Is the Manta Hair Brush Worth The Hype?

I don’t typically get excited about brushes. I have a tortured history with my hair, which, on any given day, could be wavy or straight, frizzy or flat, thick or thin. My ponytails sit weird, a brief flirtation with bangs in my teens went horribly wrong and led to my one and only perm, which… well, let’s just not talk about it. Going prematurely grey at 26 felt about right.

So hair products and tools have never been my thing – especially if I had to determine my hair “type” to know if it was right for me. I had heard enough about the Manta Healthy Hair Brush, though, to have my curiosity piqued — partly because it’s aimed at “all hair types,” but mostly because ever since turning 40, there’s a disturbing amount of hair left in the brush I use every night. Any tool that promises to reduce breakage and leave more hair on my head was worth a shot.

(Related: 9 Things You’re Doing to Your Hair That a Stylist Wouldn’t)

The Manta is a uniquely flexible brush with a wavy shape that slides between your fingers and fits into the palm of your hand. It’s designed to gently detangle knots, decrease breakage and allow each bristle to touch your head at all times, providing a scalp massage that’s said to encourage hair growth.

Image Credit: Manta

The story behind the brush is also unique. British hair-dresser Tim Binnington developed the product after his wife lost her hair due to an illness. When it started to grow back, she wanted a gentle way to tend to it, without breakage. Tim got to work and produced the Manta, which went on to win numerous beauty awards in the U.K. (It’s now available at numerous retailers across Canada and costs $42).

(Related: The Root Cause of Thinning Hair and Hair Loss for Women)

After trying it, I gotta say, this brush is totally worth the hype. It glides through my hair, wet or dry, without a single snag. It feels glorious on my scalp. I swear my hair is shinier. And each brushing session ends with just two or three strands of hair stuck in the bristles. Even my husband noticed that I was “shedding” less (pointing to the sudden lack of hair that typically covers our bathroom floor). The price point is a bit high — but considering it’s a one-time cost, it doesn’t feel outlandish.

Er, make that a two-time cost. My only complaint with the Manta is that it’s a bit *too* good at the painless detangling thing. My 10-year-old, whose fine hair sometimes wraps itself into knots the size of oranges, tried it one night and immediately claimed it as her own. Not that I could blame her.

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