- in Shaving by Jason Hall
3 Best Synthetic Shaving Brushes
If you are considering adding a shaving brush to your routine, then you might have some questions before you jump into buying one.
For instance, should you choose a silvertip badger bristle or a synthetic option that does not use animal products? What kind of knot and loft would feel best in your hand?
I strongly support the use of cruelty free products. This is why I wrote this guide that will help decide what is the best synthetic shaving brush and what other options are there for your shaving routine.
Our Top 3 Synthetic Shaving Brushes
Shaving Brush | Rating |
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Why You Should Use a Shaving Brush?
A shaving brush is a device used to lather the face with shaving cream or soap. It features an ergonomic handle on one end and a set of bristles on the other that create a rich, warm lather.
The benefits of using a shaving brush lie entirely in the bristles themselves. These hairs, synthetic or otherwise, create a uniquely beneficial shaving experience. A shaving brush is actually one of the most important tools in wet shaving.
For starters, the bristles whip air into the shaving cream to create a rich, thick lather from a very minimal amount of shaving cream. This thicker lather works wonders in protecting the skin while you shave, helping to eliminate the irritation that many experience post-shave. Plus, this helps to save you cost on replacing shaving cream.
While the bristles are working up to that rich lather, they also create a wonderfully warm sensation on your face. Aside from feeling fantastic, this warmth helps to open up your pores for a smoother shave. This also helps to guide the direction of your beard hairs upwards, preparing them for your razor.
Last, but not least, the bristles provide a gentle exfoliation that removes dead skin cells from the surface of your face. Exfoliation is one of the most beneficial aspects of skin care, aiding with several skin problems as well as providing more blood circulation to give a healthy glow to your face.
Key Takeaway
While lathering your face with your hands works just fine, a shaving brush does what fingers simply cannot do. Choosing to use a brush delivers a closer, smoother, healthier shave.
What is a Synthetic Shaving Brush
A synthetic brush is a vegan and allergy-friendly alternative to animal hair bristles.
They can range from nylon bristles to specialized synthetic material that rivals some of the high-end animal hair models.
Regardless of their make, they come with a distinct set of advantages and disadvantages.
PROS
Synthetic fibers are incredibly strong, making them far more durable than their natural counterparts. They can withstand higher temperatures that would normally damage animal hair bristles, and dry much faster. Being machine-made, you can rest assured that each brush of the same type is of the same quality.
CONS
These synthetic bristles lack the water retention found in animal hair, meaning you will have to dip the brush in water more often. They also retain less heat, but that is also solved by continually dipping the brush in hot water during your lather.
Key Takeaway
The main benefits of the synthetic shaving brush are its long lasting durability, and animal-friendly make.
Other Types of Bristles
Shaving brushes are made from one of three types of animal hair:
- Boar
- Horse
- Badger
Animal Cruelty
Aside from the rarer horse hair brushes, boar and especially badger brushes are exclusively made by killing the animal. The majority of badger bristles come from farms in China where the animals are killed in large numbers for their fur. These animals live in deplorable conditions, contributing the animal cruelty associated with hair bristle brushes.
Boar Hair Bristles
The coarsest of the three, boar hair bristles offer an intense level of agitation on the skin.
This works to create an incredibly rich lather as well as thoroughly exfoliate, but some might find their coarse nature a bit too rough.
These brushes need to be broken in before they feel as soft as they should, but they will still be tougher on the skin than horse or badger hair. Conventional brushes found at supermarkets and drug stores are usually poorly constructed, and boar hair is notorious for retaining less water.
On the bright side, they are also the cheapest brushes on the market with a decent quality model costing around ten dollars. They are also favored by Italian barbers for the close shave they help to deliver.
Horse Hair Bristles
Horse hair bristles are stiff but far softer and finer than their boar hair counterparts.
Many users find that the experience is less scratchy than boar or badger, and others enjoy that the hair is simply taken from the mane as to not harm the horse.
The only real downside to these brushes is their availability. Not nearly as popular as badger hair, finding a quality horse hair brush can prove to be a real challenge.
Badger Brushes
Badger bristles are perhaps the most commonly used and offer a delightful massaging effect during the lather.
They retain the most heat and water out of the three hair types and come in several grades.
The lowest end is referred to as a pure grade while the highest quality badger brushes are called silver tips. Each tier comes with its price range, but there is no standardized grading process between companies. This means you could end up with a pure grade mislabeled as a fine grade, and so on.
Key Takeaway
In general, the different grades of brushes are distinguished by their color. Pure grades are dark and coarse looking while finer grades are lighter in color. Silvertip grade brushes are distinguishable by, as the name suggests, their silver tips and expert workmanship in their handles.
The Top Brands
There are a lot of manufacturers on the market that produces quality shaving brushes. A few names to consider when shopping around are:
- Parker
- GBS
- Omega
What to Look for When Buying a Brush
After deciding on which type of bristle you would like to use, there are a few key features to look for depending on the experience you want.
Type of Brush
Aside from the bristles options, there are a variety of handles and sizes to choose from. The choice is yours, but you need to look for something that you will want to use.
The Price
This one is self-explanatory.
Just purchase a brush that you can afford. There are plenty of high-quality brushes at very affordable prices.
The Handle
This one is mostly aesthetic. Handles can be made from metal, wood, animal horn, or synthetic material. Each is made to be water resistant, and will certainly outlast the bristles on any brush. Just choose the one that looks best to you and which material you like the feel of.
Knot and Loft Size
These are also a matter of personal preference but are essential to the lathering experience you would like. The knot size refers to the width of the handle and can vary significantly. Different handle materials will also change the sizes a handle can be made in.
The knot is measured in millimeters, so choose something that can comfortably fit in your hand for the best experience. The loft size is also measured in millimeters and refers to the entire length of the brush from its base to its tip.
The differences in size all change how the lathering experience feels. Choosing to use a shaving brush is a lengthier process than using an electric shaver or hand lathering, so you'll need to enjoy how that process feels.
If you don't like the way the knot size fits in your hand, then you are less likely to use it. The same goes for how much you enjoy the feeling individual lengths give. To help you determine your preference, head to a local barbershop and get a feel for several different knots and lofts.
Usage
How is this brush going to feel when using it and what will the experience be like?
Choosing the right brush depends on what you want from it.
Those with sensitive skin may benefit the most from choosing softer bristles, while those looking for the exfoliation benefits might be happier with something a little coarser. How the bristles feel on your skin is an important aspect to enjoying your shaving brush.
Particular bristles will require a lengthier amount of time to produce a rich lather. Those who need a quick shave in the morning before work might want to look for a brush that can quickly lather up their face. How much water and heat the bristles hold can help determine how quick the process will be.
How heavy does the brush feel in your hand? Will the bristles work better with soaps or creams? All of these factors shape the experience of using a shaving brush and require a little consideration before you decide on which model you will buy.
Ultimately, you want something that you are going to enjoy using every day. The process should be a relaxing experience that leaves you feeling fresh and rejuvenated, alongside giving you a quality shave.
Quality and Reliability
No one wants to pay for something that isn't going to last. While every brush will lose its bristles eventually, low-quality brushes will continually lose their bristles from the moment you by them until there is nothing left in just a few months.
A new brush will always shed at first, but high-quality is marked by the shedding period ending after a week or two.
While looking for your next purchase, it is important to find out how the product was made. Any brush worth owning will have been hand crafted, even if the bristles are synthetic. This authenticity not only ensures a higher level of quality from an experienced craftsman but also adds character to your brush.
3 Best Synthetic Shaving Brushes - Reviews
Rating
PROS
- Handmade by a quality manufacturer
- Fast drying for travel use
- No animal materials
- Incredibly soft bristles
- Great lather
CONS
- Bristles tend to clump together
- Fast-drying capability means less water retention
General Overview
This Parker brush features a classic ivory handle made from durable resin, as well as a brush stand for drying and storage. The knot size is 22mm, and the bristles have an artificial coloring that gives them the appearance of badger hair. With over 40 years of experience in the industry, you can rest assured that any Parker brush is a quality product.
Comparable to silvertip badger brushes this one comes in at 1/5th of the cost, making it a very affordable model for such an elevated level of quality.
Usage
With incredibly soft bristles, this brush offers a very relaxing experience and a massage-like feel when lathering. The bristles do not retain water like an animal hair brush would, meaning you will have to re-dip it several times. However, you will only need to use a small amount of cream.
The handle fits nicely in hand with its ergonomic design, while the loft is a standard length that allows for simple circles to produce astounding amounts of warm lather.
Best For
Those with sensitive skin might benefit the most from this brush. Its soft bristles provide a delicate experience, but they still have a certain stiffness to provide the exfoliation needed for certain skin conditions and issues.
Verdict
The Parker Synthetic Bristle Shaving Brush is perfect for the price as well as anyone looking for soft, massaging feel. It rivals silvertip badger hair and continues the high expectations set forth from Parker's care products.
Rating
PROS
- High quality synthetic fibers are soft on the face
- Bristles are sturdy for exfoliation and massage
- Fantastic water retention for synthetic bristles
- Quick drying
CONS
- Very stiff at first
- Logo washes off the handle easily
- Handle is noticeably acrylic, very plastic feeling
General Overview
With a 22mm knot size and 105mm loft, the GBS Super Synthetic is a great choice for a lower end priced brush. The bristles rival any good badger brush, but the main drawback is the acrylic handle. If you don't mind the plastic handle, then everything else about this brush will leave you smiling.
Usage
Slightly longer than Parker's version, this brush glides across the face as it whips up a decent lather. This gives a very relaxing feeling that the soft bristles compliment. Regarding synthetic brushes, this one holds an adequate amount water, so you won't have to re-dip as often.
Best For
Those who are just getting into brushes might benefit the most from this GBS model. It's incredibly cheap price range allows anyone to try a bristle brush for the first time to see if they like the sensation or not.
Verdict
This is a fantastic beginner's brush for the price. It's better quality than what you might find at a drug store, but still incredibly affordable. If you decide to purchase a higher end model down the road, its fast-drying capability makes it a great travel brush.
Rating
PROS
- Comes in a variety of colors
- No need to re-dip in water
- Stiff bristles are great for exfoliating
- Inexpensive option
CONS
- Takes more time to work up a good lather
- Those with sensitive skin may find the bristles too rough
- Small knot and loft
General Overview
The Omega Syntex, coming in at the bottom price range, is a solidly built brush. Small enough for traveling, users can enjoy its lather at home or on the road. The rough bristles a reminiscent of a boar brush, and the water retention is great for the synthetic material.
The handle comes in red, blue, and green.
Usage
This is a very coarse brush perfect for intense exfoliation, but those with sensitive skin may find it to be too irritating. The brush is on the small side and incredibly lightweight, which some users may not prefer over a brush with weight in the handle.
The bristles are white, making it harder to tell when the soap/cream has worked itself into a nice lather. Its coarse bristles are dense which cause it to take a while before your face is coated in the creamy lather necessary for wet shaving.
Best For
Anyone looking for a coarser experience with plenty of exfoliation might benefit the most from this Omega brush. It might also be an excellent choice for those looking for a very inexpensive option, as well as something similar to boar bristle.
Verdict
For the price, this synthetic brush rivals any boar bristle on the market. However, the handle is a little lacking in the weight many might be familiar with. Although smaller than most synthetic brushes, it does look very sleek.
Wrapping Up
While personal preference plays a major role in finding the right shaving brush for you, there are a variety of factors to consider.
This article was written with the vegan and cruelty free customers in mind. I hope that now when you understand the types of bristles, knot and loft sizes, and the benefits each can offer, you can make the best decision based on the shaving experience you want to have and get the shaving brush for your needs.
