The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?

11 best tweezers to use for killer eyebrows

From trusty Tweezerman to Rubis, Refy, Elf and more, these plucked their way to the top

Lauren Cunningham
Tuesday 20 December 2022 14:30 GMT
Our tester has never looked so perfectly groomed
Our tester has never looked so perfectly groomed (The Independent)
Our Top Picks

Whether you’re perfecting your eyebrows or plucking out unwanted hair elsewhere, tweezers are an essential bit of kit that can’t be overlooked. But, as with most things in life – especially when it comes to beauty buys – not all are made equal.

No matter if you’re fishing out a splinter, operating on an ingrown hair or maintaining those bushy but beautifully pruned brows, you’ll need the perfect pair of tweezers that can be trusted for the job.

Although, for those who have been failed by the must-have tool before, we’re sure we don’t need to remind you there are some that don’t grip properly, some that don’t get close enough to pluck those pesky hairs and those that seem to push things into the skin better than they pull them out. So, we’ve tested as many tweezers as we could get our hands on to truly find the best ones to buy for every budget.

From big-name brands such as Tweezerman to specialised sets for perfect eyebrow plucking from Eyeko and bargain buys from Truyu and Essence, there’s certainly no short supply of tweezer options out there, and it’s not just the brand names that vary.

Tweezers can actually come in different shapes and sizes, with the main point of difference being the head. Flat heads are designed to pluck out thick hairs, slanted heads are best for pulling all hair types (especially brows), and super-thin, pointed heads can grab hold of the finest of strands, ingrown hairs and splinters with ease. So, now you know what type to look out for to best suit your specific use, keep reading this article to find out which tweezer options are the best ones to buy right now.

How we tested

Our tester has been using tweezers for as long as they can remember, plucking pesky chin hairs, lip hairs, eyebrows and every and any unwanted strand that has appeared on their body. In fact, you’ll rarely find them without a trusty pair of tweezers in their bag, so they were well-suited to take on our tweezer challenge.

Testing out a whole host of options on every part of their body, taking price, ease of use, style and design into account, these were the ones that plucked their way to the top spot.

The best tweezers for 2022 are:

  • Best overall tweezers – Brush Works traditional tweezers: £2.99, Lookfantastic.com
  • Best luxury-label tweezers – Tweezerman slant tweezer: £23, Lookfantastic.com
  • Best tweezers for applying false lashes – Sweed tweezer: £21, Sweedbeauty.com
  • Best tweezers for travelling – Elf tweezer trio kit: £5, Elfcosmetics.co.uk
  • Best tweezers with carry case – Refy tweezers: £8, Refybeauty.com
  • Best brow-grooming kit – Eyeko brow-grooming kit: £25, Lookfantastic.com
  • Best tweezers for precise plucking – No7 slanted tweezers: £7.95 Boots.com
  • Best budget tweezers – Essence eyebrow tweezer: £1.99, Justmylook.com
  • Best four-piece tweezer set – Brushworks HD four-piece combination tweezer set: £7.79, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best tweezers for fine hairs – Rubis slanted tweezers: £19.50, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best three-piece tweezer set – Truyu tweezer triple set: £8, Ocado.com

Brushworks traditional tweezers

Brushworks traditional tweezers.png
  • Best: Overall
  • Tweezer type: Classic slant
  • Tweezer length: 90mm
  • Designed to: Pluck all hairs, including eyebrows, and apply false lashes
  • Colour: Silver
  • Number in pack: One

Brushworks has a whole host of tweezer styles, so be sure to opt for the right one when picking your plucking tool. These traditional tweezers are designed for slightly larger areas – think brows, upper lip, chin, bikini line and anywhere and everywhere else you may want to prune – and can also be used to apply fake eyelashes too. The perforated handle gives extra grip to slippery, sweaty fingers and helps to hold the tweezers in place for fiddly jobs such as eyelash application. With a slanted flat edge, they glide across the skin effortlessly, pulling out multiple hairs at a time, and although no tweezers we found were completely painless, these were impressively less eye-watering than some of our other options.

Back to top

Tweezerman slant tweezer

Tweezerman slant tweezer.png
  • Best: Luxury-label tweezers
  • Tweezer type: Classic slant
  • Tweezer length: 95mm
  • Designed to: Pluck all hairs, including eyebrows
  • Colour: Black, silver, pink
  • Number in pack: One

Tweezerman is perhaps the most famous trusted tweezer brand available to buy. In fact, we’d be shocked to hear of any beauty-lover who hasn’t tried this brand of tweezer at least once in their lifetime. Turning to the classic slant set, it’s no surprise our tester found these tweezers lived up to their reputation. The stainless steel tips are hand filed for extra precision, leaving them with great grip on even the finest of hairs, while the body of the tweezer was large enough to hold on to and guide them into place easily. They also come with a rubbed cap to keep the tip nice and sharp, so be sure to pop that back on when you’re not using them.

Back to top

Sweed tweezer

Sweed tweezer.png
  • Best: For applying false lashes
  • Tweezer type: L-shape
  • Tweezer length: 120mm
  • Designed to: Apply false lashes, pluck fine hairs and remove splinters
  • Colour: Turquoise
  • Number in pack: One

These Sweed tweezers certainly stand out from the crowd, thanks to their L-shaped design. Created with the help of false-lash specialists, they’re specifically designed to help you apply the largest of eyelashes with ease, thanks to their pointed tip and curved design. They’re also incredibly sharp, so can whip out even the finest and shortest of hairs, ingrown hairs and splinters too. As they are so small, you do need good eyesight to be able to see exactly where you’re placing them, but our tester found them incredibly easy and effective to use. They also come with a protective plastic cap and carry case, so be sure to look after them, to keep them nice and sharp.

Back to top

Elf tweezer trio kit

Elf tweezer trio kit.png
  • Best: For travelling
  • Tweezer type: Classic slant, pointed slant and pointed
  • Tweezer length: 63mm
  • Designed to: Pluck all hairs, including eyebrows, and remove splinters
  • Colour: Silver
  • Number in pack: Three

These tiny tweezers are not only adorable but incredibly handy when popping in your bag for on-the-go touch-ups. With three styles of tweezers – a classic slant for plucking hairs, a pointed slant for shaping brows and a pointed tip for finer hairs, there’s something to suit every plucking need. Measuring just over 6cm, they are considerably smaller than any of the other tweezer options in this round-up. We did find, for daily use, they aren’t quite as easy to use as the full-sized versions, but when travelling, on the beach or even in your bag to grab that one persistent chin hair, our tester has turned to them time and time again.

Back to top

Refy tweezers

Refy tweezers.png
  • Best: Tweezers with carry case
  • Tweezer type: Classic slant
  • Tweezer length: 96mm
  • Designed to: Pluck all hairs, including eyebrows
  • Colour: White
  • Number in pack: One

Refy is quickly rising up the list as one of the most in-demand beauty brands of the moment, thanks to TikTok, and these tweezers are a great example of why people seem to love this brand. The tweezers come in a white vegan-leather pouch – a handy carry case that protects the tweezers from external elements that can blunt or damage them.

The tweezers are simple in design, in a white colour with bold black lettering creating the Refy logo. They have a slated head, perfect for plucking hairs, and instantly grip onto even the finest threads, pulling them out in one fell swoop. Pinching them together is incredibly easy, so you can cover quite a large area with ease, but they weren’t quite as painless as some of our other options.

Back to top

Eyeko brow-grooming kit

Eyeko brow grooming kit.png
  • Best: Brow-grooming kit
  • Tweezer type: Pointed slant
  • Tweezer length: 94mm
  • Designed to: Precisely pluck brow hairs
  • Colour: Silver
  • Number in pack: One set of tweezers, one pair of scissors, one eyebrow brush, one brow razor

If you’re looking to master your brows, this Eyeko kit should be your toolkit of choice. Housing tweezers, brow scissors, a brow razor and a brow brush in a decorative box – or a travel pouch for when you’re out and about – it has everything you need to pluck and prune until your heart’s content.

The tweezers could be seen more like a doctor’s tool. Incredibly sharp with ultra-precision, they grip onto any and every hair, whipping it out within milliseconds. We would like to stress that this may not be the best kit for beginners, as the tools are so sharp, so beauty buffs who know how to handle a tweezer or two, this one’s best left for you. Thanks to the packaging, it will also make a perfect gift.

Back to top

No7 slanted tweezers

No7 slanted tweezers.png
  • Best: For precise plucking
  • Tweezer type: Classic slant
  • Tweezer length: 96mm
  • Designed to: Pluck all hairs, including eyebrows
  • Colour: Black
  • Number in pack: One

Slightly stiffer than some of our other options, these No7 tweezers are best for those looking for ultra-precise plucking. The packaging said they’re best used on one hair at a time, and our tester found this to be true. With a relatively large slanted head, they gripped onto each and every hair with ease, pulling it out straight from the root. They were best at tackling thicker, longer hairs than fine wispy strands, so we’re dubbing them a go-to for brows, those pesky chin hairs or even a bikini line. They also come in a closable plastic case too, meaning you can keep them protected when popping in your make-up bag.

  1.  £7 from Boots.com
Prices may vary
Back to top

Essence eyebrow tweezer

Essence eyebrow tweezer.png
  • Best: Budget tweezers
  • Tweezer type: Classic slant
  • Tweezer length: 94mm
  • Designed to: Pluck all hairs, including eyebrows
  • Colour: Pink with smiley faces
  • Number in pack: One

Cheap and cheerful, Essence is a go-to brand for bargain beauty, and this set of tweezers is no exception. In a fun, funky print, they’re sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face and liven up your make-up bag with their sweet smiley-face design. The wide body allows you to easily hold on and precisely pluck, but we did find they weren’t the best on superfine hairs, which often slipped through. So, if you’re looking to prune thick brows, your bikini line or any other thicker hairs with a daring design of tweezer, these are the ones for you.

Back to top

Brushworks HD four-piece combination tweezer set

Brushworks HD 4-piece combination tweezer set.png
  • Best: Four-piece tweezer set
  • Tweezer type: Classic slant tweezers, flat-head tweezers, pointed slant tweezers, pointed tweezers
  • Tweezer length: 96-98mm
  • Designed to: Pluck all hairs, including eyebrows, ingrown hairs, apply false lashes and remove splinters
  • Colour: Pastel yellow, blue, purple, pink
  • Number in pack : Four

For those who can’t decide what type of tweezer they really need, this Brushworks set may be just the ticket. Housing four different types of tweezers – classic slant, flat, pointed slant and pointed – there’s an option to suit any need. The fun colourways initially drew us to pick this four-piece set but the tweezers themselves are equally as impressive. The pointed pair work best for applying false lashes and removing ingrown hairs – just be sure to take extra care when using them near your eyes – while the flat and slanted pairs whipped out hairs in seconds, and all had a very soft squeeze, meaning you don’t need to use too much hand strength to use them.

Back to top

Rubis slanted tweezers

Rubis slanted tweezers.png
  • Best: For fine hairs
  • Tweezer type: Classic slant
  • Tweezer length: 97mm
  • Designed to: Pluck all hairs, including eyebrows, and apply false lashes and face gems
  • Colour: Purple
  • Number in pack: One

Rubis has been making tweezers for more than 70 years, meaning it knows more than a thing or two about these beauty kit staples. There’s a whole host of designs and colours to choose from too. The classic slanted shape made them ideal for plucking hairs, but with a slightly smaller tip than some of our other options, they also worked wonders when applying false lashes and festive face gems. They come in their own small carry case and have a plastic cap to keep them sharp, and they were one of the most painless pairs we tried for plucking.

Back to top

Truyu tweezer triple set

Truyu tweezer triple set.png
  • Best: Three-piece tweezer set
  • Tweezer type: Classic slant, pointed slant and pointed
  • Tweezer length: 90mm
  • Designed to: Pluck all hairs, including eyebrows, ingrown hairs, apply false lashes and remove splinters
  • Colour: Black
  • Number in pack: Three

Coming in a three-pack, meaning they cost just over £2.60 each, this budget tweezer set is sure to meet every plucking or pruning need. Compared with some of the other options in this round-up, they were a little bit skinny, so we could move them across the face incredibly quickly, although they weren’t quite as pain-free as some other options. The classic slant works to pluck hairs and was best on thicker, coarser strands, the pointed slant excelled at pruning brows, and the pointed tip worked to apply false lashes, catch superfine hair and help to remove ingrown hairs. All did as they said on the tin. Be sure to keep the plastic band on, to keep them nice and tight.

  1.  £8 from Ocado.com
Prices may vary
Back to top

The verdict: Tweezers

After all this plucking, our tester has never looked so perfectly groomed. Testing out a whole host of tweezers, from the bargain-priced picks to the more-luxury labels, they found which tweezers will work wonders for every and any tweezer-related need.

In the top spot were the Brushworks traditional tweezers, which were also one of the lowest-priced options and the most pain-free. Tweezerman’s slanted tweezers lived up to their reputation as one of the best brands, and, for a budget buy, the Essence eyebrow tweezers were cheap and cheerful.

If you are looking for a full grooming set, you can’t go wrong with the Eyeko brow-grooming kit, just be sure to take things slow and steady as these tools are incredibly sharp. And, if you’re not quite sure which tweezer style you need, or if you prefer to be prepared for any occasion, you’d be best to select a set such as the Truyu tweezer triple set, Elf tweezer trio kit or Brushworks HD four-piece combination tweezer set.

Tweezers make a great stocking filler, but if you’re looking for something a little bit bigger for mum this year, take a look at our gift ideas

Voucher Codes

TUI Discount Code
TUI Discount Code
£250 off a 7 night stay with the deal of the week - TUI discount code
ASOS Discount Code
ASOS Discount Code
10% off first orders £20+ using this ASOS promo code
Travelodge Discount Code
Travelodge Discount Code
Save 5% on bookings - Travelodge voucher code
The Body Shop Discount Code
The Body Shop Discount Code
Save 20% on orders with The Body Shop discount code
The Perfume Shop Discount Code
The Perfume Shop Discount Code
Save 15% on everything with birthday orders at The Perfume Shop - Member exclusive
Cult Beauty Discount Code
Cult Beauty Discount Code
Get 15% off + Extra 5% on select products with this Cult Beauty voucher code

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in