When it comes to choosing your next shaving brush, you will have several options to choose from. We have highlighted some of the features why we think synthetic shaving brushes outperform the others.
Synthetic shaving brushes have come a long way over the years, and the synthetic bristles made by MÜHLE or Omega feel incredibly soft and have an adequate backbone.
The fibers on synthetic brushes are mainly made of polyester (PBT) and are specially treated to have the soft tips that you see (or rather feel) on them.
We have trialled and tested several types of brushes over the years and honestly when it comes to the softness you can’t tell that it’s synthetic hair. It feels very smooth and soft on the face, and has several advantages that we will cover next.
A synthetic shaving brush is cruelty-free
There is no harm done to animals when making synthetic shaving brushes as opposed to using natural hair or bristles. When it comes to using natural animal hair to make the brush, a horsehair brush is the only ’natural’ alternative to synthetic shaving brushes that does not violate animal rights.
If you are an animal lover like me, then you should seriously consider a synthetic brush.
A synthetic knot uses less shaving cream or soap
As shaving brushes made of synthetic material are non-porous, they don’t take in the shaving cream as natural hair does; meaning that the traditional recommended almond-sized drop of shaving cream will give you plenty of lather for your shave and give more mileage with your shaving creams and soaps.
A synthetic shave brush is easy to keep clean
As bristles in the synthetic knot are not taking in the soap, it’s much easier to rinse them after you have finished shaving. It also means that there is less frequent maintenance needed in the long run.
Proper maintenance and cleaning of your shaving brush and other shaving gear is the subject of another article that we will write in the near future.
Synthetic shaving brushes – ideal if you are frequently on the road
I like to travel and because bristles on the synthetic shaving brushes dry fast they have been my go-to brush when on the road. Shave, have breakfast and you are good to hit the road with a clean and dry brush.
Special travel brush by MÜHLE
Shaving brushes with natural hair do not dry that fast so you would need to take extra steps to get them dry before storing them in their travel container. As you know, damp things tend to make an ideal environment for bacteria, so make sure your shaving brush has the time to dry before packing it in your travel bag.
It’s easier and faster to build up a lather
I have used all types of shaving brushes- be it a horse, boar or badger. In my opinion, for the layman, the synthetic shaving brush made by the likes of Omega (S-brush) or MÜHLE (Silvertip Fibre) has a smaller learning curve when it comes to building up a lather.
It’s easier to get the water-soap ratio right with non-absorbing synthetic brushes than with natural hair brushes.
It is very often the case with badger or the likes that they take in a lot of water and soap. As a result, when building a lather there is a risk that it turns out to be too thin- too much water or too little soap. With a synthetic shaving brush you have more rapid response , and by visually observing you get it right in no time.
Getting to the point of perfect lather is a bit of art at the beginning, and I will do a thorough article or video about it soon. So stay tuned!
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Cheaper to start with
That’s a no-brainer. I always recommend starting small to all new wet shavers. Why?
Like with many things in life your mileage might vary (YMMV) and when getting yourself a premium priced badger brush (or any other similar brush) to only later discover that you don’t like the feel, color or any other aspect of it, can quickly turn it into an expensive hobby.
So start small and build it up gradually after gaining more insights as to what you prefer and like.
Omega S-brush S10018 is one of the best when it comes to value, price versus performance.
Take this bright yellow Omega S-Brush 10018Y for example that our testing team recently discovered. It has all the functionality of the premium brush. Quick and efficient lathering and as one of our friends adequately put it, the Omega will squeeze the lather out of the rock. It has a price tag of € 5.99 that will be very hard to beat.
If you are more into beautiful handcrafted and classy looks then I would recommend looking at this MÜHLE Kosmo 31H873.
Not only does it look incredible and shows a remarkable knowledge of craftsmanship, it is also very functional. The MÜHLE Cosmo series allows you to change the knot on it!
The more stylish brush that comes with bog oak handle and changeable knot.
So if you decide later on that you want to try a badger brush, you can conveniently get yourself a badger grade knot at a fraction of the cost of getting an entirely new brush.
I would say this is a very forward-looking and sustainable approach to manufacturing.
I hope that you have gained some valuable insights as to why one might consider using or switching to a synthetic brush. I’m sure there are other reasons to it, and I would like to hear yours, even if you prefer a different brush altogether!
Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and share the knowledge with others so we all can have better shaves!
Conny
3/4 of my brushes is Synthetics.
I have 2 big synthetic brushes 28 & 30 mm and they are perfect when you shave your dome (head)
Marek
Thanks Conny, these are pretty big knots! What feature do you like most about synthetic brushes?
DeepSouth
Zero break-in period, scentless, produces better lather, cleans easy, dries fast, great backbone/splay and face feel, guiltfree with better longevity.
I got rid of all my badger/boar brushes. My favorite and daily runner is a custom 28mm. I mainly use hard soaps, but for softer soaps/croaps/creams the RR400 alu get’s facetime
Marek
Thanks, DeepSouth for your input , some great features that I did not touch!
William
Omega s-brush is the worst $10 I’ve spent on a brush. I wouldn’t recommend this product.
Marek
Thank you William for sharing your opinion and sorry to hear that your experience with S-brush wasn’t great. What was it that you did not like about it?