This is the pocket size.
A Mason Pearson brush is like the Hermes of the hair world. It's highly regarded, pricey, and universally well-known among hair stylists and beauty aficionados worldwide. When I say pricey, I'm not exaggerating, as some models can set you back hundreds, while you could run into a drugstore and get a hairbrush for under $10.
Now, this post focuses on Mason Pearson and a still-pricy but less costly alternative, and my review of both.
However, there’s another story here that I find fascinating: the rise of the luxury hairbrush market. I know you're rolling your eyes reading that previous sentence, but there is truly a lot of social and economic depth to this, and if you work in the marketing world for luxury brands, it's worth learning about! It'd be a great case study to put together if you are in college!
Anyway, it used to be that Mason Pearson stood alone as the gold standard. Now, brands like Machete, Oribe, and La Bonne Brosse have entered the scene with equally high-end (and high-priced) brushes.
It begs the question: are these expensive brushes truly superior to the $10 drugstore version, or are we simply buying into brilliant marketing?
I personally think the answer lies somewhere in between. Wellness has become such a cultural focus, and hair health is a big part of that. There’s also the undeniable pull of social media and everything needing to be 'aesthetic'. The $10 purple drugstore hair brush is just not as sexy as the lacquered Mason Pearson handle with its signature red paddle.
To sum up my tangent: the hairbrush, a necessary grooming product for many, is now often marketed as a luxury health, wellness, or beauty tool.
Alright, time to focus! Back to today's topic! I have collected quite a few expensive hair brushes, and I do not say that to boast; in fact, I'm a bit embarrassed about it, but I do think a proper review is worth it, as I do get asked about hair brushes frequently and specifically if I think Mason Pearson hairbrushes are 'worth it'. If you have been around for a minute, you know my response to something being 'worth it' is that 'worth' is subjective! So you can read my personal experience, but it's up to you to decide.
This is the popular size.
What is Mason Pearson?
To be fair, Mason Pearson is the pioneer in the luxury hairbrush space. I spent a lot of time researching to properly do this review justice. The brand dates back to the late 1800s, and its claim to fame is the invention of the 'pneumatic rubber cushion'. This is a fancy term for a brush with some flexibility, so the bristles can reach your scalp.
The things that set Mason Pearson apart:
- A rich history and pioneers in the hairbrush industry.
- Family-owned.
- Parts of the manufacturing process are done by hand.
- They go through strict quality control.
- Every brush is made in England.
- Because the brand is so established, many people have used the same Mason Pearson hairbrush for decades, so there is a well-established public perception of quality.
How do I choose a hairbrush?
Mason Pearson makes many hairbrushes, which can be a bit confusing. I suggest looking at their website because they illustrate it well.
Essentially, there are three different types of 'tufts':
- Mixed: Boar and Nylon
- Boar
- Nylon
Beyond the three types of tufts, they have different sizes. Some sizes include: handy, pocket, junior. This is where, I think, most people get confused. Before I had all three of these Mason Pearson brushes, I wasn't really sure about the sizes.
I'm only going to speak about the brushes I have, since that is all I have experience with, but if you are curious which 'tuft' is for you, their website says boar bristle is best for sensitive scalps or fine hair. They recommend a mix for 'normal to thick hair' and then the Nylon for 'hard to manage hair'.
Which do you have?
All three of my Mason Pearson brushes are mixed boar bristle and nylon tuft. I have long, thick hair, and my husband has hair that's basically the same as mine. I've used boar bristle brushes in the past, and the only way I can describe them is that they smooth hair well, but the bristles don't penetrate my hair enough to actually brush it out. So I see a boar bristle brush as a styling tool for specific hairstyles rather than an everyday hairbrush. The all-nylon hairbrush reminds me more of a Wet Brush, where you have more rigid bristles to get through tangles and penetrate through lots and lots of hair. As an aside, you're not supposed to get these brushes wet. I use mine on damp hair, but I never get the brush truly wet.
I use the popular size, which is the largest, and my husband uses the Handy size, which is a size down from the popular. I also have the pocket size, which is, as the name suggests, perfect for stashing in a handbag. It's not a size I'd want for daily use, but it is perfect for travel and tucking into small handbags.
How do you care for it?
Speaking of care, you do have to care for it and clean it with the small brush that comes with the hairbrush. I clean mine every once in a while, but I pull out hair from the tuft with my hands after every few uses.
So are the brushes truly worth it?
I love my Mason Pearson brushes. They are beautiful, have held up for years, and feel so lovely on my scalp. One of the features that makes Mason Pearson brushes so distinct is their pneumatic cushion. It's a flexible, air-filled rubber pad with a tiny vent hole that allows the brush to ‘breathe’ as you use it. I can truly feel the air come out of the hole if you push on it. While many brushes have some form of cushioning, most aren’t truly pneumatic. When I use it on my hair, closer to the scalp, the brush feels springy, almost like a trampoline. It's gentle yet very effective. It truly has a different feel than a brush without the pneumatic cushion. Also, the bristles feel much more secure in the brush than in a typical hairbrush. I cannot tell you how many brushes I've had to replace in my lifetime because the bristles come out. Mason Pearson has some sort of special design that doesn't use adhesive to hold the bristles in place, and truly, none of the bristles have come out of my hairbrush. So I think the quality is as good as it gets when it comes to hairbrushes. I think if you only use the Mason Pearson hairbrush for the next 10 years, it'd end up costing less than some drugstore hairbrushes if you had to replace them yearly. I've only ever been pleased with my Mason Pearson brush, and so I have no regrets.
What's the Less Costly Alternative?
However, because so many newer brands have entered the market, as consumers, we have many more high-quality, less costly alternatives. The only one I can speak about is this Crown Affair brush. I hadn't heard of the brand until this summer, when the brand gifted me their brush. It's still pricey, but not nearly as costly as the MP brushes. The brush is $98. I think it can be directly compared to the handy MP size, which is the size that my husband uses. I use the popular size, which is larger. The Crown Affair brush has a mix of nylon and boar bristles and a pneumatic cushion. I can't find any information on how the bristles are secured to the cushion. The brush itself is hand-carved from Beechwood and made in Italy.
Bottom Line
I think it comes down to your personal budget, hair type, and the weight you place on luxury items, specifically grooming items. Not everyone will appreciate or care about luxury hairbrushes... and I don't blame them one bit.
For me I prefer the look of the Mason Pearson brush. There is just something so iconic about the lacquered handle and red tuft. It is sad that the gold on the handle logo wears off over time.
Looks aside, I am not sure I can tell a difference between using the Crown Affair brush and my Mason Pearson brush. I prefer the 'popular' size of my Mason Pearson brush, but aside from that, it feels similar on my scalp and brushes my hair equally well. There's about $175 difference between my MP hairbrush and my CA brush. I need years to see how the CA holds up since I've had it 6ish months, whereas I've had my 'popular' MP for years. Again, it's all so subjective, but had I known about CA prior to getting my MP brushes, I likely would have never splurged on the MP brushes and been just as happy with my Crown Affair brush.
For what it's worth, I don't think anyone needs a luxury hairbrush. A drugstore hairbrush is great. I have had my Mason Pearson hairbrush for a long time, so I can't quite remember what I was using before that, but you bet it was some sort of drugstore brush.
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