The cute isn't a cover up...
A good number of times when you see something as cute as this little bee-esque slicker brush, the manufacturer is covering up a shoddy product and hoping the "awwww, it's SO CUUUUUUTE!!!!!" factor will overwhelm the buyer so much they don't notice and/or care when the product gives up the ghost after only a few uses. So yes, choosing this slicker based on looks probably wasn't the smartest of choices, but in the end it seems to be a good one. This slicker brush is rather nice (and should be for the $20 price tag). It's comfortable to hold. There is weight to it so this doesn't feel flimsy to where the grooming head will break off if you try to comb out a snarl in your pet's fur, or like the body is the thinnest molded plastic they could get away with so it didn't break just removing it from the packaging. Another plus is the end of the tines are tipped/dipped in protective little drops of plastic so the sharp metal ends don't harm your pet. I've always avoided those slickers as they seem like some kind of torture device - how can bare metal ends be comfortable when raked over skin?<br /><br />For taking care of loose hair, this did a bang up job on our two Maine Coons, including the one who absolutely loathes - and I mean to the depths of H.E. double hockey sticks with a side of utter disgust  - being brushed. She was adopted from the shelter as an abused kitty from the home of an older cat hoarder, and whatever happened during her first six years of life there were traumatic enough that she will do her best to eviscerate anyone who tries to groom her long fur beyond the area of her neck. She actually lets us very gently use this on the rest of her back and legs and tail for around 45-60 seconds before flipping out, and that's a big improvement!  Who knows, maybe she's as amused by the itty bitty bee antenna as we are, but this is the first slicker brush (even with the safety tipped teeth) she's let us use on her back, sides, and legs. The other Maine Coon (a big chonker of a guy) lays on his back with his legs stretched out and purrs like a race car when he gets groomed, so it's not a surprise that he loves this slicker as well. Cleaning the hair out is easy. Just press the button, the plastic disk pushes up, and the hair is forced off of the tines for easy removal. A few of the finer hairs may stick to the plastic or around the tines, but nothing major. When the slicker gets dirty between the base and the underside of the plastic disk, one of those super skinny reusable straw scrubby brushes and a bit of dish soap does the trick. We clip a wooden clothespin on either side of the plastic disk to keep it raised so the tines can air dry and not rust from trapped moisture. Since the tines all seem to be securely anchored to the base of the slicker head, we aren't too concerned about one being pulled out while trying to work through a tangle. It's still a good idea to check the tines every so often to make sure they are all there, none are loose, and that none of the little safety tips at the end of the tines have come off.<br /><br />The only thing that could improve this slicker is a price reduction. A pair of googly eyes wouldn't hurt, either.
Rating: 4 stars