A slicker brush does the middle of the grooming job. It is not for cutting mats and not for raking out undercoat, but for combing through a coat to lift the dead hair still sitting in it and to tease apart small tangles before they turn into anything worse. Fine bent pins set into a flexible pad reach through the topcoat without you needing to press down at all.

The pins are long and fine enough to pass through a medium or thick coat and are angled, which is what lets them collect loose hair rather than skating over the top of it. The pad flexes, so pressure spreads across it instead of concentrating in one spot, and the shaped non-slip handle helps through the longer sessions a heavy-coated dog needs. Work in small sections, brush in the direction the coat lies, and clear the pins as they fill.

• Long fine angled pins for medium and thick coats
• Flexible pad that spreads pressure
• Ergonomic, comfortable handle
• Lifts loose hair and teases out tangles
• Large size
• Available in blue, purple, red or black

Who it's for: Owners of medium and thick-coated dogs and cats doing regular grooming at home between professional appointments.