Best Dog Brush for Labs of 2026

A rake, a self-cleaning slicker, and a flea comb in one box: the Augwind kit is the most sensible starting point if you are setting up a Lab grooming drawer from scratch. The rake has a 9-tooth side for mats and a 17-tooth side for thinner undercoat, and the slicker has a push-button cleanout. The flea comb is the odd one out, but it is useful for the face and for checking the coat after walks.

We liked the division of labor. The rake does the seasonal strip-out, the slicker smooths the coat, and the comb reaches the places a wide head can't. The tools are lighter than the premium singles here, and the kit doesn't have the heft of a pro slicker, but nothing felt disposable. The two-year warranty is a meaningful cushion at this price.

The coverage is what makes it a kit rather than a single tool. If you want one purchase that covers undercoat, finishing, and face detail, this is the one we point to. If you already have a slicker you like, buy the Maxpower rake and skip the extras.

The Maxpower Planet rake is the tool we reach for first when a Lab is in full shed. Its dual-sided head gives you a 9-tooth side for the packed, matted patches and a second side for the long strokes down the back and flanks. At 6.6 by 3.9 by 2 inches and 4 ounces, it has enough width to cover a broad body without feeling like a garden rake. The rounded teeth are the detail we appreciate most: they move through the undercoat without the scratchy scrape some cheap rakes have. It also costs less than most of the picks here, which makes it the easy default for a heavy-shedding Lab.

We kept it on the body coat, where the wide head earns its keep. Long strokes down the back and flanks lifted loose fur without needing a second pass, and the 4-ounce body stayed comfortable in the hand. The handle stays comfortable when the coat is dense, and the simple one-piece build means there is nothing to adjust mid-session. Around the face, paws, and the thin skin inside the back legs, you want a smaller comb; the rake is simply too broad for those spots. For the main job of pulling loose undercoat, it is the one we recommend first.

The SleekEZ is not shaped like a brush at all. It is a 5-inch strip of toothed metal on a handle, and you pull it with the coat rather than dragging a rake through it. On a Lab's short summer coat, that shape lifts loose hair in soft rolls and leaves the topcoat looking smoother. We liked it most after the coat had dried, when the dead hair was ready to come out. The 3.53-ounce body is light, and the handle sits naturally in the hand.

This is the pick for a quick daily pass, not a deep seasonal strip-out. The 5-inch blade is easy to control, and the hair mostly falls away instead of wedging between teeth. We found the angle matters: keep the blade flat and use light pressure, because the edge can catch if you tip it. It works on short, medium, and long coats, but on a dense Lab undercoat it is a supplement to a rake, not a replacement. That makes it a good second tool rather than the only one in the drawer. It is also simple to wipe clean; the hair comes off the metal in a strip, which is more satisfying than picking it out of pins.

Rotating metal teeth are the reason the FURminator rake earns a place here. Instead of a fixed row of pins, the teeth roll as they move through the coat, which makes the tool feel less like it is snagging and more like it is combing. On a Lab with a thick winter undercoat, that matters: the rake has enough reach to pull loose fur from the body without scraping the skin. It is heavier than the Maxpower at 6.56 ounces and longer overall, but the extra handle length gives you a secure grip when the coat is dense.

We liked the ergonomic non-slip handle for long sessions; it kept the wrist neutral when we worked down the back and hindquarters. The head is wide enough for a Lab's frame but not so wide that it feels like a snow shovel. The rotating teeth did the work without a lot of downward pressure, which is the part that matters on a dog with a sensitive back.

The price sits in the middle of this group, which is fair for a branded rake that feels solid in the hand. If you already have a slicker for finishing, this is a credible step up from the cheapest rake. If you want one tool that does everything, this is not it; it is a dedicated undercoat rake.

The Swihauk is the self-cleaning slicker we hand to a Lab who is older, thinner-skinned, or simply tired of being tugged at. The bristles are stainless steel but set with rounded tips, and the head has enough give that it follows the shape of a shoulder instead of jabbing into it. The push-button retraction is the other half of the appeal: press it and the hair drops off the bristles in one pad, no picking.

On a normal Lab coat, we used it as a finishing brush after a rake. The fine bristles pick up surface hair and smooth the topcoat, and the head follows the dog's shape without a lot of pressure. A lot of dogs tolerate this one when they won't sit still for a deeper tool. The 8.82-ounce body feels substantial, and the TPR handle stayed comfortable during a longer session.

We were pleasantly surprised by how cleanly the button released a full head of hair; that is the detail that makes this one easy to keep in rotation. It is the gentle daily-pass tool, especially on a senior Lab, and the one we reach for when the dog is not in the mood for a rake.

The Kong Zoom Groom is the brush we reach for when the Lab is already in the tub. Its flexible bristles work shampoo through the coat and pull loose hair at the same time, and the dog usually reads it as a massage rather than a grooming session. That makes bath time less of a wrestling match, which is worth something on a dog that hates standing still.

Dry, it is a different tool. The bristles are soft enough for a short coat, and the oblong shape fits a hand well. We used it as a supplement: a few minutes in the bath, then a rake once the coat was dry. On a Lab with a heavy shed, that combination gets more hair out than either tool alone.

The nylon bristles and plastic handle are simple to rinse, and it is easy to keep in the bath caddy. We also liked that the shape lets you work around the legs and chest without a lot of pressure.

What we liked most is the way it changes the dog's attitude. A Lab that sulks through a rake session will stand for this one, and the massage effect makes it easy to check the coat for lumps or sore spots. It is a good one to add if bath time is part of your routine.

The Docrok combo is a rake and a comb, not a brush and a spare. The rake has a wide side for dematting and a denser side for deshedding, and the comb repeats that two-sided idea for finishing. On a Lab, the rake does the body coat and the comb gets into the legs, tail, and the short hair around the face where a wide head is useless.

We liked the metal teeth. They are stainless steel, stiff enough to move through a dense coat without bending, and the TPR handle gives you a secure grip when the dog leans away. The comb is the piece that surprised us: it catches the loose hair a slicker leaves behind and gives the coat a smoother finish.

The comb is what makes the combo worth considering. It reaches the legs, tail, and behind the ears where a wide rake runs out of road, and the two-sided design lets you switch from knot-breaking to smoothing without changing tools. For a Lab with mats in the feathering, that is a real advantage over a single rake.

What tips it for us is the detail work. A Lab's body coat is the easy part; the legs, tail, and behind the ears are where a single wide rake runs out of road. The Docrok gives you a second shape for those spots without asking you to buy a full grooming kit. That is why it stays in the also-consider list rather than the top tier: it is a useful specialist, not the first thing we hand a new Lab household.