Top 10 Best Dog Dematting Tools and Tips
If you’ve ever owned a dog with long hair or a double coat, you probably know all about mats. Mats are tangles of fur—some strands still attached to the skin and some not—that generally occur in places of friction on your dog’s coat. Dogs with fine, long, or curly fur are most prone to developing mats—ask any doodle owner.
The most common areas where mats form are places like the fur around the collar, behind the ears, in the armpits, as well as the hip your dog tends to sit on most. In some cases, certain activities—such as swimming—can make your dog more likely to form mats.
Mats can be quite painful for dogs, particularly if the mat forms close to the skin. If you have a dog that’s prone to forming mats, prevention is key! In most cases, regular brushing and grooming can keep coats tangle- and mat-free, but sometimes even the most conscientious owner is dismayed to find that a mat has formed. Don’t despair! There are lots of tools out there to help prevent and clear mats.
What is a dematting tool?
A dematting tool is a sort of brush that is specially designed to help you detangle tangled fur. It has special “teeth” that can penetrate mats and help you restore your dog’s coat. If your dog has matted fur, they can develop skin issues like hot spots, which are very uncomfortable and itchy. That’s when the best dematting tools can help you and your dog. The good news is that World Dog Finder researched this topic and put together a list of the best dematting tools for dogs.
Tools and Tips for Preventing Mats
In the world of mats, prevention is key. If you know your dog is prone to mats, here are some tips to help you be proactive in your grooming habits.
- Remove dead hair early and often
- Keep coats clean and dry
- Use a grooming tool to help your dog shed an undercoat
- Address mats and tangles as soon as they form
- Watch trouble spots: armpits, hips, behind the ears, near the collar
- If in doubt, ask a professional for help.
The 10 Best Dog Dematting Tools
GoPets Dematting Comb – Premium Choice
The GoPets FBA_TP111R Dematting Comb is our premium choice dog de-matting tool. This comb costs more than many of the others on this list, but you can expect a high-quality, durable de-matting tool when you get one of these. This comb features a two-sided head with twelve blades on one side and twenty-three blades on the other. The large handle has a gel covering that is exceptionally comfortable and helps make long grooming sessions much more enjoyable.
The downside to this tool is it’s a bit pricey. It’s also a little narrow when compared to our top two choices, which can extend your time spent grooming. The smaller head also means the blades are much closer together, so more care is needed to avoid pulling the hair on your pet if it gets clumped between the blades.
- High-cost
- Narrow
- Comfortable gel handle
- Two-sided head
- Rounded edges
Pet Republique Dog Dematting Tool – Best Value
The Pet Republique Dog Dematting Tool is our choice for the best value dog de-matting tool. Besides its low cost, we have several reasons to believe that this quite possibly the best dog de-matting tool for the money. It features a two-sided head with differently spaced teeth on each side. The blades have rounded edges that won’t scrape or harm your pet. One side has twelve teeth for more massive tangles and mats, while the other side has twenty-three blades to increase grooming speed. Pet Republique also donates 15% of all profits to the Animal Rescue Society.
This de-matting tool is similar to our number one choice and works almost as well. The blades are a little closer, which did tend to pull our dog’s hair more often than the other tool, however. Despite this, we think this is the best dematting tool for the money on the market today.
- Pulls hair
- Donate 15% profits to the Animal Rescue Society
- Rounded edges
- Low cost
- Two-sided head
RUBOLD Dematting Tool – Best Overall
The RUBOLD RUB001 Dematting Tool is our choice for the best overall dog de-matting tool. This tool features a double-sided head with rounded blades. The rounded blades slide gently over your pet’s skin and won’t poke or scratch. The extra-wide head features 90 wider-spaced teeth on one side for getting out larger knots and tangles. The second side features seventeen teeth spaced closer together for quickly thinning and de-shedding.
While we were reviewing this tool, we were impressed with how fast it removes the hair and gets out tangles. There are blades on the inside of the rounded edges, so this tool does a fair amount of cutting and is not merely a comb. We noticed that if we were careless or tried to move too quickly, though, it would result in pulling our dog’s hair.
- Rounded blades
- Extra-wide
- Two sides
- Can pull hair
FURminator Adjustable Dematting
The FURminator P-92922 Adjustable Dematting tool is one of the more popular brands of dog de-matting tools on this list. This model features adjustable blades to accommodate any length of hair. The well-designed handle allows for a firm grip, and your hand won’t cramp up during long grooming sessions. The tool is exceptionally durable overall, and the blades are plenty sharp but rounded so they won’t poke or scrape your pet.
While we reviewed it, we found the adjustable blades to be helpful to guarantee the correct length, but they did often grab ad pull the hair while we were working and required a lot of focus to keep our pets from becoming upset. It’s also narrow, so if you have a bigger dog, you are going to spend a lot of time grooming with this tool.
- Narrow
- Pulls hair
- Curved edges
- Durable
- Adjustable
- Well designed handle
Safari W6116 De-Matting Comb
The Safari W6116 De-Matting Comb is a smaller sized de-matting comb that we tried out. This tool features nine extremely sharp blades that get under a mated section and easily break it apart. The ergonomic handle makes it easy to control the comb around the contours of your pet.
We noticed three things while we were reviewing this tool. First, it’s used to remove a mat and not groom the entire dog, unless it’s a small dog or a cat. It’s too small for a large area. Second, to use this left-handed requires manually changing the blades. To change the blades, you need to remove an impossibly tight bolt, and we could not do it. The third thing to keep in mind is that the blades are like little knives. It’s easy to get cut while cleaning this tool, and it’s not something you want to leave lying around.
- Small
- Hard to switch to left-hand use
- Can cut yourself
- Very sharp
- Stainless steel blades
- Ergonomic handle
Pat Your Pet Dematting Comb
The Pat Your Pet Dematting Comb is a larger-sized de-matting tool. It features a two-sided head with 9 wide-spaced teeth on one side and 17 teeth on the other. It features an ergonomic anti-slip grip handle for more control while grooming your pet. It also comes with a free dog tag to help prevent the loss of your pet.
We liked the wide teeth and larger size of their tool but felt the blades were too dull to get rid of and matted hair. If you have a smaller sized dog, this comb may be too large to get into the smaller areas of your pet.
- Dull
- Too big for small dogs
- Two-sided head
- Ergonomic anti-slip grip
- Includes dog tag
Hertzko Pet Dematting Tool Comb
The Hertzko Pet Dematting Tool Comb features a two-sided head. One side has twelve teeth, while the other has twenty-three. All blades have rounded edges so they won’t scrape your pet. The handle also features some rubber gripping on the sides that help make it more comfortable to hold and prevents slipping.
The downside to this model is that it tends to pull on your pet’s hair, especially on the side with twenty-three blades. We feel that some of the hair-pulling could be alleviated if the blades were a little sharper. Even the blades on the side with twelve teeth seemed dull compared to some of the others on this list.
- Pulls hair
- Dull blades
- Two-sided head
- Rubber gripping
- Rounded edges
Paws Pamper Dematting Comb
The Paws Pamper Dematting Comb is the final dog de-matting tool on our list. This de-matter is similar to to the last brand but features larger blades. This model has twelve stainless steel teeth that won’t rust. Each blade has rounded edges and there is a convenient place to rest your thumb while you work. The handle is durable hard plastic.
The downside is that these blades are very dull and only served to pull our pet’s hair, and the thin handle had our hands cramping up quickly while grooming our dogs. We liked that it was a little larger than some of the other brands with this style but poked and pulled too much to recommend it.
- Dull
- Thin handle
- Pokes pet
- Stainless steel blades
- Large blades
- Thumb rest
LilPals Dog De-Matting Comb
The LilPals W6216 NCL00 Dog De-Matting Comb is a small comb featuring serrated edged stainless steel blades perfect for de-matting and grooming small dogs and cats. The small blades let you slowly work your way into dense knots to break them up gently without injuring your pet. The blades are reversible if you are left-handed, and this feature also allows you to replace worn-out or broken blades.
After reviewing this comb, we feel that it’s most likely too small for most people. It’s very sharp and works well with tiny knots, but there is a particular technique that you need to use, and it hard to get the hang of it, especially with no instructions. Its small size limits its usefulness to targeted areas and small dogs. Even small grooming projects take a long time and require plenty of patience. Another problem we run into with this type of comb is that we tend to cut ourselves on them.
- Stainless steel serrated blades
- Reversible for left-handed use
- Only for small dogs
- Slow
- Learning curve
- Easy to cut yourself
Poodle Pet Dog Dematting Tool
The Poodle Pet Dog Dematting Tool is four inches wide and features two rows of round metal bristles. These bristles are stiff and won’t bend like soft bristles, but the round tip prevents the comb from scratching your pet’s skin. We found the brush very durable and have no fears about it lasting several years.
What we didn’t like about this comb is that it isn’t perfect for thick coats or dogs with a heavily matted undercoat. This comb can break up some knots, but it cannot cut through any dense mats or thin the coat.
- Rounded bristles
- Two rows
- Durable
- Comfortable handle
- Not good for thick coats
- Won’t trim or cut
Buyer’s Guide – Choosing the Best Dog Dematting Tool
Let’s have a look at the two most common tools for de-matting your pet.
Undercoat Rake
Rakes are also known as undercoat rakes, and it resembles a shaving razor with metal bristles or rounded blades where the blades would be. This tool digs into the undercoat where it can break apart knots and mats, but if used aggressively, it can pull the hair from your dog. It allows you to press down firmly, which can be helpful in some situations, but it is easy to press too hard and push the metal bristles into your pet, scratching them.
Blades
Both types of de-matting tools use blades, and there are a few things to consider about the blades.
Undercoat Comb
An undercoat comb resembles a small handheld comb with a handle. The teeth of this type of comb are thin, sharp blades. These blades often have serrated edges that you can use to cut around thick mats and knots. These tools can be quite valuable for removing knots and mats but they are also very sharp, and it’s easy to cut yourself or your pet.
Sharpness
Sharper blades will make the job of breaking up a dense mat much easier, but it will also make your tool very dangerous for you and your pet.
Handle
The handle may not seem like a big deal, but after a few hours of grooming your pet, you will appreciate a soft grip that won’t slip, and won’t cause your hand to cramp. We recommend always taking a look at the handle before purchasing to make sure it will work for you.
Length
The length of the blade on either type of dog de-matting tool will determine how deep the tool can work. Long-haired dogs and dogs with dense fur like a husky will need a tool with longer blades.
Shape
The shape of the blade is essential to a useful tool. If it’s an undercoat rake, it needs rounded blades that won’t scratch your pet as it glides over the skin. The sharp part of the blade on this type of tool is on the inside.
On undercoat combs, the blades are flat and sharp. These blades can have curves or serrations to help cut through dense fur.
Conclusion
We hope that you have enjoyed reading over our dog de-matting tools reviews and buyer’s guide. We stand by our choice for the best overall. The RUBOLD RUB001 is extra wide with rounded blades and can help speed up the process of grooming your pet. The Pet Republique Dog Dematting Tool is our choice for the best value dog de-matting tool and this is an undercoat rake that features two heads for a more versatile de-matting tool. This brand also donates part of the profits to the Animal Rescue Society. No matter what brand you end up choosing, we hope that we have helped get you there. Please share these dog de-matting tools on Facebook and Twitter.
