Ten Slicker Brushes: Start With the Coat
Pins, head shape and cleanup explain more than a promise to handle every tangle.
Beneath a lovely coat, loose hair and tangles can need very different attention. A slicker brush may be part of that work, but it cannot do every grooming job.
At WatersEdge, we compared ten exact designs. The helpful differences are concrete: pins, head flexibility, working area and how collected hair is removed. The right task still begins with the actual coat and skin.
Below, we’ll start with the job your dog’s coat needs, then meet ten slicker designs with different pins, heads and ways of clearing collected hair. We’ll finish with the details to take to a groomer and tables that let you compare the tools side by side.
A NOTE FROM WATERSEDGE
We read the research, we talk to people who do this work, and we try to make complicated animal-health information easier to understand. What you’re reading reflects how we’ve interpreted and organized what we found. It is educational. It is not veterinary advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan for your animal.
We’re not perfect, and neither is the available research. Evidence changes, new work gets published, and what suits one animal may be wrong for another. Species, breed, age, weight and existing conditions all change the answer.
Use this as a starting point for your own reading and for the conversation with your veterinarian, particularly if your animal is on medication, is under treatment, has an existing condition, is pregnant, very young or very old, or if anything about their condition is changing quickly.
Let’s start by making the brush’s job clear
Before we compare brushes, let’s separate the work the coat needs from the features printed on a tool’s package. Loose hair, tangles and the dog’s comfort need attention together; the points below explain why those distinctions matter.
- Loose hair and tight matting are different problems. Do not keep pulling when the brush meets resistance.
- Pin designs vary. Length, spacing, firmness and protected tips describe construction, not a guarantee of comfort.
- A self-cleaning button helps clear the tool. It does not make every coat suitable for that brush.
- Handling matters. If the dog seems sore, cannot stand comfortably or becomes distressed, stop and seek help with the grooming.
The listings keep the exact models and useful details. They describe the manufacturers’ designs, rather than hands-on testing or a universal winner.
Coastal Safari W418: cleanup designed into the pin bed
Listed price: Consumer price not established; business-account pricing
What we like about it: the pins retract to release collected hair. Coastal also publishes dimensions and a model number for the Large version, so it can be distinguished from the smaller brushes.
Highlights about the product
- Pin or bristle description: Stainless steel
- Head or bed design documented: Retracting pin bed
- Hair-release mechanism documented: Maker documents retracting pins
For more details,
Chris Christensen Big G Large AVIICL: long pins and a flexible cushion
Listed price: $62.50
What we like about it: The maker specifies 27-millimeter pins, a flexible cushion and a curved back with a long handle. Those details give a groomer something specific to compare with the work your dog’s coat needs.
Highlights about the product
- Pin or bristle description: 27 mm stainless steel
- Head or bed design documented: Flexible cushion; curved back
- Measurement basis available: 27 mm pins; selected Large
For more details,
Andis Large Firm Slicker 68540: a broad head for a dense coat
Listed price: $10.99
What we like about it: Andis identifies this exact model as a Large Firm Slicker. Its broad head and firm pins are concrete details to discuss with a groomer caring for a dense coat.
Highlights about the product
- Pin or bristle description: Firm pins; exact alloy not established
- Head or bed design documented: Broad firm working head
- Measurement basis available: Overall 7.63 × 4.63 × 1.88 in
For more details,
FURminator Large Firm Slicker: two flexible parts in the head
Listed price: Not established
What we like about it: the split, flexible head adds a different design choice to this ten-brush comparison. We have not tested its movement against the other brushes on dogs.
Highlights about the product
- Pin or bristle description: Stainless steel bristles
- Head or bed design documented: Dual-flex head
- Measurement basis available: Large; matched dimensions not established
For more details,
Artero Juliet Long Protected Pin, Large: tips and a bamboo handle
Listed price: Range from $16.78; exact Large price not established
What we like about it: protected tips and the published head-size choices offer a clear alternative construction to discuss. The bamboo material describes the handle, not an animal-health result.
Highlights about the product
- Pin or bristle description: Protected pin tips; alloy not established
- Head or bed design documented: Air-cushioned bed
- Tip protection documented: Maker documents protected tips
For more details,
Wahl Dual Level Slicker 858500: two pin levels in one head
Listed price: $11.99
What we like about it: Wahl puts two levels of pins in the same head. A groomer can explain whether that arrangement suits the layers and tangles in your dog’s coat.
Highlights about the product
- Pin or bristle description: Two levels; stainless steel
- Head or bed design documented: Two pin levels
- Tip protection documented: Maker documents rubber tips
For more details,
Andis Self-Cleaning Slicker 68570: clearing the hair is part of the mechanism
Listed price: $11.99
What we like about it: Andis includes a mechanism for releasing collected hair from the fine pins. That addresses clearing the brush after use, a separate question from whether the pins suit the coat.
Highlights about the product
- Pin or bristle description: Fine pins; exact alloy not established
- Head or bed design documented: Self-cleaning working head
- Hair-release mechanism documented: Maker documents release mechanism
For more details,
Safari Curved Firm Slicker SDG30: curvature and coated tips
Listed price: Consumer price not established; business-account pricing; stock message
What we like about it: curvature, tip coating, and cleanup can be considered separately instead of being rolled into a vague “gentle brush” label.
Highlights about the product
- Pin or bristle description: Coated stainless steel tips
- Tip protection documented: Maker documents coated tips
- Measurement basis available: Several page selections; exact mapping unresolved
For more details,
Artero Beast Double Flexible: a different head for difficult coat work
Listed price: $38.89
What we like about it: The flexible, double-sided head offers a different arrangement from the single-head brushes here. Its listed dimensions also help show how much tool you would be holding.
Highlights about the product
- Pin or bristle description: Stainless steel bristles
- Head or bed design documented: Double flexible head
- Measurement basis available: Listed 10.5 × 22 cm
For more details,
Four Paws Magic Coat Professional Small: a thumb grip and a smaller working area
Listed price: Not established
What we like about it: The Small head offers a smaller working area, with a thumb grip that changes how the brush is held. Ask a groomer where that combination would be useful on your dog.
Highlights about the product
- Pin or bristle description: Fine wire; exact composition not established
- Head or bed design documented: Selected Small working area
- Measurement basis available: Small; matched pin length not established
For more details,
What to take to the grooming conversation
After looking at the tools, you can make the grooming conversation more specific. Describe the coat, where loose hair or tangles occur, the tools already used and where the dog becomes uncomfortable. A suitably skilled groomer can demonstrate the intended task and technique; skin or pain concerns belong with the veterinary team.
Removing plenty of hair is only part of grooming. The dog’s skin and comfort matter throughout the session.
Start with the coat and the job you need help with. The ten brushes differ in pin length, head design and cleanup; no one design can be assumed to suit every dog.
Compare the product details
| Construction or practical detail | Safari W418 Large |
Big G Large AVIICL |
Andis Large Firm 68540 |
FURminator Large Firm |
Juliet Long Protected Pin Large |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pin or bristle description | Stainless steel | 27 mm stainless steel | Firm pins; exact alloy not established | Stainless steel bristles | Protected pin tips; alloy not established |
| Head or bed design documented | Retracting pin bed | Flexible cushion; curved back | Broad firm working head | Dual-flex head | Air-cushioned bed |
| Tip protection documented | Not established | Not established | Not established | Not established | ✓ protected tips |
| Measurement basis available | Overall 8 × 4.5 in | 27 mm pins; selected Large | Overall 7.63 × 4.63 × 1.88 in | Large; matched dimensions not established | Listed Large 12 × 8 cm |
| U.S. price observed October 6 | Consumer price not established; business-account pricing | $62.50 | $10.99 | Not established | Range from $16.78; exact Large price not established |
| Construction or practical detail | Wahl Dual Level 858500 |
Andis Self-Cleaning 68570 |
Safari Curved Firm SDG30 |
Beast Double Flexible |
Four Paws Magic Coat Professional Small |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pin or bristle description | Two levels; stainless steel | Fine pins; exact alloy not established | Coated stainless steel tips | Stainless steel bristles | Fine wire; exact composition not established |
| Head or bed design documented | Two pin levels | Self-cleaning working head | Curved head | Double flexible head | Selected Small working area |
| Tip protection documented | ✓ rubber tips | Not established | ✓ coated tips | Not established | Not established |
| Measurement basis available | Pin lengths not established | Listed 6.25 × 4 × 2 in | Several page selections; exact mapping unresolved | Listed 10.5 × 22 cm | Small; matched pin length not established |
| U.S. price observed October 6 | $11.99 | $11.99 | Consumer price not established; business-account pricing; stock message | $38.89 | Not established |
KEEP EXPLORING
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Research details
The Coastal 2025 catalog establishes W418 identity; current official product material supplies dimensions and construction. Current Chris Christensen material supplies AVIICL design and the observed large-model price. These current pages are undated specifications, not newly dated publications; the date stated for price is the actual observation date. No hands-on or comparative efficacy testing occurred.
Sources
-
AAHA. “Why Does My Pet Shed? Causes, Seasonal Changes, and When to Worry.” Updated April 3, 2026. Read current grooming context.
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Coastal Pet Products. “2025 Product Catalog: Safari slicker brushes, page 116.” Coastal Pet Products. 2025 edition. Read source.
- Chris Christensen Japan. “Revised price list: Big G Large Slicker, item AVIICL.” Chris Christensen Japan. Effective May 1, 2022. Read source.
- Coastal. Safari Self-Cleaning Slicker product page, observed October 6, 2026. Publication or update date not stated in the reviewed material.
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Chris Christensen. Big G product specifications and prices, observed October 6, 2026. Publication or update date not stated in the reviewed material.
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Andis. Large Firm Slicker Brush, item 68540, observed October 6, 2026. Publication or update date not stated in the reviewed material.
- FURminator. Large Firm Slicker Brush, observed October 6, 2026. Publication or update date not stated in the reviewed material.
-
Artero. Juliet Long Protected Pin Slicker, U.S., observed October 6, 2026. Publication or update date not stated in the reviewed material.
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Wahl. Dual Level Slicker Brush 858500, observed October 6, 2026. Publication or update date not stated in the reviewed material.
- Andis. Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush 68570, observed October 6, 2026. Publication or update date not stated in the reviewed material.
- Coastal. Safari Curved Firm Slicker SDG30, observed October 6, 2026. Publication or update date not stated in the reviewed material.
- Artero. Beast Double Flexible Dematting Slicker, observed October 6, 2026. Publication or update date not stated in the reviewed material.
- Four Paws. Magic Coat Professional Series Slicker, Small pictured, observed October 6, 2026. Publication or update date not stated in the reviewed material.
Photo credits
- Lead photograph: dancing with wolves / Wikimedia Commons. Original photograph · CC BY 2.0. A Keeshond standing on grass with a curled, plumed tail. Illustrative photograph. No compared product model is depicted.
- Supporting photograph: Andreas Schnabl / Pexels. Original photograph · Pexels free license. A long-coated Akita standing on grass with its tail curled over its back. Illustrative photograph. No compared product model is depicted.
- Photo courtesy of Chris Christensen. Chris Christensen Big G Large AVIICL. Large AVIICL brush pictured.
- Photo courtesy of FURminator. FURminator Large Firm Slicker. Large Firm Slicker pictured.
- Photo courtesy of Artero. Artero Juliet Long Protected Pin, Large. Juliet Large P775 pictured.
- Photo courtesy of Wahl. Wahl Dual Level Slicker 858500. 858500 brush pictured.
- Photo courtesy of Artero. Artero Beast Double Flexible. Beast Double Flexible P810 pictured.
- Photo courtesy of Four Paws. Four Paws Magic Coat Professional Small. Small package pictured.
- Photo courtesy of Andis. Andis Large Firm Slicker 68540. 68540 brush pictured.
- Photo courtesy of Andis. Andis Self-Cleaning Slicker 68570. 68570 brush pictured; current manufacturer page associates this photograph with item 68570.
- Photo courtesy of Coastal Pet Products. Coastal Safari W418. Safari W418 self-cleaning slicker pictured.
- Photo courtesy of Coastal Pet Products. Safari Curved Firm Slicker SDG30. Safari SDG30 curved firm slicker pictured.
- Additional photograph: Leandro Prudencio / Wikimedia Commons. Original photograph · CC BY 3.0. A Collie puppy walking across a grassy garden. Illustrative photograph. No compared product model is depicted.
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