The best shaving brushes

Italian design, quality materials, and an unbeatable price make the Omega Professional boar brush the best choice for budget-conscious buyers.

Although badger hair is typically the most highly regarded material for shave brushes, boar bristles can still claim the silver medal and have some distinct advantages. In fact, boar bristle brushes are still heavily favored by many men in Italy, a country where old-school barber-style wet shaving never really went out of style. The stiff bristles are great for solid soaps and are especially ideal for whipping up a rich lather in a mug or shaving bowl.

If you've already dipped your feet in the world of wet shaving, then you may have noticed a couple of Italian brands that stand out. Proraso is one such Italian company that makes a wide lineup of highly-regarded shaving soaps, creams, balms, and aftershaves (I personally use and recommend Proraso's menthol shaving soap and cream), but the biggest Italian shave brush manufacturer is Omega.

The company today offers boar, badger, and even synthetic shaving brushes, but being the most popular choice among Italian wet shavers, boar bristles remain Omega's bread and butter.

I've been using the Omega Professional boar bristle brush myself for a couple years now, having replaced my old badger brush. I opted for boar as I like the ability of the rigid bristles to build a great lather with solid soaps which I typically favor. The low price point didn't hurt, either.

I especially love the way the boar bristles have broken-in over time while remaining rigid. This didn't take long. After just a few shaves, I was already noticing the bristles splitting at the ends. My well-used brush is now surprisingly plush at the tips without becoming a fluffed-out mess that's too delicate to use with hard soaps. It's a big brush, too, at over five inches tall, so it feels great in the hand and the knot holds a lot of lather.

One final note regarding boar brushes: Wild hogs tend to cultivate a certain musk. I'm sure pigs find it alluring, but humans do not. I never found the Omega Professional brush to be offensive, but a mild aroma was noticeable for a while before eventually dissipating altogether. Now, my brush just smells like my soap.

If you find the initial odor bothersome, however, then wash the brush out with shampoo a few times or lather it up with shaving soap and let it sit overnight before washing it out.

Pros: Rigid bristles break in nicely with regular use, great for hard soaps and for making a lather in a bowl or mug, sheds less than a badger bristle brush, made in Italy, a large and comfortable handle, and it's an unbeatable value

Cons: Not all shavers will prefer the stiffer boar bristles, and the brush can initially give off an unpleasant odor

Hailing from Spain, the Vie-Long 12705 horsehair shaving brush is a fantastic and 100% humane "middle option" for those seeking something in between badger and boar bristles.

Horsehair is something of a niche choice in the world of shaving brushes yet retains a vocal crowd of dedicated fans. You'll find quite a lot of them in Spain, in fact, where horsehair brushes are still favored and manufactured today. Horsehair represents a nice middle ground between boar and badger bristles, featuring some added rigidity over badger while being a bit softer and easier to break in than boar.

Given the suitability of horsehair for shaving brushes, you almost wonder why it isn't more prevalent. It also offers one big advantage over other animal materials in that it's entirely humane: Boar and badger bristle generally come from dead animals, while horsehair is taken from the tails and manes of living horses. This makes horsehair a prime option for buyers who may have ethical concerns regarding boar and badger bristles but don't want to use a synthetic brush.

The top maker of horsehair brushes today is Vie-Long, based in — you guessed it — Spain. The unique color of the horsehair and the different handle materials of Vie-Long products create a distinct style that sets these brushes well apart from those of pretty much all other brands. Vie-Long manufactures its excellent shaving brushes in Valencia, and the striking 12705 is a prime example of Spanish flair with its mid-brown bristles and rust-colored acrylic grip.

Horsehair is known for its durability and springiness, featuring impressive backbone relative to badger bristles while feeling noticeably softer on the ends than boar brushes. This blend of rigidity and flexibility makes the Vie-Long 12705 a great alternative to other natural brush materials if you want something more pliable than boar bristles yet more suitable for hard soaps and mug-lathering than a plushier badger brush.

Being cheaper than most high-quality badger brushes, the Vie-Long 12705 hits another sweet spot – price. Note that the handle on the Vie-Long 12705 is a bit small, but this won't be a problem for most users as its squarish shape helps considerably with grip.

Expect an initial odor and shedding period with horsehair, roughly on par with those of a good badger brush, both of which should cease to be a problem after a handful of shaves.

Pros: The horsehair inhabits a nice middle ground between boar and badger bristles, it's crafted in Spain of quality materials, the hair comes from living animals, a very attractive bristle and handle color, and it's cheaper than most badger brushes

Cons: The handle is somewhat small

Synthetic bristles have improved radically in recent years, and the super-soft Fendrihan shaving brush proves this with its excellent performance.

Once the bane of the wet shaving world, synthetic bristle brushes have come a long, long way. Before, shavers who required synthetic materials (perhaps due to allergies or a desire for animal-free products) had to suffer with stiff, scratchy nylon, but thankfully, newer material technologies have allowed for radical improvements over the past few years.

Old-school wet shavers used to turn up their noses at synthetic brushes, but times have changed. New synthetics like the Fendrihan shaving brush are capable of offering a feel similar to badger in softness while still providing enough backbone to whip up a great lather. One advantage, too, is that synthetic bristles tend to hold up better in the long-term and shed less than animal fibers. Nor do they put off any initial odors to be dealt with.

The first thing you'll notice about the Fendrihan brush when you pick it up (other than its striking appearance) is how soft the bristles are. The tips are almost cotton-like, and when you feel them, you'll wonder whether the brush has enough stiffness to actually lather properly. Don't worry – it does. It's not as good for hard soaps as boar or horsehair, but the soft synthetic bristles of the Fendrihan brush get the lathering done and feel fantastic on the skin.

Another thing to mention about the bristles is their color, one which you'll almost never find on natural hair brushes. The black color with white/grey tips has become quite popular in the wet shaving crowd in recent years due to its unique appearance. The Fendrihan brush is made in China (as most synthetics are), but this is one case where that's not a worry, as the best tuxedo bristles actually originate from certain makers there — no quality concerns here, especially at this price.

Of course, every brush has its disadvantages and quirks. Synthetics are no different. Unlike animal hair, these bristles don't absorb any water, so frequent re-wetting is required. This becomes something of a balancing act, as too much water turns your lather into a bubbly slurry, but it's not a problem once you get into a rhythm. On the plus side, synthetic bristles dry out quickly after you're done and are extremely durable, so you can expect to enjoy your Fendrihan shaving brush for a long, long time.

Pros: Soft bristles that feel and lather much better than older synthetics, solid quality with a nice handle design, sheds less than natural hair, a unique and classy look, and it's considerably cheaper than all but boar brushes

Cons: Holds less water than natural bristle brushes, and it's not ideal for harder soaps

Those who demand the best should settle for nothing less than authentic silvertip, and the luxurious Maison Lambert badger bristle brush is a fantastic choice with a price that won't leave you reeling.

Saving the best for last brings us back around to the venerable badger. As mentioned in the introduction, badger bristles come in four grades, with silvertip being far and away the highest quality. It's also the most expensive, as these super-soft bristles come from the head and neck area of the badger. This fur has a dark band below the tips which are white or "silver" – hence the name. Silvertip bristles are prized for this distinct color pattern as well as for their unrivaled softness and pliability.

Silvertip badger brushes range in price from $60 to as high as $250 owing to the rarity and unique characteristics of the bristles. Of course, you don't need to spend nearly that much to get a good brush — our other picks attest to that — but when you want the best, then the luxurious feel of a silvertip brush is worth the money. However, as wet shaving has undergone a bit of a renaissance lately, newer companies are throwing their hats into the ring with their own high-quality and competitively-priced options.

One such upstart is the New York-based Maison Lambert. Maison Lambert first built its name on its organic shave soaps but also offers an excellent and remarkably affordable silvertip brush. The genuine silvertip badger bristles feel downy on the skin, yet retain a great backbone, working up a lather is no problem and the brush needs very little (if any) breaking in. Draw your fingers across the tips and you'll know immediately why silvertip bristles are so revered among veteran wet shavers.

A silvertip brush should also have a handle that looks and feels the part and Maison Lambert does not disappoint. The chrome and horn-look acrylic handle on this brush is one of the most striking we've ever seen, putting it in a totally different league than the plastic and wooden examples that dominate the market. It not only looks fantastic, but the hefty grip feels great in your hand and its extra weight provides excellent balance without being awkward or tiresome to wield.

Equally attractive is its affordability compared to similar products. Plus, the Maison Lambert shaving brush comes with a drip stand, making this easily the best value to be had for genuine silvertip badger bristle. Wet shavers even ten years ago would have brawled in the streets to get their hands on a quality silvertip brush at this price. If only the best will suffice for your face, then make the investment to level up your shaving ritual. Your skin will thank you.

Pros: Luxuriously soft genuine silvertip badger bristles, a gorgeous and great-feeling acrylic and chrome handle, includes a drip stand, and it offers incredible value for a high-end shaving brush

Cons: The smooth chrome and acrylic grip can get slippery when soapy

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