Choosing the right products to add volume to your hair is half the battle—no amount of mousse or texture spray will help if you don’t have the right brush. “Fine hair is delicate,” says celebrity hairstylist Clayton Hawkins. “You really don’t need to manhandle it.”
Vogue’s Favorite Brushes for Fine Hair
Best Mixed-Bristle Brush: La Bonne Brosse The Large Gentle Scalp Care Hairbrush, $198
Best Metal Bristles: Ibiza Hair Oval Brush, $70
Best for Fine, Curly Hair: Denman D3 Curl Definer & Styler, $28
Best Detangling: Tangle Teezer Fine Ultimate Detangler Brush, $17
Best Smoothing: Mason Pearson Extra Hair Brush, $525
So what makes a brush good for fine hair? There are a couple of things to consider.
Celebrity hairstylist Barb Thompson says you’ll want something that gives you control while styling but gentle enough that it won’t tear or damage strands. The bristles, Thompson explains, should move through hair without pulling, and the brush as a whole should be lightweight for easy use.
“You want a brush that smooths the hair without making it flat,” she says.
Celebrity hairstylist Yusef Williams adds that the best brush for fine hair (like his own The Y by Yusef Hair Brush Set) is one that can glide without creating too much tension. “With fine hair, the right brush can make all the difference,” Williams says. “You want something that enhances the hair’s natural texture and gives you that beautiful, finished look without overworking it.”
So with that in mind, see below for what they say are the best brushes to use on fine hair. (And we threw in some of our favorites too.)
Best Mixed-Bristle Brush: La Bonne Brosse No. 3
Why We Love It: Thompson loves this brush for how gentle it is on fine strands. But what really makes it stand out is how it helps with scalp health.
“It’s great for detangling and scalp massage, which is great to stimulate hair growth,” she says. “Also it really helps amplify shine.” It’s a mix of boar bristles, which Thompson says is ideal for wanting to smooth fine hair and boosting hair’s natural radiance, and nylon to give that gentle tension when you need to work through tangles and boost your scalp’s blood circulation.
And yes, it being one of the prettiest brushes out there (the pastel colors and the curved raised edges were designed to be seen on a vanity) is a huge bonus in our book.
Shape: Oval
Bristle Material: Boar and nylon
Wet or Dry: Dry
Best For: Scalp
Best Metal Bristles: Ibiza CX8
Why We Love It: Thompson says this is the ultimate brush for detangling, especially for those with fine hair and sensitized ends. She likes the longer metal-prong bristles that can work their way gently through knots, and she says many people love the feel of that against their scalp. Plus you can use it on dry or wet hair, which is always a nice added bonus.
Shape: Oval
Bristle Material: Metal
Wet or Dry: Both
Best For: Detangling
Best Smoothing: Mason Pearson Brush Large Extra Boar-Bristle Hairbrush
Why We Love It: The OG luxury brush, the storied Mason Pearson really does live up to its reputation (and high price point). We especially love the all-bristle brush for its gentle feel on the scalp and how smooth and shiny hair is afterward.
“Great for smoothing, scalp massaging, and dispersing [oil from the scalp] throughout the length for shine,” says Thompson. Spending over $500 on a brush is a hard ask, but as our editors have commented before, this may be the only brush you’ll ever need.
Case in point: Vogue head of editorial content Chloe Malle’s review.
Shape: Oval
Bristle Material: Boar
Wet or Dry: Dry
Best For: Adding shine
Best Detangling: Tangle Teezer Fine Ultimate Detangler Brush
Why We Love It: For a more budget-friendly detangler option, nothing beats Tangle Teezer. The short nylon bristles do just the trick to gently untangle even the toughest of knots. You can also use it on both wet and dry hair, and the flexible bristles help minimize any damage to sensitive strands.
Shape: Paddle
Bristle Material: Nylon
Wet or Dry: Both
Best For: Detangling
Best Round Brush: Sisley Paris The Blow Dry Brush No. 1
Why We Love It: Hawkins says that any good round brush is great for fine hair when wanting to add volume or get that at-home blowout, and our pick is this one from Sisley Paris. It’s a medium-size brush that is the perfect size to add volume right at the root for a more precise lift. It also helps smooth out any frizz and keeps hair looking shiny.
Shape: Round
Bristle Material: Boar and nylon
Wet or Dry: Dry
Best For: Blowouts
Best for Shiny Hair: Crown Affair The Brush No. 001
Why We Love It: The feel of this dual-bristle brush is just so relaxing, it makes the act of brushing more like a ritual rather than a chore. We love that it helps boost blood circulation and gives the scalp a gentle massage, but it is especially great in distributing the natural oils in hair evenly throughout for ultimate shine.
Shape: Oval
Bristle Material: Boar and nylon
Wet or Dry: Dry
Best For: Boosting shine
Best for Fine, Curly Hair: Denman D3 Original Curl Definer Styler 7
Why We Love It: This styler adds volume while also defining naturally fine curls. It’s a half-round brush head with seven rows of rounded bristle pins to sculpt and twist your curls without damaging strands. If you’re looking to get more of that blowout loft, you can also use it for a smoother finish with volume.
Shape: Half-round
Bristle Material: Nylon
Wet or Dry: Dry
Best For: Curls
Best for Lift: Y.S. Park Teasing Comb
Why We Love It: To give your roots a lift, one can never go wrong with a teasing comb. While Hawkins concedes that this is technically not a brush, it is still his go-to for fine hair.
“It’s a desert-island product for me,” he says. “I use it constantly for volume.
It is a staple in my kit.” He recommends using right at the root for controlled teasing; you don’t have to do much to get great volume, he says.
Shape: Comb
Bristle Material: Plastic
Wet or Dry: Dry
Best For: Volumizing roots