Best Car Detailing Brushes UK (Reviews) of 2024

Car detailing brushes are important for getting into those harder to reach areas that you might miss with a wash over, or not be able to give it the sharp finish that you want as part of your detailing process. Brushes can be used on the interior or exterior of the car for brushing things such as dashboards, vents, trim, seats, gaps, seams, alloys and any other tricky to clean areas.

In the majority of cases, you will be dealing with delicate areas of the motor when detailing, therefore, the brushes you do decide to use must be softer than a standard alloy wheel brush to avoid any scratching or marks on the sensitive areas.

Best Car Detailing Brushes in the UK Reviewed

#1. Valet Pro Wheel Brush & Dash Brush Kit

Just like the name suggests, Valet Pro have come up with this set of 2 brushes for serious or professional car detailers. There are 2 brushes for 2 different jobs provided. 1 is designed for wheels and has a 25mm head, while the other is made for dashboard type interior cleaning and has a 15mm head.

The bristles are made from top quality horse hair and designed for people who are serious about their detailing routine. Between the 2 brushes they can be used for any exterior or interior job without leaving any scratches or marks.

The bristles are also designed to be chemical resistant, allowing you to use them with other car cleaning products. They are also easily washable and can be used over and over without the worry of the bristles coming away.

Overall one of the best sets of bristles you’ll find on a detailing brush from a manufacturer who understands car detailing. You will pay a little more than other sets, but you are paying for what you get – quality.

Pros

• Top-quality bristles
• 2 brushes that can cover any job
• Chemical resistant horse-hair bristles that are easily washable
• Good strong handle
• Long-lasting

Cons

• Expensive for 2 brushes – though you are paying for quality

#2. 26JPN Detail Brushes – Set of 3

26JPN knows a thing or two about car detailing and have been involved in the game for over a decade. Their set comes with 3 different sizes of brush for different jobs – 24, 30 and 37 mm.

The bristles are natural with no metal and are very soft, ensuring first and foremost that no scratching of the exterior or interior happens.

The smallest brush which is 24mm is designed for the interior of the car, allowing you to get into every little crevice and clean out any dirt or dust that collects.

The medium sized brush at 30mm is meant for exterior parts that need a clean such as grills, badges, registration plates, fuel caps and trim.

The largest of the 3 is 36mm and is designed specifically for tyre cleaning and detailing.

The handles have a quality feel to them, being extremely durable and also have a nice little hook on them for storing and drying.

Overall 26JPN have put a lot of time and effort into coming up with these 3 specific size brushes for different detailing jobs, and are certainly meant for people who are serious about having a long-lasting detailing set.

Pros

• Great 3 piece set for different jobs
• Soft bristles
• Sturdy handle
• Long-lasting

Cons

• Expensive for 3 brushes, but designed for serious detailers

#3. Detailing Brush Set – 5

This is a fairly common and popular set of brushes that are rebranded by a lot of manufacturers. The set comes with a pack of 5 detailing brushes, all different sizes for getting into every part of the car.

The “2 long bristles are nice and soft and don’t have any metal parts on them, ensuring a scratch-free finish on any tight area that you need to get the bristles into.

You can use these brushes either dry or wet and can be washed easily after use.

They can be used from anything from tough alloys to delicate leather interior and plastic trim.

The bristles are premium quality, durable and are designed to last many tough detailing jobs. This is backed by a 100% money-back guarantee if the brushes are not the quality you hoped they would be.

Overall this set of 5 detailing brushes have great quality bristles with 5 different sizes for every detailing job, can be cleaned easily and used over and over without letting you down.

Pros

• Set of 5 different sized brushes
• Fairly priced
• Quality “2 bristles
• Can be used wet or dry, easy to clean

Cons

• Handle could be a little stronger

#4. Cottam Valet Brushes

Cottam have been around since 1858 and have come up with this pack of 5 brushes, with all 5 being the same size. You do however, have the option of either the 1/2 or 3/4 inch set to choose from.

This set of brushes have bristles that are a little tougher and rigid, but are still designed as not to cause any scratching or marks on the vehicle, even on paintwork.

They are perfect for using on any detailing job on the car, regardless of how delicate or hard to reach the area is.

The handle is really durable and easy to grip, ensuring it doesn’t break like some other cheaper sets.

In terms of price, these are cheap compared with other similar brushes, they are also one of the most popular sets bought by car enthusiasts.

Overall a good set of 5 brushes that have good, washable bristles and a nice solid handle design that doesn’t feel flimsy.

Pros

• Cheap
• 5 brushes in a pack
• Solid handle
• Good, scratch-free bristles

Cons

• All brushes in the pack are the same size

#5. Koala Car Care 851804

The final pick comes from the lesser known manufacturer Koala Car Care, who have a few different products aimed at improving your car’s overall appearance.

This is a single detailing brush purchase that can be used for all parts of the car interior or exterior thanks to the durable bristles that it sports.

The 100% genuine natural boar bristles are strong enough to withstand any tough detailing job on the car without falling apart or the bristles coming loose. They’re also designed so that chemicals or cleaners when used with it won’t ruin it like other cheaper brushes.

Although it’s made with tough boar bristles, it’s another soft brush that we have chosen to ensure you won’t scuff any paintwork, metal or interior.

The price point is quite expensive for 1 brush, especially when there are other sets with 3 or even 5 brushes for less.

Overall the durability is what you would probably buy this brush for, rather than having lots of different brushes to look after, you would just use the 1 for all the detailing jobs, and it would certainly last you years doing so. It is, however, quite expensive for 1 brush.

Pros

• Quality boar bristles
• Easy to clean
• Can be used for any detailing job
• Durable and will last years

Cons

• Expensive for 1 brush
• 1 size only

Detailing Brush for Cars Buying Considerations

Bristles

Bristles are the most important part of any brush as first of all, the material needs to be soft enough not to scratch the alloys, metal, trim, plastic, leather etc.

Secondly, although the bristles must be soft as to avoid any damage, they need to be tough enough to withstand constant use on lots of different tough areas of the vehicle.

The bristles should also have a decent length to them so that you can properly get into those little nooks and crankies, removing as much dust and dirt as you possibly can.

Using with Chemicals and Cleaners

As described above, the bristle quality is very important with any detailing brush, this is even more important if you intend to use it in conjunction with other car cleaning chemicals and cleaners.

The brustles need to be chemical-resistant and be able to be washed over and over for long-lasting use without the bristles falling apart.

Number of Brushes and Sizes

Some purchases come as a pack of 5 with 5 different sizes, whereas other purchases come as a set of 5, all being the same size as each other. Other picks on the list come as a singular brush purchase, so choose accordingly depending on your detailing usage.

Durability

These brushes are typically more expensive than a standard paint or decorative brush you get on the market, so you want to look at them as a long-term investment that will last you a decent period of time and allow lots of detailing to be done. A lot of this again comes down to the quality of the bristles, aswell as how well the handle of the brush is manufactured.

The Final Word

Detailing brushes are important for getting into those finer areas that are difficult to reach on your car with a pressure washer or vacuum. Brushes might be seen as a little too forensic and over the top by some casual detailers, but if you’re serious about detailing, then you’ll know that they’re part of every good car detailer’s arsenal and give that final bit of attention to detail required to make a motor look new. If you’re looking to invest in one, be sure to check out our 5 best car detailing brush selections above to help achieve a spotless motor.