is a Beard Comb?

A beard comb is another grooming instrument that’s vital to keeping your beard in top shape. If you have a longer beard and want it to look its best, grab a beard comb.

Beard combs may look like regular hair combs, but that’s where the similarities end. They’re made differently. 

And they serve different purposes.

Beard combs have finer teeth that are shorter in length than regular hair combs. And because facial hair has a much different texture than the hair on your head, beard combs are designed specifically for facial hair.

They come in a variety of lengths and sizes, and you can use them to train your beard to grow in the right direction, too. Like how you would use a beard brush. 

Who Should Use a Beard Comb?

Beard combs are great for the fellas who have a longer length beard (usually ½ inch or more).

They’re also great for dudes who have more curlier hair or hair that gets tangled and needs to be straightened.

I love beard combs for getting unruly beard hair back in line and in the proper shape.

But beard combs are also great for the guys who want a very sculpted and neat looking beard, too.

And a bonus: they’re super convenient to carry around with you. Perfect for the guys who like convenience.

When Should You Use a Beard Comb?

You should use a beard comb once you’ve been growing your beard for some time. I recommend combing your beard after you’ve hit the three-month mark, and you’ve got at least a ½ inch in length.

The same way that brushing your beard works wonders for you when you’re just starting to grow your beard, combing does the same thing once you’ve got length. 

Combing your beard after the three-month mark will do a much better job detangling your facial hair and getting your products distributed evenly so that your beard stays healthy and looks its best.

What To Look For In A Beard Comb

When you’re looking for a beard comb it’s important to look for one with high-quality teeth. 

You want to be sure you’re getting a comb that will work well with your beard’s length and thickness.

If you have a longer, thicker beard, you’ll need a beard comb that has a wider space between the teeth. The extra space between the teeth is needed to detangle and condition your beard without pulling or damaging the hair strands.

If you have a shorter beard, the teeth of the beard comb should be closer together because it detangles your beard easier and trains it to grow properly.

How To Use a Beard Comb?

Combing your beard is essential if you want a full, luscious, and sexy beard. Follow these steps to learn how to comb your beard so it’s looking its 100% best.

Step 1. Apply Beard Balm/Beard Oil

When you apply a good, high-quality beard balm or beard oil before combing your beard, it allows the moisture, hydration, and vitamins in the beard balm to absorb easily into your hair follicles and skin as you comb.

Step 2. Turn It Up

Point the teeth of the comb up toward the ceiling and start combing your beard from the neckline up towards your chin. This is great (especially for men who get ingrown hairs) because it separates your facial hair and pulls it away from the skin.

It’s also great for preventing your beard from getting curly and growing back inward to your neck. This is what causes ingrown hairs and those horrible bumps on your neck.

Once you’ve moved to the hair above your jawline, you want to comb outward to get the same benefits. This is also to fluff your beard out and make it look fuller.

Step 3. Turn It Down

Once you’re done combing your beard up (when below the jawline) and outward (when above the jawline) you can start combing it in the right direction (always downward).

Position the comb with the teeth facing the floor then start combing downward. You should comb your entire beard downward to make sure it’s detangled and to train it to grow in that direction.

So, What’s The Difference Between a Beard Brush vs Beard Comb?

The difference between a beard brush vs a beard comb really comes down to which one works best for the length of your beard.

A beard brush works much better for shorter beards because its bristles are designed to train your beard to grow in the right direction while keeping it detangled and preventing kinks and snarls.

A beard comb works better once you’ve got some length to your beard. It’ll be much better for detangling your beard and preventing kinks and snarls with the longer length you have.

It’s also easier to maintain your beard’s health and the direction it grows in when you use a beard comb for a longer beard.

Beard Brush vs Beard Comb: Which Should You Get?

If you want a beard that looks amazing, healthy, and like you’ve got it groomed at a salon, you should have both a beard comb and a beard brush.

Both tools serve a purpose and will keep your beard looking tight.

If you’re trying to decide when to use a beard brush vs beard comb, there are a few factors that you should take into consideration.

Beard brushes are great for getting your beard neat and uniform while giving it a thicker, fuller look.

They’re also great for cleaning your beard and getting rid of the debris, dirt, and grime you may not see, too. And beard brushes work a lot better for guys with a coarser grain of hair, and to use when your beard is dry.

Beard combs on the other hand, are great for when you’ve been growing your beard out for at least three or four months. They’re great for getting rid of knots and tangles in your beard and they make it much easier to style your beard and mustache than beard brushes do.

There are great benefits to using both a beard brush and a beard comb. It all just depends on when to use them and for what purpose.

But if you ask me, you should get them both.

Beard Brush vs Beard Comb: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is A Beard Comb or Beard Brush Better?

They’re both great and should be a part of the tools you use to keep your beard healthy and in shape. A beard comb is better when you have a longer beard because of its ability to detangle and condition longer beards.

A beard brush is better when you’re in the beginning stages of growing your beard out and it’s shorter because it will train your beard to grow in the proper direction while keeping it detangled and conditioned.

Is Brushing Good for Your Beard?

Absolutely. Brushing is essential for having a beard that looks great and is healthy. You must brush your beard at least twice per day because it detangles your facial hair and trains it to grow properly.

Brushing your beard is also good for you because it prevents ingrown hairs from developing.

Should I Brush My Beard Everyday?

Yes. You should brush your beard every single day. If you’re not brushing your beard every day you are setting yourself up for failure and a beard.

Brushing your beard every day keeps your facial hair conditioned and detangled. This is super important to prevent split ends and beard breakage.

Should You Comb Your Beard Wet or Dry?

You should always comb your beard when it’s dry (or after you’ve applied your beard balm). Combing a wet beard is harder to detangle and pulls on your beard in a way that can cause damage.

When your beard is dry, it’s a lot smoother and allows for the comb to run through your facial hair much easier, without extra pulling that damages your facial hair from its roots or causes split ends.  

Which Direction Should You Brush Your Beard?

You should always brush your beard downward. This is the best direction for training your beard grow in that direction and to lay flat.

If you’re not brushing your beard downward, you’ll have a beard that not only sticks out all over the place but grows wildly and in different directions.

Should Black Men Comb or Brush Their Beard?

Black men should comb and brush their beard. Because of your beard’s texture as a Black man, it’s important that you both comb and brush your beard to keep it healthy and looking good.

Once you have the length, combing your beard is essential for keeping it detangled and preventing split ends.

But you should also brush it, even when it’s longer, so that it continues growing in the right direction and stays maintained and conditioned.