The Best Deshedding Tools for Dogs and Cats: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)

RBE top pick

Andis Deshedding Tool

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For heavy-shedding dogs, the Andis Deshedding Tool is made to lift and remove loose undercoat while leaving the topcoat intact, according to Andis. The SleekEZ is the near-tie value pick: simpler, cheaper, and sold in sizes for cats, dogs and horses.

Deshedding tools promise to end the tumbleweeds, but they range from serious undercoat rakes to rubber curries and hyped-up grooming gloves that barely move fur. We weighed independent testing and owner reports across dogs and cats to sort the genuinely useful from the merely pleasant. Two are easy buys, one is great only for the right coat, and one is a skip if shedding is your actual problem.

RBE top pick

Andis

Andis Deshedding Tool

Buy it

A grooming-tool maker's everyday deshedder that lifts loose undercoat and leaves the topcoat intact.

Best for: Owners of shedding dogs who want a dedicated undercoat tool for everyday grooming sessions.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• Andis says it lifts and removes loose undercoat to reduce shedding
• Andis says it removes dead undercoat while leaving the topcoat intact
• Light at 0.2 oz, with a 6.25 in long body; Andis says it covers larger areas of the coat efficiently

Know before buying

• Andis does not list coat types or compatible pets on its page
• Like any deshedding tool, it can irritate skin or thin the coat if you press hard or overwork one spot

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

SleekEZ

SleekEZ Original Deshedding Grooming Tool

Buy it

A dead-simple toothed grooming tool that removes loose hair, sold in sizes for cats, dogs and horses.

Best for: Multi-pet households and anyone who wants a simple tool for short-to-medium coats.

$ · budget

Why we like it

• No moving parts to break, clog, or replace
• Small, medium and large sizes for cats, dogs and horses
• SleekEZ says the teeth grab loose hair without painful tugging

Know before buying

• Fixed blade needs a light hand on thin-skinned or bony areas
• Less reach into very dense, plush undercoats than a dedicated edge tool

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

KONG

KONG ZoomGroom

It depends

A soft rubber curry that pets love and lifts surface hair, but won't touch a thick undercoat.

Best for: Short-coated dogs and cats, or as a gentle finishing and bath-time tool alongside a real deshedder.

$ · budget

Why we like it

• Gentle rubber nubs feel like a massage, so nervous pets tolerate it well
• Doubles as a shampoo scrubber in the bath and rinses clean in seconds
• Soft rubber construction suited to short-coated dogs; KONG sells a separate Cat ZoomGroom

Know before buying

• Only grabs loose surface hair, not packed undercoat
• Little help for the plush double coats that shed the most

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

We'd skip it

HandsOn

HandsOn Pet Grooming Gloves

Skip it

A pleasant petting-and-bathing mitt often sold as a deshedder, but it removes the least fur of anything here.

Best for: People who mainly want a bonding, bath-time massage glove, not a fix for a heavy shedder.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• Feels like petting, so even skittish animals stay relaxed
• Handy for working in shampoo and picking up stray surface hair

Know before buying

• Barely dents a real undercoat compared with an edge tool or rake
• Textured surface may wear with heavy use
• Priced like a serious tool while performing like a novelty for shedding

See our pick instead See it at Amazon anyway Read our detailed assessment ↓

How we judged the field

We don’t run our own grooming lab. Instead, we synthesized independent testing and a broad read of owner reports across dogs and cats, then weighed each tool on the things that actually matter day to day: how much loose undercoat it removes, which coat types it suits, how gentle it is on skin, how easily it cleans, and whether it earns its price.

One theme came through loudly. “Deshedding” is a category full of look-alikes that do very different jobs. Edge tools, blades, and undercoat rakes reach down and pull the loose undercoat that causes most shedding. Rubber curries and grooming gloves mostly lift surface hair and feel nice. Both have a place, but only one truly reduces the fur in your home, so we scored tools against what they’re realistically capable of rather than what the packaging promises.

This is the tool to reach for when loose undercoat is carpeting your house. Andis describes it as made to lift and remove loose undercoat to reduce shedding, covering larger areas of the coat efficiently while leaving the topcoat intact, and it weighs just 0.2 oz, which helps over a long session on a big dog. Andis does not list coat types or compatible pets on the product page, so match it to your pet with care. The caution is the one for any deshedding tool: use a light hand and do not grind away at one spot, because aggressive use can irritate skin or thin the coat. For a heavy shedder that needs undercoat work, it is the tool we would start with.

The SleekEZ is almost suspiciously simple: a handheld tool with fine teeth and no moving parts. SleekEZ says the teeth grab the tips of loose hair and pull it out without painful tugging, and it sells small, medium and large versions for cats, dogs and horses. That range plus the simple build makes it the value pick and a natural choice for multi-pet homes. It asks for a light touch over thin-skinned or bony areas, and it may not burrow into a thick plush undercoat quite like a dedicated edge tool, but for the money and the range of animals it handles, it’s very hard to fault.

The ZoomGroom is a soft rubber curry (KONG lists it as 100 percent TPE), and judged as what it actually is, it’s excellent. The blunt rubber nubs feel like a massage, so anxious pets and cats that hate being brushed tolerate it happily, and it doubles as a shampoo scrubber in the bath before rinsing clean in seconds. What it will not do is remove packed undercoat. It lifts loose surface hair and massages the skin, but the plush double coats that shed the most are largely beyond it. Buy it as a gentle finishing and bath-time tool or for short-coated pets, not as your answer to a serious shedding problem.

Grooming gloves are among the most heavily marketed “deshedding” products and the least effective at it. As a bonding, petting, and bath-time massage mitt they’re pleasant, and even skittish animals stay relaxed because it just feels like being stroked. But as a deshedder they remove the least fur of anything we compared, barely denting a real undercoat, while the textured surface may wear with heavy use. The sting is the price: they cost like a serious tool and perform like a novelty for shedding. If you specifically want a gentle glove for baths and cuddles, fine; if your goal is less fur on the couch, your money goes further elsewhere.

Andis Deshedding Tool vs SleekEZ Original: which should you buy?

These two are the real decision. The Andis Deshedding Tool is the pick for heavy shedders where you want a dedicated undercoat tool, and Andis says it leaves the topcoat intact. The trade-off is that its page lists no coat types or compatible pets, and deshedding tools reward a careful hand.

The SleekEZ counters with simplicity and range: nothing to break, a light and forgiving feel, and sizes that cover dogs, cats, and horses at a lower price. If your household is mostly heavy shedders, get the Andis. If you want one durable, foolproof tool for a mix of pets and coats, or you’re wary of deshedding tools that need a careful hand, the SleekEZ is the smarter buy and barely a step behind.

What to look for

• Match the tool to the coat. Edge tools and undercoat rakes for thick double coats; blades and slickers for short-to-medium coats; rubber curries and gloves for short coats, finishing, and baths.
• Prioritize undercoat reach if shedding is the goal. If loose fur around the house is your problem, choose a tool designed to pull undercoat, not a glove or curry.
• Mind skin safety. Light pressure, follow the coat direction, and stop when little hair is coming out. Avoid bony areas, thin single coats, and any irritated skin.
• Cleaning and durability. Simpler tools with fewer moving parts tend to last longer; make sure hair clears off the tool quickly so grooming doesn’t stall.
• Cat-friendliness. Cats generally want gentler, shorter, more frequent sessions, so favor softer tools or a very light hand with an edge tool.

Our final take

Buy the tool that matches your pet, not the one with the boldest packaging. For heavy-shedding dogs, the Andis Deshedding Tool is our top pick for undercoat removal. The SleekEZ Original is the value near-tie: simple, sold in sizes for several animals, and excellent on short-to-medium coats. The KONG ZoomGroom is a gentle, pet-pleasing rubber curry that shines for short coats and baths but won’t tackle plush undercoats. And the HandsOn gloves, pleasant as they are to use, are the weakest deshedder in the group, so skip them if your actual goal is less hair on the floor.

Deciding between the top two? See our head-to-head: Andis Deshedding Tool vs SleekEZ Original Deshedding Grooming Tool.

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