Thick coats in summer are a genuine welfare issue, and shaving is usually the wrong answer, because a double coat insulates against heat as well as cold and often grows back patchy once it has been clipped off. Thinning is the middle path. Take out the dense dead layer sitting underneath and leave the guard hairs on top doing the job they are there to do.

A curved blade is what makes that possible. It follows the contour of a ribcage or a haunch rather than sitting flat and catching on the way round, and it cuts through dense undercoat while a guard keeps the working edge away from the skin. The thinning action eases a heavy coat, and the deshedding action lifts loose hair that would otherwise end up on the sofa or, in a cat's case, be swallowed during grooming and returned later as a hairball.

• Curved blade follows the contour of the body
• Thins dense undercoat without shaving
• Lifts loose hair to reduce shedding and hairballs
• Guarded edge to protect the skin
• Two sizes: small and large
• Four colours: white, green, blue and pink

This one has a blade. Anything that cuts can nick skin, so keep it away from the belly, the armpits, behind the ears and anywhere the skin folds or lifts, and never use it on a mat sitting tight against the body. Work in short, light strokes with the lie of the coat.

Who it's for: Owners of thick-coated cats and dogs who want a heavy coat thinned out for summer without resorting to clippers.