In two decades of beauty editing, I’ve tested a lot of hair gadgets: the Bump-It (a plastic dome that sat under my hair to, yes, bump it up), a hot crimper that resembled a George Forman grill, blowout-preserving scrunchies, heatless curlers…you get the idea. But only a select few have made my styling routine remarkably easier and my strands noticeably healthier—which is why I’ve got a feeling about this latest tool, called the OO!brush.
This new vibrating hair brush detangles even the toughest knots with practically no pain or damage—and it works on all hair textures, wet or dry, in the shower or out. I spent a month testing it on myself and my notoriously tender-headed 8-year-old, and then asked Oprah Daily staffers to try it, too. Our reviews are below, but the quick version is: We’re honestly shook. This thing actually works. In fact, it may have just solved tangles forever.
The Science
When inventor Dave Richmond stopped by my office to explain the brush’s technology, he told me that there’s more to it than meets the eye. If you’re a scientist or you can access the part of your brain that stores eighth-grade physics principles (I could not, but thankfully Richmond re-taught me), you know that every object has a particular frequency. And when we match that frequency with something external, we can alter its state. This is called harmonic resonance. A classic example is an instrument: when you apply force to a key or string, the vibration matches the natural frequency of the instrument, producing a sustained sound. This same concept applies to the OO!brush: Its bristles are tuned to vibrate at the same frequency as your hair, which causes the strands to move around and sort themselves out. Wild! The brand says that the bristles make more than 6,000 micro-strokes per second, resulting in up to 65 percent less tugging compared to a regular brush. Harder to quantify but no less wonderful is that the vibration can calm you down, as the bristles give you a relaxing scalp massage while you use brush.
How to Use It
As with any hairbrush, the ideal way to detangle is to start from the bottom and work your way up. I recommend you do that, but I also tried the faster shortcut most of us do IRL, which is to pull the brush from the top of our head down to the ends. It works that way, too. Whichever direction you go, keep in mind that you need to glide it slowly.
On my daughter’s most difficult knots, I hold the brush still, giving the vibrating bristles time to do their thing. It’s well worth it when the payoff is soft, tangle-free hair and no drama.
Our OO!brush Reviews
“As you can see in my video, the tool works wonderfully on me, but it’s really been life-changing for my tween. Detangling her very fine, very long hair is usually a tear-filled saga. The first time I used this, we got through the process with zero complaints. Then, I took it on a beach vacation: Let’s see how it does on saltwater-soaked, wind-blown tangles! Parents, it took some time, but it methodically loosened the knots, and then glided through the strands—and no one had a meltdown. The biggest wow is that with this tool, my daughter can now brush her own hair. Hallelujah.” —Kate Sandoval Box, beauty director
“To set the scene: After washing my hair, I dry it rather aggressively with my towel, often leaving it in knots and tangles. And when I comb it impatiently, my brush is left with a mound of shedded, broken hairs. When I put this brush to the test, I skipped my go-to leave-in conditioner to raise the ante even more. As I slowly raked it through my wet, messy, au naturel hair with barely any pressure, it slid through like butter, I swear. I tried another very knotty area and, lo and behold, it magically glided through without a single snag or tug. The best part was that there was significantly less hair in the brush afterwards.” —Genesis Rivas, senior beauty editor
“I have textured hair, and this does a great job of getting out knots and tangles. The vibration was different at first, but I got the hang of it pretty quickly. I also noticed less shedding and hair loss compared to my UNbrush. It does work best when I glide it slowly and methodically through each section, so I don’t think this is something I would use when I’m in a rush, but when I have time in my schedule for a full haircare routine, I will totally use this.” —Raena Loper, fashion commerce editor
“For me, detangling is the most arduous step of my hair routine. From avoiding fairy knots to taming frizz, it’s a lot of work, and it doesn’t take long for my arms to feel sore. So I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much this brush has helped ease my detangling and styling process. The gentle vibration helps the bristles glide through my wet curls smoothly and without snagging. Also, I’ve lost my fair share of flimsy hair clips and combs to my thick curls, but so far this brush is still working nicely.” —Shelby Copeland, community manager
Kate Sandoval Box (she/her) is the Beauty Director at Oprah Daily. She has over 18 years of experience at national women’s media brands; and, in fact, started her publishing career at O, The Oprah Magazine. She’s also held beauty editor roles at Shape, Self, Latina, and Cosmopolitan. Kate tests hundreds and hundreds of beauty products that cross her desk each year and interviews many top experts, celebrities, and indie brand founders to bring you the best in beauty. Follow her on Instagram.