FURminator Deshedding Bundle Review: Does This $20.56 Duo Actually Stop the Fur Tornado?

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Introduction

Let me set the scene: Last month, I found a whole clump of golden retriever hair in my morning latte. I’m not even exaggerating. I had just vacuumed the entire apartment the night before, I had just rolled my couch with my ChomChom for 15 minutes, I had just brushed my boy Max for 20 minutes straight after work. And I still had dog hair everywhere. On my black jeans, on my bed sheets, on my laptop keyboard, even in my coffee. I was this close to losing my mind. I had tried every deshedding brush, every cheap dog shampoo, every lint roller under the sun, and nothing stuck. That’s when I saw the FURminator Deshedding Bundle. It was $20.56, two 16oz bottles, one shampoo, one conditioner, and it was supposed to actually stop the shedding, not just cover it up. I ordered it same day, because I was desperate enough to try anything. After using it, I have so much to say about it, the good, the bad, and the weird little thing no one told me about.

FURminator Deshedding Bundle: A FURminator Deshedding Bundle Review of Its Formula

FURminator deshedding shampoo and conditioner bundle on bathroom counter

First, let’s break down what this stuff actually is, right? It’s this duo from FURminator, you know, the brand that’s basically the king of deshedding stuff for dogs. The formula has omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, plus coconut oil, which is supposed to moisturize your dog’s skin from the inside out, so they don’t shed as much because their skin isn’t dry and flaky. It’s also supposed to be tear-free, so if you get it in their eyes, it doesn’t burn them, which is great because Max hates baths and always tries to shake his head right in my face.

And it’s supposed to work for all dog breeds, long hair, short hair, double coat, whatever. The whole idea is that when you wash your dog with the shampoo first, then the conditioner, it loosens all that loose undercoat that’s just sitting there, waiting to fall out all over your couch, and it washes it down the drain instead. So instead of that hair ending up all over your house for the next month, it just goes away, right? That sounded too good to be true, honestly, but I was willing to try it. $20.56 wasn’t that much, compared to the $15 a month I was spending on lint rollers, anyway.

My Story: Putting the FURminator Deshedding Bundle to the Test

Dog being bathed with FURminator deshedding shampoo outdoors

When the package showed up, I opened it, and first thing I noticed? The bottles don’t have pumps. Like, just regular plastic bottles with screw-on caps. No way to control how much comes out. I thought, that’s fine, I can just pour it, right? How hard could that be? I ran a warm bath for Max, got everything ready, and grabbed the shampoo bottle. I tilted it, just a little, to pour a tiny bit into my hand, and the whole thing just came pouring out. I had shampoo all over my hand, all over the edge of the tub, half the bottle almost, before I could stop it. Oops.

Then I put it on Max, and the smell hit me. It was this sweet, coconut-y smell at first, which was nice, but then it got stronger, and stronger, until it smelled like those black licorice candies my grandma used to give me, the ones I always threw away as a kid. It was so strong, it filled the whole bathroom, I could smell it on my hands for hours after. But whatever, I thought, if it works, who cares about the smell, right?

I lathered it up, and that’s when I noticed something weird. There was barely any foam. Like, none, almost. I kept rubbing, and rubbing, and there was just no suds. I thought, wait, did I get a bad batch? Is this stuff fake? Because every other dog shampoo I’ve ever used lathers up like crazy. So I panicked, and I poured more. A lot more. Because I thought, if there’s no foam, that means it’s not cleaning him, right? I ended up using way more than I needed to, just trying to get some suds.

Then I tried to rinse it off, and that took forever. I rinsed, and rinsed, and rinsed, and there was still this weird slippery feeling on his fur, like I couldn’t get all the product out. I spent 10 minutes just rinsing, my hands were all pruney, and the bathroom floor was all slippery from the stuff I spilled. Then I did the conditioner, same thing, no foam, poured too much, rinsed forever.

But when I dried him off? His fur was amazing. It was so soft, so shiny, it felt like silk. I couldn’t stop petting him. And for the first week? No shedding. I didn’t have to vacuum, I didn’t have to use my lint roller, I didn’t find hair in my coffee. It was like magic. I thought, I finally fixed the fur tornado!

The One Thing Nobody Warned Me About

But here’s the thing no one told me. All that loose undercoat that the shampoo washed loose? It didn’t all go down the drain. A ton of it was still stuck in his wet fur, right? And when I dried him off, I didn’t brush him, because I thought, well, it’s already washed away, right? Wrong. So I spent the next hour, just petting him, because his fur was so soft, and every time I touched him, I got a handful of that loose undercoat. I had hair all over my shirt, all over my arms, all over the couch, before I even realized what was happening. I had just spent 45 minutes giving him a bath to get rid of the hair, and I ended up with more hair on me than I had before.

I went back and read the reviews later, and so many other people had the same problem! No one tells you that after you use this stuff, you have to brush them really well right after the bath, to get all that loose hair out before it dries and gets everywhere. I had no idea! I thought the bath would just take care of it. That was such a weird little surprise, it wasn’t a big deal or anything, but it was definitely something I wish someone had warned me about before I spent an hour covered in dog hair again.

What I Liked and What I Didn’t Like About the FURminator Deshedding Bundle

After using this, I went through all the pros and cons, and checked out a ton of other reviews to make sure I wasn’t the only one with these experiences.

What I Liked

  • It really does cut down on shedding, temporarily. For those 10 days after the bath, it worked perfectly. No more hair everywhere, no more lint rolling every day, no more hair in my coffee. It was amazing while it lasted.
  • Max’s fur got so soft and shiny. After the bath, his fur was way softer than it is with his regular shampoo, it felt like silk. I couldn’t stop petting him, even when I was getting hair all over me.
  • The smell is nice at first. The first couple days, that coconut smell was really nice, Max smelled fresh and clean, way better than he does after a regular bath.
  • It’s really cheap. $20.56 for two 16oz bottles? That’s way cheaper than other deshedding shampoos I’ve seen, which are like $15 a bottle. Even if I waste a little bit because of the no pump thing, it’s still a good deal.
  • It’s tear-free. I got some of the shampoo in Max’s eyes by accident, and he didn’t even care, he didn’t rub at them or anything. That was a huge relief, because he’s so sensitive about that stuff.

What I Didn’t Like

  • The effect only lasts 7-10 days. That’s the biggest one. All that work, all that mess, and it only lasts 10 days. After that, the shedding is back exactly like it was before. It’s not a permanent fix, it’s just temporary.
  • No pumps on the bottles. That was so annoying. I kept pouring too much, wasting product, because there’s no way to control how much comes out. I ended up buying my own pump for the bottles, which is dumb, because they should just include them.
  • It’s low-foam, which is confusing if you don’t know that. I poured way too much the first time, because I thought no foam meant it wasn’t working, and I wasted half the bottle.
  • The smell gets way too strong after a day. That sweet coconut smell turns into this overwhelming licorice smell, I could smell it from the other room. It wasn’t bad, exactly, but it was way too much.
  • It doesn’t work great for short hair dogs. A lot of people with short hair dogs said it didn’t do anything for them, no reduction in shedding, nothing. It works way better for long hair or double coat dogs.

Is the FURminator Deshedding Bundle Right for Your Dog?

So, is this stuff right for you? Well, that depends on what you need it for, honestly.

If you have a long hair or double coat dog, and you just need something to stop the shedding for a little while? Like, if you have guests coming over, or you’re going to take family photos, or you’re having people over and you don’t want them to leave with dog hair all over their clothes? Then yeah, this is perfect. It works for 10 days, it makes your dog’s fur look and feel amazing, it’s cheap, it does exactly what you need it to do for those special occasions.

But if you’re looking for something to stop the shedding permanently, or for more than 10 days? Then no, this isn’t for you. It’s just a temporary fix, it doesn’t last. And if you have a short hair dog? Then it’s probably not going to work for you, a lot of people said it didn’t do anything for their short hair pups.

And if you hate bathing your dog, because it’s too much work? Then don’t buy this. Because this takes twice as long as a regular bath, between the rinsing and then the brushing you have to do after to get all the loose hair out. It’s a lot more work than a normal bath.

Common Questions About the FURminator Deshedding Bundle

I got so many questions from my friends after I posted about this, so I wanted to answer the most common ones right here.

Does this actually stop shedding?

Yeah, temporarily. For 7-10 days, it works, it stops the shedding. Then it goes back to normal, exactly like it was before.

How long does the effect last?

For me, it lasted exactly 10 days. A lot of other people said 7-10 days too, so that seems to be the average.

Do the bottles have pumps?

No, they don’t. They just have screw-on caps, so you have to pour it, which means you end up pouring too much a lot of the time. I ended up buying my own pumps for them, which worked fine.

Is this tear free?

Yeah, the label says it is, and I got some in Max’s eyes, and he was totally fine, no irritation or anything.

Does this work for short hair dogs?

I noticed it didn’t work that well for short hair dogs, a lot of other people said the same thing. It works way better for long hair or double coat breeds.

Do I have to brush my dog after the bath?

Yeah, you do! That’s the thing no one tells you. All that loose undercoat gets stuck in their wet fur, so you have to brush them really well right after the bath to get it all out, otherwise it just ends up all over your house.

My Top Takeaways on the FURminator Deshedding Bundle

At the end of the day, this stuff works for what it is. It’s a temporary fix for shedding, that works really well for 10 days. It makes your dog’s fur soft and shiny, it smells good for a little while, it’s cheap, it does exactly what it says it will do, as long as you know what you’re getting into.

The problem is, it’s only temporary. All that work, all that mess, all that time, and it only lasts 10 days. It’s not a permanent fix, it’s not going to solve your shedding problem forever. It’s just a quick little band-aid, for when you need it. I was so disappointed at first, because I thought this was going to fix the fur tornado forever, but it’s not. It’s just a temporary thing. But it’s a really good temporary thing, when you need it.

Would I Buy This Again With My Own Money?

Yeah, actually, I would. But only for special occasions. Like, when my family is coming to visit, or when I’m going to take family photos, or when I have people over and I don’t want them to leave with dog hair all over their clothes. I’ll use it then, because it works for those 10 days, it makes everything nice, it’s exactly what I need.

But I wouldn’t use it every month. Because it’s too much work, the rinsing takes forever, the brushing after takes forever, the effect doesn’t last. It’s not worth it for regular use. But for those special times, when I need a quick fix? It’s perfect. I would pay $20.56 again for that, no question.

Final Thoughts on the FURminator Deshedding Bundle

All in all, the FURminator Deshedding Bundle is a good product, as long as you know what you’re getting into. It’s not a permanent fix for shedding, it’s not going to solve your fur tornado forever. But it is a really good temporary fix, that works really well for 10 days, when you need it.

It’s not perfect, there are no pumps, the low foam is confusing at first, the smell is a little strong, the effect only lasts 10 days, but none of that is a dealbreaker, as long as you’re just using it for those special occasions.

If you’re like me, and you’re tired of the fur tornado, and you just need something to make it stop for a little while, this is worth trying. Just don’t expect it to last forever, and don’t forget to brush your dog after the bath, trust me.

If you’re interested in trying it out, you can check it out here: Check Price on Amazon

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A Quick Disclaimer

I’m not a vet or professional trainer. This is just my personal experience.

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