If you brush a dog or cat a few times a week and are tired of picking hair out of a slicker, this is the one to get: one press pulls the bristles in and the fur peels off. It topped a two-week, eight-brush test on both a long-haired and a short-haired dog, and it works on cats as well as dogs. Its real limit is a heavy double coat, where an undercoat tool such as the FURminator deShedding Tool does more.
Pros
- One-press self-cleaning button
- Top pick in a two-week, eight-brush test
- Works on dogs and cats
- Comfortable non-slip handle
- Bristles retract for safe storage
Cons
- Not enough on its own for a heavy double coat
- Large head may be awkward around the face
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Overview
Slicker brushes pull loose fur out well and then hold on to it, packed between densely set pins that have to be picked clean by hand. Hertzko’s answer is a button: press it and the stainless steel bristles drop back into the head, so the collected hair lifts away. It is sold for dogs and cats with long or short hair.
Hands-on use is what sets it apart: Your Best Digs tested eight shedding brushes for two weeks on a border collie and a terrier mix and named the Hertzko its best overall. Hertzko sells the design in several versions (small or large, regular or sensitive skin, push or slide button); this review covers the original push-button model.
Key Specifications
| Price (USD) | Deal $13.99 |
| Brush type | Slicker brush with retractable bristles |
| Bristles | Stainless steel, angled |
| Body | Plastic, ergonomic non-slip handle |
| Cleaning | Button retracts the bristles so the hair lifts off |
| Brush head (per PetsRadar) | 5.8 in long, three inches wide |
| Versions | Small or large; regular or sensitive skin; push or slide button |
| For | Dogs and cats, long and short hair |
Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush Shedding and Tangle Removal
Its strongest evidence is a hands-on test. Of the eight brushes Your Best Digs used, it did the best job on both the long-haired collie and the short-haired terrier, and because it doesn’t pull or tug, it got through the often-matted withers with the dogs seemingly content. Hepper credits the slight curve of the stainless steel bristles with grabbing dead hair deep in the undercoat as well as on top, and ranks it third of nine dog brushes as its premium choice.
For a heavy double coat, both hands-on testers point to an undercoat rake or deshedding tool, though the Hertzko was still Your Best Digs’ best brush on its border collie, whose coat mixes undercoat with fine, wavy and coarse hair. It also handles very different pets: in a house with three dogs and seven cats, Top Dog Tips used it on its chocolate Lab and on a small long-haired cat with very fine fur, and it suited both. Think of it as the brush for regular sessions that keep loose hair and small tangles under control.
The Self-Cleaning Button
Cleaning is the reason to buy this brush over a basic slicker. Tightly packed pins are what make most slickers a chore to empty, while on the Hertzko a press of the button pulls them into the head, so nothing has to be picked out of the pins.
Retracting the bristles before putting the brush away also protects them. PetsRadar notes that bent slicker pins work less well and can hurt a pet, and a brush stored with its pins pulled in is far less likely to get them bent. For a deeper clean, Top Dog Tips says it can be washed in warm water with mild detergent.
Dogster’s roundup says you have to hold the button down while brushing, which can get uncomfortable over long periods; none of the hands-on testers mentions it. For a quick daily brush that matters little; for a long session on a big dog it is worth knowing.
Comfort, Fit and Handling
Handle: its non-slip, hand-shaped handle stays put and spares your wrist on a long session.
On the skin: Top Dog Tips’ Lab was brushed with it without pain. Dogster cautions that metal bristles can feel sharp to pets with sensitive skin or shorter fur, and Hertzko also sells a version for sensitive skin.
Head size: the head measures 5.8 by 3 inches. Keep a smaller brush for the face: PetsRadar expects a head that size may be clumsy there and in other small, sensitive spots, while calling it well suited to large dogs.
How Does It Stack Up Against the Competition?
The closest rival is the Safari self-cleaning slicker, Hepper’s best overall dog brush; FURminator’s deShedding Tool and Grooming Rake are the undercoat tools in FURminator’s range.
| Feature | Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush | Safari Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush | FURminator deShedding Tool | FURminator Grooming Rake |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (USD) | Deal $13.99 | $22.49 (Large) | $35.27 (Large) | $16.19 |
| Tool type | Slicker brush, stainless steel bristles | Slicker brush, stainless steel pins | Undercoat deShedding tool, stainless steel edge | Rake with rotating metal teeth |
| Removing the collected hair | Button retracts the bristles | Button retracts the pins | FURejector button releases the hair | Hair comes off the spaced prongs in a clump (Your Best Digs, rake-style tools) |
| Made for (maker or listing) | Dogs and cats, long and short hair | All coat types, everyday use | Dogs over 50 lb with long hair | Dogs and cats with thick fur or dense double coats |
| TTP Review | This review ↑ | — | Read our review → | — |
| Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
Prices change frequently — always verify current pricing before purchasing.
Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush: Worth It for Fast, Fuss-Free Brushing
For a dog or cat that needs brushing a few times a week, this is the easy one to live with. It took the top spot in a two-week, eight-brush test, it works on cats as well as dogs, and emptying it takes one press instead of picking hair from the pins. As of November 2026 it sits in the same low price tier as the FURminator Grooming Rake and costs less than the Safari slicker and the FURminator deShedding Tool. Households with several pets get the most from it, since one brush handles different coats.
If your dog has a heavy double coat, pair it with an undercoat tool: the FURminator deShedding Tool and the Grooming Rake are both built to pull loose hair out of the undercoat. Hepper suggests a slicker for regular grooming with a deshedding tool a few times a month. If your pet’s skin is sensitive, the sensitive-skin version of this brush is the one to pick.
Sources
- Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush — Amazon Product Listing
- Your Best Digs — The 8 Best Dog Shedding Brushes
- PetsRadar — HERTZKO Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush review
- Top Dog Tips — Review: Hertzko Slicker Brush (Self Cleaning)
- Hepper — 9 Best Dog Brushes
- Dogster — 10 Best Brushes for Double-Coated Dogs
- Coastal — Safari Dog Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush
- FURminator — Which FURminator do I need?
- FURminator — Grooming Rake
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