Best Grooming Glove for Dogs and Cats: Types, What to Look For and Two Picks

We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Learn more

A grooming glove puts rubber or silicone nubs on your hand, so you can wash or wipe your pet while it feels like being stroked. The catch is that most gloves do one job well and the rest only so so. Some are best in the bath, some are better at pulling hair off the sofa than off the dog, and a few are disposable wipes for a quick clean between baths. This guide sorts the main types, explains what to check before you buy, and lists the gloves in our catalog that have been used on real dogs by a named tester.

How we wrote this: hands-on notes come from Whole Dog Journal, where dog trainer Jae Thomas, CPDT-KA, used five grooming gloves on her own dogs for a guide published on 8 December 2025, and from a KFVS12 test in January 2017 in which doggie daycare provider Stacy Busch-Heisserer tried HandsOn gloves on two dogs. Neither source says whether the gloves were bought or sent by the makers. Background on rubber brushes and mitts comes from the American Kennel Club, checked on 1 November 2026. Product facts are as each maker states them. We did not test these gloves ourselves, and we do not show prices or ratings.

Our picks at a glance

This page is about choosing a glove. For step by step use on dogs and cats, and how to wash the glove afterwards, see how to use a pet grooming glove. If your main problem is a thick, shedding undercoat or mats, a glove is not the right first tool: start with our best deshedding tool for dogs, best dog brush or best cat brush for shedding guides.

What a grooming glove is actually good for

The AKC puts grooming mitts in the same family as rubber brushes. Their short, soft bristles rub the skin and bring dead hair and dirt up to the surface, and they work best on short coats because they cannot get down through long or dense hair. That matches what Whole Dog Journal found. Its tester judged the gloves on a dry, shedding dog and decided that, for most dogs, they do a weaker job than an ordinary brush. Where they shone was the bath. A glove spreads shampoo through the coat down to the skin, helps you get a good lather from less shampoo, and lifts out loose hair as you scrub. The tester also found most gloves pull more hair out of a wet coat than a dry one.

So a glove makes the most sense if you have:

  • A short or single coated dog whose coat is hard to lather and still feels greasy after a bath.
  • A pet that dislikes brushes. In the KFVS12 test, a beagle mix that usually fights the brush stayed relaxed while being stroked with the gloves.
  • Hair on your furniture and clothes, if you pick a glove with a fabric side made for that.
  • A dog that gets muddy between baths, if a disposable wipe glove suits you.

For a double coated dog at the peak of a shed, a glove can help a little, but brushing, a bath and a good dry will do more. Our best dog dryer guide covers the drying part.

The main types of grooming glove

  • Reversible bath mitts. A mitt with silicone or rubber nubs on one side and a cloth or textile side on the other. The nub side scrubs; the soft side suits the face and other delicate spots, or picks up hair from fabric.
  • Five finger gloves. A true glove, with nubs on the fingers and palm. You can work around legs, ears and small dogs more easily than with a mitt, but fit matters more, so look for a size chart.
  • Long waterproof gloves. Shaped like a dishwashing glove, with nubs on the outside. They keep soap and hair off your forearm, but water that gets inside stays there.
  • Disposable glove wipes. A pre-moistened wipe in the shape of a mitt. You wipe the coat and throw it away. Good for paws, rear ends and a quick refresh, not for real shedding control.

What to look for

  • Fit and size. A loose glove twists in your hand when wet. Whole Dog Journal found that some one size gloves had small fingers for large hands. If the maker offers sizes, measure your hand against its chart.
  • Wrist closure and inner straps. A snug hook and loop wrist strap keeps hair and dirty water out, and an inner strap or two holds the mitt in place whichever side you use.
  • Drainage. Mitts without drainage fill with water in the tub, and you have to take them off to empty them.
  • Soft, rounded nubs. Run the glove over the back of your own hand. If it scratches you, it is too stiff for your pet’s skin.
  • Material. Check whether it is silicone, rubber or another material, and whether the maker says it is latex free if anyone in the home is sensitive to latex.
  • Wet, dry or both. Some gloves are mainly bath tools; others are made to work on a dry coat too. The maker usually says which.
  • Easy cleaning. Hair should peel or rinse off. Some mitts can go in the washing machine; others are hand wash only. Follow the maker’s care label.

Using a glove safely

  • Use gentle pressure and follow the direction the hair grows. A glove should feel like a firm stroke, not a scrub with a pan scourer.
  • Start with short sessions and stop if your pet tries to move away.
  • Keep shampoo and wipe liquid away from eyes, and rinse shampoo out fully after a bath.
  • Check the skin as you go. The ASPCA lists signs of skin trouble to watch for, such as dry or flaky skin, rashes, swellings or lumps, and bald patches.
  • If you see redness, sores, flaking, bald patches or more hair loss than usual, or your pet keeps scratching, stop and see your vet. A grooming glove does not treat skin or coat problems.

The gloves we list

Uproot QuickClean Gloves Pro

These are not reusable gloves but disposable glove wipes, sold 20 to a bag, per Uproot Clean. You put one on, wipe your dog the way you would pet it, and throw it away, with no water or rinse. The maker lists the wipe ingredients, including glycerin, a mild cleanser, shea butter and jojoba oil, and pitches them for hard to reach spots under the legs and around the tail.

Whole Dog Journal picked them as its disposable option. The tester found them tougher than standard dog wipes and less likely to tear, liked that her hand stayed clean when she wiped muddy paws or a dog’s rear end, said they fit most hands, and saw no residue on the coat afterwards. The downside is plain: you use each one once, so the cost and the waste add up, and they freshen a coat rather than replace a bath. Read the ingredient list first if your dog has sensitive skin. See the Uproot QuickClean Gloves Pro.

HandsOn Grooming Gloves

HandsOn makes five finger gloves with scrubbing nubs on the fingers and palms, for use wet or dry, and says they will not slip off when wet and soapy. They come in five sizes, from Junior to X-Large, so you can pick one that fits your hand. The maker’s FAQ says they are made without latex and should be hand washed and air dried.

Whole Dog Journal did not include this glove. The hands-on notes come from the older KFVS12 test, where the daycare provider used the gloves on a beagle mix that normally dislikes brushing, then to work shampoo into a long haired retriever mix. She liked being able to grip all the way around the legs, pointed out that many brushes are useless on wet hair, and was surprised by how much hair came out in the bath. That test is from 2017, so treat it as a guide rather than a recent review. See the HandsOn Grooming Gloves.

Other gloves named without links

Whole Dog Journal also tested these. We do not link them because we could not find a current independent listing that matches each one to a specific Amazon product, or because the glove is sold in one store chain only.

  • Messy Mutts Reversible Silicone Pet Grooming Glove. The tester’s choice for short haired dogs. She has used it for years on her single coated Border Collie mix: soft silicone on one side, a washcloth side for the face, two inner straps and a hook and loop wrist band. Its weak points were poor drainage and a looser wrist than the Artero mitt. Messy Mutts gives the size as 10 by 8 inches, one size, and says it is machine washable.
  • Artero Kira Double Sided Rubber Glove Mitt. The tester’s most versatile pick: rubber prongs on one side for the bath, and a textile side that lifts hair off clothes and furniture, though only when you rub in one direction. Artero lists an adjustable wrist closure and one inner strap.
  • FurZapper Pet Grooming Glove. The tester found it better for removing hair from cushions, bedding and rugs than for bathing a dog. It is long, waterproof and easy to rinse, but has small fingers, one size and no drainage. FurZapper says it is made of silicone and can be worn on either hand. For more fabric tools, see best pet hair remover.
  • Well & Good Grooming Glove for Dogs. A no frills, double sided five finger glove from Petco’s own brand that fits either hand. The tester found the material thick and stiff at first, so it needs breaking in.

Does your cat run from the brush? See how to brush a cat that hates being brushed: gentler tools, a slow step by step plan and signs to stop.

FAQ

Do grooming gloves really work for dogs?

They work well for washing and for short coats. Whole Dog Journal found that on a dry, shedding dog a brush usually does more, but in the bath a glove spreads shampoo and lifts loose hair well. The AKC says rubber mitts and brushes suit short coats best.

Are grooming gloves good for cats?

Many cats that dislike a brush will accept a glove, because it feels like being stroked. Use light pressure, keep sessions short, and pair it with a comb for longer coats. See how to use a pet grooming glove for the steps.

Can you use a grooming glove on a wet dog?

Yes, and that is where most gloves do their best work. Check that the maker says the glove is made for wet use, and pick one with a snug wrist so water and soap stay out.

Do grooming gloves work on double coated dogs?

Only partly. The nubs are too short to reach deep into a thick undercoat, so use an undercoat rake or deshedding tool first and a glove for the bath or a final pass.

How do you clean a grooming glove?

Peel or rinse off the hair after each use, then wash it the way the maker says. Some mitts are machine washable, others are hand wash only, and most should air dry. Disposable glove wipes are used once and thrown away.

Similar Posts