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FURminator vs Undercoat Rake

They are sold side by side as deshedding tools and they work on different parts of the coat. On a true double coat, only one of them is safe to use often.

By Brijon M.Published October 6, 2026

The short answer

An undercoat rake pulls dead undercoat out from beneath the guard coat and has no cutting edge, so it is safe to use weekly for years. A FURminator-style deshedding blade cuts and lifts loose hair near the surface, which works well occasionally and thins the guard coat if used as a daily brush. For a true double coat, buy the rake.

Different parts of the coat

A double coat is two layers doing two jobs. The guard coat is the harsh outer layer: it sheds water, shades the skin from sun and does not grow back quickly or reliably if it is cut. The undercoat is the soft dense layer beneath it: it insulates, and it is shed in volume twice a year. Deshedding is the job of removing the second without damaging the first.

	Undercoat rake	Deshedding blade
Mechanism	Pulls loose hair out	Cuts and lifts hair
Works at	Skin level, under the guard coat	The coat surface
Cutting edge	None	Yes — this is the critical difference
Safe frequency	Weekly, indefinitely	Occasional light passes
Best coat	Thick double coats	Short and medium shedding coats
Risk	Scratching skin if you press on a cheap one	Thinning the guard coat permanently

The guard coat does not come back the way the undercoat does

This is why the cutting edge matters. Undercoat sheds and regrows on a seasonal cycle, so removing it is simply maintenance. Guard hairs that are cut off change the coat’s texture and its ability to shade the skin, and on many double-coated breeds they regrow slowly, unevenly, or with a different texture. A tool that takes guard coat is doing something you cannot undo.

Where the FURminator genuinely wins

On a short or medium single-layered shedding coat — a Labrador, a Beagle, a smooth-coated mix — there is no thick guard layer to protect and the blade lifts loose hair beautifully in a few passes. It is also easier to use than a rake: lighter, more intuitive, and the hair-release button is a real convenience. For those coats it is a reasonable first purchase, and the short coat page says so.

Many owners also use both: rake first to clear the bulk of the undercoat, then a light pass with a deshedding blade to tidy the surface. That is fine. What is not fine is the blade as the only tool on a double coat, used daily.

The decision

Pick an undercoat rake if

Your dog is a Husky, Samoyed, Shepherd, Golden, Pyrenees, Bernese or similar
You can part the coat and see a soft dense layer underneath
You want a tool you can use every week for years without consequence
You are heading into a seasonal coat blow and need volume removed

Pick a deshedding blade if

The coat is short or medium and single-layered
You want one light tool for occasional surface passes
You are tidying a coat that has already been raked
You will not be tempted to use it as a daily brush

Picks for each are at undercoat rakes and deshedding tools. If the coat is already matted rather than just shedding, neither tool is the answer — see dematting tools.

The picks in full

Every pick, in order

Regular use on a true double coat

JW Pet Gripsoft double-row undercoat rake

Long, widely-spaced teeth that reach through the guard coat and pull dead undercoat out without cutting anything.

An undercoat rake pulling loose undercoat from a dense coat

Double-row pin undercoat rake

Rows: Two rows of rounded pins
Pins: Rounded ends, not blades
Handle: Gripsoft non-slip

A rake does not have a cutting edge, which is the entire reason it can be used weekly for years without thinning the coat. The teeth pass between the guard hairs, engage the loose undercoat and pull it out. On a Husky, Shepherd, Golden or Pyrenees in a seasonal blow, this is the correct everyday tool and nothing else needs to be in rotation with it.

Coat reach9.5

Volume removed9.0

Coat safety9.5

Handle comfort8.0

Value9.0

Overall9.0 / 10

What it gets right

Rounded pins, not blades — you cannot cut the coat with it, which makes it the safe default
Double row doubles the undercoat it lifts per stroke
Cheap enough to be nobody's agonizing decision

What it gets wrong

Slower than a bladed tool on a heavy shed
Pins will not open a set mat
Handle is comfortable but the head is small for a giant breed

Who should skip itSkip it if you need to clear a felted mat — pins ride over it; you need a dematter.

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Read the full JW Pet Gripsoft double-row undercoat rake review

Occasional surface passes on short and medium shedding coats

FURminator deShedding tool

A fine cutting edge that lifts loose hair very effectively near the surface - and cuts guard hairs if you lean on it.

Bladed deshedding tool

Edge: Fine, close-set stainless edge
Works on: Short-to-medium coats, close to the skin
Sizes: Short-hair and long-hair variants per dog size
Feature: FURejector release button

Specs: Furric — Best Deshedding Tool

The FURminator is genuinely effective and genuinely misused. The edge is a blade, so light occasional passes lift an impressive amount of loose hair, while heavy or daily use thins the guard coat permanently. On a short or medium shedding coat it is a good tool. On a thick double coat it is the one most likely to cause damage, because owners use it as a brush.

Coat reach6.5

Volume removed8.5

Coat safety5.0

Handle comfort8.5

Value7.5

Overall7.2 / 10

What it gets right

On a short or medium coat it removes more loose undercoat per minute than anything else
The release button genuinely speeds up a big shed-out
Buying the right size-and-length variant makes a bigger difference than people expect

What it gets wrong

It is a blade. Over-used or used with pressure it thins and cuts the guard coat
The wrong variant for your coat length does nothing or does damage
Useless on a curly or felted coat

Who should skip itSkip it on a doodle, poodle or any coat that mats rather than sheds — it is the wrong category of tool.

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Read the full FURminator deShedding tool review

FAQ

Questions people actually ask

Is the FURminator bad for dogs?

Not inherently — it is a cutting tool that is widely used as if it were a brush. Light, occasional passes on a shedding coat are fine. Heavy or daily use thins the guard coat. If your dog has a true double coat, a rake does the same job with none of that risk.

Can I use a rake on a doodle?

No — there is no undercoat to rake, and the long teeth will drag through a curly coat painfully without achieving anything. A doodle needs a slicker brush and a steel comb, and brushing all the way to the skin.

What actually removes the most hair?

On a double coat, a rake followed by a high-velocity dryer on a clean dry coat. The dryer is the underrated half: it blows out a volume of loose undercoat that would take an hour of brushing to reach.

How this page was put together

We define the coat problem the tool has to solve, shortlist products currently sold, compare the manufacturers’ documented specifications against what that coat actually needs, and cross-check against published findings from named sources. We do not test these tools on our own dogs under controlled conditions, and we will not say we do. Where a figure comes from a manufacturer, we name them; where it comes from someone else’s testing, we cite them. We print no prices — a stale number is worse than none. Read the full method.

Sources