This post originally appeared in May 2019 but I wanted to update it a little bit and resurface it as I love this hair brush so much. I definitely recommend reading through the comments, too… your testimonials are pretty incredible.
Okay, so if you ever told me that I would be gushing about, let alone reviewing a $200 hairbrush on my blog, I would have straight up laughed at you. But do you remember Blair Eadie’s episode on our podcast? A listener asked her how she got her signature low bun and she professed her love for this hairbrush. And just as I blame Blair, she blamed our other friend Helena (check out Helena’s low bun tutorial here!).
And so it began. I needed to know about the magical hair brush so I ordered my own. RESEARCH, right!? And you guys… I love it. (I mean for that price I better love it, right?!) I’ll warn you that once you try this brush there is no turning back BUT the good thing is that it will last forever if you take proper care of it. So there’s that.
Finding a good hairbrush is of course, very important. I have naturally wavy, dry hair and didn’t own a hairbrush (except my Wetbrush which I have in the shower and also take to the beach. The wet brush is GREAT for those things – highly recommend but that is another post for another day!) until I bought this. I love mine so much and the main benefit for me is that the brush is so wonderful at distributing your natural oils down the shaft of the hair, helping to encourage healthy, shiny hair.
Mason Pearson Hairbrush Review
I can confirm that this is indeed, a magical hairbrush. All Mason Pearson brushes are hand made in England (they have been since 1885) and have a one year warranty. They also come with a nylon cleansing brush to help you take good care of your hair brush. If you take good care of it, you will have it forever. It should be the last hairbrush you ever buy. Mine has a rubber cushion and a mixture of nylon and boar bristles which is gentle on your hair and scalp. You can use it on wet or dry hair and it’s great on all hair types (yes, even curly hair!).
I will say that I bought it because I wanted to have an easier time getting my hair into a perfect pony or low bun. But what I love most about it is what it’s done for the health of my scalp and hair.
Here are some of my favorite things about the brush.
It allows for precision.
I am a bit of a beauty idiot and have very thick, unruly hair. If you have thick hair, this will be a game changer for you. Pre Mason Pearson, whenever I’d try to do a low bun or even a ponytail, I would inevitably wind up with tons of bumps. So I just kinda gave up, opting for looser styles or a purposely messy bun. This brush allows you to get your hair into a low bun that is perfectly smooth with no bumps or snags.
It won’t destroy waves and curls.
What shocked me about this brush is that it’s the first brush that doesn’t absolutely destroy my natural hair texture. It will detangle your wavy or curly hair, and actually make it less frizzy.
It is (really) good for your scalp.
I wasn’t prepared for how good brushing my hair with the Mason Pearson boar bristled brush. It feels amazing and also helps to massage and exfoliate your scalp. I have a dry scalp and with regular use I am seeing far fewer flakes. While gently exfoliating it also stimulates the circulation of the hair follicles.
(While I can only speak to the perspective of having thick, unruly hair I am told that the brush is also great for thin hair as the scalp massage can help to stimulate hair growth, and you’ll see less breakage using this brush.)
It makes your hair shinier and softer.
Not only does the brush stimulate those natural oils in your scalp; it also spreads them evenly over hair strands. My hair is so much shinier and smoother than it was before I started using it.
It makes hair more manageable.
Since using this brush every day my hair is so much softer and more manageable! The brush does such a great job distributing your hair’s natural oils down to the ends which means healthier, more manageable hair.
Where To Buy The Mason Pearson Hairbrush
I bought mine at Amazon – I bought this exact brush, which is, as I mentioned, a combination of nylon and boar bristles. I decided to buy this one because it had the best reviews, it’s what my friends have, and it seemed like the best brush for my hair type (long and coarse, to use their words). Not a particularly scientific approach, but I’m really happy with this one. I’ve had it for three months now and really, really love it. I’ve been told that the Mason Pearson junior mixture hairbrush is also great, and it’s (a little bit) less expensive. Same goes with the handy mixture brush.
You can also buy it at Nordstrom, goop, Shopbop, and Bloomingdale’s.
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission.
photography by Carter Fish.
I haven’t used a comb or a brush in years, mainly because they always seem to damage my hair more! But thank you for the review! Gonna check this brush out!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
You know, I thought that at first too but this one has really helped with my hair (and SCALP!) health! Everyone is different though!
I was actually looking into getting a new hairbrush! Thank you so much for the recommendation!
x Lisa | lisaautumn.com
you’re so welcome!
That seems amazing! Very pricey for a hairbrush but amazing nonetheless. I have really oily hair so last time I tried a brush similar to that it made my hair even oilier so I don’t think that would work for me but it seems perfect for anyone with dry hair.
Ahh interesting! They have one for oily hair but yeah this one is definitely better for dry/coarse types!
Which MP brush is recommended for oily hair?
What is that cute cat book?!
Haha it’s not a cat book, it’s a page from Reading Andy Warhol – one of my fav coffee table books.
WHOOPS sorry it’s not from Reading Andy Warhol; it’s from The Whitney’s book about his latest exhibit. Also an Andy Warhol book, I have quite a few!
My mom gave me a Mason Pearson hairbrush when I was in middle school—I knew it was a special gift, but I didn’t really “get” it. 16 years later, that brush is still as good as new, and I am so grateful for it!
Aw that is amazing! Yeah it’s definitely something you buy once and have forever!!!
I love my Mason Pearson hairbrush. Definitely expensive but soooo worth it!
Glad you agree – so worth it!!!!
I was gifted one a million years ago when I was blogging, and while it is amazing, I NEVER brush my hair…so I’ve literally demoted a $200 brush to my cats. Is that awful? (Don’t answer)
OH MY GOD. Dying, hahahaha.
Does it help with frizz!?
Yes!! By distributing the natural oils from your scalp it 100% does!
I think you may have tempted me into buying it!
Quick question: do you feel like you can use it on wet/damp hair? Thank you!!!
I think you could but I don’t! I use the Wet Brush to detangle and then once my hair is dry/styled, I brush using this.
You can definitely use it on wet hair! I have had mine for about 5 years now and have similar texture and thickness as Grace. It’s well worth the investment!
Thank you 🙂
I normally wouldn’t comment on a post when the product isn’t for me (I have curly hair — I only brush before and after washing!). BUT, you mentioned dry scalp, so here I am begging for all your tips because I suffer. Enough that I almost considered buying this $200 hairbrush just to massage/exfoliate my scalp
OMG try these treatments!!! https://thestripe.com/scalp-detox-treatment-at-home/
There’s a great DIY one but I personallY LOVE the Christophe Robinne scalp scrub – I do it at least every week!
Oooooh, will have to try!! I love the Christophe Robin scrub too but have to be careful with it — sea salt strips vivid color faster. Which is sad because my scalp loves that scrub + the Verb sea salt shampoo and conditioner (my curls do too!). I just ran out of the scrub so I’ll have to try Younghee’s method — and then I’ll probably reorder that scrub Why is it SO good?!
It’s MAGIC! Also try the goop scrub that one is free of sulfates!!!! https://shopstyle.it/l/3jua
FYI, if you are a member, Costco.com carries this same brush for a great discounted price ($125). I bought mine from there and love it.
Wow that is so amazing – thanks for the tip!!!!
My diva grandmother got me this brush when I turned 13. I’m now 30 and still use that same brush every day. It really is great.
That is so amazing. Brava to your diva grandmother!!!!!
I bought myself a one of these brushes, although not as large as yours, when I was living in London seven years ago, at Harrods (mostly for the novelty and because it had a blue handle that I liked lol). I’ve rarely ever used it though because I feel like it mats my hair down and I always want to comb my hair out again after I use it. I can see where it would be good for smoothing down your hair for a ponytail or bun though, and I’ve never considered the benefits for my scalp. It really just sits on my dresser looking pretty but now I think I will start using it again and see if there’s a different in my hair!
Aw I hope you give it another chance!!! It’s really great for both your scalp and taming unruly hair back into a pony or bun!
It interesting that you say it helps with a drier scalp because I have more oily roots and it has help me skipped shampooing everyday because you can really get in there and distribute the oil (that sounds gross, but you know what I mean.). I am not the person to spend this kind of money on…well…anything but it was the best thing I bought last year. No regrets!
Ah that is so interesting!!!!Z Goes to show that it’s a great product for everyone!!
My mother has always used Mason Pearson brushes and so have I since I was a child. I now use the baby one on my son. They do last a really long time, but after about 10 years of regular use the brushes should be replaced as the black brush part will wear down. But 10 years is a long time !!
Great to know, thanks!
Grace, you are officially TERRIBLE for my bank account. I’ve heard such great things about this brush!
Dana | The Champagne Edit
Oh dear – so sorry! 😉
1 100% second this. Hahaha, but true.
I’d literally save my Mason Pearson from a housefire.
hahahahaha I love that.
I’ve had mine for almost 20 years and it’s still I’m great shape! Hundred percent the best and it truly does last.
That is a great endorsement! Thank you!!!!
Hi Grace!!
I have the Mason Pearson detangler brush and it’s awesome!! Days of breaking my hair strands while brushing are over 🙂
I wanted to know if you use this brush when you use your blow dryer…I believe you cannot use these brushes with heat, is that true?
Yeah I don’t use mine with heat – I use a vented wetbrush and then a round brush from Amazon to blow out my hair!
I have had my brush for 43 years, can you believe it. I am 72 years old and I’m debating on buying a new one since a few of the bristles have fallen out.
If I do I’ll leave it to my great niece in my will. It’s the best hairbrush ever made.
Wow that’s amazing, thank you for sharing!!! It really is the best!
Is yours the Extra or Popular brush? Mine is Extra but it is just boar bristles but it is stiffer than the bristles on the Popular. I didn’t know they sell the Extra with the mixture boar and nylon bristles cause I would have gotten that one.
I have thin, dry, long, damaged, wavy hair. I purchased this brush 2 years ago and I can actually feel the difference in the first 8-10 inches of my hair (yes, I know that’s the healthier part but even that was thin for a while). I was struggling with increased hair loss and breakage and this has been a game changer. Highly recommend.
OH good I am so happy to hear that!!!!
100000% Agree. This was critical to my transition to washing my hair less.
My 94 year old grandma bought her Maison Pearson in London in the 1950’s and still uses it every day. I got one as a gift from my mom for my 35th birthday a few months ago and love mine so so much!
Aw I love that!!!!!
Wonderful article glowing reviews.
But out of touch with the common consumer.
Out rageously priced even if it’s the last brunch you need. This is for celebrities and corporate earners.a
A bit late to the party but I picked up this brush as a gift for my dad, and he loves it.
It’s the gift that keeps on giving, because I received one as a gift and WOW. It’s amazing, and my scalp (usually super dry) has never felt better. Thanks so much Grace!
Oh yay, I’m so glad to hear it!!!!