Best suited to people with thick, coarse, or tightly curled hair — especially those working on 360 waves — who need a firm brush that can get through dense hair without the bristles flattening. The 'hard' reinforced bristle makes it a poor match for fine or thin hair or sensitive scalps, where the firmer nylon-boar blend can feel too stiff; a softer or medium reinforced brush is the better choice there. It's used by barbers as well as at-home wave stylers, on hair long enough to lie down into a wave pattern.

What sets a reinforced boar brush apart from a plain boar-bristle brush is the nylon pin mixed into each row — it gives the brush enough stiffness to actually move through thick, coarse, or tightly coiled hair instead of bending on contact, which is where a soft all-natural boar brush usually struggles. That's the specific reason to reach for the 'hard' version here rather than a medium or soft reinforced brush.

Works on damp or dry hair; a small amount of wave pomade or brushing cream helps the brush lay the pattern down.

• Brush in the direction you want the wave to form, using firm, consistent strokes.
• Work in sections, moving from the crown outward.
• Repeat regularly (multiple times a day during a wave-training period) to train hair into the pattern.
• Clean bristles periodically to remove product buildup and keep the brush performing.

Pros:

• Nylon-reinforced boar bristle stands up to thick, coarse, or tightly curled hair better than pure soft boar
• 9-row club head covers more surface area per stroke, useful for laying down waves quickly
• Reinforced bristle construction is built to shed less over time than unreinforced boar brushes

Cons:

• The hard bristle is too stiff for fine, thin, or sensitive scalps
• Not the right choice for short hair, since there isn't enough length to train into a wave pattern