A slicker brush is the most useful grooming tool for a shedding pet. The fine pins reach through the top coat and lift out the loose undercoat before it ends up on the sofa. Its one drawback is that the pins hold on to that fur, and clearing a clogged slicker is fiddly enough to put people off.

This brush fixes that with a plate behind the pins. Brush as normal, then press the button on the back: the plate slides forward and pushes the mat of fur off the pins, where it lifts away in one piece. The pins are stainless steel with rounded tips so they do not scratch the skin. The brush is 19.5cm long and weighs 95g, with a non-slip handle and a hole for hanging it up.

• Stainless steel pins with rounded tips
• Button pushes collected fur off the pins
• 19.5cm long, 95g
• Non-slip handle with a hanging hole
• For dogs and cats

On technique: A slicker should be used with light strokes. Pressing hard does not remove more fur, it just scrapes the skin, and on a thin-coated or elderly animal it can make them sore. It lifts loose hair and small tangles; it will not pull out a proper mat, which needs teasing apart or cutting. The maker's claim that brushing prevents skin disease is more than a brush can promise.

Who it's for: long-haired and double-coated dogs and cats in moult, households tired of fur on everything, and anyone who has given up on a brush that clogs.