Mats do not brush out, they have to be worked through, and that is the job a dematting rake does that an ordinary comb cannot. A single row of long stainless-steel pins gets down into the undercoat and separates the packed dead hair that gathers behind the ears, in the armpits and along the trousers of a long-coated dog, lifting it away before it welds into a solid plate against the skin.

The pins are stainless steel with safety-rounded tips, and that detail decides whether a dematting tool is usable at home. Sharpened edges cut mats faster and cut skin just as easily; rounded tips slow you down in exchange for not nicking a cat's belly. A slim handle keeps your wrist at a natural angle through a long session, and steel pins do not flex or snap the way plastic teeth do when they meet something genuinely solid.

• Single-row undercoat rake with stainless-steel pins
• Safety-rounded pin tips to protect the skin
• Slim handle for longer grooming sessions
• Two colours, white and black
• Weighs 120g
• Suits dogs and cats with dense or long coats

One thing worth knowing. On technique, work a mat from the outer edge inwards in short strokes, hold the hair at the root so you are not dragging the skin, and stop before your pet does.

Who it's for: Owners of double-coated and long-haired dogs and cats keeping tangles under control between professional grooms.