Different detangling tools do different things
There are so many different ways to detangle your hair. There is a paddle brush, which is a large and flat brush with air cushions and plastic bristles. It is very flexible due to the air cushions that the bristles sit and and that helps contouring to your head and hair shape. Paddle brushes are great for detangling and smoothing out hair. Next, there is the wide tooth comb, which have large teeth to comb through the hair. They can be made from plastic or wood and are great for detangling and even parting hair. These are the most like fingers when it comes to detangling and cause less ripping compared to other methods. On the opposite end of wide tooth combs are fine tooth combs which can be used to detangle, but are less recommended because the fine teeth snag and rip hair. You can also detangle hair with a regular hair brush, your fingers, and other specialized detangling tools.
For your edges, you want to brush them out with a soft edge brush or soft toothbrush. Also, you can comb them out with an edge comb or fine tooth comb but just be caution because edges are very fragile and require good care.
I personally like going in with different detangling methods throughout my wash day and styling process. I usually start off with a quick detangling using my fingers to get out difficult knots that the mechanical tools may rip through. I then go in with the wide tooth comb and make multiple passes until it goes through smoothly. Finally, I use a brush (paddle, detangling, or regular depending on what I pick up) and go through my hair again until smooth. This usually ensures me the best detangling process. Also, it is important to remember to detangle only when hair is wet or damp and best when there is product applied to minimize breakage.
