The Best Travel Hair Brush

Best Travel Hair Brush For Smooth Styles

When you plan to use a travel hair brush with a travel hair dryer, you want one with flexibility and ventilation to help you get at least a decently smooth blowout. The KareCo Premium Tiny Tangle Buster Brush combines boar bristles and flexible nylon pins, making it the best of both worlds. The nylon pins help detangle your hair, whether it's damp from the pool or shower or you just need to fix your ponytail midway through the day. When you use it with a hair dryer, the boar bristles create a smoother style than you'd get using a pin brush or your fingertips. It's smaller than a standard brush, so blow-drying takes a bit longer than at home, but we like the look we get when drying with the KareCo Premium better than when pairing other travel hair brushes with a blow-dryer.

The vented paddle isn't one inflexible piece. Rather, it's separated at the ends so each row can flex around your scalp as you brush. We rated comfort at a 5 because it's gentler on your tangled tresses and sensitive head than rigid plastic brushes. The handle rates a 5, too, because it's super comfortable to hold. Even though it's a bit larger, we have no issue fitting it in a small sling, so we think you can make room for it in your travel bag.

• It works well on wet and dry hair
• The slightly rounded handle is very ergonomic and easy to hold when brushing and styling

• While it works better with a hair dryer than most other travel hair brushes, it's still a bit small for a great blowout
• At 7 inches, it's a bit longer than some other mini hair brushes

Best For Detangling

Best For Curly Hair

If you've ever spent the day swimming on vacation, you know how essential it is to have a travel hair brush that detangles well. The Tangle Teezer is made for just that issue, with two layers of bristles to get gently through your knots. It's made for different hair types and doesn't cause as much breakage as some other brush styles. Since there aren't rounded nubs at the end of the bristles, it's a little scratchy on your scalp, so we rated it a 2 on the comfort scale. On the other hand, it should last longer than travel hair brushes that have those heads, which can break off.

The handle is smaller, but it's not too skinny to hold comfortably, and you can get a good grip when you hold slightly onto the paddle at the same time. We rate it a 3. We had no issue sticking into a small sling, and the straight pins won't catch on gear in your toiletry kit as easily as brushes with pinheads or bristles do.

• It pulls out less hair when brushing than other travel hair brushes
• The slightly larger paddle gets through your hair faster than smaller brush heads

• The straight pins are great for detangling, though they're a little scratchier than other mini hair brushes
• You can't use it with heat, so you'll need something else for blowouts

Best Budget Travel Hair Brush

With its flexible nylon pins, Wet Brush tools are meant to be gentler on damp hair, and the Squirt Detangling Brush delivers. The bristles are so soft that they nearly lie flat when you press them, so they won't rip through your hair when you brush it. It's one of the gentlest we've used, so we rated it a 5 on the comfort scale, yet it works well to get your hair into a shiny ponytail or bun. However, the handle is so tiny that it can be hard to hold with larger hands, so usage is only a 2.

It's not meant to be used with a hair dryer, but it will help get things neat and tidy if you blow-dry with your fingers first. It comes in plenty of colors, too, and is one of the smallest travel hair brushes we've found, so it's easy to fit in your sling for quick touchups and your Dopp kit for daily use. You can get it for $5-8, depending on whether it's on sale, so it's a great budget buy.

• It's very gentle for sensitive scalps
• It works well on wet and dry hair

• The small handle is a bit less comfortable to hold than other travel hair brushes
• Eventually, the rounded tips will pop off, and then it might get scratchy

Best Value Travel Hair Brush

There's nothing wrong with plastic, but sometimes it just feels nicer holding something made of natural materials, like the wooden handle of the Spornette Carry On Hair Brush. It doesn't hurt that the handle is slightly curved to fit your palm perfectly, giving you a good grip as you brush and style your hair. However, we rated it a 4 because it only offers good ergonomics if you're right-handed. This brush isn't designed for lefties.

The nylon pin-style head has a design similar to many other travel hair brushes, though it's slightly stiffer, so it's about a 3 on the comfort scale. However, its rounded heads are not separate pieces, so they won't eventually break off the way other pin heads will. Hopefully, that means the Spornette brush will last you for years of trips. We've been using it successfully here at Pack Hacker for years, and we even included it on the first version of our Hostel Packing List, so we think it's a best buy if you just want something simple that fits easily in a sling or toiletry kit.

• The curved handle is really comfortable to hold
• It's soft on your scalp

• It doesn't work as well if you're left-handed
• The bristles are stiffer, so it's not as gentle on your hair

Best For Fine Hair

After riding the ferry or dashing down the street in the rain, your hair will need detangling. The Hair Edit Travel Size Detangling Hair Brush's flexible nylon pins untangle your hair without yanking it out, which is what we look for in the best travel hair brush. We rate it a 3 for scalp comfort. It's compact enough to fit in a toiletry bag or small sling, and while its handle is small, it's still easy enough to use for daily styling. The rounded shape makes it comfortable to hold while brushing and pretty gentle on most hair types, though it works best on finer hair. If your hair is super long and thick, you might have to use a little extra effort, holding onto the head more than the slender handle, so we gave it a 3 for usage.

Even though it's plastic, it feels more premium than other mini hair brushes we've tested, perhaps because of the soft finish. While the pins aren't as flexible as some other models, we have no doubt this one will last for years of travel, which is why we included it on our Vacation Packing List. Keep it in your pool tote, and you'll never have to leave the beach with tangled hair.

• Its flexible nylon pins untangle your hair without yanking it out, which we appreciate for delicate hair or a sunburnt scalp
• Even though it's small, its head is broad enough to get through your hair

• The handle is really short and skinny, though it's not necessarily uncomfortable
• It's stiffer than some other pin-style brushes

Best Folding Hair Brush

If you're looking for a travel hair brush that will take up the least amount of space in your bag, look no further than the Ancable Pocket Boar Bristle Hair Brush. It's narrower than most other mini hair brushes and folds in half, so you don't have to worry about the bristles tangling in your other gear. Unlike other folding hair brushes, this one still feels sturdy when open, with a lightweight handle that's more comfortable to hold than it looks. We rate it a 4. It doesn't feel cheap, and we find the combination of boar bristles and nylon pins great for brushing out your bangs on a windy day or touching up your style on the go.

It's best for maintaining your style when you're out exploring, rather than for daily styling, and it can be harder to use with thicker hair. On the other hand, we rate it a 4 for comfort, so it fits the bill when you want something super portable that's not scratchy.

• It's not much larger than your travel toothbrush
• The combination of bristles and pins helps detangle and smooth your hair

• The head is thin, so it takes longer to get through your head of hair
• Boar bristles might not work well for every hair type