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If you share your home with a dog, cat or rabbit, you already know the drill: one day the lounge room looks fine, the next it’s covered in a fine layer of fur. Add in the frustration of picking clumped hair out of a stiff wire comb, and grooming quickly becomes a chore rather than a bonding moment.
That’s the exact problem the Swihauk self cleaning slicker brush is designed to solve. In this review, we’ll walk through what it is, how it performs, where it falls short, and whether it’s a sensible pick for Australian pet owners dealing with everything from Kelpie coats to Ragdoll fluff.
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Table of Contents
What Is the Swihauk Self Cleaning Slicker Brush?
The Swihauk self cleaning slicker brush is an undercoat grooming tool designed for dogs, cats, rabbits and other fur-bearing pets. Unlike a standard wire slicker brush, it pairs angled stainless-steel pins with rounded plastic safety tips, plus a retractable base plate.
Once you’ve finished a brushing pass, a thumb button on the handle retracts the bristles behind a flat guard. The trapped fur slides off as a single, tidy sheet, so you’re not left picking hair out of the brush by hand.
It’s designed to work across a wide range of coat types, including:
- Double-coated dogs — Huskies, German Shepherds, Border Collies and Golden Retrievers
- Silky or drop-coat breeds — Maltese, Shih Tzus and Yorkshire Terriers
- Cats — domestic shorthairs, Ragdolls, British Shorthairs and Maine Coons
- Small pets — long-haired rabbits and guinea pigs
Key Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Brand | Swihauk |
| Bristle material | Stainless steel pins with rounded plastic safety tips |
| Handle material | TPR (thermoplastic elastomer), ergonomic grip |
| Head shape | Oblong grooming head |
| Weight | Approximately 250g |
| Colour | Sky blue with grey retraction plate |
| Suitable coats | Short, medium, long, double-coated, curly and wavy |
Standout Features
1. One-Click, Self-Cleaning Design
The headline feature is the retractable ejection mechanism. Instead of picking hair out from between wire pins with your fingers — a genuinely unpleasant task most pet owners will recognise — you press a button and the bristles retract flat, pushing the trapped fur forward as one removable pad.
2. Rounded, Skin-Friendly Tips
A common complaint about budget slicker brushes is that exposed wire ends can scratch or irritate skin, sometimes referred to as “brush burn.” On this brush, every pin is capped with a small rounded plastic bead, which is intended to make it more comfortable for puppies, kittens, seniors and nervous rescue animals.
3. Angled Bristle Layout
The pins sit at an angle rather than pointing straight out, which is intended to help them reach into the undercoat — where loose hair and early mats tend to build up — rather than only catching the topcoat.
4. Ergonomic TPR Handle
The handle is made from a soft-touch TPR material with a contoured grip, aimed at reducing hand fatigue during longer grooming sessions, particularly useful for owners of large, heavy-shedding breeds.
5. Multi-Pet Versatility
Because the brush is designed to suit a range of coat types, multi-pet households may find it more practical than owning a separate brush for every animal.
How Does It Perform in Real Use?
On double-coated dogs, brushes like this are typically most useful during the seasonal “coat blow” that Golden Retrievers, Huskies and similar breeds go through twice a year, when loose undercoat can build up quickly. An angled-pin design with a wide head can cover more surface area per stroke, which may reduce overall grooming time compared with a narrow wire brush.
On cats and small pets, the rounded plastic tips are the main advantage — cats in particular tend to resist firm wire combs, so a gentler-feeling brush can make grooming sessions less stressful for skittish or older animals.
Cleaning and maintenance is straightforward: eject the fur pad, wipe the faceplate with a damp cloth, and avoid fully submerging the brush in water, since moisture can affect the internal spring mechanism over time.
Pros and Cons
What we liked:
- No manual picking of hair out of wire pins
- Rounded tips designed to be gentler on sensitive skin
- Wide head covers more coat per stroke
- Ergonomic handle for longer grooming sessions
- Works across most common coat types
- Competitively priced compared with premium de-shedding tools
Where it falls short:
- Not designed for severe, tightly felted mats — a dedicated de-matting tool is still the better option for those
- The head size (roughly 10cm) may be a little large for very small kittens or toy-breed puppies, so extra care is needed around ears and paws
- Should be wiped clean rather than fully submerged in water, to protect the internal mechanism
Swihauk vs Traditional Grooming Tools
| Feature | Swihauk Slicker Brush | Traditional Wire Slicker | Fur-Blade Deshedder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleaning method | Push-button eject | Manual wire picking | Manual hair pulling |
| Skin safety | Rounded plastic tips | Bare wire tips | Serrated metal edge |
| Comfort for pets | Generally well tolerated | Mixed | Mixed |
| Suitable for short coats | Yes | Limited | Yes |
| Typical price range | Mid-range | Budget | Higher-end |
How to Get the Best Results
- Introduce it slowly. Let your pet sniff the brush and offer a treat before your first session, especially with anxious animals.
- Brush in the direction of hair growth, starting at the neck and working along the spine toward the tail.
- Use light, even strokes. Let the angled pins do the work rather than pressing hard into the skin.
- Eject and dispose of the fur pad over a bin, then continue brushing.
For general coat-care guidance, the RSPCA Australia grooming and coat care resource is a useful reference, and if your dog has a heavy double coat, it’s worth reading up on seasonal shedding cycles before choosing a grooming routine.
If you’re planning a coastal trip, it’s also worth reading our guide to best shoes for a tropical getaway alongside this review.
- 【Easy Desheding】: Swihauk self cleaning dog brush for long haired dogs with release bottom helps effortlessly reduce she…
- 【Safe Design】: Soft and protective plastic round head bristles creating a comfortable feeling while deshedding without h…
- 【Sturdy & Durable】: Premium stainless steel metal and compact design make our product sturdy and durable for long term u…
Prices and availability are accurate as of the date indicated and are subject to change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will this scratch my puppy’s or kitten’s skin? The pins are capped with rounded plastic tips designed to sit gently against the skin, but as with any grooming tool, it’s worth going slowly and watching your pet’s reaction during the first few sessions.
Can I use it on wet fur after a bath? Yes, the stainless-steel pins and TPR handle are water-resistant, so it can be used on damp fur. Avoid fully submerging the brush to protect the internal spring.
How often should I brush my pet with it? For heavy-shedding or double-coated breeds, several short sessions a week is generally recommended during shedding season. Single-coated or short-haired pets usually need less frequent brushing.
Will it pull out healthy fur? The angled bristles are designed to target loose, dead undercoat hair rather than anchored healthy fur, though results can vary by coat type and condition.
Is it easy to clean? Eject the collected fur, then wipe the faceplate with a damp cloth or pet-safe wipe. Full submersion isn’t recommended.
Final Verdict
For Australian pet owners dealing with regular shedding — whether that’s a Kelpie shedding through a hot summer or a Ragdoll losing its winter coat — the Swihauk self cleaning slicker brush offers a genuinely useful upgrade over a standard wire slicker, mainly thanks to the tool-free hair removal and gentler tip design. It’s not a replacement for a dedicated de-matting comb if your pet already has tight mats, but as a regular maintenance brush, it’s a solid, practical option.
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are based on product research and are our own.