SGrowing a beard is expensive and inconvenient, and almost everyone who can grow a beard looks better with one. This was my (admittedly somewhat one-sided) opinion when I ditched the clean-shaven look 20 years ago, but maybe I was onto something (regarding the first two points anyway): I still use a beard trimmer rather than a razor today.
If you’re someone who’s always clean-shaven or frequents the barbershop, you can do without a beard trimmer. But for others, this invaluable personal organizing tool could make the difference between looking like a Worzel Gummidge and maintaining a well-maintained appearance.
I can’t promise you will always get the results you want (I’ve had a few mishaps that I can laugh about now, even if they weren’t funny at the time). But there are countless other potential benefits. At the very least, you’ll save money compared to wet shaving and avoid the blades ending up in landfill.
At a glance
Why you should trust me
Throughout my adult life, I’ve grown beards of various lengths, from comically long beards (think Family Guy beards big enough to hold a bird) to beards slightly longer than a five o’clock shadow. In fact, I haven’t had a clean shave since I was in my 20s, so I’ve been using a beard trimmer for over 15 years.
So it’s clear that he has facial hair… but what about the technicalities? Over the past 10 years, I’ve tested all kinds of consumer products, from smartwatches to mattresses. I also have experience with grooming products. Before writing this article, I closely examined more than a few beard trimmers. After this article, that number is closer to 20.
How I Tested It
Some brands are known for making beard trimmers, and for good reason. They have been making great products for a long time. I’ve selected nine beard trimmers from popular brands along with emerging brands, with a selection of trimmers at a variety of prices to suit every budget.
After closely examining the features and build quality of the beard trimmers, I used each of them at least twice to test how well they coped with plowing through relatively thick beards. When using the trimmer, I considered how easy it was to adjust the length of the comb and how well it performed essential tasks such as cutting hair around the lips, cheeks and neckline.
After comparing the specs of each trimmer, including water resistance and battery life, I tried them out for myself. trembling Test how long your battery lasts and how noisy it is in the real world (using the Decibel X mobile app). After feeling good about all the trimmers, I continued using my favorite one for a few weeks. Any beard trimmers used in these products will be returned to the manufacturer or donated to local charity Basic Life.
best beard trimmer
Best beard trimmers overall:
Philips Beard Trimmer 9000 Prestige
The Prestige name may sound confident, even pretentious, but it should tell Philips that the BT9000 lives up to its name. Like the affordable Remington Barba below, it boasts simplicity and offers everything you need in a beard trimmer.
Why We Love It
Not only did the BT9000 offer superior build quality compared to the other trimmers in this round (the body and adjustable comb are made of stainless steel), but it also performed well overall in my tests, providing comfortable beard trimming with satisfactory results time and time again.
There is a simple scroll wheel that allows you to select the trimming length from 0.4mm to 5mm. Attaching a click-on plastic comb cuts from 5.4mm to 10mm. Philips claims that the trimmer reads facial hair density 125 times per second to ensure sufficient cutting power, and this was borne out in my testing. Even with the long comb length, I never had trouble cutting thick sections of facial hair.
IPX7 waterproof rating This means you can take it with you into the shower and wash away any stray hairs in the sink when you’re done. Don’t forget to oil your razor blades regularly. It’s not the quietest trimmer in our tests, but at 50db it won’t wake your neighbors. It also delivers solid performance in terms of battery life, with 60 minutes of charging giving you 2 hours of use.
It’s a shame… Maximum trimming length is 10mm. If you want to grow out a full beard, you might be better off using the Remington Barba below, or the Panasonic Multishape, which cuts up to 30mm.
Trimming Length: 0.4-10mm
travel case? yes
guarantee: 2 years
Battery life (claimed): 2 hours
Battery life (tested): 1 hour 50 minutes
noise(drain): 50.4
waterproof? Yes (IPX7)
Best budget beard trimmer:
remington baba
The Barba was the first beard trimmer I bought about 20 years ago. Even today, the products Remington produces tell you everything you need to know. This is a reliable workhorse and excellent value for money.
Why We Love It
The simplicity of Barba’s design is its greatest strength. The comfortable, ergonomic handle and adjustable comb with scroll wheel allow you to comfortably handle hairs from 1.5 mm up to 18 mm long. Removing the comb reveals a pop-up mini trimmer that not only allows you to trim as short as 0.4mm, but is also designed to trim complex areas such as sideburns and lip lines.
For Remington to offer the Barba at such a low price, a few compromises must be made, but none of them are deal breakers. For starters, it was claimed to have the worst battery performance in our tests, with a long 16-hour charge promising only 40 minutes of trimming. However, our tests showed that this time was exceeded by about 20 minutes, which is consistent with several other models.
Another good news is that the trimmer can be de-energized. So if you run out of juice after only trimming half of your beard, you can plug it in and get the job done. It’s also the quietest trimmer I’ve tested. However, it’s not waterproof, so if you want to trim your beard in the shower, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
It’s a shame… Remington does not list trimming lengths on its adjustable combs. Therefore, you need to memorize the comb length corresponding to the numbers 1 to 9.
Trimming Length: 0.4-10mm
travel case? no
guarantee: 3 years (4 years upon registration)
Battery life (claimed): 40 minutes
Battery life (tested): 1 hour
noise(drain): 42
waterproof? no
Best beard trimmers for travel:
Philips OneBlade Pro 360 Face and Body
Philips’ OneBlade range of beard trimmers is unusual in that you’ll need to replace the blades every few months. If you like the idea of a lightweight beard trimmer that gives you a very close trim, the OneBlade Pro 360 is one of the best on the market.
Why We Love It
On a recent international trip, the OneBlade Pro 360 was my top choice. This was partly because it was light and discreet (meaning it was perfect to throw in hand luggage), but also because the super-tight trim meant I didn’t have to pack a razor to get the finishing touches.
That’s not all the OneBlade 360 Pro has to offer. It’s water resistant and promises 2 hours of battery life on a 60-minute charge (in my testing, it actually lasted over 3 hours and 30 minutes). There’s also an LED display to let you know how much battery life is left, so unless you’ll be leaving the house for a few weeks, you can feel safe leaving the charger at home.
Philips also sent us the cheaper OneBlade 360 face and body, but we found the Pro to be an excellent travel companion thanks to its longer battery life, sturdy travel case, and more widely adjustable stubble comb that offers trimming lengths of up to 10mm.
If you have a long beard, you may be better off using a traditional beard trimmer with larger blades, but this is best for trimming short beards away from home.
It’s a shame… Even after purchasing the handle, there are ongoing costs. A pair of replacement blades costs around £20, so if you use your trimmer regularly you can expect to pay around £30 a year for new blades.
Trimming Length: 0.4-10mm (or shorter if comb removed)
travel case? yes
guarantee: 2 years
Battery life (claimed): 2 hours
Battery life (tested): 3 hours 40 minutes
noise(drain): 53.1
waterproof? yes
Best beard trimmers to extend battery life:
Wahl All-in-One Trimmer
Although it wasn’t an outright winner in our battery drain test (that honor went to the Philips OneBlade Pro 360), the Wahl All-in-One Trimmer offers excellent staying power for an inexpensive trimmer. With a variety of cutting lengths and the ability to cut even hair, this may be the only grooming tool you’ll ever need.
Why We Love It
Did I mention that Wahl has amazing battery life? It costs just £25, but it gives you a whopping 3 hours and 30 minutes of cutting time on a single charge, and even comes with a handy 5-minute quick charge feature, giving you plenty of juice to get the trim done if the battery runs out.
However, there are some caveats. You’ll need to leave it plugged in for 3 hours and 30 minutes to fully charge it, and there’s no status light so there’s no way to tell when the charge is complete.
Aside from these complaints, Wahl gives a solid performance. With interchangeable combs offering cutting lengths from 0.5mm to 25mm, it is second only to the Panasonic Multishape when it comes to maximum cutting length. There are also devices that allow you to cut hair and attach nose/ear whiskers. But it was tricky to attach.
Although you can rinse it, Wahl doesn’t promise full waterproofing for this model, so it’s best not to risk taking it in the shower.
It’s a shame… Additional comb lengths are not available. The difference between the shortest comb (3mm) and the second shortest comb (6mm) is the difference between a thick beard and a medium length beard. Build quality is basic, as you’d expect at this price, and it was the noisiest model in our test.
Trimming Length: 0.3-25mm
travel case? No, storage pouch
guarantee: 5 years
Battery life (claimed): 3 hours and 30 minutes
Battery life (tested): 3 hours 20 minutes
noise(drain): 58.7
waterproof? Rinse only
The best beard trimmers for precision:
Braun Beard Trimmer Series 9 BT9560
On paper, the Series 9 is a very impressive piece of kit. It’s water resistant, has a competitive 3-hour battery life, and offers a cutting length of up to 20mm with a simple adjustment wheel (and single removable comb). Unlike other trimmers on this list, this trimmer also has a power boost mode that can be activated when cutting thick hair. This is useful if you want to use it on your face as well as your hair.
Bundled with the trimmer are a variety of attachments to help you achieve a barber-level finish, including the ProDetail trimmer for tricky areas. ProContour attachment to create a straight neck and cheek line; Lastly, shaving foil. ProDetail and ProBlade will appeal to those who want to achieve the highest precision with their trim, but I think they’re overkill for most people. It will almost certainly languish in my drawer.
It’s a shame… I found the plastic comb too flexible and uncomfortable for my face. The trimmer also fell 40 minutes short of its claimed 3-hour battery life in my rundown test.
Trimming Length: Up to 20mm
travel case? yes
guarantee: 5 years (including registration)
Battery life (claimed): 3 hours
Battery life (tested): 2 hours 20 minutes
noise(drain): 45.6
waterproof? yes
best of the rest
Wahl Pro Series High Visibility Trimmer
Best suited for: tight trim
This premium trimmer’s unique head design provides excellent visibility of the area being cut, making it ideal for lips, cheeks and neck lines. As you’d expect for such an expensive trimmer, it’s solid overall as far as specs are concerned, offering water resistance, 2 hours of battery life, and a minimum trimming length of very close 0.2mm. It also comes bundled with a mini foil shaver and nose/ear hair trimmer.
Because it didn’t appear in the final cut… It didn’t seem to justify the high price. The trimmer itself was ugly, and the travel case and attachments seemed less finished than I expected for the price.
Trimming Length: 0.2-13mm; travel case? yes; guarantee: 5 years; Battery life (claimed): 2 hours; Battery life (tested): 2 hours 10 minutes; noise(drain): 46.3; waterproof? yes
Panasonic Multishape Beard/Hair/Body Trimmer Kit
Best suited for: sustainability
Panasonic’s Multishape trimmer is slightly different. It is a modular system. The model I received has attachments for trimming beard, hair, and body hair, but you can also buy a variety of add-ons, including a full-size foil shaver, sonic toothbrush, and even a pedicure head attachment (be careful not to confuse the last two). This is an interesting proposition, especially from a sustainability perspective, as it only requires a battery and a motor.
In fact, both the face and hair were done excellently. However, I found the wide blade too cumbersome for trimming complex areas like sideburns or lip lines. Ironically, this problem can be solved with a detail shave/trim attachment that is not included as standard and costs extra.
Because it didn’t appear in the final cut… You won’t be able to easily trim narrower areas, such as lip lines, without purchasing another attachment.
Trimming Length: 0.5-30mm; travel case? yes; guarantee: 1 year; Battery life (claimed): 1 hour 10 minutes; Battery life (tested): 1 hour 20 minutes; Noise (dB): 51; waterproof? yes
Manscaped the Beard Hedger.
Best suited for: Easy charging
Manscaped’s Beard Hedger is another solid all-rounder that comes near the top of the list. I liked the ergonomic design and it felt powerful, comfortable, and quiet in use. Equipped with IPX7 standard waterproofing, it can be used even in the shower, and is sturdy yet has excellent specifications. For example, a single charge will last for 1 hour.
Perhaps the biggest selling point is that it offers USB-C charging functionality. Therefore, you can avoid the hassle of using a USB-C cable if you go out without a charger at home. Keep in mind that unlike other trimmers on this list, it doesn’t have a fast charging feature.
Because it didn’t appear in the final cut… It wasn’t cheap, and other than USB-C charging, it didn’t really stand out among competing products.
Trimming Length: 10-30mm; Travel case? yes; guarantee: 1 year; Battery life (claimed): 1 hour; Battery life (tested): 1 hour 10 minutes; noise(drain): 46; waterproof? Yes (IPX7)
What you need to know
How to Clean a Beard Trimmer
How to clean your beard trimmer depends on the trimmer you own. You may be tempted to just rinse it under running water. This is fine in most cases, but check the manual before you risk ruining your precious new trimmer.
Most trimmers on this list allow you to run the blades under tap water to actually rinse out any loose hair. However, for models that are not waterproof, manufacturers often provide small brushes that can be used to clean around the blades and other moving parts.
Most, if not all, of the trimmers featured in this article have long-life blades. This is great because it saves you money on constant blade replacement, but it’s important to know what this means in terms of maintenance. In most cases, it is recommended to oil your blades regularly, but some models, including the Remington Barba, do not require oiling.
Clippers and beard trimmers – what’s the difference?
Clippers and beard trimmers are basically similar. Both typically have overlapping comb-shaped blades, but there are some key differences. Clippers are larger, have longer and wider blades and more powerful motors, allowing them to cut larger areas of coarse hair. In most cases, they are not designed to cut as close as a beard trimmer. That’s because it’s not meant to refine details like sideburns, lips, and cheek lines.
Confusingly, some beard trimmers are marketed as being able to trim beards as well as beards, while others do not. This depends on how confident the manufacturer is that the trimmer can cut long, thick hair without pulling. As with cleaning advice, it’s always best to consult the manual if you plan on using a trimmer to cut hair other than facial hair.
How to Recycle an Old Beard Trimmer
If you’re recycling an old beard trimmer that’s given up the ghost, you have a few options. In most cases, the best starting point is your local authority’s website. Here you should be able to find out whether you can drop off small electrical appliances with your household waste collection (some councils offer kerbside collection) or where the nearest recycling center or electrical recycling bank is.
Another handy tool is the recycling location finder on the Recycle Your Electricals website. This campaign from nonprofit organization Material Focus lets you enter your zip code along with the type of product you want to repair, recycle or donate, and then provides a list of nearby drop-off locations. I tried entering “body trimmers” next to my Suffolk postcode and there were two options within a 5 mile journey – for repairs and for recycling.
For more, read Best Hairstylist for 14 of the Best Home Styling Tools.
Edward Munn is a writer and editor with a lifelong passion for finding bargains. Professionally, he’s gotten to test all kinds of products, from beard trimmers to e-bikes, headphones, mattresses and smartwatches. When he’s not writing about the aforementioned products, you’ll find him doing similar in-depth research on 20-year-old cameras in the name of fun.